F_Wilson6: Rapha/Phillips new contracts?
BC : "The club would like both. The Raphinha deal does not, it seems, get done without a release clause which pleases the Brazilian's representatives so, with two years still to run, the club may run the gauntlet of this summer and see what comes out of the woodwork. It feels like there needs to be a sale of some kind this summer to boost the coffers of the overhaul the squad needs. Phillips has shown keenness to get the deal done too, but it's hard to ignore how long it is taking to get done. The summer seems like a natural time to get that one done. We are still not hearing any noises to suggest the midfielder wants out any time soon from his boyhood club.
LUFC4Life : What's the chance of Leeds buying back Thorpe Arch or Would the club look to build another training ground with the possibility of Fullerton being used as a mirror pitch training facility within the ground? We do need a good training ground and a reserve and ladies pich and stands for match days.
BC : The training ground development has been put on the back burner, publicly anyway. That shift away from the former Matthew Murray site shows there is ambition to make Fullerton Park something impressive moving forward. There are worse ideas than making that the training complex, but I wonder if it would be big enough based on the current size of Thorp Arch. I also think the club, with minds like Peter Lowy's, must see the commercial possibilities with a site like Fullerton.
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Basty1955 : What the chances of ayling and dremah playing next year as the 2 full backs.
BC : Good question. I do see Ayling being here next season and Drameh is really pulling up trees in the Championship based on what I have read. He has to be in the mix as a squad option next season if they are serious about youth players following a pathway. Left-back seems the bigger priority to me.
Marko6969 : Do you expect us to aim higher next season or do you think we’ll be looking at mid table / survival again. Surely with 4-5 decent acquisitions we wouldn’t be happy with another uninspiring season? Also do you think we’ve heard the last of previous targets like Ryan Kent or do you think if players like that become available then we’ll still bid?
BC : The club will always aim as high as it can, but this season certainly has to make the penny drop on a few decisions which have and have not been made across the past 18 months. The squad needs serious investment in the summer if it's to be comfortable in mid-table, let alone pushing into the top half. Several players in this squad look like they are at their limits and can't be expected to kick on again and improve to the next level next season. If by "decent acquisitions" you mean four or five players worth around £20m and you're assuming they're more like Raphinha finds than Augustin finds, you're still not looking much beyond 10th or ninth in the table. The wage bill to get into the top six or seven is astronomical and can't be done within one year or two, it needs years and years of investment to build a squad to that level. The Kent stuff has been quiet for a long time now. I don't follow Rangers closely, but I haven't come across too much analysis which is waxing lyrical about his displays this season. The ship may have sailed on that one, but if Raphinha moves on in the summer Leeds are going to need to add another forward of some description to their ranks.
Craig92: Do Leeds have any interest in any of Everton, Norwich, Watford & Burnley squad. We could do with left back, dare I suggest bringing Taylor back from Burnley.
BC: There are no names I have heard who may be on Orta's shortlists yet, but personally I think Demarai Gray, Emmanuel Dennis, Ismaila Sarr, Joao Pedro, Mathias Normann and Max Aarons would have the potential to suit Leeds' system plus provide resale value. Not too sure how expensive they would be to get from their current clubs though.
Scott12: How do you think Orta and Marsch will approach recruitment, while trying to give our u23s a chance? For example Cresswell he's got a lot of experienced defenders competing with him for a match. Will we see a few first team players sold or will we give some u23s a chance on loan?
BC: We still need to wait and see what Marsch likes to push from his directors of football. We know Orta likes running with 18 senior names and a tranche of under-23s behind them, so much may depend on who goes out the door to make space for those coming in or those stepping up from the under-23s. Cresswell is a very good example because some fans would put him ahead of those experienced options above him, but in reality he's going to be fifth in the pecking order and under-23 football will not be enough of a test. Unless one of the four ahead of him move on, I would think a loan may suit him best. Could be a similar situation for some of the others too, but the attackers seem to be closer to regular minutes than Cresswell.
Craig92: I know a lot of focus still remains on this season. However have heard anything about next pre season, does Marsch have somewhere he always goes.
BC: Nothing has been announced on pre-season yet. Marsch has only had his spells with RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg on a European schedule, so pre-seasons have been limited to Germany and Austria so far. There is little evidence out there of the American's preferred destinations. Much depends on the forthcoming Covid measures around the world this summer, but if everything continues to open up as it has been doing, you would not be surprised if the US or Australia were looked at options again given the fan bases out there.
Joe789: Have Leeds already got enough points to stay up?
BC: The million-dollar question. I'm not confident enough to go that far yet, thought I do think they're safe given there are six matches to play for the extra two points I think they need. If you were to tell me they would lose all of their final six and finish on 33 points, I wouldn't feel all that confident with the quantity Burnley and Everton have left to play.
