The new Premier League season is almost here and that means it is prediction time for our Leeds United reporters. Leeds have made a lot of changes over the summer with players leaving and arriving at Elland Road and, if nothing else, this season promises to be entertaining.
No journalist relishes making predictions at the risk of looking very foolish come the end of the campaign, but both Beren Cross and Will Jackson have been brave enough to give their verdicts on the season ahead. Here’s how they see the 2022/23 campaign panning out.
Beren Cross
Leeds' final league position: 13th
Leeds' top scorer: Patrick Bamford
Leeds' player of the season: Brenden Aaronson
Leeds' best signing: Brenden Aaronson
Premier League champions: Manchester City
Rest of the top four: Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal
Relegated: Fulham, Southampton, Bournemouth
Top scorer: Mohamed Salah
Surprise package: Newcastle United. A surprise or inevitable rise?
Away ground you're most looking forward to visiting: Dean Court (never been)
Away ground you're least looking forward to visiting: Old Trafford (so much pain in two years)
One bold prediction: Wolves to be in the bottom five.
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We are heading into the big unknown with Leeds United. Everything looks promising on paper, but by the end of August we are going to have a good idea where this train is heading.
Jesse Marsch was given the benefit of the doubt at every turn through the final 12 matches of last season. The American was virtually blameless through the troughs of the run-in, but that will all change now.
The head coach knows he has now had a full pre-season and a recruitment drive catered to his tactical profiles. Marsch knows if the results and style of play remain challenging, it’s on his head and there probably isn’t too much credit in the bank based on the way the team played under him last season.
Losing Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha was painful and despite their fees being invested in seven new faces, we really do not know for sure if there has been a net gain in quality on the pitch. Brenden Aaronson, Rasmus Kristensen and Tyler Adams are full internationals with Champions League experience under Marsch.
Marc Roca was so good Bayern Munich could not ignore him just two years ago, while Luis Sinisterra was last season’s breakout star in Eredivisie and Europa Conference League. It’s all great on paper, but until they play in the Premier League we can’t be sure how this is going to work out.
Will Jackson
Leeds' final league position: 14th
Leeds' top scorer: Patrick Bamford (back to his best)
Leeds' player of the season: Rasmus Kristensen
Leeds' best signing: Rasmus Kristensen
Premier League champions: Manchester City
Rest of the top four: Liverpool, Tottenham, Arsenal
Relegated: Fulham, Southampton, Bournemouth
Top scorer: Darwin Nunez
Surprise package: Nottingham Forest. They’ll take a few big scalps.
Away ground you're most looking forward to visiting: Emirates Stadium
Away ground you're least looking forward to visiting: Vitality Stadium (a slog from Yorkshire)
One bold prediction: Chelsea to miss out on the top four
It comes around quickly, doesn’t it? Leeds’ survival celebrations are still fresh in the memory, but here we are, ready to go again with a new mindset and a fresh squad of players.
For what it’s worth, I think Leeds have done some great business over the summer months, bringing in a handful of players that look capable of improving the Whites. Brenden Aaronson, Marc Roca, Rasmus Kristensen and Tyler Adams have all caught the eye over pre-season, while Luis Sinisterra possesses promise, too.
Of course, Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha have departed, but Leeds have done all they can to limit the impact of their departures and Jesse Marsch will be confident in his side’s ability to avoid a battle for the drop this season. Survival simply has to be the target this season once more, and while things like a cup run would be nice, it’s all about staying in the top flight.
Whether they can achieve that goal remains to be seen, but getting off to a promising start this Saturday would certainly help to bolster belief.
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