Leeds United continued their incredible form under Daniel Farke with a dramatic comeback win against Sunderland on Monday night as the club builds for the future under 49ers Enterprises.
It’s fair to say the mood has shifted at Elland Road since Andrea Radrizzani sold his majority stake to the 49ers group in the summer of 2023. The first job on the hands of the new owners was to shift a considerable amount of the signings made under ‘Radz’, nearly all of whom sat on large salaries with baffling relegation clauses.
18 months on from a horde of those signings filling the books while heading out on loan, and only Rasmus Kristensen remains in that position, with the 27 year-old expected to complete a permanent move to Eintracht Frankfurt once the season reaches its conclusion.
And that conclusion looks more and more likely to come with the Whites back in the top flight, after a stunning brace from Pascal Struijk rescued three points against Sunderland on Monday, with the Dutchman sending a warning to Leeds’ promotion rivals.
“Really big. I think it’s important from us that we win and get the three points today. It’s a big step in the season so far, we want to keep the distance with the ones that are chasing the same thing as us. So, I think it’s really important that we got the three points today.”
Leeds have now won four on the bounce in the league, scoring 15 in that time and conceding just once, and look the clear favourites to secure automatic promotion ahead of a monster clash with chasers Sheffield United next Monday evening.
The real test for the new owners begins once the promotion dream is achieved however. As it stands, all three promoted sides in the top flight are set to fall straight back down for the second season in a row, with the step up becoming increasingly difficult. Luckily for the Whites and Farke however, they may just have the perfect recipe for success thanks to their thriving academy.
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With PSR strangling the spending of even the biggest clubs in the Premier League, the only sustainable route to success is to either identify top talents from abroad before selling them for huge profits – perhaps best known as the Brighton model – or to grow those talents within your own academy.
Of course, Leeds have already borne the fruits of the latter strategy, nurturing Archie Gray into a top player before selling up to Tottenham Hotspur – albeit much to the dismay of plenty of supporters.
Lucky for those supporters however, there is another Gray emerging at Thorp Arch – Archie’s younger brother Harry, who returned to the scoresheet for the Under-21s this weekend, netting a brace in a 2-1 win against Derby County, prompting praise from analyst Ben Mattinson.
“Said it before and I’ll say it again, look out for Harry Gray… I love Archie Gray, but you could certainly argue Harry is more talented. Killer #9 back from his injury and consistently shining for Leeds’ U21’s. Hopefully he’ll play for the first team soon, 100% will next year.”
The 16 year-old has been recovering from a back injury since pre-season, but has now played 90 minutes in his last two Premier League 2 appearances and looks back to his best.
And he’s not the only goalscorer thriving behind the scenes in Yorkshire, with 15 year-old Oliver Boast recently breaking into the Under-18 set-up after dominating at Under-16 level. Boast has scored once already in the Under-18 Premier League and bagged in the FA Youth Cup against Manchester City earlier this month, with Mattinson singling him out as the best talent alongside Gray.
Meanwhile, the likes of Charlie Crew are already thriving out on loan and youngsters like Wilfried Gnonto and Mateo Jospeh are more than playing their part in Farke’s quest for promotion.
|
Best Leeds Academy Talents |
Age |
Position |
|---|---|---|
|
1. Harry Gray |
16 |
Forward |
|
2. Oliver Boast |
15 |
Forward |
|
3. Rory Mahady |
18 |
Goalkeeper |
|
4. Charlie Crew |
18 |
Midfielder |
|
5. Kris Moore |
21 |
Defender |
With sustainable success the name of the game for clubs who don’t have the backing of a Newcastle or Man City, the 49ers Group are currently doing everything right not only in building a side capable of earning their status back in the big time, but in righting the wrongs of their predecessors, focusing on youth and planning for the long-term.
