We’re back in the Premier League at the second time of asking and I for one am a little bit concerned – it sort of feels like a bit of an anticlimax. After last season’s, frankly disappointment in the Playoff final – a game where we simply didn’t show up and then what seemed to be a positive summer recruitment drive, I expected us to win the title this time around.
BREAKING: Leeds United have been promoted to the Premier League ⬆️⚪️ pic.twitter.com/M2rrFuCjHI
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) April 21, 2025
When we got promoted last time, I thought there was a better feel-good factor and with Marcelo Bielsa at the helm, I was excited about our chances and the type of players that a name like him could attract. And, boy did we get some big names in.
A manager like Daniel Farke, simply doesn’t cut it for me. He’s had two shots in the top flight now and failed – granted, Norwich didn’t have the type of budget and resources we do, but that isn’t enough.
Farke won’t attract the type of names that we need and I’m not surprised at all that there are already rumours about him getting the chop. It’s then a case of who do we replace him with, who would want the job and who is available?
There is no doubt about it – we are still a big club and the expectation surrounding us is high – I think that now with the kind of structure we have, with the 49ers and now Red Bull, we have a great platform to build on.
As I mentioned, I personally don’t see Farke being a part of the club’s future – some managers have a role that they’re very good at. Harry Redknapp was a great wheeler-dealer, Sam Allardyce (apart from with us, ironically) can steer a club to safety and Neil Waarnock was good at getting teams promoted from the Championship. Farke fits the latter category and now is probably the best in the business. I think excelling in the top flight is beyond his capabilities.
Why Would I Take Mourinho?
Various reports have linked us to Jose Mourinho, who is apparently unhappy at Fenerbahce and this is the type of character we need. Yeah, he splits opinion, but he’s a serial winner and should be more than capable of at the very least keeping us up and at best, achieving what I would think would be a very respectable mid-table finish.
Similarly to Bielsa when this happened and also would be able to attract similar level names as well – assuming they want to play under him.
Granted, Mourinho doesn’t play as attractive football as Bielsa, or Farke for that matter, but when he gets it right with the right personnel, his teams are effective and dangerous. FC Porto, Chelsea (both times) and Inter Milan, all being great examples of this.
I do wonder though, how long he would last. He’s not known for being at a club for more than two years, but I would hope by then, we’ve reached a level where we can then push on and attract an even better manager to progress us even further.
Also, Mourinho does like ‘big clubs’ and despite the fact that we have been bouncing around for the last few years, we’re still a big draw and Mourinho might relish the challenge of possibly exceeding what we achieved under Bielsa in terms of league finish.
He’s also a superb manager when it comes to getting the best out of players. Most of his ex-players (John Terry/Frank Lampard) idolise him, but not just this. He knows how to take the heat off his teams and distract the media’s attention onto him – which with rumours surrounding a potential return back to the Championship likely to be swirling, would be great for keeping player’s heads in the game.
Our major problem last time was the number of goals we leaked though Mourinho knows how to build a stable foundation and identify the right players to have further forward on the transition.
His first team at Chelsea was not only defensively stable, but also frightening on the counter-attack, with Damien Duff, Arjen Robben and Didier Drogba. Not to mention Lampard and/or Eidur Gudjohnsen supporting that frontline in an almost box-to-box role.
So yeah, unless anyone better comes along, I would take Mourinho in a heartbeat and just his presence would get Elland Road rocking. Watch this space!
