Deadline Day Depression

Another transfer deadline day, another soul-crushing experience.

Saturday evening's 0-0 against Newcastle felt like a much needed palate cleanser after the Arsenal game. It was a good game and Leeds equipped themselves well defensively and in the midfield battles, which really defined the game. Sean Longstaff, returning to his former club, put in a superb shift and was duly awarded man of the match. However, for all the good defensive and midfield work, one thing was clearly missing: cutting edge in attack.

Not to worry though, right? There are still two days left of the transfer window, the board have made big promises, they'll definitely get at least one attacking player through the door. Well.......we all know what happened next. A reliable striker, a winger, and an attacking midfielder were all on the shopping list, yet the club, inexplicably, ended up with nothing. How did this happen?

A Positive Start

With promotion assured in April, the Leeds board and recruitment team have had months to draw up plans for how they would approach the transfer window. With the gap between the top of the Championship and the bottom of the Premier League seemingly growing wider every year, newly promoted sides are having to spend big to have even the slimmest chance of survival.

Leeds have spent money this summer: nearly £100 million has been spent on 10 players. The recruitment at the back and in midfield has looked impressive, with a few very shrewd signings. Two clean sheets in three games suggest the team are capable of holding their own defensively. In contrast, the attack has struggled. One goal in 3 games and it was a penalty. We won't be able to 0-0 our way to safety, or rely on winning games 1-0 with the help of a late penalty.

Attacking Vulnerabilities

A key issue is that we don't know how reliable our attacking signings will be. Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Noah Okafor are talented players, who will be starters if they stay fit. If. Lukas Nmecha has been signed to add depth to the squad. All three have poor injury track records. It's a massive risk.

Crying Out for a No.10

Another issue I've noticed is the lack of link between midfield and attack. There's no player in the squad who can effectively link play and unlock defences. This is why signing a number 10 was key. The last player to do this for us was Pablo Hernandez, who has STILL not been adequately replaced. Unbelievable. Not having a number 10 restricts how the team can set up and its ability to adapt and pivot should a game require it. Ao Tanaka is a tidy player with an eye for a pass, but his strongest position is deeper in midfield. Shoe-horning him into the number 10 role is putting a square peg in a round hole. Brenden Aaronsson can play in the position, but he has repeatedly shown that he is not good enough for the Premier League.

Missing the Target(s)

Signing Noah Okafor for £18 million, despite his injury record, seemed like a good start. Especially when it looked like the club had sealed Facundo Buonanotte, the highly-rated attacking midfielder from Brighton, on loan, only to be beaten by Chelsea at the last minute.

The recruitment team would have to take it on the chin and move on to other targets before it was too late. As the transfer window ticked away, anyone targeted by Leeds either moved to another team or stayed put. I would list them here but it's too depressing.

The last role of the dice came in the shape of Harry Wilson. Not exactly a glamorous name, but a solid Premier League operator with a mean left foot. Leeds were apparently able to meet Fulham's valuation and a deal was ready to be signed. Just before the 7 O'Clock deadline, Fulham pulled out. The deal would not be happening. Leeds ended up with nothing. No striker, no winger, no number 10. Fucking typical.

Fake Tales of San Francisco

Since the San Francisco 49ers have become the majority shareholders at Leeds United they've been very vocal about their ambitions for the club. After the club won promotion back in April, Chairman Paraag Marathe bullishly claimed: “We are going to build the best squad that we can with every penny that we're allowed to spend to go and compete in the Premier League".

Prior to the kick-off versus Everton, Marathe added: “History shows there’s always a lot of activity in the last few weeks of the window, certainly the last few days of the window. We’ll exercise every day that we can”.

Leeds fans have heard it all before - talk is cheap. We needed actions and unfortunately they haven't been forthcoming. Any Leeds fan on Twitter will have seen the Arctic Monkey's-related meme. It's funny......but painfully fitting.

Inexperience in Key Roles

Another person who will attract the fury of the Leeds fans is Adam Underwood, who was promoted to Sporting Director after the departure of Nick Hammond. He has been at Leeds since 2014, serving mostly as the Head of Academy, before briefly taking on the job as Head of Football Operations. Underwood has shown that he is inexperienced and completely out of his depth as Sporting Director, however, he should never have been appointed to that position in the first place. Another decision Marathe will have to answer for.

Lucy Ward's, who previously worked with the Leeds United Academy as well, reaction to his appointment says it all.......

Farke'd it Up

If there's one person within the club who should feel most aggrieved at this utter shambles, it is Daniel Farke. Farke has been very frank about his options in attack. After the AC Milan friendly in Dublin he stated that "In the offence we are not ready for Premier League level."

Ahead of the transfer window closing, he added that survival would be 'difficult' without the attack being strengthened. Farke has his limitations as a manager but he has been let down and set up for failure here, which will ultimately cost him his job. Disgraceful.

PSR or Poor Planning

I'm sure the board will try to blame PSR restrictions for the lack of signings. However, fans will point to the bids submitted for Igor Paxaio and Rodrigo Muniz, £26 million and £32 million respectively. Paixao went to Marseille and Muniz stayed at Fulham but that money must have been available if bids were submitted. Instead the club signed of Okafor for £18 million and Calvert-Lewin on a free. Where did the rest of the money go? It reeks of poor planning. Waiting for players to become available (Muniz) is incredibly risky, especially when their availability doesn't come to fruition. Another issue could be unrealistic targets and negotiation incompetence. Missing out on a couple of targets? It happens. But to miss out on all targets? Abysmal. For a club who boasted about how they were 'planning for 6 months' and were going to 'attack' the window, it's unforgivable.

What Now?

As I write this article the club has not yet addressed yesterday's farce. I'm sure Marathe et al are still working out how to spin it and regain control of the 'narrative'. I can't help but feel the chances or survival have taken a hit. Of course, all is not over but the board certainly haven't given the team the best fighting chance. The decisions made by Marathe this summer will define his and the 49ers time at Elland Road. If it all goes south, there's no way back for him and them. Only time will tell.