OPINION
Spirits must be pretty high at Leeds United heading into the upcoming season, and after the campaign they had last year, it would be hard for them to have been any lower than they were at the end of May.
The club’s 13th placed finish was a huge failure considering the Whites had held early hopes of a play off push, and to tackle the situation the board have done everything they can to try and break into the top six.
Working with a severely limited budget in comparison to some other second tier sides, Andrea Radrizzani took a massive gamble, and pulled off something of a coup, on bringing in renowned coach Marcelo Bielsa, and has backed him reasonably well in the transfer market, while working within feasible means.
However, with just days before the opening league clash of the season, which for Leeds pits them against freshly relegated Stoke City, the Argentinian manager has been speaking about his potential line up – and it highlights some major issues in the squad.
Take the situation with Pontus Jansson for example – international duty means he has only recently returned to Leeds for training, and Bielsa’s comments suggest he is not set to feature against the Potters.
Bielsa indicating that Pontus Jansson won't start on Sunday. "He had three weeks of vacation, he came back six days ago and I have to take this into account." #lufc
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) August 3, 2018
The Swede is without a doubt the Whites’ best centre back, and with Bielsa looking likely at playing three at the back, the other options will be giving fans nightmares.
Liam Cooper is the only other senior centre back, while midfielder Kalvin Phillips and full backs Gaetano Berardi and Laurens De Bock have been shoehorned into the role during pre-season.
How are Leeds going to push for a return to the Premier League when this is the issue faced with one centre back out of action?
The simple answer is they are not.
It is a massive issue at Elland Road and it not being addressed is unforgivable – Leeds fans can wave goodbye to any hopes of the top six while the problem exists.