First team

Are Leeds United showing signs of progress under Garry Monk?

|
Image for Are Leeds United showing signs of progress under Garry Monk?

It has been a difficult few years for Leeds United – both on and off the field. They’ve been plagued by numerous injuries, off-field incidents relating to the owner and the hierarchy, and have struggled to perform consistently under various managers. However, Leeds’ fortunes may be about to improve drastically with Garry Monk at the helm.
Since arriving at Elland Road, Monk has transformed the mood at the club – and a lot of the negativity surrounding Leeds has vanished in recent weeks. It isn’t perfect but Monk has steadied the ship and Leeds are now looking up at the playoff spots rather than down at the relegation battle. To put his achievements into perspective; Leeds have won six of their opening 14 league games this season. In the 2015-16 campaign, the Whites won just twice in the same period.

As of October 19th, the Whites are 25/1 to secure promotion with 32Red this season but Monk won’t be getting ahead of himself just yet. At the end of the day, the Championship campaign is a long, gruelling season and he will be taking it one game at a time. However, that isn’t to say that the former Swansea boss won’t be thinking about taking Leeds back to the playoffs – an achievement that would give the Whites a chance at silverware for the first time since securing promotion back to the second tier of English football in the 2009-10 campaign.

To put their current situation into perspective, Leeds have finished between 13th and 15th in each of the last five years. With that in mind, a top-half finish would almost certainly be regarded as a successful campaign with the United faithful but Leeds are an ambitious football club – and that is why they NEED to be back in the Premier League.

Less than two decades ago, Leeds were competing against the best teams in Europe but off-field troubles have hindered the club’s ability to bounce back. Given time, Leeds could be great again and Monk has already spoken about his plans to transform the club into an elite force in English football – just as they were during the 1970s and 1980s.

Leeds got back to winning ways in their most recent fixture as they secured a 1-0 victory away against Wolverhampton Wanderers – a sensational result. At this point last season, the Whites had conceded 19 goals; Monk’s men have allowed 15 – which shows a slight improvement in defence. A more telling statistic is the number of clean sheets. Leeds already have four shutouts this season compared to one at the same stage last season; and Leeds’ reliability at the back is a key reason for their rise up the Championship table.

If they continue to gel and improve as a squad, Leeds could be on the verge of something special. While they cannot compete with the likes of Newcastle United and Norwich City in terms of talent on the pitch, many believe that the tide is turning in their favour; and the majority of fans are now onside with the regime, the hierarchy and even the kit. In recent years, some fans have raised their doubts about the jersey but not this year. In fact, some believe that this could be United’s lucky jersey and as such it is almost certainly going to become one of the greatest kits in Leeds United’s long-standing history. Most fans wanted Leeds to revert to a traditional style of jersey and the club listened. Monk will now be hoping that some of the fortune and talent from Leeds’ golden generation can return with their sharp, new-look outfit.

On the pitch, Leeds have to remain focused on the task. While they are showing plenty of promise, England’s second tier is unforgiving at the best of times and Monk’s side cannot afford to get complacent as they begin to look up the table. Club sponsor 32Red UK and Netbet are both offering 10/1 on Leeds to suffer relegation this campaign – and fans will be hoping that the Whites continue their ascent up the division rather than getting dragged into a potential battle at the bottom. After all, Leeds fans deserve more – and they miss days like the 2010 victory over Bristol Rovers, as seen below.

Realistically, the title may be out of reach but Leeds have what it takes to go all the way to Wembley. They may need another year or two but the Whites have shown enough promise and quality during Monk’s short stint to suggest that they have what it takes to get back to the top. Supporters won’t be getting ahead of themselves but a prosperous few years could be on the cards for the Elland Road faithful…

Share this article