Leeds United and the emotional journey to return to the Premier League

In the press room after the 6-0 win over Stoke, Leeds manager Daniel Farke kept glancing at the TV showing Burnley v Sheffield United. Shortly after, the match ended 2-1 in favor of the second-placed Burnley in the 2024/25 Championship.

This means that both Leeds and Burnley have officially secured promotion to the Premier League next season (both on 94 points, eight points ahead of the third-placed team with just two games left). That's when the party in West Yorkshire begins.

Leeds fans climbed onto buildings, lit flares and partied all night on Monday. The players joined them and popped champagne. Manager Farke, who is used to celebrating with cake and coffee on the sofa, broke with his routine, sipping a pint and shouting from his balcony: "Leeds are back where they belong."

Leeds players celebrate in front of a packed Elland Road crowd.

Leeds last won promotion to the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa in 2019/20, but the pandemic meant no live celebrations, with fans not even allowed at Elland Road.

So it's no exaggeration to say Leeds haven't been this festive for decades. Not since the glory days of reaching the Champions League semi-finals in 2000/01 under David O'Leary have the Whites had such joy, such overwhelming emotion.

In their 105-year history, the West Yorkshire club has gone through many ups and downs with countless ups and downs. Last season, it was thought that Farke would bring Leeds back to the Premier League after an impressive run. However, no one expected that they would stumble in their last 6 matches, leading to a drop in morale and losing to Southampton in the promotion play-off.

Exciting celebrations from Leeds and West Yorkshire fans.

Many feared Leeds would be a long way from promotion. Not only would they remain in the Championship, they would have to meet the rules of profitability and sustainability by reluctantly selling quality players. Crysencio Summerville, a 20-goal scorer, was forced to leave Elland Road, along with young talent Archie Gray and popular striker Georginio Rutter.

Fortunately for Leeds, Farke has the experience of twice helping Norwich City to the Premier League, and he knows what he’s doing. Ignoring criticism of his rigid tactics, mechanical substitutions and lack of rotation, the German has stuck to his pragmatic approach, taking a calm approach to each game and keeping his nerve at the crucial moments.

Leeds overcame a difficult start, improved in the autumn and picked up steam as the winter set in. The Whites took top spot in the spring and held it until late March, when they dropped to second after three consecutive draws. But they then settled down and eventually deservedly secured promotion.

Coach Daniel Farke architected the Premier League promotion ticket.

Looking back now, Farke has patiently rebuilt the team by creating a more solid squad based on modest signings. He is also very good at exploiting the strengths of each player, putting them in the best positions.

For example, when he lost both central midfield duo Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev to injury, coach Farke combined Joe Rothwell's ball-moving skills with Ao Tanaka's strength in the tackle and delicate passing.

As a result, Leeds not only remain dangerous in transition but also provide a platform to unleash their full-back strengths, with Jayden Bogle and Daniel James on the right and Junior Firpo and Manor Solomon on the left. Add in the likes of midfielder Brenden Aaronson and centre-forward Joel Piroe and the Whites' attacks are always six-man.

Leeds are a better team this season than last season.

With 89 goals, Leeds are the top scorers in the Championship, 22 more than the second-placed team. If they score another 10 goals in their remaining two games, this will become their record season, surpassing the 98 goals of the 1927/28 season. The Whites are currently on 94 points, 93 more than the record of 93 points of the 2019/20 Championship season, and are capable of finishing with a full 100 points.

Leeds will have a much bigger challenge next season in the Premier League. Just look at this season, Leicester City, Southampton and Ipswich - the three teams promoted last season - all occupy the bottom three spots. The first two are back in the Championship, while the third is just a matter of time.

Leeds, however, have reason to be hopeful. Along with talents such as Ethan Ampadu, Bogle, Ao Tanaka and Gnonto, the club’s owners have also committed to giving manager Farke a large transfer budget this summer. Above all, when returning to their home turf, the emotional team, as the 48-year-old strategist put it, will play with courage, with the desire to stay in the Premier League for as long as possible.

Thanh Hai

Source: https://tienphong.vn/leeds-united-va-hanh-trinh-day-cam-cuong-cho-ngay-tro-lai-premier-league-post1736150.tpo