There were a lot of unknowns surrounding Leeds United ahead of the 2020-21 campaign, with many questioning whether Marcelo Bielsa's brand of football could bring consistently good results at the highest level.
As it transpired, it was a brilliant season for the Whites, who managed to finish ninth in England's top flight, providing plenty of entertainment along the way.
© Reuters
Bielsa's team will again play high-tempo football in the new campaign, and it will be fascinating to see whether the club can push higher up the division or indeed suffer the dreaded second-season syndrome.
Leeds will be desperate to show once again that they belong at this level of football, and the return of supporters to Elland Road will surely only make the team an even tougher proposition.
Here, Sports Mole provides an in-depth preview of the 2021-22 campaign and looks at what the supporters could expect from their side over the course of the season.
FIXTURES
Leeds have a very tough start to the 2021-22 campaign on August 14, as they face a trip to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United, who have made some standout signings during this summer's transfer window.
The Whites' first home match of the season comes one week later against Everton, while they will also welcome Merseyside opposition to Elland Road in the shape of Liverpool on September 12.
Bielsa's side will face Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur in back-to-back games at the start of November, while they will take on Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool in four straight fixtures in December.
Leeds will welcome Man United in the middle of February, meanwhile, and they have a tough run-in towards the end of the campaign, taking on Chelsea, Man City and Arsenal in three of their final six matches.
The Whites will certainly believe that they can take maximum points from their final two league games of the season, though, as they welcome Brighton & Hove Albion in the middle of May before travelling to Brentford on the final weekend of the campaign.
> Click here to see all of Leeds' 2021-22 fixtures
SUMMER SIGNINGS
© Reuters
In
Jack Harrison (undisclosed, Manchester City)
Junior Firpo (£13.5m, Barcelona)
Kristoffer Klaesson (£1.6m, Valerenga)
Out
Gaetano Berardi (released)
Ouasim Bouy (free, Al-Kharaitiyat)
Barry Douglas (free, Lech Poznan)
Pablo Hernandez (free, Castellon)
Eunan O'Kane (released)
Ryan Edmondson (loan, Fleetwood Town)
Oliver Casey (undisclosed, Blackpool)
Ezgjan Alioski (free, Ahli)
Alfie McCalmont (loan, Morecambe)
Mateusz Bogusz (loan, UD Ibiza)
Kiko Casilla (loan, Elche)
Leif Davis (loan, Bournemouth)
Leeds United total spent to date: £15.1m
Leeds United total received to date: £0m
Leeds United net transfer balance: -£15.1m
SQUAD
© Reuters
Goalkeepers: Illan Meslier, Kristoffer Klaesson
Defenders: Luke Ayling, Junior Firpo, Robin Koch, Liam Cooper, Diego Llorente, Pascal Struijk, Stuart Dallas
Midfielders: Adam Forshaw, Ian Poveda, Helder Costa, Raphinha, Jack Harrison, Kalvin Phillips, Mateusz Klich, Jamie Shackleton
Forwards: Patrick Bamford, Tyler Roberts, Rodrigo Moreno
> Click here for full details of Leeds' 2021-22 squad
STRONGEST XI
© Reuters
STAR PLAYER - KALVIN PHILLIPS
© Reuters
Raphinha was sensational for Leeds last season, but Phillips is the team's most important player. The 25-year-old enjoyed a standout season for the Whites in the Premier League before heavily contributing to England's run to the final of this summer's European Championship.
Phillips started all seven of his country's games at Euro 2020 and only failed to play the full match on one occasion - against Ukraine, when the contest had already been won.
Last term, the all-action midfielder scored once and provided two assists in 29 Premier League appearances, and he has now made 211 outings for the Whites in all competitions.
Leeds will do well to keep hold of the Englishman on a long-term basis, but he has a contract at Elland Road until June 2024, and it certainly appears to be an exciting time to be a part of the club.
MANAGER - MARCELO BIELSA
© Reuters
Bielsa has transformed Leeds since taking the job in 2018, leading the club to the 2019-20 Championship title before securing a ninth-place finish in the Premier League on the team's return to the top flight.
The 66-year-old's style of football is always going to bring a mixture of results, especially at the top level, but the Whites will have been delighted with what they achieved last term under the Argentine.
Bielsa has now taken charge of 140 matches for the Yorkshire club and boasts a record of 74 wins, 24 draws and 42 defeats. As it stands, Leeds is the club where he has spent the most time as manager in his career, and the experienced head coach will be hoping to push the team even higher up the division next term.
LAST SEASON - Ninth
© Reuters
Leeds did not make an impression in either cup competition last season, exiting the FA Cup in the third round and the EFL Cup in the second round, but the team excelled in the Premier League.
Indeed, on their return to the top flight, the Whites claimed ninth, finishing just two points behind eighth-placed Arsenal and three points behind seventh-placed Tottenham, who secured a spot in the Europa Conference League.
Bielsa's side were only six points off the Europa League positions, meanwhile, which is an indication of the strength of their season, and they were the great entertainers for long spells, scoring 62 times and conceding 54.
The Whites started their season in spectacular fashion, suffering a 4-3 loss at Liverpool, and they managed to take four points off the champions Man City, including a 2-1 win at the Etihad Stadium.
Leeds were irresistible in the latter stages of the season, losing just one of their 11 matches, holding Chelsea, Liverpool and Man United to draws, in addition to beating Man City and Tottenham, and they won their final four matches of the campaign to rise into the top half.
PREDICTION
Leeds will now be looking to fully establish themselves at this level once again over the next few years, and it is difficult to see them being in any relegation trouble for the foreseeable future, unless something drastic occurs.
Last term proved to be a huge success, and their form in the latter stages of last season suggests that they are more than capable of pushing for a top-seven finish in the 2021-22 campaign.
We are fully expecting the Whites to be in and around the European positions heading into the final straight but have just predicted them to miss out and claim another ninth-place finish in the top flight.
VERDICT: Ninth
Matt Law
