The Premier League is the pinnacle of English football, and every fan hopes their team will one day grace the league. Leeds United fans currently face the prospect of their side exiting the promised land back into the wilderness of the Championship. However, this may not be as catastrophic for the club as some may think.
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New opportunities
Going down would definitely mean a mass exodus of players, but arguably those leaving would probably be set to move on in the coming seasons anyway. Players like Willy Gnonto and Illan Meslier look likely to move on from the club regardless of the team's standing in English football.
Playing in the Championship would cause many players to leave, but this would present opportunities for younger players with better long-term potential of playing for the club who may not be given a chance should Leeds stay up.
Players like Charlie Cresswell and Joe Gelhardt may not be given consideration if Leeds stay up, so going down would offer them both an opportunity to break into the first team having amassed ample Championship experience between them both this season.
Now, of course, the preferable outcome is that Leeds stay up and these players are given chance to prove whether they have the ability to play in the top flight. But going down would provide a necessity for these types of players, who have shown they are apt at a lower level and have a high ceiling for improvement.
Leeds United, upon their return to the Premier League, have struggled to make progress following their impressive first season back under Marcelo Bielsa.
Giving these undoubtedly talented young players, who are still a raw product, a platform to grow individually and as a unit could provide Leeds with the long term basis to push on towards the top of the English game.
Currently the team find themselves in a stagnant position, and adversity could prove to be the only way to break free from the lack of progress on-field.
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Bounce-back potential
Most Leeds fans would admit that the thought of going down is one that evokes feelings of apprehension, with the club spending over a decade and a half within the wilderness of the Football League last time round.
However, this current crop of Leeds United players may have the perfect balance to be able to conquer the Championship once again and bounce straight back up. Having natural leaders like Luke Ayling, who has been there and done that in the Championship, could be beneficial to the growth of the younger players in the squad.
Leeds have proven that they are a sustainable club with acquisitions and consequent sales of players - but it could be argued that their business model in the transfer market has its limitations.
Despite the Whites spending good money in transfer markets, the quality of the side has not particularly improved nor diminished. Selling Players such as Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips and replacing them with Sinisterra and Adams, for example, suggests that the hierarchy looked to simply replace their top players with those of similar ability, not better.
While this is not a bad thing, it does mean for an ambitious club like Leeds, that they may not progress in a way the fans are satisfied with. Most Leeds fans dream of once again being able to travel the cities of Europe following their team - relegation scraps won't cut it.
While they didn't expect to have glittering European nights any time soon, the lack of progress in league standings year on year is a worry. Having a season out of the top flight where there is a genuine chance to bounce straight back could be what Leeds United need to break the ceiling they seemed to have created in the transfer window.
Developing younger players by giving them game time at the club will not only improve them, but it will increase their value dramatically. If Leeds were to go down and bounce straight back up they wouldn't be expected to keep every single player, and some of the young players they develop could carry sizeable price tags; something that can be reinvested into genuine improvements that could push the club forward.
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New outlook
With the 49ers poised to complete the takeover of Leeds United in the near future, Leeds fans will be hoping for a bright future for their beloved team.
With the aim of course being to stay in the Premier League and remain one of the elite teams in England, all eyes will be on the end of this season.
However, one eye must be on the possibilities of next season and beyond, and no matter the outcome this season, there are ways the club can progress regardless of the league they find themselves in.
