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Rewind to the start of this season and Leeds fans were talking about
finishing in the top half of the Premier League table, and possibly even
pushing for a European place. Almost a third of the way through, and things
are different.
Up at the top, odds
on the Premier League winner show this to be a three-horse race, between
the current champions and 1.76 favourites Manchester City, Chelsea and
Liverpool. However, behind them, there are many teams looking to finish
in the best position possible, this is where Leeds were expected to be.
With just two wins from their first eleven games, Leeds are not currently
playing well enough to feature amongst any Premier
League tips that are published. However, given what we saw last season
from them, and the glimpses of promise this season, it may not be too
long before the West Yorkshire team begin to find their feet and climb
the table.
Given their poor start to the season, and the competitive nature of the
Premier League, do Leeds need to change their aims for the current campaign,
in order to make them a little more realistic?
While setting aims and targets for the rest of the season is important,
it is also key for Leeds that they realise the danger of getting sucked
into a relegation battle. While they have far too much quality to be seriously
considered as relegation candidates, we have seen good teams stuck in
the past, and it is not easy to get out.
Of the teams behind Leeds, Aston Villa have a new manager, with the
arrival of Steven Gerrard. So do Norwich with Dean Smith joining,
and Newcastle have been taken over and installed Eddie Howe as their new
boss. These could all lead to a bounce back for those clubs, which would
put a little more pressure on Leeds as they look to move away from the
danger zone.
???? Can Raphinha add to his Brazil tally tonight
against Argentina? This is something the club should be capable of. We have seen many players
grow since arriving in the Premier League, including Raphina, who
played for Brazil against Argentina during the international break,
not every team has a Brazilian international in them. This is alongside Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford, who have both
been involved in the England setup over the past few months. This is not
a team that looks like a recently promoted one, instead, it is a team
that has the quality in it to be well above that, and finishing in the
middle of the Premier League, if not more. While European football may have to wait a little longer, Leeds can still
do well this season, and hit mid-table, possibly more. 
Elland
Road (CC BY
2.0) by wjarrettc
Immediate Dangers and Future Targets
Then Leeds need to look forward. Rather than looking for the top half at
least, with the possibility of a European spot, their aims need to be slightly
lowered. Instead, Leeds should be looking for a mid-table position at least,
with a chance of finishing inside the top half.
The @LUFC
star has 2 goals in 4 appearances for the Seleção ?? ??
pic.twitter.com/PZkq1OWoYh