Leeds expected relegation to destroy their club; instead, full-back Sam Byram explains to i’s Mark Douglas how a city fell back in love with its football team.
Leeds United defender Sam Byram sat down for a cup of tea with the club’s veterans support group last Thursday in the Elland Road changing rooms.
It was part of the EFL’s week of action, an initiative that highlights the impact that all 72 Football League clubs have on their communities.
Given the current situation in West Yorkshire, it seems fitting that Leeds was a part of such an upbeat week. They are third in the Championship after an impressive run, but more importantly, they feel like a club that is being welcomed back into the city.
A snippet from the meeting, relayed to me by Byram, tells a story.
“One of the guys asked me ‘What’s different to the last time you were here?'” Byram is referring to a previous ownership period in 2016 when Massimo Cellino was in charge and Leeds alternated between crisis and triumph.
“When I was last here, the club was going through a rough patch.” Coming back and seeing how united the city is, seeing the atmosphere at home games and the travelling fans, it’s really taken me by surprise.”
The images of that wild day in west London in May 2022, when Leeds avoided relegation, are seared in my mind. Raphinha diving into the visiting fans to celebrate their survival, Victor Orta tearing at Jesse Marsch’s white polo shirt, and those in charge thrusting themselves front and center after Leeds avoided relegation.
According to the theory, relegation would have been disastrous. But it was what came after that really hurt the club, with Orta and company viewing survival as an endorsement of their flimsy blueprint and pressing on regardless.
Whisper it quietly, but resuming in the Championship, away from the harsh glare of the Premier League spotlight, and under new management has allowed a disillusioned fanbase to reconnect with their club.
Relegation has provided an opportunity for a fresh start, and this Leeds is far more recognizable than the one that surrendered survival under Sam Allardyce.
Orta’s so-called smart recruitment has thankfully been abandoned. Last summer, the man who boasted about discovering an algorithm on data site Statsbomb to identify players who could fit right into Leeds’ unique high press style was exposed by a string of bad picks.
Instead, they have signed good characters with proven Championship pedigree, and Daniel Farke’s imprint is undeniable on the signings.
Ethan Ampadu has been the standout performer, but their late signing of Byram, a left-back who left under a cloud in 2016, has symbolic significance. He returned hungry and at the manager’s request, initially to improve his fitness following an injury-plagued final two seasons at Norwich.
Farke was persuaded by his ability, work ethic, and ease with which he adapted to the group around him. It wasn’t a flashy signing, but it was prudent.
“There’s always a risk of training and playing games with no guarantee of the future but the chance to come back to Leeds and my hometown club, work with staff I’d worked with before, it was a no-brainer,” he says as he reflects on the experience.
“There’s no guarantees of anything when I came back to train but since I came back everyone’s been so welcoming and I feel like I’ve settled right back in.”
Leeds United are expected to flex their transfer muscles in January, now that the club’s new owners, the 49ers, have their feet under the table. They are well within the parameters of Financial Fair Play and are currently within striking distance of the top two.
“We’re a club on the rise again.” “It’s a top club in terms of support and squad,” Bryram says.
Farke, Daniel
In Oslo, it was the middle of July. When Daniel Farke spoke to a gaggle of local media, it was raining outside and an out-of-sorts Leeds had just been beaten by a callow Manchester United team.
“We know it’s a difficult ask but if it was easy anyone could do it,” he went on to say.
Leeds wanted to keep many of the 16 players who left in the summer. Five of the loans were high-profile, as players took advantage of contract clauses that allowed them to leave the Championship-bound club.
As others, such as Willy Gnonto, agitated to join them, resentment flared in the stands. The situation appeared to be approaching a tipping point.
Farke, on the other hand, did it flawlessly. His messaging has been direct and realistic since day one, his team has been hardworking and attack-minded, and his man management has been excellent.
After going through three managers last season – and an unseemly period of flailing around looking for Marsch’s replacement – his appointment feels extremely prudent.
Byram has previously worked with him at Norwich and is not surprised by his impact at Elland Road.
“He’s brilliant to work with,” he continues.
“His reputation, particularly from the Championship and previous promotions, speaks for itself.” His style of play from Norwich and when he was managing away from home (is excellent).”
Those who have played under him describe him as a meticulous workaholic whose long days at Leeds’ training facility Thorp Arch often begin before sunrise. He earned the respect of those left to pick up the pieces after relegation because of how he treated those agitating for a move away – hard but fair, willing to offer a second chance.
“His attention to detail is top notch, you can see that in the games and the way we try to play high pressing, high energy, attacking football,” Byram said.
“On a daily basis, he and his staff are great people to work with, which makes my job even more enjoyable.”
“I look forward to training every day, and I believe we’ve shown what we’re capable of so far.” There are some areas where we have fallen short of our expectations, but it is up to us to demonstrate that our consistency is of the highest caliber.”
The 49ers – and a more promising future
The strategic arm of the San Francisco 49ers had long planned to take over Elland Road, but relegation complicated matters.
Initially, there was some skepticism about the deal, which was heightened when it was revealed that Andrea Radrizzani had attempted to use Elland Road as collateral to secure a bank loan ahead of his purchase of Sampdoria. A deal was eventually reached, but only by mid-July, and with “a lot more work to do than we first thought,” according to one source who spoke to me at the time.
Grandiose, far-reaching visions of the future had to be set aside in favor of more practical concerns. The sheer number of players who wanted to leave put the new owners’ resolve to the test. Many of the contracts negotiated prior to their time took decisions away from them.
The 49ers’ management has settled in and is no longer in crisis mode. Some of their early decisions appear wise, but fans will judge them on their commitment to purchasing and then redeveloping an aging Elland Road. Supporting Farke in January is also critical.
Internally, they believe Leeds’ infrastructure needs to be strengthened. It is a Premier League club that, all too often, resembles a Championship club.
The final word goes to Byram: a second-tier voice of reason and experience.
“It’s a Premier League club when you look at the fanbase and size of it,” he said.
“Everywhere you go, whether in this country or abroad, there’s a Leeds fan, but the Championship – as I’ve said before, and other players and managers have said as well – it’s such a difficult league to get out of.”
“It’s game after game after game because it’s such a difficult league.” We have a great squad, a great manager, and a great set-up, but it’s all about each week, attacking each week, and trying to score points.”
Leeds has returned to basics, which appears to be working.
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