Mistakes, recruitment, Bielsa - The Leeds United lessons 49ers Enterprises must learn from Andrea Radrizzani - Leeds Live 20/6/23
49ers Enterprises have reached an agreement to purchase Leeds United from Andrea Radrizzani
Andrea Radrizzani’s six-year stint at the helm of Leeds
United is coming to end. The Italian has agreed a deal to sell the club to
minority shareholders 49ers Enterprises and although that transaction hasn’t
been completed just yet, Radrizzani will be saying his Elland Road goodbyes.
There’s been ups and downs during his time in charge and the
promotion to the Premier League stands out as the 48-year-old’s major success.
But, the last two seasons have severely soured his legacy and he leaves Leeds
exactly where he found them: the Championship.
Here’s a look at what 49ers Enterprises can learn from
Radrizzani’s time at the club as they wait for their purchase to be finalised.
Appointments can make or break
If there was one decision that can define Radrizzani’s spell
at Elland Road, it was the appointment of Marcelo Bielsa. The Argentine
galvanised both the club and the city at a key moment in time and, with the
backing from the ownership, he created the powerful momentum, mentality and
feel good factor that eventually took the Whites back to the Premier League
after 16 seasons.
Bielsa took Leeds to ninth in the Premier League table and
at that point Radrizzani’s stock was at an all-time high, as his stint in
charge of the Whites continued on its steep trajectory. Bielsa was sacked in
February 2022 with form deserting Leeds in their second season in the Premier
League, and Radrizzani’s appointments since then have been mediocre at best.
Jesse Marsch capitalised on carnage and kept the club in the
Premier League for a second season, but he couldn’t produce the performances or
the results the next season and was eventually sacked after just eight wins in
32 games. Javi Gracia failed to provide the stability needed to efficiently
halt the slide and the gamble on Sam Allardyce ultimately backfired as Leeds
were relegated.
It’s not an exact science, of course, and most clubs go
through peaks and troughs, but poor decision making over the last couple of
seasons is a major reason why Radrizzani is having to sell Leeds as a second
tier club.
Never stand still
Looking back at Radrizzani’s time at Elland Road, there is a
sliding doors moment when negative momentum was allowed to take over and that’s
the 2021 summer transfer window. After finishing ninth in the top flight, many
hoped to see the club invest in the squad once more, bring in fresh faces and
evolve from the side that had won them promotion to one capable of establishing
themselves as a Premier League force.
However, whether it was due to a lack of funds, a touch of
arrogance or faith in the crop at the time, they didn’t act enough in the
window. Junior Firpo was the only new addition to the senior side until a last
ditch deadline day push saw Dan James signed for £25m.
It wasn’t enough and Leeds were hit with a nasty case of
second season syndrome because of it. They failed to heed the warning signs the
following January, too, with Mateo Joseph representing the only new addition
during that window.
Standing still is akin to going backwards in English
football, particularly in the Premier League and that’s something 49ers
Enterprises must avoid.
Don’t forget the here and now
Big picture thinking is never a bad thing. It’s a sign of
ambition and a drive to get better and football fans will never be disappointed
with either of those traits.
However, it should never get in the way of securing the here
and now. That’s what Leeds are guilty of forgetting all too often over the last
couple of seasons, particularly in this year’s January transfer window as they
failed to bag the striker who could score the goals required to secure their
top flight status.
They did sign a forward, they broke their transfer record in
doing so no less, but it was immediately apparent that Georginio Rutter was a
signing made with the future in mind. Rutter went on to make just 11 Premier
League appearances for the club with his only goal coming while representing
the Under-21s.
In his defence, Rutter will be expected to kick on in the
Championship, should he stick around, and he clearly has heaps of talent, but
Leeds needed an oven ready forward to slot in and help secure the future for
players like Rutter to eventually blossom in.
49ers Enterprises don’t need telling how important the fans
could be on their journey at Elland Road. As minority shareholders, they’ve
taken a back seat and watched those supporters ride on the crest of a wave
before things ultimately turned sour and key personnel at the club came under
scrutiny.