Leeds’ pre-season trip to (shh, it’s secret) suggests great promise for 2024-25 — The Athletic 30/7/24

By Nancy Froston

Leeds United’s pre-season camp in Germany was a covert operation.

Its secret nature was driven by necessity rather than preference, courtesy of some head-scratching decision made by the German authorities.

Far away from fans in West Yorkshire, Daniel Farke’s squad spent the past nine days at Hotel-Residence Klosterpforte — situated in the town of Harsewinkel on the outskirts of Bielefeld in the west of the country — locked into a period of hard work as they prepare for the new Championship season.

The message to fans was to stay at home, with the team’s location kept about as well under wraps as anyone can keep anything away from the detectives in the United fanbase. Neither of the two friendlies, against Hannover 96 and Schalke 04, were made available for supporters to attend on the instructions of German police stretched too thin in the wake of Euro 2024.

It seems a fair request if you skate over the fact that Coventry City, Rangers and Aston Villa will play games in front of fans in Germany this summer, as well as the fact that Leeds worked extensively to provide ways around the shut-out only to hit a brick wall. A case of one rule for some and another for Leeds, not that it will have stopped the most optimistic travellers from making the trip anyway.

In the relative quiet, there was still plenty of work done by Farke’s team and much learned from the camp and the two victories against Bundesliga 2 promotion hopefuls.

The hotel Leeds used as their base is an old favourite of Farke’s, who also used it while boss at Norwich City. It boasted specialist, FIFA-accredited training facilities built for the 2006 World Cup. Being back in his homeland also allowed the United manager to spend time with his family as his son watched training early in the week.

There was not much time for lingering on the part of the players, however, with sessions in the heat having put them through their paces straight off the back of the 3-0 win over Harrogate Town.

A boost came following the arrival of new signing Jayden Bogle, who joined up with the squad as soon as he had completed his £5million ($6.4m) transfer from Sheffield United last week. His arrival at camp, filmed and shared on social media by the Leeds media team, was a first glimpse of the steps needed to keep this camp low-key with the Hotel-Residence Klosterpforte sign blurred out. Where censorship would have been better put to use would have been by blurring out the Manchester United shirt worn by a watching child peering through the fence at the complex.

As for the football, it held great promise for the new campaign with Hannover and Schalke both brushed aside in 4-1 and 2-0 wins. There was no return to the three-at-the-back system tested by Farke against Harrogate, instead a more familiar 4-2-3-1.

If that four is to remain the intended system then their task is simple. Farke wants to have the best defence in the league this season, a title that Leeds came close to claiming before their slip-up at the end of the last campaign. His other key aim, promotion aside, is more goals from midfield, and the early signs have been promising with Ilia Gruev getting on the score sheet against Hannover and some delightful training strikes from Joe Rothwell.

Alongside Mateo Joseph scoring three to make his claim to be the starting No 9, and exciting, assist-providing byline runs from Bogle, there were opportunities for youngsters to shine. Harry Gray, younger brother of Archie and fresh-faced at 15 years old, joined the squad and played a handful of minutes. Centre-back James Debayo was also involved and, three years Gray’s senior, could have a fringe role for the season ahead barring further recruits at the back.

Patrick Bamford (returning from knee surgery), Crysencio Summerville and Daniel James (adductor) were rested for the second game of the break but this was a trip about hard work and fun in equal measure for Leeds.

Farke was not shy in joining in with workouts as players took part in their gym sessions while Summerville and Willy Gnonto got into the Olympic spirit early with a bit of shadow boxing. Banter between players was not in short supply. A go-karting trip seemed just reward for some intense sessions on the pitch. Bogle came away the victor.

After securing Bogle’s signature, the Leeds transfer team is continuing its work, having had a bid for Koln midfielder Dejan Ljubicic knocked back. At around €4million (£3.4m; $4.3m) with 12 months left on the 26-year-old’s contract, it remains to be seen if United will go back again for the Austrian international, although their interest remains. Multiple bids were needed to bag Bogle — Farke wants at least another midfielder and another full-back for his squad.

Safely back in the UK after a valuable and more settled period together than Farke was afforded in a summer of change this time last year, the focus turns to the final friendly of pre-season when Valencia visit Elland Road at the weekend. The pre-season that nobody saw, at least in person — there are plenty of videos, photos and interviews online — could yet prove to be the most important nine days of this squad’s journey together.

The early signs show that, with additions still to be made and if they can get off to a good start early doors, this Leeds team will take some stopping.