We’re almost a month on from the end of the January transfer window, and it’s time to reflect on Leeds United’s fortunes since the end of last month.
The Whites have certainly seen an upturn in form since the window ended, they won just once in January, but they’re now four unbeaten, winning each of their last three matches.
Unfortunately, Leeds’ change in fortunes had absolutely nothing to do with their January signings.
Indeed, despite loaning a striker who has scored in the Champions League and a young winger who has been on the books at Arsenal, Barcelona and Manchester City, United’s new men have had absolutely no impact at Elland Road.
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In fact, they’ve played just 49 minutes between them.
Ian Poveda doesn’t even make the bench these days, and Jean-Kevin Augustin has been limited to late cameos, where he has failed to make anything happen, providing no goals or assists.
January was Leeds’ chance to strengthen, an opportunity to make sure promotion was absolutely secured, and while Marcelo Bielsa’s men are still looking likely to go up, currently sitting in second place, their business last month hasn’t helped them in that conquest.
Victor Orta was tasked with finding a new striker and a new wide man last month, but it seems as though he’s got it massively wrong.
Everyone who knows anything about Leeds could tell you that Bielsa demands unbelievable fitness standards from his players, he weighs them every morning, and his famed ‘murderball’ method has been described by Kalvin Phillips as the hardest session of his life.
So what does Orta do? He goes and signs a striker who has played just 260 league minutes all season, and within days of his signing Graham Smyth commented on fans calling him fat. While the journalist disagreed with those claims, it doesn’t change the fact that some supporters thought he looked out of shape.
On paper, signing a striker on loan from one of Germany’s top clubs seems like a bit of a coup for any Championship side, but it clearly hasn’t worked due to his lack of fitness.
Orta should have seen this coming a mile off, even Paul Merson spotted it as an issue straight away, and he’s never been known as the brightest footballing brain.
The fact that Augustin has been involved so little highlights the Spaniard’s ineptitude.
In other news, Leeds are in more danger every passing day that one saga isn’t concluded.
