“I think it was stressful, moments of anxiety, tremendously rewarding and satisfying,” Leeds United Chairman Paraag Marathe exclusively told Premier League Productions as he reflected on the Whites maiden campaign back in the top-flight. Just over a year ago, the Sky Bet Championship trophy was lifted on the South Coast. Fast forward 12 months and after a near 50-point campaign, the club’s Premier League status remains intact.
“Work is not done,” he added. “It is continuous work and a lot more to go forward. So, it is more take a moment to reflect and enjoy and then get right back to work. I wouldn’t say it was what I expected because you always go in thinking you have a good plan and you do a lot of strategic thinking of how you want it to go.
“One thing that I am really proud of is as a club, whether it is Daniel and his coaching staff or our recruitment team, we really studied the history of the Premier League and looked at what we think it takes to survive and went out with a very deliberate strategic plan on recruiting certain types of players.”
Ten new faces arrived through the Thorp Arch door last summer, complementing an impressive Sky Bet Championship winning squad with the added flair and knowledge deemed necessary to help bridge the gap to the top division.
Getting that recruitment right was crucial as, despite spending healthily, none of the previous six promoted clubs were able to survive on their first campaign in the Premier League. And in United’s business, a particular mould of player was sought after.
“I think it is pretty obvious we went for size and physicality, and a little bit of experience and leadership to play in a certain way. And through the course of the 38-game season that came to fruition. We played the way we wanted to play. We played with that physicality that we wanted to play with. What a tremendous season to finish 14th and, arguably, I think the data probably shows we should have finished the league even a little bit higher.
“I think that is probably what I am most proud of is we set out with a plan. We went out and wanted to accomplish something. It worked according to that plan, at least! I felt from the first match at home against Everton we belonged. Leeds United does belong in the Premier League and the Premier League is better with Leeds United in it. I also think that the way we had set up our squad and built our squad, we were meant to stay.”
With 47 points collected, the Whites finished closer to the European qualification places than the drop zone. The memorable campaign featured countless moments, battling performances and scintillating strikes. New addition Anton Stach ran his own catalogue full of Goal of the Season entries while England international Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s 15 in all competitions helped United keep a healthy gap to the bottom three throughout.
Reflecting on what helped the team be so competitive on the pitch, the Chairman credits their backing off it, adding: “There is one main reason for it. It is our fans. Our fans know that they come in and they are as important as any single player on the pitch that plays for Leeds because there is a mentality and there is a menacing atmosphere at Elland Road that every player hates coming there.
“They talk about it when they are playing or when they are done playing as one of the places they hated going to. I love that. And our fans come in ready to go, almost like they pull up their socks and tuck in their shirts, ready to play because they contribute. That atmosphere is just like hair on the back of your neck type of stuff. It never gets old for me. I love it.
“When Dom scored that goal in the 96th minute versus Brighton, I wish I could just bottle up that feeling and listen to that energy anytime I am down because it was just such a tremendous atmosphere. It is such a hard place for other players to come in and play. I think it is one of our superpowers. On a Monday night or Saturday night at Elland Road when the drizzle is coming down and you can hear the echoes across the city, it is fairytale stuff.”
The club’s home has seen all the ups and downs of the Whites’ storied history, a raucous and intimidating constant opposition teams fear and other supporters envy. Every seat is taken and the outpouring of emotion from the terraces, to run the old cliché, truly acts as that 12th man.
It may come as no surprise to any player, fan or pundit that over two thirds of United’s points haul last campaign were earned at Elland Road and, with 32,000 now on the season ticket waiting list, the famous old ground is getting a facelift. Work officially began during the week on the West Stand redevelopment and Marathe is thrilled to see those visions begin to turn into reality.
“What makes it special is that we are only limited by the number of seats we can put inside the stadium without taking away the atmosphere because our supporters are eager to have more that want to come in and watch the matches. And so, our balance is to make sure we don’t sort of over-commercialise it. We do want to maintain the atmosphere that we have and make it an ugly place to play for the opposing team players.
“That part is really important. I am really excited about doing this expansion, getting more of our supporters able to come and watch their club, keeping our atmosphere, growing our commercial base so we can pour every last pound right back onto the pitch and make us more competitive.
“We will be more competitive because it is a louder place to play. We will be more competitive because the more revenue will go right back onto the pitch. The season ticket waiting list – if that doesn't tell you how big and popular Leeds United are and the power that those supporters have got, I don't know what will!”
Overseeing Leeds’ return to the Premier League was Daniel Farke. The term before last, the German masterminded a record-breaking 100-point march to the Sky Bet Championship title and after a particularly rich vein of form since December, Marathe has nothing but compliments for the man in the dugout.
“What you see is what you get. He is very transparent and open, honest and direct, just as I am. We talk all the time. One thing I am proud of is three years ago when we made this decision to partner up together and do this, we set out a vision for how we want to work together and operate. It has come to fruition.
“One thing that we have all done as a group is we have got Leeds on the train track and we have got us going in the right direction at the right speed. Both Daniel and I are on it. The board is on it. The squad is on it. It is on all of us to keep it going and not get derailed. And I am excited about the future together.”
The upcoming summer promises to be another exciting yet challenging window with the second year often providing just as much, if not more, of a challenge for clubs looking to establish themselves in the Premier League. A hugely important piece of business has this week been achieved, tying skipper Ethan Ampadu down to a long-term deal that will keep him at Elland Road until 2030.
“We have our captain here for many years to come. He is such a great leader on and off the pitch. He represents everything that we want Leeds United to represent. He is a living icon for us.”
While the first step of a productive few months is already complete, Paraag reinforces the need to stay humble and for the hard work being done behind the scenes to continue the desire to progress. The Whites have a foothold but they aren’t there just yet.
“You can’t get too cocky,” he finishes by saying. “You can’t feel too ambitious. You obviously don’t want to be too conservative either. By no means have we arrived yet. I think it takes three years to establish true Premier League residency where you can really start thinking about much bolder ambitions and bigger goals. So, I think it is more right now how we are thinking about it is we just need to bolster the squad. The Premier League is unrelenting that way.
“I think there is no question about it that the group that we have, the ambition that we all have. We have a really good group even at the Board side. I often say, ‘You are only as good as the company that you keep’. We have such an incredible board with Andrew Schwartzberg, Peter Lowy, Eugene Schneur, Andreas Dracopoulos, Robbie Evans and Jed York, and Oliver Mintzlaff from Red Bull. Everybody is so invested.”
