Christiansen is waking up sleeping giant
NOBODY SEEMS quite sure how good Leeds can be this season, least of all themselves.
Relegated from the Premier League in 2004 following a muchpublicised financial meltdown, a new era has encouraged hopes of a long-awaited renaissance.
Thomas Christiansen’s unbeaten side lie fifth in the Championship after four games. Optimism abounds in the city and at Elland Road, where more than 18,000 season tickets were sold during the summer.
Tomorrow’s trip to fourth-placed Nottingham Forest – almost 10 years to the day since the former European Cup finalists first met in League One – has taken on added significance.
But it goes deeper than a decent start to the campaign. After years of stagnation and rotten ownership, Andrea Radrizzani seized 100 per cent control in May and swiftly purchased Elland Road, 13 years after Leeds were forced to sell it to ease crippling debts.
The Italian estimates he has spent £100million on buying the club, the stadium and new players. That is not a figure to be sniffed at.
Radrizzani, who made his fortune selling media rights, was attracted to Leeds after Kenny Dalglish told him they were a sleeping giant with huge potential.
Radrizzani declared at the start of the season that “our target is the play-offs” and Christiansen is rising to the challenge.
The 44-year-old succeeded Garry Monk after spells in charge of Cypriot sides AEK Larnaca and APOEL, where he won the title last season and guided them to the last 16 of the Europa League.
The Denmark-born former striker, who played under Johan Cruyff at Barcelona and won two Spain caps, is not fazed by Radrizzani’s target.
“I believe that if you’re ambitious, you want to do better,” he said. “It’s the signal I want to give to the team – that we have to do better. Last year we finished seventh, so to be in the play-offs would be good. After that we’ll see if we can bring something more.
“But the Championship is probably the most competitive league in the world with 12 or 14 teams who can end up in the top six.”
Christiansen has quickly integrated a raft of new signings into a side who relied too heavily on Chris Wood last season. Wood was sold to Burnley for £15m but there is evidence to suggest Leeds will score plenty of goals. Samuel Saiz, signed from Spanish second division side Huesca for £3m, scored a hat-trick on his debut against Port Vale in the League Cup before orchestrating a 2-0 win at Sunderland last weekend.
Macedonia winger Ezgjan Alioski was recruited from Swiss side Lugano and has similarly caught the eye. And yesterday, 19-year-old forward Jay-Roy Grot arrived from NEC Nijmegen, having scored five goals in 20 Eredivisie games last season.
German Felix Wiedwald has also unseated former England goalkeeper Rob Green as Leeds’ No1.
Radrizzani has reintegrated Leeds United Ladies and the Leeds United Foundation into the club. A supporter advisory board has been created, the West Stand has been refurbished and new external signage celebrating past glories now adorns the stadium.
If Christiansen can return Leeds to the Promised Land, he would be lauded like Don Revie and Howard Wilkinson before him.
“I believe in my ability and what I can bring to the club,” he said. “I will give everything to succeed.”
If you’re ambitious, you want to do better