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Adam Pope, BBC Radio Leeds
Leeds United have a fantastic footballer in Sam Byram, while Junior Firpo is currently in top form during a troubled spell at Elland Road. Ironically, however, the clamor for a full-back is still ringing out before the transfer window closes.
That’s because neither man’s injury record is adequate for a full championship season. In addition, Manchester United also let Jed Spencer return to his parent club early, allowed Luke Ayling to join Middlesbrough, and sold Leo Yede to Sunderland.
Coupled with the loan spells of Louis Bate and Darko Jabi, as well as young centre-back Jeremiah Mullen, Leeds are, as things stand, much weaker than they were at the start of the month.
Meanwhile, title rivals Hull City have brought in two players keen on Leeds United: Liverpool’s Fabio Carvalho and Luton Town full-back Ryan Giles. The former had already scored the winning goal on his debut, while the latter made seven starts and came on as a substitute despite falling out of favor at Kenilworth Road.
Likewise, the Caps have brought in Japanese player Daiki Hashioka, who Leeds United had recently been in contact with over concerns he might be injured. Falk declined to name the players involved but said the two deals were “very close” before falling apart due to medical issues.
Perhaps Tigers boss Liam Roniol is willing to guarantee game time while Farke is not, and if so, then the United boss deserves credit for sticking to his guns. However, the fact is that Leeds still need to strengthen in key areas.
Closest promotion challengers Southampton have signed David Brooks and Joe Rothwell from Bournemouth on loan, while Ipswich have brought in Jeremy Sarmiento from Brighton. None of this fazes Farke, who stresses that, in his vast experience, the “spirit and unity” of a team can outweigh an increase in individual quality.
The Elland Road recruitment team, led by Nick Hammond, has been praised for the process of building a competitive squad for Farke after a difficult summer. A quiet window shouldn’t mean there’s less trust in their work, and it goes some way to suggesting United aren’t panic-buying.
However, there is no denying that without the arrival of new faces, fans will be concerned that Leeds’ ability to maintain automatic promotion could be compromised, especially if the momentum of a fourth consecutive league win is not extended at Bristol City on Friday night. Manchester United can then be ranked second in the table.
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