da cassino： Leeds United appointed head coach Daniel Farke to lead them back to the big time after their relegation from the Premier League at the end of last season.
da dobrowin： The German tactician has been brought in to achieve success at Championship level this term and has arrived with a wealth of experience in this division.
He won two titles with Norwich City to earn promotion to the top-flight and will now be hoping to complete a hat-trick of promotions in English football.
Points
94
97
Goals for
93
75
Goals against
57
36
Games won
27
29
Farke's Championship title-winning seasons with Norwich (via Sky Sports):
The Whites backed the former Borussia Monchengladbach boss throughout the summer transfer window as they allowed him to make a host of additions to his team.
Joel Piroe, Jaidon Anthony, Karl Darlow, Ilia Gruev, Djed Spence, Ethan Ampadu, Sam Byram, Joe Rodon, and Glen Kamara all joined either on loan or permanently to bolster the squad.
However, there could be further moves during the January window after managing director Angus Kinnear revealed that there will be funds available to Farke if he needs to dip into the market again ahead of the second half of the season.
One player who the Whites could benefit from going back in for is Venezia centre-forward Joel Pohjanpalo, who could be an exciting partner for Crysencio Summerville at the top end of the pitch.
Were Leeds interested in Joel Pohjanpalo?
Tutto Mercato Web reported, during the summer transfer window, that Leeds were one of a number of clubs interested in signing the impressive attacker ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
Premier League side West Ham United and fellow Championship competitors Blackburn Rovers and Norwich were also said to be eyeing up the Finland international to improve their respective frontlines.
The same outlet also claimed that the player has a €4m (£3.5m) release clause in his contract with the Italian team. However, a move for the superb marksman did not materialise before the window slammed shut.
It now remains to be seen whether or not Leeds will be willing to go back in for the former Bayer Leverkusen prospect when the market reopens for business at the start of next year.
However, Farke must reignite his interest in Pohjanpalo as the excellent ace could be a fantastic addition to the squad to punish teams alongside Summerville in the final third, whilst also coming in as an upgrade on the likes of Joe Gelhardt and Patrick Bamford.
Joel Piroe and Georgino Rutter have been the manager's first-choice options through the middle of the pitch but the strength-in-depth does not appear to be there.
How many goals have Gelhardt and Bamford scored this season?
Bamford has failed to find the back of the net in any of his four Championship appearances so far this season, along with zero assists, for the Whites.
Gelhardt, on the other hand, has not produced a single goal or assist in five second tier outings for Leeds this term, despite being named in the starting XI twice.
Neither of them have been able to put real pressure on Piroe and Rutter and these statistics suggest that they would not be reliable options to call upon if one of the first-choice stars had to miss a chunk of games through injury or suspension.
How many goals has Pohjanpalo scored this season?
Whereas, Pohjanpalo has enjoyed a strong start to the current campaign with three goals in ten Serie B outings for Venezia so far this season.
The 29-year-old finisher has produced three goals and two assists in ten league matches in total, which means that the impressive forward has averaged a direct goal contribution once every other game.
Meanwhile, only Piroe (five) and Summerville (four) have scored more than three league goals for Leeds throughout the 2023/24 campaign so far.
How many goals did Pohjanpalo score last season?
The Finland international attracted interest from the likes of Leeds, West Ham, and Norwich due to his fantastic return of 19 Serie B goals last term.
Pohjanpalo caught the eye with 19 strikes and seven assists in 37 league outings for Venezia during the 2022/23 campaign, as he showcased his ability to make a big impact at the top end of the pitch on a regular basis as a scorer and a creator of goals.
His statistics since the start of last season suggest that the potential is there for him to arrive as a sublime attacking option for Farke, as a number nine who can consistently contribute with goals and assists.
The Venezia star could be an exciting partner for Summerville for Leeds as his impressive goal record suggests that he could make the most of the Dutch whiz's impressive creativity.
How has Summerville performed this season?
He has caught the eye with his dynamic and direct performances on the wing for the Whites since they were relegated down to the Championship.
The 21-year-old ace has created 2.9 chances per game for his teammates, which is more than any other player within the squad, and produced four 'big chances' in total.
However, his fellow attackers have only rewarded him with two assists for his efforts. This suggests that he has been let down in front of goal as other forwards have not been able to make the most of the opportunities and situations that the young wizard has created for them.
Should Leeds sign Pohjanpalo?
Therefore, Farke must reignite his interest in Pohjanpalo, who was once dubbed "dangerous" by journalist Josh Bunting, to provide Summerville with another player who could convert the chances that he creates.
The Finnish star has proven himself to be a reliable scorer and creator of goals in second division football in Italy and Leeds must now gamble on him to see if that will translate over to the Championship.
If it does then the German head coach could have a big upgrade on Bamford and Gelhardt, along with a player who can provide Rutter and Piroe with real competition for their respective positions.
It would also allow Summerville to improve his assist total if the Dutch magician can continue to carve open opposition defences at his current rate to put chances on a plate for Pohjanpalo.