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Championship 2015-16 season preview: Leeds United

Sports Mole looks ahead to Leeds United's 2015-16 Championship season, with Uwe Rosler now in charge at Elland Road.

Leeds United's last four finishes in the Championship are 14th, 13th, 15th and 15th, but optimism around the club is a little better going into the new campaign following a positive summer.

Neil Redfearn steered the club away from danger last season and although his association with the club has ended on a sour note due to his relationship with owner Massimo Cellino, Uwe Rosler is in charge and keen to show he can manage at second-tier level after failing with Wigan Athletic.

The Whites have been able, so far, to keep their bright youngsters Charlie Taylor, Sam Byram, Alex Mowatt and Lewis Cook and also cleared some of the highest earners at the club.

With their transfer embargo also lifted, there is a possibility of further arrivals as one of the biggest clubs below the Premier League looks to get back to the big time after 11 years away.


In

Charlie Horton (Cardiff City), Lee Erwin (Motherwell), Sol Bamba (Palermo), Chris Wood (Leicester City), Ross Turnbull (Barnsley), Stuart Dallas (Brentford), Tom Adeyemi (Cardiff City, season-long loan)

Out

Daniel Atkinson, Isaac Asenso (Scunthorpe United), Rodolph Austin, Luke Booker, Afolabi Coker, Alex Cairns (Chesterfield), Stuart Taylor, Zac Thompson, Michael Tonge, Aidy White (Rotherham United), Billy Sharp (Sheffield United), Steve Morison (Millwall)

Last season - 15th



Manager - Uwe Rosler

Uwe Rosler Manager of Wigan ahead of the Sky Bet Championship Play Off Semi Final second leg match between Queens Park Rangers and Wigan Athletic at Loftus Road on May 12, 2014© Getty Images

The former Manchester City striker is back in management with Leeds after a disastrous campaign at Wigan. His first half-season with the Latics was impressive as he led them to the playoffs and the semi-finals of the FA Cup, but it all went pear-shaped in 2014-15 as Rosler lasted three months before being sacked.

Wigan went on to be relegated and Leeds fans will be hoping that what happened last season was just a blip in what is a pretty impressive managerial CV. Discipline is one thing that Rosler must put right - Leeds conceded a league-high 13 penalties last season.


Key Player - Sol Bamba

What Leeds really need is leadership and the appointment of dominant defender Bamba as captain shows that Rosler realises this after several players had the armband last term.

Bamba impressed on loan at Elland Road last season, scoring once in 19 appearances, and the 30-year-old has been bullish in pre-season as well.

Sol Bamba of Leeds United (C) scores their second goal past goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli of Fulham during the Sky Bet Championship match on March 18, 2015© Getty Images


Possible starting lineup

Silvestri; Berardi, Bellusci, Bamba, Taylor; Cook, Adeyemi, Mowatt; Byram, Wood, Dallas

First game: Burnley (H), Full fixture list



Sports Mole says

The Whites are still some way off being considered one of the top promotion contenders, but with several promising youngsters and some solid signings like Wood, Dallas and Adeyemi, there is a chance that they might be able to get out of their mid-table rut.

Cellino has surely told Rosler that at least a top-half finish is expected when you see what the likes of Birmingham City achieved last term.

Leeds scored a whopping 26% of their goals from outside the box last season, so will need Wood to rediscover his best form and become the 20-goal striker that he has threatened to be in the past.

If he can fire, Bamba can marshal the defence and Cook and Mowatt can drive the midfield, good things could be on the cards.

Prediction - 13th

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Alex Mowatt of Leeds celebrates after he scores during the Sky Bet Championship match between Birmingham City and Leeds United at St Andrews (stadium) on September 13, 2014
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2Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd149321871128
3Leeds UnitedLeeds147522291326
4Burnley146621761124
5West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom14572148622
6Millwall146441712522
7Watford147162222022
8Middlesbrough146351816221
9Swansea CitySwansea14545119219
10Blackburn RoversBlackburn145451616019
11Bristol City144731819-119
12Norwich CityNorwich144642320318
13Derby CountyDerby145361818018
14Stoke CityStoke145361718-118
15Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds145361724-718
16Oxford UnitedOxford Utd144551717017
17Coventry CityCoventry144371819-115
18Hull City143651518-315
19Luton TownLuton144371621-515
20Preston North EndPreston143651420-615
21Cardiff CityCardiff144371320-715
22Plymouth ArgylePlymouth144371425-1115
23Queens Park RangersQPR141761223-1110
24Portsmouth141671327-149


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