Twelve months on from avoiding relegation on the final day of last season, lightning failed to strike twice for Leeds United as their three-year spell in the Premier League has come to an end.
Jesse Marsch was unable to mould his young side into one capable of dragging themselves away from danger despite a big-money summer spending spree, while neither Javi Gracia or Sam Allardyce were successful in steering the Whites away from the relegation picture during their brief stints in the Elland Road dugout.
Leeds ended the Premier League campaign in 19th place and five points adrift of safety, and the club's supporters will be keen to quickly put aside their heartbreak as they prepare to begin life back in the Championship.
Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look back at Leeds United's disappointing 2022-23 campaign.
SEASON OVERVIEW
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Final league position: 19th
EFL Cup: Third round
FA Cup: Fifth round
Top scorer: Rodrygo (15)
Most assists: Jack Harrison (10)
Despite securing their top-flight status on the final day of last season, Leeds were unable to keep hold of two star players last summer, with Brazilian winger Raphinha joining Barcelona and midfield lynchpin Kalvin Phillips signing for Manchester City – both players went on to win the La Liga and Premier League titles respectively with their new clubs this term.
The West Yorkshire outfit generated close to £100m from the sale of both players and decided to splash that cash and a bit more on nine new signings; Brendan Aaronson and Rasmus Kristensen both joined from Marsch's former club Red Bull Salzburg, while other notable first-team additions included Tyler Adams, Marc Roca, Wilfried Gnonto and Luis Sinisterra, the latter arrived for a then club-record fee of £25.5m.
Leeds made a bright start to the new season with a 2-1 opening-weekend win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Elland Road, and a 2-2 draw at Southampton was then followed by an impressive 3-0 triumph at home to Chelsea. The Whites also progressed from the EFL Cup second round courtesy of a 3-1 win against Yorkshire rivals Barnsley.
An eight-game winless run followed, though, which included four straight defeats that piled pressure onto Marsch as his Leeds side slumped into the relegation zone ahead of a tricky trip to Liverpool. However, Leeds managed to defy the odds and secured a stunning 2-1 victory at Anfield on October 29 courtesy of a dramatic 89th-minute winner from Crysencio Summerville. The Dutchman also scored a late match-winner in a thrilling 4-3 comeback win over Bournemouth just a week later.
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Hopes of building on those positive results were quickly quashed when they suffered a slender 1-0 EFL Cup third-round defeat against Wolves, before a 4-3 Premier League loss at Tottenham Hotspur in their final game before the World Cup break began a seven-game winless league run that ultimately proved to be the catalyst behind Marsch's downfall at Elland Road.
With Rodrigo and Patrick Bamford both struggling with injuries, Leeds responded to their failed attempts of luring Cody Gakpo to West Yorkshire by making the bizarre decision to spent a club-record £35.5m on 20-year-old Georginio Rutter, an inexperienced forward without a prolific track record who ultimately failed to make an impact at Elland Road.
Defender Maximilian Wober became the third Salzburg export to join Leeds, while Weston McKennie swapped a European battle with Juventus for the relegation fight in West Yorkshire as he joined on a short-term loan deal. Fan favourite Mateusz Klich, meanwhile, ended his five-and-a-half year association with the Whites by joining MLS side DC United.
Marsch managed to steer Leeds into the FA Cup fifth round by beating both Cardiff City and Accrington Stanley in rounds three and four – requiring a replay to progress past the Bluebirds – but the American was unable to turn the club's fortunes around in the Premier League, and a 1-0 loss at relegation rivals Nottingham Forest on February 5 proved to be the final nail in his coffin, with Leeds announcing his dismissal a day later.
Marsch, who left the Whites hovering just above the drop zone in 17th place, won just 29.7% of his games in charge and picked up only 11 points from his last 51 available in the top flight.
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While the club's hierarchy took time in their search for a successor, Under-21s coach Michael Skubala stepped up to lead the first team in back-to-back fixtures against Manchester United, earning a respectable point in a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford before losing 2-0 on home soil, and his final game in charge also ended in defeat, losing 1-0 at Everton on February 18.
Three days later, former Watford boss Javi Gracia was appointed head coach on a "flexible" contract and he made an instant impact in the Elland Road dugout, leading Leeds to a narrow 1-0 home win over Southampton. However, the Spaniard failed to reverse Leeds' poor league form or progress past Fulham in the FA Cup fifth round, while defensive frailties were evident under his tutelage as they conceded a total of 30 goals in 12 matches.
Twenty-three of those goals were conceded in April – a new Premier League record in a single month – including 18 goals shipped in Gracia's last five matches in charge. Disastrous 5-1 and 6-1 home losses to Crystal Palace and Liverpool respectively as well as a 4-1 defeat at Bournemouth ultimately cost Gracia his job, with Leeds languishing inside the relegation zone and seeing their hopes of survival quickly fade away.
With just four Premier League games remaining, Leeds turned to an experienced head known for steering clubs out of danger in the form of managerial veteran Sam Allardyce, with the 68-year-old taking his ninth Premier League job and his first for nearly two years.
A day before Allardyce's appointment, there was also a change made upstairs as sporting director Victor Orta was relieved of his duties after receiving widespread criticism from the club's supporters for his influence in decisions made on transfers, managerial appointments and the overall operation of the club.
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Despite lauding himself as an equal to the likes of Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta in his first press conference, Allardyce failed to get the better of the former in his first game in charge as Leeds lost 2-1 at Manchester City, albeit giving the champions a late scare when Rodrigo pulled one back in the final five minutes.
The Whites then claimed a respectable point in a 2-2 draw at home to Champions League-chasing Newcastle United, although they could have taken away all three points had Bamford not seen his tame first-half penalty kick saved by Nick Pope just a few minute before the Magpies converted a spot kick of their own.
Allardyce was brought in to tighten up Leeds' leaky backline, but the former England boss was on a hiding to nothing considering the abject defensive options at his disposal, and a further three goals were conceded in a 3-1 defeat at West Ham United in their penultimate fixture of the season, leaving the Whites 19th in the table and two points adrift of safety.
Leeds' Premier League destiny was subsequently out of their hands heading into their final-day showdown with Tottenham, and despite the Elland Road faithful's best efforts to generate a raucous atmosphere, it took just two minutes for Harry Kane to open the scoring and silence the crowd before Spurs ran out comfortable 4-1 winners, condemning the Whites to relegation along with Leicester City and Southampton.
PREMIER LEAGUE STATS
Wins: 7 (19th)
Draws: 10 (=7th)
Losses: 21 (4th)
Goals scored: 48 (12th)
Goals conceded: 78 (1st)
Yellow cards: 84 (=1st)
Red cards: 3 (=2nd)
Passes: 15,152 (14th)
Shots: 462 (10th)
Big chances missed: 37 (13th)
Saves: 110 (13th)
Tackles: 841 (1st)
Own goals: 1 (=12th)
Hit woodwork: 6 (=17th)
Clearances: 709 (13th)
HOW DID IT COMPARE TO LAST SEASON?
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Leeds managed to narrowly avoid relegation on the final day of last season, finishing 17th in the table and three points above the drop zone, but they were unable to replicate their last-gasp heroics this time around.
Indeed, the Whites have suffered their seventh relegation from the top flight and their 31 points accumulated this season was their second-lowest tally in a top-tier campaign after picking up just 24 back in 1946-47. It was also seven points fewer than last season's total of 38. In addition, they conceded a division-high 78 goals in 38 games, one fewer than the previous campaign, while they found the net 48 times this time around compared with 42 goals scored in 2021-22.
Only basement club Southampton (two) won fewer Premier League home games than Leeds (five) this term, albeit one more than they managed at Elland Road last season (four). Meanwhile, the less said about their away form the better as they won just twice and picked up only nine points from 19 league matches on the road, 11 points fewer than last season; only Nottingham Forest claimed fewer away wins (one) and accumulated fewer away points (eight) than Leeds in the division.
After losing in the FA Cup third round to West Ham last season, Leeds battled their way past lower-league sides Cardiff City (via a replay) and Accrington Stanley this term to reach the fifth round, where they were eliminated at the hands of fellow top-flight team Fulham.
In the EFL Cup, the Whites were knocked out by Arsenal in the fourth round last year, but they were unable to advance past round three this season after losing 1-0 at Wolves in early November – not since 2016-17 have Leeds progressed to a domestic cup quarter-final.
PLAYER OF THE SEASON: RODRIGO
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One of the few bright sparks in Leeds' squad, experienced forward Rodrigo ended the campaign as the club's top scorer with 15 goals in all competitions, eight more than his nearest challenger Luis Sinisterra (seven), and the Spaniard ironically enjoyed his best season for the Whites in their worst campaign since his arrival three years ago.
The 32-year-old finished with 13 Premier League goals in 23 starts and eight substitute outings, as many as he netted in his previous two top-flight seasons combined, while he also chipped in with two goals in the FA Cup.
Rodrigo, who converted eight of his 12 big chances in front of goal, predominantly operated as a central striker largely due to the absence of injury prone forward Patrick Bamford, and it quickly became evident that he was the club's most reliable source for goals when playing down the middle.
Leeds' No.19 was nominated for August's Player of the Month award after netting four goals in his opening three Premier League games, and he also turned up for fixtures with the so-called Big Six throughout the campaign after scoring against Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham (twice) and Manchester City.
Winger Jack Harrison also deserves a mention, contributing with six goals and 10 assists, but without the goals of Rodrigo, Leeds may have been relegated sooner.
STANDOUT RESULT: LIVERPOOL 1-2 LEEDS UNITED
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While humbling 5-1 and 6-1 home defeats in April to Crystal Palace and Liverpool respectively are standout results for all the wrong reasons, Leeds can fondly reminisce about their last-gasp 2-1 victory over Jurgen Klopp's side at Anfield, haunting the Reds just two days before Halloween.
Rodrigo was gifted the opening goal in the fourth minute courtesy of a defensive mix-up between Joe Gomez and Alisson Becker, before Mohamed Salah restored parity with a close-range volley 10 minutes later.
A dogged defensive display as well as an inspired man-of-the-match performance from Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier, who made nine saves, frustrated Liverpool throughout the contest, before Crycensio Summerville scored an 89th-minute winner to snatch all three points for the Whites in dramatic fashion.
On the eve of his 21st birthday, Summerville received the ball inside the penalty area from Patrick Bamford before poking a shot beyond Alisson to spark pandemonium in the away end and help Leeds climb out of the relegation zone with a famous win on Merseyside.
> Click here for a full list of Leeds United's results from the 2022-23 season
BEST MOMENT
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Remember, remember the 5th of November. That is exactly what Leeds will do after they came out on top in a thrilling 4-3 comeback victory over Bournemouth in front of an electric Elland Road atmosphere just a week after their dramatic triumph at Liverpool.
Leeds got off to a perfect start when Rodrigo converted from the penalty spot in the third minute, but Marsch's men were soon starring down the barrel of defeat after Bournemouth scored three goals to put themselves in control heading into the final half-an-hour.
Nevertheless, the breathless encounter took another dramatic turn as the West Yorkshire side restored parity courtesy of a stunning 20-yard strike from Sam Greenwood and a powerful header from captain Liam Cooper.
The comeback was then completed six minutes from time when Summerville, the hero against Liverpool in the previous match, calmly slotted the ball beyond Mark Travers after receiving a perfectly weighted through-ball from Wilfried Gnonto to help Leeds climb three points above the drop zone.
TOP PRIORITY FOR SUMMER
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Where to begin? Radical changes are expected from top to bottom at Leeds, with owner Andrea Radrizzani tasked with appointing new board members, a new manager and overseeing a busy summer transfer window of incomings and outgoings.
However, Radrizzani's own future is up in the air as the Italian, who owns a 56% majority stake in Leeds, is reportedly in his homeland attempting to buy Sampdoria, although he is yet to make a breakthrough in negotiations.
Towards the end of last year, reports emerged that American consortium 49ers Enterprises, who own the remaining 44% of Leeds and have links with NFL team San Francisco 49ers, have secured the necessary funds to complete a full takeover of the club, but relegation from the Premier League has now complicated matters and fresh negotiations over the Whites' valuation are set to take place in due course. The sooner that this issue is resolved the better ahead of an important summer rebuild.
Allardyce has refused to rule out the prospect of remaining in charge, but he has warned Leeds that they could be in for a challenging Championship campaign, with "a lot of work" required to build a squad capable of competing at the right end of the table next season.
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Recruiting a proven goalscorer will be high on the agenda this summer due to the uncertainty surrounding their current attacking options. Indeed, Bamford remains injury prone and is not assured of regular minutes, and a Premier League stay for Rodrigo has been mooted amid reported interest from Aston Villa, while Rutter is yet to live up to his hefty price tag, although he may have more joy at a lower level next term.
Upgrades throughout the first-team squad are required, particularly in defence, but their transfer business will most likely depend on whether they can keep hold of a number of key players. The likes of Rodrigo, Tyler Adams, Wilfried Gnonto and Robin Koch have all been tipped to potentially depart this summer.
Weston McKennie is set to return to Juventus when his loan deal at Leeds expires, while players including Jack Harrison and Brendan Aaronson appear to be at risk of leaving the club as they allegedly have relegation release clauses in their contracts. Adam Forshaw and Joel Robles, meanwhile, are both out of contract on June 30.
Leeds ultimately require a fresh start across the board and a clear plan for how the club should operate going forward to ensure that they can put the mess they currently find themselves in behind them. It is vital that the club's ownership situation is sorted out as soon as possible so that key decisions on management and player recruitment can be made ahead of the new campaign.
Countless mistakes with regards to recruitment have been made in recent years and they cannot continue next season if they are to have any chance of building a squad with the ability to bounce back to the promised land. With some star names expected to depart, generating funds should not be an issue, but spending that cash wisely is the task for whoever takes the reins both at the top of the club and in the dugout.
FINAL VERDICT
There is a debate to be had as to whether Leeds have gained anything from the sacking of beloved boss Marcelo Bielsa in February 2022, as the Whites have since endured a painful decline under the management of Marsch and then Gracia, while Allardyce arrived when the writing was already on the wall.
Two years on from finishing ninth in the Premier League, the Whites bow out of the top flight in disappointing fashion, and there will be little optimism for an immediate return until the club's ownership and futures of key figures at Elland Road are sorted out.
There was no questioning Leeds' fight, but they ultimately lacked the quality to edge themselves over the dotted line for another season, and a fresh start in the second tier could be what they need as they endeavour to begin a revival in 2023-24.
Oliver Thomas
