Micah Richards provides honest assessment of Leeds United transfer business with 'frustrated' admission
Leeds United were unable to get key attacking additions through the door before Monday's 7pm deadline.
Micah Richards believes Leeds United will have been left ‘frustrated’ by their end to the transfer window - with attacking quality lacking.
Leeds were unable to grant manager Daniel Farke his wish of forward-thinking additions before Monday’s 7pm deadline, with a late move for Harry Wilson falling through at the last minute due to a Fulham change of heart. Elland Road chiefs had previously made moves for Igor Paixão and Facundo Buonanotte but both fell short as more established rivals swooped in.
A build-from-the-back approach saw Leeds recruit well across defence and midfield, with the likes of Jaka Bijol, Gabriel Gudmundsson and Anton Stach all impressing early doors. But only three attacking arrivals came through the door and two were free agents, the only fee-paying transfer being £18million winger Noah Okafor.
Those shortcomings in the transfer market have been reflected on the pitch, with Leeds scoring just one goal in their three Premier League games - and even that was a penalty against Everton, buried by Lukas Nmecha. And Richards was surprised to not see Farke’s attacking unit strengthened before the deadline.
“Yeah [Leeds fans are frustrated] because the manager kept saying they were going to bring in some more,” Richards told The Rest Is Football. “Obviously, they have got [Dominic] Calvert-Lewin up front who made his debut the other night. I think Leeds have looked really interesting. Energetic. But they’ve sort of struggled a little bit.
“[Willy] Gnonto has been alright in spells, Dan James has done alright with his pace. I thought they might have got someone in up top. I know they’ve got Nmecha, but it seems like there is something missing. So they will be a little bit frustrated.”
Daniel Farke made no secret of Leeds United transfer wish
Despite those early issues upfront, Leeds have taken four points from their opening three games, a tally many would have taken given two opponents were of Champions League level in Arsenal and Newcastle. But the issues have been clear already and in failing to strengthen those forward areas, the Whites have made survival an even tougher task.
Leeds were competitive through August but Farke himself has regularly said they are not ready to be competitive across a 38-game campaign with the current attacking group. Speaking after Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Newcastle, he added it will be ‘difficult’ to survive with no additions - of course, none arrived.
“We made no secret in order to be ready for a long competitive season we need quality additions up front,” Farke said. “We were competitive for the first three games but to give ourselves a chance we need to do a bit more. This is what we're trying to do. We'll see what the outcome is.
“Everyone wants to add some more quality players, not just numbers, a bit of what we don't have. Quality is the best thing to give us the best possible chance. It will be difficult [if we don't]. We have to try everything to the last hour of the window and then we'll see what the outcome is and go from there."