Loan sharks

May 22nd 2022. Brentford’s Legoland Stadium. More by luck — and individual moments of brilliance — than design, Leeds have somehow avoided relegation from the Premier League. Victor Orta, Jesse Marsch and Andrea Radrizzani celebrate wildly, Orta incapable of helping himself with demonstrative behaviour and all too predictable finger wagging. He almost rips Marsch’s white polo from his chest. Marsch appears more relieved than anything else, knowing he’s somehow avoided the ignominy of taking Leeds down. Hailed as the natural successor to Marcelo Bielsa’s throne, he has done nothing more than wing it, in the eyes of the vast majority of Leeds fans. A smug looking Radrizzani no doubt wonders how it all came to this, and how such a scenario could be avoided twelve months hence.

But plans were already afoot and it could be argued that the ramifications of Jesse Marsch’s late late show at Brentford have only now been realised. The immediate announcement of Brendon Aaronson and eight subsequent signings, including his RB Salzburg stablemate Rasmus Kristensen, gave the impression of a club determined not to flirt with relegation again.

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