talkSPORT host Adrian Durham has predicted a disastrous return to the Premier League for Leeds United.
The Whites play their first top-flight match in 16 years when they travel to Anfield to face champions Liverpool live on talkSPORT tomorrow.
And while many expect the high-octane side which lit up the Championship to thrive in the Premier League, Durham isn’t so sure.
In fact, the Drive presenter reckons Leeds will get relegated and Marcelo Bielsa will leave at the end of the season.
The eccentric Argentine, affectionately known as El Loco, has transformed Leeds over the last two seasons and some believe his energetic philosophy has the Whites primed to follow in the footsteps of Sheffield United and Wolves.
But for every success story from a newly-promoted side, there are a dozen failures, and Durham points to Leeds’ summer recruitment to suggest they will struggle this season.
The Yorkshire club have spent more than £40million to sign Helder Costa from Wolves and Rodrigo from Valencia, but Durham claims it’s not enough.
“I think Leeds will get relegated. I think Bielsa will leave as well,” he said on Thursday.
“I don’t like saying it, you know I’ve got a soft spot for Leeds.
“Their recruitment has shown a disregard for the levels required in the Premier League.
“Ben White has gone and a lot is being asked of Kalvin Phillips.
“We don’t know if he’s going to be able to do it in the Premier League.
“Personally, I think he’s good enough, but I look around the rest of the Leeds team and I see Stuart Dallas and Luke Ayling at full-back.
“I think they’re decent, they’ve done great and they’ve improved dramatically, but they were bottom half of the Championship a couple of years ago.
“For Bielsa to improve them to where they’ve got to now is amazing, but for him to take them to another level where they survive in the Premier League may well be beyond Bielsa.”
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