'Leeds must seize this moment at all costs'

After a tremendous finish to the season, Daniel Farke has called for Leeds United to invest heavily this summer.

Since beating Chelsea with a new-look formation in December, the Whites sit a staggering sixth in the form table. Had Farke found the formula faster, Leeds would be challenging for Europe.

With meaningful investment and using these tactics from the start of next season, United could realistically place much higher than their current position of 14th.

"Leeds have had one good season in the Premier League in the last 25 years, the [first] season with Marcelo [Bielsa], and we didn't build on it," said Farke before Sunday's win over Brighton.

The German was referencing the summer of 2021.

Five years ago, then-manager Bielsa had also found a style of football that allowed the club to compete in the Premier League.

Following a ninth-place finish, Leeds made just three purchases for the first team: Dan James, Junior Firpo and Jack Harrison (who had been on loan at the club since 2018) - all of whom were still young and unproven prospects.

At the time, Leeds had not signed a central midfielder for more than three and a half years.

When asked by a fan who the new midfielder would be on social media during that window, then-owner Andrea Radrizzani had replied: "Adam Forshaw." Forshaw was the last midfielder Leeds had bought and he had been plagued by injuries.

Not investing sufficiently was a disastrous policy and 185 days after the infamous 'Forshaw' tweet, Bielsa was sacked.

By the time Farke arrived two years later, Marcelo's legacy was in tatters and the club was a mess; and most of the problems the German inherited could be traced back to that pivotal summer of 2021 and the failure to invest.

Under Farke's tenure, the club have again forged a formula that works in the Premier League, but this time Leeds must seize this moment at all costs.

Find more from Adonis Storr at The Roaring Peacock, external