Leeds United have been warned they are taking a gamble by not reinforcing their squad in the January transfer window.
No new players came through the entrance door at Elland Road in January. Their only signing was Mateo Joseph Fernandez for the under-23 side. At senior level, Marcelo Bielsa will be seeing out the season with the same squad he started 2022 with.
Bielsa reportedly did not want to add players to his squad that would not improve on what he already had. He was not looking for further depth options.
Some have raised concerns about the strategy given Leeds’ injury issues in the first half of the season. They have a perceived lack of depth in central midfield and centre-forward.
Still with a seven-point cushion over the relegation places, Leeds should be safe but are not away from danger just yet. And if injuries strike again, their lack of January activity may come back to bite them.
That is the opinion of their former striker Robbie Fowler, who believes Leeds’ strategy could “backfire”.
Fowler wrote for the Daily Mirror: “No signings when you have key players injured? You’re gambling on fitness, which is never wise.
“That could backfire.”
Still, the pundit did not predict Leeds United to be one of the three sides to be relegated by the end of the season.
Leeds United to avoid relegation
He opined: “My three to go down [are] Burnley, Norwich, Watford.”
Indeed, while Fowler thinks Leeds are gambling by not adding to their squad, he conceded that any new signing could have come with an element of risk too.
Although he praised relegation-threatened Newcastle for their spending, for example, Fowler thinks it will not be a good look if the signings do not help them complete the necessary task.
Fowler said: “It was fascinating to see what happened at the end of the transfer window and confirmation of something I’ve always thought – it’s only the teams in trouble who go big in January.
“I guess it’s a kind of go big or go home situation… or rather, go into the Championship.
“And you can understand it, that gamble on staying in the Premier League, with all the money at stake.
“It is a gamble, though.
“Any signing is a gamble these days, especially in the Premier League.”
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Fowler names winners of transfer window
Newcastle have gambled more than most, then, having brought in five signings to celebrate their new era – but also try and get the job done of avoiding the drop.
Fowler thinks they have invested well given their circumstances, but can only name them as the winners of the transfer window if they do stay up.
He added: “They have done some good business. Why? Well, yes they’ve spent a lot of money, but I reckon they’ve used it pretty wisely under the circumstances.
“They’ve tried not to gamble too much, bringing in players with real Premier League experience.
“Again, that doesn’t always work, because players can go from one club to another and not fit in.
“But I’d applaud Eddie Howe. It strikes me that he’s been pragmatic in this window. He could have gone and bought some big names, some flashy foreign signings who would excite the fans.
“And he could have gone out and bought the typical player he produced at Bournemouth, to play a passing game based on patience and build-up. Let’s get real, though, they’re in a terrible position.
“And right now, Newcastle need players who can scrape out results. You look at the table and see they’ve only won two games this season – but they’ve drawn nine. Let me repeat that, NINE.
“Too many. And if signing Chris Wood to create or nick a goal turns half of those into wins, then they’ll be safe.
“Take another look at their record, and you’ll see they’ve only had two clean sheets as well. Again, not enough.
“So if signing some defenders with real Premier League experience and a Brazil international defensive midfielder can change that, they’ll be safe, because they’ve only failed to score in five of their 21 matches.”
In his Mirror column, Fowler also praised Everton for their winter activity. On the flipside, he was not impressed with Norwich, Burnley, Watford or Brentford, in addition to Leeds.
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