Leeds United Chief Executive Angus Kinnear has said that continuity is key as the club aim to seal promotion back to the Premier League this season.
Leeds are currently 2nd in the Championship, two points off West Brom in top spot, but with a ten point buffer between them and the playoff positions.
After narrowly missing out on promotion last season, the feeling around Elland Road is that Marcelo Bielsa will stay the course this time around, and Kinnear thinks the current squad is good enough to do it. In his programme notes for yesterday's game against Cardiff, he said:
"We believe the continuity that the current squad have in working with Marcelo for 18 months is the cornerstone of the progress we have made to date and that the players' ability to adapt across positions and systems gives us the strength in depth required to see out the campaign.
"The only exception will be if we have to cover for an unexpected injury, unwanted departure or an improbable exceptional opportunity presents itself."
Departures may be something Bielsa and Leeds will have to account for. Eddie Nketiah has struggled to break into the first team since signing on loan from Arsenal, and may be recalled by his parent club next month.
Jack Clarke also joined on loan from North London, with Tottenham Hotspur signing him from Leeds in the summer before immediately loaning him back. However, he hasn't featured as much this campaign, and Spurs are considering recalling him with a view to loaning him back out elsewhere.
One loan signing who has excelled for Leeds this season has been Brighton's Ben White. His displays have helped Leeds to the best defensive record in the Championship, and have also caught the eye of Chelsea manager Frank Lampard.
According to The Sun, Chelsea have been keeping an eye on White and are ready to spend £25million on the defender in January, believing he could slot straight into the first team.
Continuity may indeed be the target for Kinnear, but Leeds fans may have to deal with some changes next month as they bid to end their 17-year exile from the top flight.
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