Leeds United emerge from Yorkshire's transfer window strong but lacking quality but there is optimism elsewhere
It says a lot about the modern Premier League that after more than £100m spent this summer, we still cannot be sure that Leeds United will be in it next season.
They emerged from an eventful transfer window in Yorkshire with a fighting chance of beating recent history and Premier League relegation.
Elsewhere there is cause for optimism, just not at Sheffield Wednesday, where the Football League’s attempts for force owner/chairman Dejphon Chansiri out has left a squad looking dangerously thin, even after the last-minute addition of Harry Amass.
The same cannot be said of Leeds, where the concern is over the quality Farke made very clear he felt he still needed. A post-deadline move for Fulham’s Harry Wilson denied him that.
Solid and strong, they look far more capable of giving it a go than the last six teams relegated straight back to the Championship, but with Sunderland, Burnley, West Ham United and Brentford also having won one of their first three games – two for the Black Cats – it looks like being a more competitive relegation battle this season.
Goals are the big question mark for a team who scored 95 in last season's Championship and even pushing the profit and sustainability boat out as far as it will go has not brought guarantees.
Joel Piroe won last season’s Championship golden boot, but was the first player since Barnsley's Andrew Swann in 1900-01 to do so without scoring 20 goals. This is his debut Premier League campaign.
Lukas Nmecha is a strong targetman but far from a prolific one. Calvert-Lewin's goal record is good but for the last four years his fitness record has not been.
As for the supply line, their failure to make either of the attacking signings Farke wanted to on deadline day leaves them with Noah Okafor and the returning Jack Harrison effectively replaced Manor Solomon and Largie Ramazani. Without a No 10 this season, they would have wanted a bigger upgrade than that.
But they look secure at the back with a new goalkeeper, an entirely new back four – though some of last season's mainstays will still expect to play – and a much taller midfield.
Sheffield United and Middlesbrough were both slow out of the blocks in the Championship, and only one seems to have benefitted from taking their time.
With plenty of quality in their squad, the Blades have 42 games to recover from a bad start after belatedly adding Ben Mee, Mark McGuinness, Cheidoze Ogbene, Alex Matos, Danny Ings, Alex Matos, Tahith Chong, Japhet Tanganga, Nils Zatterstrom and Ben Godfrey. But after starting with five straight defeats (one in the League Cup) Ruben Selles might not.
Middlesbrough started the season with much lower outside expectations but a good new coach in Rob Edwards has built a platform, not least with a 100 per cent start in the Championship. Some exciting signings – with David Sterlec, Alan Browne and Jon McLoughlin joining on the final day – have time to find their feet.
By contrast, League One Doncaster Rovers did their business quickly and effectively, allowing them to sit back and watch deadline day comforted by strong starts to the season. There was just a bit of housekeeping to do in terms of departures.
Bradford City added a late loan as the cherry on the top.
Rovers' deep squad had looked a striker light until Toyosi Olusanya was added on Saturday, whereas five goals already has got Bradford’s Will Swan off to the good start – and then some – new strikers always need.
Huddersfield Town and Barnsley backed rookie managers – the Terriers with 14 transfers, the Reds more by keeping Davis Keillor-Dunn, Luca Connell and Adam Phillips.
It is only a pity they were unable to add more defensive strength after Marc Roberts’ early-season injury.
Rotherham United look the poor relations of Yorkshire's third-tier quintet, initially slow to bring bodies in, and with a squad too heavily weighted towards experienced, high-earning under-achievers, and exciting young talents like Everton loanee Martin Sherif with not enough in the middle.
League Two Harrogate Town quietly assembled exciting attacking talent by tapping into non-league football once again for Reece Smith and Shawn McCoulsky, and replacing Jasper Moon with former York City centre-back Tom Bradbury.
For Wednesday and Hull City it has been a shameful window, the only clubs in the Football League put under transfer embargoes.
But where Hull have managed to plot a course through it, quickly lifting both their embargoes and making some shrewd free transfers and loans – including Darko Gyabi and Amir Hadziahmetovic on the last day – to make light of the fee restrictions upon them for two windows.
A group stripped of Djeidi Gassama, Anthony Musaba, Josh Windass, Michael Smith, Akin Famewo, Callum Paterson, Michael Ihiekwe, Pol Valentin, Stuart Armstrong, Ben Hamer, Marvin Johnson, Mallik Wilks and Ryo Hatsuse could do with extra help so young bodies are not pushed beyond their limits in a Championship relegation battle.
In trying to protect the club and not let Chansiri off the hook, the authorities were tough on signings but did at least allow them to loan Amass from Manchester United.