It's that most wonderful time of the year..

Not Christmas and New Year per se, but the time Leeds United perennially has a wobble. Sometimes it starts earlier and typically lasts long enough to take us significantly off the course required to achieve our objectives.

It is different this year. Ish. We're sat on top of the Championship, still. Results appear to go with us when we lose. Bielsa has worked miracles with a small squad where the nucleus was part of the previous campaign's squad.

There's been progress. Elland Road looks better aesthetically. Bremner Square is a hugely positive development. I'm still waiting for Elland Road to be upgraded viz a viz the comments from the 49er's representative at least on the digitalisation front. Equally, ER is, in places, in need of redevelopment from an infrastructure perspective.

The management, AR, AK and VO appear to be letting Bielsa & Co do the talking rather than making ill-timed or anger-provoking comments even if to satisfy those who want regular statements just for the sake of regular statements.

2017-18 was costly for a variety of reasons. We might not appreciate it but significant sums were spent on the playing squad with little real return. This year the investment is squarely on the management with player acquisitions largely going through the loan market.

If promotion is the aim, and I see no evidence to suggest otherwise, TV rights clearly not the objective for Leeds United alone, then the current window should only concentrate on loans for me. No point in spending millions on players and missing out on promotion. We've seen the results of that far too often.

We know that if we do get promotion then there's going to be another rebuild. The current squad simply isn't strong enough for the rigours of the Premier League. We need some short-term fixes to bolster our bid for promotion.

We need a keeper, that is glaringly obvious. We need better than what we have or what's the point? I think we need another centrehalf but accept that if Bielsa thinks he has enough options in place then he's better qualified than I to make that judgement.

Perhaps another winger? With Saiz leaving and Hernandez potentially going more central, then that leaves space. As LIW said somewhat prophetically a while back, Harrison has been disappointing and I believe an upgrade would help.

Like other clubs we've had our fair share of injuries but with a smaller squad it's taken its toll. That has, however, been a positive for our younger players getting the opportunity to step up. Clarke being a great example of this.

We're still in box position. We will always lose games and if the current losses serve as a springboard to another straight run of victories then so be it.

Leeds United never does anything the easy way. I said earlier in the season that I thought the play-offs were more than achievable. As it stands, that would be something of a failure. We need some new talent on board. We need it now.

Bielsa has to be congratulated for his achievements thus far. AR too for his belief in the man. I hope that this team can work a way to getting that new blood into the team whilst we have a chance to build on the hard work undertaken thus far. To neglect that duty to Leeds United would be as difficult to understand as it was when Bates refused to put his hand in his pocket when Grayson was knocking on the door of promotion all those years' ago.

Fingers' crossed.

Happy New Year to all Leeds United supporters. I hope you have a healthy, successful and prosperous 2019. Lets hope we become more United this year and can celebrate a campaign that puts us back where we belong.

The Premier League not League One for those hard of hearing......!!

MOT