"Lack of clarity" - 49ers told how to earn Leeds United supporters' trust | OneFootball

FLW's Leeds fan pundit has issued his verdict on the owner's connection to the supporters

Leeds United are aiming for promotion back to the Premier League at the second attempt this year.

Owners 49ers Enterprises will be looking to bring the club back to the top flight, having purchased a majority share in the Whites in the summer of 2023.

Daniel Farke’s side narrowly missed out last year, coming third in the table before losing the play-off final 1-0 to Southampton.

It has been a positive start to the new campaign, but competition for a top two spot is set to be stiff.

The table is still very tight in these early stages, making it difficult to predict who will ultimately come out on top at the end of the campaign.

49ers ownership issues raised

When asked whether the 49ers have built a strong connection with supporters, FLW’s Leeds fan pundit Kris Smith raised concerns over their ability to communicate with the fans.

He highlighted the sale of Archie Gray as an example where the owners need to better explain themselves on key decisions, particularly in the transfer market.

“Leeds have had so many bad owners since the turn of the millennium and we’ve dropped out of the Premier League,” Smith told Football League World.

“And while the 49ers aren’t at that level of terrible, they’ve yet to really win the fans over totally.

“There’s a fair few reasons for that.

“Mainly, it’s how the transfer windows have been dealt with, and obviously they’ve had a lot of tough decisions to make due to the mess that they were left by Andrea Radrizzani after we were relegated.

“But, I think the main issue is the communication through a lot of these decisions hasn’t been crystal clear.

“When you look at Archie Gray being sold to Tottenham for a release clause that no one knew was there, and it was dealt with as if he pushed for the move, even though it was put there so that Leeds could sell him if they needed to.

“It’s just that lack of clarity is what upsets that fans, and you can see why after years of the fans being lied to.”

49ers ownership positives claim

However, Smith has praised the Leeds owners for improving the match-going experience at Elland Road, as well as the changes they’ve made to improve the structure of the club behind the scenes to better match their long-term ambition of Premier League football.

“But, on a more positive note, especially from my perspective, I clearly see there’s a much greater effort from the 49ers to rebuild the club from top to bottom, whether it's all these new roles in the recruitment structure, or just the boardroom in general,” he added.

“Whether it’s just my matchday experience of going to Elland Road and seeing that the stadium looks a lot nicer, and a lot cleaner, or if it’s just the playing squad that Daniel Farke’s got is packed with a lot of expensive talent that should get promotion back to the Premier League, and that’s what the 49ers should be judged on overall.

“I don’t expect that there’s going to be an amazing connection with the 49ers until we get back in the Premier League.

“We’re still in the EFL, and the job’s far from done, but if they do deliver on these ambitious promises of getting us back and restoring us as a cemented Premier League team, and building this new stadium, then I do think they will get that seal of approval from the majority of fans.”

Only promotion can secure trust for 49ers

Leeds supporters want to see their team established back in the Premier League on a permanent basis, and the 49ers must deliver on that in order to win over the fans in full.

It has been a difficult last 20 years for the Whites, who dropped out of the top flight in 2004 amid a number of financial issues.

There have been plenty of unwanted owners in the time since, and a huge mess has needed to be cleaned up in order to get the club back on track.