After just three years in the Premier League, Leeds United now find themselves back in the battle for promotion in England's second tier, with the size of the task ahead for Daniel Farke and co already evident following a mixed start to the new season.
While currently in the playoff spots, the Yorkshire giants have still only won three times so far this term since their return to the Championship, with things only recently beginning to settle down following the mass summer exodus that occurred at Elland Road.
The loss of 15 players has been eased by the nine new faces that have arrived through the door, however, while Farke is also able to call upon a handful of figures who have returned to the club following stints out on loan last term, such as Daniel James.
Although the Wales international can be somewhat "headless" at times – as per pundit Darren Bent – it looks as if the winger could have a vital role to play this season, having already racked up four assists from just six league appearances from the flanks.
The 25-year-old has also been joined back at the club by fellow winger, Ian Poveda, with the previously outcast asset having been afforded a handful of opportunities to impress in recent weeks – albeit without truly being able to shine.
Those struggles beg the question as to whether the former Manchester City starlet actually has a future under Farke, with it clear to see that the 5 foot 6 enigma has not lived up to the billing since his arrival back in January 2020.
Why did Leeds sign Ian Poveda?
The diminutive talent certainly enjoyed an impressive footballing education having spent time on the books at the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, Brentford and even La Liga giants Barcelona, prior to joining Manchester City in 2016.
There was no doubt a great deal of buzz surrounding the promising sensation during his time at the Etihad, in particular, having been tipped to be the next wonderkid to emerge at City – following the likes of Jadon Sancho and Phil Foden.
The youngster's quality was evident with the Cityzens as he notably contributed 14 goals and assists in 32 games in all competitions at U18 level, before plundering a further six goals and eight assists for the club's U21 side.
Such consistent form even led the London-born wizard to earn a solitary first-team appearance for Pep Guardiola's side in the Carabao Cup meeting with Burton Albion in January 2019, describing it as a "dream come true" to be able to enjoy a first taste of senior action.
It was then just a year later that Leeds and Marcelo Bielsa came calling, with Poveda making the move to Yorkshire mid-way through the club's 2019/20 promotion-winning campaign – taking on the number shirt as an indication of how highly-regarded he was at the time.
What was said about Poveda when he joined Leeds?
The move to Elland Road to work under the enigmatic Bielsa was seen as a "perfect" fit – according to Guardiola – with the Poveda looking like the type of gifted, creative talent that the Argentine coach would love to work with.
The expectation was that the new man would blossom into a real star under the experienced tactician, with there having even been talk that he was the heir to footballing icon, Lionel Messi, as a diminutive left-footed talent who primarily operates from the right wing.
While the former England youth international did only make four appearances for Leeds in the second half of 2019/20, a strong start to the following campaign also brought with it further plaudits, with pundit Noel Whelan having said at the time:
"You can see now when you talk about people changing games and bringing a different dimension, he’s very, very quick, got great feet, very tricky, likes to run at players. Very much like Raphinha as well.
“He just looks a lot stronger this season, body-wise, mentality wise. He looks like he’s there to push people rather than just take up a bench place."
Poveda was also hailed by club legend Danny Mills for his "superb" display against his former employers in October 2020, albeit while ultimately going on to make just 14 Premier League appearances that season, showcasing a sign of things to come…
What has gone wrong for Poveda at Leeds?
The struggling asset was subsequently shipped out on loan to Blackburn Rovers for the entirety of the 2021/22 campaign, with that coming amid reports that he had been demoted to the U23's at Leeds after being frozen out by Bielsa.
As per the aforementioned Mills, the suggestion at the time was that the once-promising talent had no future back at Elland Road, having become "surplus to requirements" after struggling to make an impact over the previous 18 months.
That drop into the second tier with Rovers failed to reinvigorate the forward, however, as he scored just once in only ten appearances in what was an injury-hit campaign at Ewood Park, having then been sent out again last season to join Blackpool.
That latter switch did prove slightly more fruitful as the 23-year-old netted three goals and provided two assists in 26 games in all competitions, albeit while coming under fire at Bloomfield Road due to 'a disciplinary issue', having responded poorly to being left out of the matchday squad on one occasion by manager Mick McCarthy.
Now back at his parent club after a two-year absence, Poveda has made four appearances so far this term, albeit while notably failing to impress during his 90-minute outing against Birmingham City last month, with Leeds Live's Beren Cross writing of his performance:
'None of the guile and flair we have seen from him since mid-summer. Struggled to unlock doors or go past Birmingham players with his skill.'
While there were signings of life in pre-season for the £8.3k-per-week trickster, a limp start to the season has not helped his cause with regard to earning a regular role in the side, particularly with Farke having the likes of James, Jaidon Anthony and Crysencio Summerville to call upon.
With just a year left on his contract, time may be running out for the 'Mini Messi' to finally flourish in Yorkshire, with it looking as if he remains somewhat 'surplus' still…
