*Change Bamford stat if needs be
Victor Orta is a meticulous soul. He is a passionate being with a wealth of football knowledge. He has also been fortunate enough to learn from some of the best in the business.
That doesn’t just lie at the feet of manager Marcelo Bielsa but also with Monchi.
Sevilla’s former Director of Football is internationally renowned as one of the best at what he does and Orta had the chance to work under him in Spain.
Learning about a pragmatic approach and a way of football politics, it’s something the Leeds director has taken in his stride.
In fact, it could now prove crucial for the Spaniard in the coming months. Everything he’s learned is set to be put to the test and it could just prove crucial in Leeds’ history for a number of reasons.
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He sits on the verge of his most legacy defining challenge yet, one which could cement his status as a cult-hero in west Yorkshire or see him forgotten as yet another individual that failed to oversee Leeds’ return to the big time.
This challenge will be negating the January transfer window, a period when his painstaking methods will be under the microscope.
Orta is a studious mind and has it within his capabilities. After all, he’s someone who scouted Ben White for two years before he arrived at Elland Road.
How Leeds could do with more players like him being uncovered in January.
What he does or doesn’t achieve over the next couple of months at Elland Road might not only have a giant say on promotion, but it might well determine the direction of the club as a whole.
That’s certainly if recent claims are anything to by.
Owner Andrea Radrizzani recently had his say on matters at board level, suggesting that financial backing from Qatar Sports Investment could help them compete on a level that Manchester City are capable of.
It was a huge statement but it shows what could be on the line. Would QSI still be interested in pumping money into a side who are in the Championship? It’s a difficult subject to work out but any extra support in the transfer market would make Orta’s job far easier.
The director has previously stated that Leeds simply don’t have the means to buy any players permanently in January and that could provoke a big issue.
The Whites already have six players on loan and only five can feature in a matchday squad. Bearing that in mind, will some have to leave? It’s a distinct possibility. Jack Clarke could be recalled by Spurs and, given he hasn’t played in the Championship, it would be hardly surprising if that was indeed the case.
Eddie Nketiah’s future has also been thrown into doubt. Finding someone available with a finishing record as he does, scoring nine for club and country since Patrick Bamford last netted, would take something special.
But there is also the fear of White returning to Brighton in January. Given he won the PFA Fans’ Player of the Month for August, he’d be a monumental loss to a Leeds defence that currently ranks as the best in the division.
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Therefore, Orta would have to stretch every sinew and recall each inch of guidance he received from Monchi to replace them. But that is only a hypothetical scenario.
Either way, this Leeds squad needs strengthening if they want to achieve promotion. There is simply so much riding on the 2019/20 campaign.
If Orta can do the required business in January then it will go a long way to helping Angus Kinnear realise his 50,000 capacity dream for Elland Road. It would likely be a huge boost in keeping Bielsa too.
Radrizzani has noted that the current wage bill of around £40m isn’t sustainable. Not receiving QSI backing or reaching the Premier League means that would have to take a hit.
Who might be first to walk out the door? It wouldn’t be a great surprise if it was the manager. Orta, therefore, has to step up.
Aston Villa turned their fortunes around with their business last summer, landing the defensive wall of Tyrone Mings on temporary terms initially. He helped inspire the Villans on a ten-game unbeaten run and an eventual playoff win.
Leeds, however, ended the campaign with four straight matches without winning before their promotion dream was extinguished against Derby. What they would do for a similar run this season.
Their conversion rate is one of the worst in the league, scoring just 17 goals from a league-high 16.9 shots per game. On that evidence, there needs to be a greater goal threat in the team. As far as the transfer market goes, Orta should have this on his mind over anything else going into January.
Kinnear’s plans for Elland Road and the financial pressures surrounding the club dictate that anything other than being promoted would be a disaster and that could be determined by how well the next window goes.
Alongside Bielsa, Orta has the potential to be the mastermind behind the promotion bid. Mistakes have been made in the past in regards to recruitment but that simply cannot afford to happen in January.
Living up to the huge demands Leeds are commanding is a monumental challenge and what he does in the next few months may shape his legacy in west Yorkshire.
The January window could spur the Whites onto bigger and better things; it could also be a month of rueful missed opportunities.
Keeping Bielsa, a bigger Elland Road, QSI investment and ultimately promotion are on the line.
Over to you, Orta.