The Marching On Newsletter 🟡 Speaking to James Trafford and Tarik Muharemovic

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Here we go then, the eve of the new season. This time last year, Leeds United would have barely believed 14th-place and an FA Cup semi-final was in store. Yet that has sent imaginations soaring this August.

Those inside the club are not talking about Europe and both Daniel Farke and squad members have stressed this. It’s one step at a time and survival next season still classifies as a successful one.

At the same time, anything below 14th would be a disappointment. Leeds have grown their squad and the hope is to push on, perhaps to a top 10 finish.

That is achievable given the signings made so far. We spoke to James Trafford for the first time last week and several things were clear.

Firstly, he is just happy to be playing regularly again. His family and friends are delighted that he will no longer be stuck as a number two.

Secondly, while he is buying into the vision of the club and where he fits inside of that, he is not really thinking much about anything other than football.

When I asked him about the long-term vision of the club and what the board have told him, he baulked at the topic and made it clear that this is not his remit, having not spoken to the chairman. He’s here to play ball, and that’s that.

Absolutely fair enough.

Thirdly, and as a response to the recent online trolling aimed at him, I want to underline that a 23-year-old is still a 23-year-old regardless of stature or wealth.

A clip (not the one above) of him responding to my question did the rounds on social media this week, where his answer was chastised without critics knowing the relevant context.

I had asked whether he felt the love of the fans upon, and even before, signing. That’s why he mentioned Leeds tops and everyone being a Leeds fan. It was a perfectly decent answer.

Sure, he might not be a Shakespearean poet but he came across as a genuine lad and recent events in the news should underscore the fact that personal attacks can cut deeper than intended, no matter how well-off or esteemed a person may be.

Anyway, we were speaking during the club’s media day where the likes of the Premier League, Sky Sports and TNT Sports do their videos and graphics. It was a nice insight into seeing how it is all done.

My favourite part was when Tarik Muharemovic jumped out of his skin after pulling a party popper, clearly unaware what was about to happen. The Bosnian is a pleasure to speak to, by the way.

We got to have our first chat with him following his over-head kick against Augsburg, being named man of the match afterwards. A well-spoken and simply happy character Muharemovic gave us some great insight.

He has already been a cameraman for Anton Stach’s YouTube video, has formed a close bond with Jaka Bijol and has played against Liverpool and Manchester United.

You can read all about that here, but one line that didn’t make it into the piece was my question about whether he had played in a back five before, given he has taken to it like a duck to water.

“Yeah, I played with that in Juve, in the youth. So I'm ready for a back five or a back four, so yeah, it's good.”

A few moments earlier, Farke had delivered his ‘Joe Salah’ line to us, which I am sure you’ve seen - but if not, it was in reference to his bold advances up the right wing while a centre-back.

As promised in last week’s newsletter, I asked Farke about his decision over the vice-captaincy now that Pascal Struijk has gone.

He confirmed that it would be a shared role between Joe Rodon, Jaka Bijol, James Justin and Dominic Calvert-Lewin. That three of those were only signed last year speaks volumes about the impact they have had off the pitch, as well as on it.

Since that chat, Nico Elvedi has arrived. Unlike the other three signings - Trafford, Muharemovic and Harry Wilson - he is not expected to be a starter initially. But he is due to be a better competitor for minutes than Sebastiaan Bornauw, who has joined Hamburg on loan.

He is eligible to play against Nottingham Forest tomorrow, but whether he will make the squad or not will only become apparent on the day. He only jetted in on Sunday albeit has had a full pre-season with Borussia Monchengladbach - where he was for 11 years.

On the subject of the opener at the City Ground, it should be a really entertaining game for the neutral. A revamped Leeds side is taking on a Forest team under a new manager in Oliver Glasner.

Leeds won’t be up to full strength with Gabriel Gudmundsson out and Noah Okafor not yet fit to start so a draw at Forest should not be sniffed at. Leeds arguably go in as underdogs, after all.

But Leeds like that. They showed last season - or at least after November - that when the odds are against them, they step up and show up. They are confident.

That said, Leeds will sometimes be the chased rather than always the chasers. They will have different pressures on them this season, but none they cannot handle. This group has a sound mentality.

Of course, you know that this never makes anything easier for you, as a fan. Stability is not in the DNA. But that’s the aim of the 49ers over the next few years.

In that sense, this might in fact be the thing Leeds are not used to.