Championship boss makes Leeds United prediction and eyes ‘perfect’ Whites chance for his side
Cardiff finished 21st in last season’s Championship but former Fenerbahce and Gaziantep boss Bulut has replaced Sabri Lamouchi in the hotseat of a club that have made six signings this summer and played nine pre-season friendlies.
Turkish boss Bulut’s first competitive Bluebirds game takes him to recently relegated Leeds but the 48-year-old is relishing the prospect of his side playing in front of a sell out Elland Road crowd and has high expectations for how his team will fare.
Key Leeds United change has ‘made everyone better and calmer’ ahead of new season
Ethan Ampadu has been credited with having a far-reaching impact on the Leeds United squad since his arrival from Chelsea this summer by Liam Cooper
Eighty-nine appearances across Europe’s big five leagues and 44 Wales caps, with six in major tournaments, before the age of 23 is not bad going. Ethan Ampadu’s personal blend of youth and experience has had a calming effect across Leeds United’s side this summer.
Ampadu has been a rock-solid part of Daniel Farke’s team since he arrived in the week before the Monaco friendly. There have been three starts on the bounce and an assuredness in possession which sparks memories of Kalvin Phillips’s time in white.
The former Chelsea man will be one of the first names on this weekend’s opening Championship teamsheet under the German. Captain Liam Cooper has thoroughly enjoyed playing behind Ampadu.
In a system which demands composure in possession and a desire to dominate the ball, Ampadu’s traits are critical in bringing the best out of the rest of the team, Cooper feels. As the central pivot in those passing lanes from defence to attack, he instils confidence.
“He’s been brilliant,” said Cooper. “His experience, the experience he brings, the amount of games he’s played at club level and international level, at such a young age, is brilliant for us.
“He makes everybody else better, he makes everybody else calmer and [in] his first two weeks, I can’t say enough about him.”
Ampadu, who has been wearing the number four shirt last worn by Adam Forshaw in pre-season, could be partnered in midfield with 17-year-old Archie Gray on Sunday. The Thorp Arch prodigy has been in and around the first-team picture for a few years, but may finally make his senior debut against Cardiff City.
