Leeds United defeated Hearts 1-0 at Tynecastle on Sunday to cap up their preseason schedule.The Whites had two triumphs in front of the crowd in July, including a convincing 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest last week. However, Daniel Farke’s team also suffered 2-0 losses to Manchester United and Monaco as he adjusted to his new lineup.

The Whites will now be occupied with getting ready for this weekend as they begin their Championship campaign against Cardiff City on Sunday. Leeds Live look back at some of the things we’ve learned about Farke’s team over the past few weeks as we get ready for that matchup.

Work to do in the window

Ethan Ampadu and Karl Darlow, two players who came from Chelsea and Newcastle United, respectively, have joined Leeds United this summer. Darlow hasn’t played a single minute since signing his contract on Saturday night, but Ampadu has excelled thus far after starting the Whites’ previous three runouts.

As he waits for updates on Bamford and Rutter, Daniel Farke considers his alternatives for Leeds United’s match against Cardiff.

However, more is obviously required if Farke’s team is to make a genuine run for promotion this season, especially after so many players left the club this summer. Leeds really need a number 10 to fit into the 4-2-3-1 style used by the German boss since it would increase their creativity.

They require a striker and depth in the midfield, and Farke has stated that he would like to add a center back and a full back to his roster before the deadline on September 1. The Whites are improving and will be optimistic about competing at the top of the Championship, but they are currently a number of players short.

Influence already clear

Farke is coming to the end of his first month in charge at Elland Road and he’s had less than three weeks with some of his players due to international commitments over the summer months. But, his style of play is already beginning to shine through on the pitch, with Leeds taking clear steps forward with each and every game.

Playing out from the back is something that has been immediately apparent so far, with the onus being put on the likes of Liam Cooper, Illan Meslier and Pascal Struijk to be cool on the ball and show patience. Ethan Ampadu has helped there, dropping into the pockets of space to provide an option before moving the ball further forward.

In fact, Ampadu’s fingerprints are on a lot of things the Whites have done well in pre-season, shifting the ball smartly from his deep-lying playmaker role. United have pressed high out of possession, kept the ball well and exploited width in attack.

They’ve also been relatively fluid going forward with the right-back pushing up high to create an overlap and allow the winger, often Luis Sinisterra, to play a narrower inside forward role almost, to overload centrally. There’s work to do of course, but Farke will be pleased with the progress he has seen from his inherited squad.

Youngsters stepping up

Leeds were always going to have to rely heavily on their academy graduates this summer and it seems a handful of them are in line to play important roles once the competitive action gets underway. Archie Gray has arguably been the most impressive youngster stepping out of the Under-21s fold and into the first-team this summer and as it stands, it seems as though he could be set for a senior debut on Sunday afternoon.

He’s played an important role next to Ampadu over the last couple of weeks as he continues his development and progresses through the ranks. The 17-year-old has heaps of talent and he looks capable of being able to handle himself physically in the Championship.

Mateo Joseph looks set to be given the chance to prove himself with semi-regular runouts, too, after bagging 16 goals last time around for the youth side. Darko Gyabi and Leo Hjelde will be keen to stick around in the first-team picture, too.

That’s not to mention the slightly more established figure of Charlie Cresswell, who wore the number five shirt at Hearts on Sunday.

Surprise package Poveda

Ian Poveda has been brought in from the cold this summer by Farke and so far the manager has not been disappointed. The former Manchester City youth player has been one of the shining lights of pre-season, with his ability and creativity coming through in every performance.

He bagged himself a superb goal against Nottingham Forest, too, to re-announce himself to the Whites’ fanbase. Of course, it’s only pre-season and Poveda will be judged fully when the competitive action gets underway, but if he carries that form into the season, he could be set to play a key role as he looks to get his career off the ground.

Positive response

We’ll know more when the real stuff begins this weekend, but it seems as though Leeds have responded positively to their Premier League relegation. The Whites were at rock bottom mentally in May as they slipped out of the top flight, but they’ve recovered well, pulled themselves together and they seem to be in a good place under the guidance of Farke.

There has been heaps of change, of course, and with Bamford picking up an injury, there’s a chance next Sunday’s line-up could see just three survivors from the Spurs game at the end of May, in Liam Cooper, Pascal Struijk and Luke Ayling.

They’ll be tested more as August makes way for September, October and beyond and they settle into the Championship grind, but Farke looks to have brought the squad together.