Promotion secured, pressure begins: Even as Brenden Aaronson and Leeds celebrate ‘dream season,’ heat is on USMNT midfielder to prove Premier League-level abilities
The American overcame a number of obstacles to win a title, but the game has already changed with the club's promotion
Make no mistake about it: the crowd at Elland Road didn't want Brenden Aaronson back. He returned to Leeds last summer, but wasn't exactly welcomed with open arms.
After a rough year on loan at Union Berlin, Leeds fans were – how to say this? – less than excited to see the American back on the squad. And they were not shy with their opinions.
How sweet it must have been, then, for Aaronson to see those fans from a different altitude. With the rest of his teammates, he looked out over thousands of fans from the top of a tour bus last weekend, celebrating both Leeds' Championship title win and the corresponding promotion to the Premier League.
Vindication, some would say. A hell of a turnaround, you could call it, too.
Aaronson had proved many wrong. Not everyone, however. There is no bigger leap in this sport than that move from the Championship to the Premier League, and everyone at Leeds is now preparing for all that goes with it. Staying up as a newly-promoted club requires a Herculean effort and, if Leeds intend to remain, they'll need to have the right pieces in place.
Is Aaronson one of those pieces? What will a second crack at the Premier League look like? And beyond the club implications, how will all of this impact his U.S. men's national team future?
All of those questions became relevant the moment Aaronson stepped off the bus. The celebration is effectively over and – as nice as it was – Aaronson and Leeds now have bigger challenges ahead.
Getty Images SportA redemptive season
Aaronson knew returning to Leeds wouldn't be easy and that he would need to prove himself quickly. Many at Elland Road had given up on him – and frankly, he hadn't given them much reason to change their minds.
His first season, which came in the Premier League, was rough. He scored just one goal, pickpocketing Edouard Mendy to embarrass the Chelsea goalkeeper. That was it, as Leeds – a team that featured Aaronson, Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie and, at one point, Jesse Marsch at the helm – were relegated.
Adams, too good for the Championship, went to Bournemouth. McKennie's loan ended, sending him back to Juventus. Aaronson, meanwhile, went on loan to Union Berlin, where he struggled once again, prompting a return to Leeds.
It didn't take him long to show that he was willing to fight. Aaronson won Leeds' Player of the Month award in August by scoring two early-season goals – helping endear him to a fanbase that, realistically, wanted to watch players who cared as much as they did.
"I knew going back, it was gonna be tight," Aaronson told GOAL in the fall. "I knew they were gonna have feelings, which are justified. I left and it was difficult, but I think really I felt it [turning around] when I scored that second goal against Sheffield. Then I just kept putting performances together. I just felt it."
He knew the only way to manage expectations was to actually deliver on them.
"Honestly, it was tough," he said. "At first, it's tough because you're in your head. You're thinking negative things. You're coming back to the team saying, 'What are they gonna think about me?' You're worried about the fans. It's never easy, but I showed up and I just did my thing. I had to prove myself. I had to be confident going in there and show them that I am a great player."
Aaronson proved to be a solid contributor for this Leeds team, but it wasn't without challenges.
AdvertisementGettyThe ups and downs
Amid their trophy celebrations, Leeds took to social media to highlight Aaronson's impact. The American played in all 46 games this season, proving to be an ironman for the club. He was one of only three players to appear in all every match and his 3,551 minutes played were the third-most at the club – and the most of any non-defender.
For perspective, you could play every second of every game in a Premier League season and not reach that minutes total.
Aaronson told GOALthat he didn't want to just be known as a player who accumulates minutes or simply provides energy and effort. This season, in many ways, was about proving he could contribute to goals.
"I want to be outside of that box," he said. "I'm not just a runner. I'm not just a guy that's pressing all the time. I'll show that, of course, but I think I'm also more than that, you know? I think I'm a guy that brings other things to the pitch and, yeah, I just wish people could see that more."
In the end, he fell just short of double digits, netting nine goals – his most prolific professional season yet. That was fourth-best in the team, a good haul for a midfielder.
However, the season didn't come without criticism. His two assists weren't what you'd expect from a player who generally played as an attacking midfielder, and there was a large dry spell in the middle of the season. That was at least partially responsible for Aaronson being left off the USMNT's CONCACAF Nations League roster.
Mauricio Pochettino explained it as a numbers game and, with the rise of Diego Luna and the return of Gio Reyna, he was looking elsewhere. Aaronson responded to the omission as well as he could have.
In his first game after the international break, he scored what ended up being his final Leeds goal of the season, netting in a 2-2 draw against Swansea. He featured in every game down the stretch after, including this last weekend's title-clincher against Plymouth Argyle.
The midfielder was given grace and minutes this season for several reasons, including the fact Leeds didn't have another true No. 10 in the squad. When Leeds do spend this summer, it is widely expected that they will bring in at least one attacking midfielder to either push – or worst-case for Aaronson – replace the American. There will be competition, no doubt, but Aaronson does have one thing on his side: the manager.
Getty Images SportThe Farke effect
If you need further evidence of just how cutthroat promotion to the Premier League is, look at Daniel Farke. He was the manager who led this team to promotion and still, in the final weeks of the season, speculation swirled that he might be fired.
The club were reportedly unsure of his quality. He'd done it in the Championship, yes, but he hadn't yet shown he could succeed in the Premier League. Ultimately, following the title win, the club publicly backed Farke. But the message had been sent: no one is safe.
That includes Aaronson, of course, although the return of Farke does bode well for him. Throughout the season, he's proven to be one of the manager's favorites, and for good reason. It's no secret that Aaronson is willing to work, which will always endear a player to a manager.
Of course, the goals will help, too, and, at 23, Aaronson still has room to grow. He showed improvement this season but more importantly, he also showed the mental toughness to overcome the less-than friendly reception he knew he'd receive upon his return.
Farke has backed Aaronson every step of the way, including after his USMNT exclusion.
“He is a player who always gives everything,” Farke said. “It was beneficial he was left out of the U.S. squad. It was good to let him recharge for a few days because – although he has so much energy – even his tank was empty.
“I’d say he was outstanding for a pretty long period, chipping in with goals and assists and endless workload. You can’t burn the candle from both ends in 46 games. He’s had a more difficult spell – not in terms of his workload for the team because he’s always outstanding in those terms. His end products were really good in the beginning, and middle third of the season, then it dried up for a few weeks.”
Everything is at stake in the Premier League, and everyone at Leeds has an uncertain future. Such is the nature of promotion. In order to survive, the club will need to spend and, likely, spend big. Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe, in fact, said this week that the team will invest both in infrastructure, as well as players.
"The thing that I’m probably most excited about is that we have an opportunity for more Leeds United supporters to attend matches," he said. "We have a 28,000-person paid season ticket waiting list. We are the largest one-club city in the country. So, being able to get more supporters to be able to watch their club live is going to be really neat to do. Second to that, yes, it’s going to generate more revenue for us, and that revenue is going to go right into players."
Farke's return is a good sign for Aaronson, who has done enough to prove he could have a part to play next season, even if the role might change.
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Getty Images SportLooking ahead
All of this is going to boil down to one question, and it'll be one that defines this next phase of Aaronson's career. Is he a Premier League-level player?
He didn't prove he was during his first stint with the club, but much has changed since. Aaronson climbed his way back, and that may just prepare him for what's ahead. The Premier League is a big leap, and the tightrope that Aaronson and Leeds will have to walk next season will be treacherous.
Surviving promotion has become tougher than ever. Over the past two seasons, each of the three Premier League promotees were booted right back to the Championship. Leeds will need to get everything right to avoid that fate – and that work started even before the confetti from the celebration parade was cleaned up.
Aaronson, though, can take a few days to reflect on a job well done and a season that changed at least some perceptions of him.
“It feels amazing,” Aaronson told LUTV from the club's open-top bus. “It’s great to see the turnout. It just completed the season – to get the trophy and celebrate with our fans, it's a dream season. I've seen a lot of American parades but nothing like this. It's amazing. Thank you guys for everything because you made the year amazing. So thank you.”