Graham Smyth shares what Paraag Marathe was seen doing at Elland Road before Leeds United v Ipswich Town
Paraag Marathe was seen pacing the directors’ box at Elland Road prior to Saturday’s (23 December) contest between Leeds United and Ipswich Town, according to Graham Smyth.
The Leeds chairman was in attendance at Elland Road for the huge Championship showdown between second-placed Ipswich and third-placed Leeds.
Marathe, who is based in the United States, serves as United’s chief contract negotiator and oversees the team’s football analytics department.
Yorkshire Evening Post reporter Smyth posted on Twitter [23 December]: “Paraag Marathe pacing the directors box. Up and down, up and down. Like a tiger.”
January window imminent
The timing of Marathe being in attendance at Elland Road is interesting given how close we now are to the January transfer window opening.
Leeds may well bring in a new player when the window reopens, and others – Wilfried Gnonto among them – will inevitably be linked with moves away.
The visit of Ipswich was always likely to be one Marathe had circled in his diary as one to attend from a while back, with the sides battling it out for the second automatic promotion spot.
Marathe played an important part in the 49ers Enterprises’ full takeover of the club in what has been a pretty seismic 2023 for the Whites.
The first half of the year was hugely disappointing, but things do look a lot brighter on the face of it as we prepare to enter 2024.
If United can earn promotion back to the top flight at the first time of asking, Marathe will deserve his share of the praise.
In other Leeds United news, a Sky Sports pundit says Leeds should have been feeling “worried” heading into the weekend.