On the opening day of the season, many Leeds fans left Loftus Road disheartened after a poor 3-0 defeat at the hands of QPR, apprehensive about what appeared to be a long season ahead of them.

Things got worse too as they sat in the relegation zone and Massimo Cellino was reportedly ready to wield his infamous axe on Garry Monk following their poor start to the season.

However three months later and Leeds sit comfortably in 7th place, with just one point separating them from the play off places and you can't blame fans for feeling slightly optimistic about their club's chances of promotion.

It is the first time that they have really set a platform to get promoted back to the Premier League in recent memory.

But on Sunday they saw their side deflate at the hands of league leaders Newcastle, tumbling to a 2-0 defeat at Elland Road.

The defeat was a sure sign to manager Garry Monk that, if the club are to stand any chance of promotion this season, there are gaps that must be filled in January.

Monk will undoubtedly be running the rule over his squad and mulling over what business to do in January.

This will include doing a position by position assessment of the squad's quality and identifying any problem areas.

Here are two positions Leeds must improve in January if they want to stand any realistic chance of promotion this season.

Goalkeeper

Newcastle's opener on Sunday was yet another mistake by ageing goalkeeper Rob Green.

It ended up in the back of the net as he fumbled a lofted ball to the feet of Dwight Gayle.

At the age of 36, many Leeds fans are beginning to question whether the former England international is past his best, and with January edging closer the opportunity for a replacement is coming up fast.

Despite having a reasonably good defensive record this season you can't help but feel that with a safer pair of gloves between the sticks, the club may be able to improve on this.

Whilst as of yet there have been no strong links suggesting Leeds are in the market for a goalkeeper, a younger and more reliable keeper is just what Leeds need to help them this season.

Striker

Fans' favourite Chris Wood has yet again been running the show at Leeds United this season, with 8 goals making him the league's joint 5th top scorer.

However without Chris Wood the rest of the squad has a grand total of 11 goals, meaning that should he pick up an injury, they would be in real trouble.

With just 19 goals from 17 games - the same record as relegation candidates Blackburn Rovers - Leeds have averaged just over 1.1 goals per game - which is a worrying stat for any club searching for promotion.

With that in mind Garry Monk should be looking for a striker in the new year, and there is no doubt other clubs will be looking to improve in the same position.

Not only could a new striker be a replacement for Chris Wood, but also open up the opportunity for a partnership to be formed, which would give Garry Monk the chance to experiment with new formations involving 2 up top.

 

So Leeds fans - would you like to see your club strengthening in these positions? Where else do you want your club to look to sign new players? Let us know in the comments below...