There's lots of early season excitement buzzing around Elland Road, provoked by two consecutive home victories. With relatively new manager Brian McDermott doing every thing he can to promote a feel good factor, Master Bates gone and 33,000 flooding through the gates for the opening day fixture, everything in the garden suddenly smells of roses. For now.
The trouble is, both games were highly winnable and so, arguably, prove nothing. Brighton are, at best, in transition and possibly in disarray. They followed up that defeat at Elland Road by crashing out of the Capital One Fan Cup so a narrow win, with a late, late goal, does not suggest Leeds are about to dominate the division.
The Whites' follow up win in the Cup over Chesterfield can be largely ignored. Leeds fielded close to a reserve team and the match could so easily have gone into extra time. Poleon was, perhaps, the one truly bright light on the night.
Ask Warnock, and from beneath his replanted Bodhi Tree in Cornwall he would say, "The lads gave one hundred per cent and I couldn't have asked for more in terms of effort. Just like they did for me in home games last season". And there's the rub. Apart from Murphy and Hunt, this is still Warnock's team and Warnock would have expected two home wins from those opening two games -and would probably have got them. So Leeds fans may well be cheering a chimera!
We will have a much better idea of how Leeds are likely to fare after the game at Leicester. Like Leeds, the Foxes started with a highly winnable fixture, against hopeless Miserablebrough, so there is no real evidence yet that Pearson has arrested their decline. After the corresponding fixture last season, Leeds fans were filled with hope as Warnock's team came so close to a play off push fuelling victory, but Leicester were close to their nadir at that point, and the play off jaunt must have given the players some sense of self belief.
Warnock's team drew this fixture last season, so that has to be the minimum target for the born again team of Reverend McDermott. Should Leeds win, it truly will be hallelujah time, but if Leicester win, it could be time to drop to the knees and pray or simply accept that the stint in Purgatory is likely to extend for yet another season.
Troll
ReplyDeleteNo one ever said Leeds would dominate the division
ReplyDeleteHey hf,remember a few months ago you wrote that really sexist article about the female footballers and then deleted it the next day? Haha what a coward,your wife is lucky to have you.....dare you to publish this!
ReplyDeleteAdmit it Troll, You're shitting yourself incase we have a great season aren't yer?
ReplyDeleteLeicester 0,leeds 6
ReplyDeleteDon't be silly.
DeleteAre you serious, do you really think the result at Leicester will define a whole season.
ReplyDeleteAppreciate you like to belittle every game that Leeds win but I was at the Brighton game and one thing they were not was a team in disarray. Brighton were a very physical, skilful well drilled team and Leeds did very well to beat them.
Leicester happen to be one of the best teams in a very competitive league, so if Leeds do win then it would be a fantastic result, however if they loose, they will have lost to serious promotion contenders, which in the greater scheme of things will not have huge ramifications for the rest of the season.
But thanks for giving me a good laugh reading what most people would consider rather bitter ill conceived drivel.
All this talk and writing about leeds, i bet you wish West Spam could get 33,000 fans turning up.
ReplyDeleteWe don't expect to dominate this division, we just want a club we can feel a connection with again, which is what we are getting hence the feel good factor. Win, lose or draw against Leicester, this will not change now. We are finally looking like a UNITED TEAM again in all sense of the phrase, and nothing you can say in your sarcastic tone will change this.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to compare this season with last, you can at least acknowledge we lost to Brighton at home last season, so we are justified in "feeling good".
played two won two!!
ReplyDeleteleister 1 leeds 35000
ReplyDeleteAre you still at primary school?
DeleteI doubt you could count to 20, let alone 35000, you certainly can't spell.
LOL 1746. Love the bit of irony in the last sentence to make your point :)
DeleteLeister 1
ReplyDeleteLeeds 35000
"Theres lots of early season excitement buzzing around Elland road"?????? How would you know when your sat in your mums spare room all day compiling drivel about football clubs you know nothing about? Tell us something about West Ham utd, like what shampoo big Andy uses or some info on the 3 free transfers they managed to sign during the closed season. I hear West Ham fought off stiff competition from Man utd, Real Madrid and Aldershot for the young lad from Stockport?
ReplyDeleteDie Nev, do us all a favour!
ReplyDeleteI'm actually a little disappointed with the negativity in this article. Given the quality of our squad and amount invested in it I truly thought we would dominate the division this year. Coming from behind to beat last seasons play off semi finalists was a mere formality after all.
ReplyDeleteOne things for certain. If the unthinkable does happen Sunday and we lose away to high spending Leicester City never mind praying. I may as well end it all all as this season will be a complete and utter write off.
Our club is great.
ReplyDeleteI was born into my Leeds tribe.
Wins are great.
Loses hurt.
But I remember I am Leeds.
Our club is great.
Don't need to slag other teams.
They already know we hate em.