ABOUT LAST WEEK
I will get on to this weekend’s game against Burnley, but I’m still not ready to move on from last Saturday. It has intoxicated me all week.
For 16 years we were subjected to lower league football at Elland Road, and when we finally returned to the Premier League the whole season was played behind closed doors. Whether that really could ‘only happen to Leeds United’ we’ll never know, but the fact is, it did only happen to Leeds United. The pandemic robbed us of more than I’d care to list, but in turn further tightened the coils of desperation, and Elland Road sprang back into life with a crescendo of emotions. This was our consolation prize, our return to the Premier League was more rousing than we could ever have imagined.
“For 16 years we were subjected to lower league football at Elland Road, and when we finally returned to the Premier League the whole season was played behind closed doors”
I was one of the lucky few who attended the West Brom game, and it was a highly emotional and unforgettable experience. Being surrounded by empty seats almost felt symbolic of the people we had lost, which is certainly over-dramatic, but the fact it represented each person that wasn’t able to be there was sad enough. The chanting was incessant from the moment the players emerged for the pre-match warm-up, but the match itself was more of a testimonial than a Premier League match, we weren’t even playing a Premier League team.
Everton was a whole new ball game. Being amongst a passionate and partisan crowd once again, watching an enthralling match that kept Elland Road in ‘bear-pit’ mode from the first minute to the last; I’d forgotten how much I loved it, and didn’t realise how much I’d missed it. All week I’ve not been able to stop thinking about it, watching videos of the fans and imagining the scenes had Mina not blocked Bamford’s literal ‘sitter’ at the end. A last gasp winner would have been perfect, but the goal that did settle the match was at least befitting of the occasion; an explosion off the boot of Raphinha that bulged the net before you could even hope it would. Fuck you Covid, United are back!
Leeds Vs Everton - back to full capacity at Elland Road
The other thing about Saturday was how much quicker everything seemed in real life, although that was probably just the result of another year’s progression under Bielsa. I seemed to be watching Jack Harrison’s feet in fast-forward, zig-zagging with purpose rather than meandering down dead ends. What a talent that lad is turning into, and what a snip at £11m; an England call-up cannot be far away. An England cap isn’t far away for Patrick Bamford after Gareth Southgate finally called him up to the national team. Everton wasn’t his best day, but Bamford still looked faster and more powerful than in the Old Normal. Yerry Mina celebrating in his face at the final whistle, having prevented him from scoring, shows just how much Bamford has come on while we’ve been away. Tyler Roberts seemed to have improved his physicality too, and an impressive cameo suggested he might be ready to change games rather than flirt on the periphery. I suspect Roberts is the main reason Poveda has been loaned to Blackburn, with Bielsa happy for Summerville to be the joker up his sleeve. As for Stuart Dallas, I don’t have the words, so I’ll put it in figures. He must be worth £30m now? What a player. Seeing it in the flesh just confirmed it.
So, Leeds United finally announced themselves in the Premier League, and next up is… Burnley at Turf Moor, with their 1 to 11 shirt numbers and names more common to the National League than the Premier League. Even their foreigners sound like English journeymen, Chris Wood and Erik Pieters. What a come down!
Flags for fans!
Burnley will surely prove sterner opposition than in last season’s dead rubber behind closed doors. Our ten away wins will be extremely difficult to repeat in full stadiums, and tomorrow brings the first test (Scum away is stricken from the record, never to be spoke of again). If Leeds pass it with flying colours all will be rosy whatever happens when the transfer window ‘slams shut’ next week. If they don’t, the international break will be even more painful, but at least we will have the thought of returning to Elland Road to keep us sane, while driving us crazy.
Rocco Dean - Author of Marcelo Bielsa vs The Damned United (porder on Amazon)