131 | Wolves Draw, Southampton misery & 'Ferocious Desire'

There’s nothing better in football than an injury-time winner; finally getting what you have ferociously desired for 90 minutes, just when it seemed all hope was lost. Last minute equalisers are a little different. They always bring relief, but avoiding defeat and gaining just a measly point are rarely ferociously desired. Saturday was one such rare occasion. 

Wolves came to Elland Road and infuriated throughout. They won the toss and turned us around, making us attack the Kop in the first half, wrongly assuming the second half would be a nice, quiet and serene affair. Ten minutes into the game the time-wasting began, as soon as they had taken the lead. The fact it was the third match running that a lucky deflection had gifted Wolves a goal against us made it all the worse. Then there was the diving, though here my exasperation was at the referee for falling for it, and the one time he didn’t fall for it he still stopped the game to check Raul Jiminez was ok after jumping to the floor unchallenged. Next came the worst offence of the lot, Connor Coady feigning a head injury. He did this in the 90th minute the last time the teams met, and to me it is as despicable as spitting at an opponent. He collapsed in a heap after the ball hit him on the head, while Wolves were under intense first half pressure, only to get up as soon as play was stopped. It sent me into a frenzy, I was hopping around the aisle of N11 like Basil Fawlty, just without a branch in my hand or a car to take my anger out on.

But Wolves’s shit-housing didn’t work. Making us attack the South Stand in the second half was never going to make any difference to the atmosphere, their time-wasting gave us six extra minutes with which to find the equaliser, and their diving helped bring Elland Road to boiling point midway through the second half. Our best player had just hobbled down the tunnel, but the Leeds fans often step up to the plate when they are needed the most, and on Saturday they changed the game. ‘Champions of Europe’ caught fire before turning into the most passionate ‘Marching on Together’ of the season, the chorus repeated three times at full volume, to show the players just how ferociously we desired an equaliser. Our heroes responded magnificently. 

We all would have smashed that corner flag! Relief!

Rodrigo, after his atrocious showing at Southampton, was buzzing around like Pablo Hernandez, demanding the ball, dictating the play, taking the corners and the responsibility for earning a result. Dallas suddenly regained his confidence and was a menace down the left, while on the right Crycencio Summerville showed his potential for the first time; a different threat to Raphinha, but no less threatening. Then there was Joffy. In 30 years I have seen many fantastic talents emerging from the youth team, but none of them introduced themselves to Elland Road like Gelhardt. From the Kop it was hard to tell what was happening, but every time number 30 got the ball things happened. His thunderous drive was miraculously saved, another attempt sailed over the bar, another time he seemed to have the ball in the penalty box for five minutes with the ball glued to his feet, but couldn’t quite get his shot away. Then deep into injury time he picked the ball up 40 yards from goal. A 17-year-old Wayne Rooney once picked the ball up on the same blade of grass, brilliantly turned Bakke, then drove into the box and fired past Martyn. Gelhardt was on his way to replicating the goal before being bundled over in the box, but the teenager’s magnificent skill earnt the same reward thanks to Rodrigo’s nerveless penalty.  

As I left Elland Road I couldn’t help but imagine the difference had the referee not pointed to the spot, or worse, if Rodrigo had missed from the spot. I’m pretty sure the players would still have been cheered off by a stadium that appreciates maximum effort when they see it, but online they would have been torn to shreds for another abject performance. Instead, Rodrigo and Cooper were praised, Roberts and Klich slipped under the radar, and Bielsa’s reluctance to play a half-fit Kalvin Phillips was a moot point. Meanwhile, The Great Man’s preference for a small, 18-man squad, had been justified. His philosophy has enabled players like Jack Clarke, Shackleton and Struijk to break into the first team, and now we have Joffy Gelhardt, the most exciting of the lot. In fact, if Bielsa conformed with his peers and operated with 25 senior pros, Gelhardt would almost certainly have signed for someone else.

Leeds remain 17th in the Premier League table but this morning we are buzzing. Everything feels rosy again thanks to a team that ferociously desires results, the best fans in Europe who once again abided by their solemn vow to ‘stay with you forever’, and a lad from Liverpool who just might be the new Lionel Messi. Welcome to Elland Road Joffy lad, no pressure… 

Words by Rocco Dean - Author of Marcelo Bielsa vs The Damned United (order on Amazon)