Peter Anderson ⚽This week in the EPL saw the top three "title contenders" win a combined total of 10-nil with statement wins against Leicester, Arsenal and Everton. It was a stroll in the park for the most part.

We also saw the inevitable demise of Ole Solksjaer after a shocking hammering from Watford. As much as I have enjoyed seeing the enemy suffer, it really had become almost cruel to keep him in place. 

So, while the title race ticks over nicely, we are beginning to see the scrambling at the bottom to avoid the drop. Newcastle, Watford, Norwich and Aston Villa have all changed their manager since the start of the season and all will be expecting a "new manager" bounce. But there is one team fighting for their lives at the bottom that I did not expect to see there and that is Leeds United. 

I've always had a soft spot for Leeds. When I was first getting into footy they were a big successful team, with Billy Bremner and Peter Lorimer, and many of my friends support them. Twenty years later they had more success with the Batty/Viduka team that got to the semi-final of the Champions League. I have always thought of them as a similar team to my own Man City (before the petro-dollars arrived); both northern teams with solid support, and steeped in both glorious history and ignominious failure. Elland Road has always been a bit of a cauldron and they hate Man U as much as City do, or maybe even more! Watching them trying to regain their premiership status was frustrating and I was genuinely pleased when they finally succeeded. The EPL needs big teams like Leeds in it.

Last season went as expected, they stayed up without ripping up any trees. This season I expected them to push on but injuries to key players has knocked them off the rails. On Sunday evening I watched the live Sky game with Leeds away to Spurs. Leeds were the better team from the off and led at the break after a fine goal from Dan James. Spurs were booed off and Conte looked well brassed off. I expected a better Spurs in the second half and as soon as they had equalised the writing was on the wall for Leeds. Spurs got the second and Leeds began to fade. 

The Leeds team cannot afford to lose Rodrigo, Raphinha, Ayling and Bamford at the same time and they bowed to the inevitable defeat. They currently sit in 17th, two points above the drop zone. Their next three games are against Brighton, Palace and Brentford and it is absolutely crucial that they take points from those games and stop the rot because the face City, Arsenal and Liverpool in the run up to Christmas. 

The Whites have a special manager in Bielsa and we will see in the coming weeks if he has what it takes to get Leeds out of the danger zone. The race to avoid the drop looks like it could be as enthralling as the race for the title.


Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports.

Leeds Living Dangerously

Peter Anderson ⚽This week in the EPL saw the top three "title contenders" win a combined total of 10-nil with statement wins against Leicester, Arsenal and Everton. It was a stroll in the park for the most part.

We also saw the inevitable demise of Ole Solksjaer after a shocking hammering from Watford. As much as I have enjoyed seeing the enemy suffer, it really had become almost cruel to keep him in place. 

So, while the title race ticks over nicely, we are beginning to see the scrambling at the bottom to avoid the drop. Newcastle, Watford, Norwich and Aston Villa have all changed their manager since the start of the season and all will be expecting a "new manager" bounce. But there is one team fighting for their lives at the bottom that I did not expect to see there and that is Leeds United. 

I've always had a soft spot for Leeds. When I was first getting into footy they were a big successful team, with Billy Bremner and Peter Lorimer, and many of my friends support them. Twenty years later they had more success with the Batty/Viduka team that got to the semi-final of the Champions League. I have always thought of them as a similar team to my own Man City (before the petro-dollars arrived); both northern teams with solid support, and steeped in both glorious history and ignominious failure. Elland Road has always been a bit of a cauldron and they hate Man U as much as City do, or maybe even more! Watching them trying to regain their premiership status was frustrating and I was genuinely pleased when they finally succeeded. The EPL needs big teams like Leeds in it.

Last season went as expected, they stayed up without ripping up any trees. This season I expected them to push on but injuries to key players has knocked them off the rails. On Sunday evening I watched the live Sky game with Leeds away to Spurs. Leeds were the better team from the off and led at the break after a fine goal from Dan James. Spurs were booed off and Conte looked well brassed off. I expected a better Spurs in the second half and as soon as they had equalised the writing was on the wall for Leeds. Spurs got the second and Leeds began to fade. 

The Leeds team cannot afford to lose Rodrigo, Raphinha, Ayling and Bamford at the same time and they bowed to the inevitable defeat. They currently sit in 17th, two points above the drop zone. Their next three games are against Brighton, Palace and Brentford and it is absolutely crucial that they take points from those games and stop the rot because the face City, Arsenal and Liverpool in the run up to Christmas. 

The Whites have a special manager in Bielsa and we will see in the coming weeks if he has what it takes to get Leeds out of the danger zone. The race to avoid the drop looks like it could be as enthralling as the race for the title.


Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports.

6 comments:

  1. My thoughts exactly Peter. The absence of Bamford in particular is driving me to drink. Our depletion in resources explains why we cannot see matches out. The loss of Raphinha at the weekend was another blow.

    But I retain hope that at the very least we will not be in the bottom three at Christmaas.

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    Replies
    1. it would be a sorry state of affairs if Leeds do not make the cut. They have an exciting style of play and a good manager.

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  2. Chelsea should send Gilmour from Norwich to Leeds on loan. He'd benefit and so would Leeds from his style of play.

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  3. Steve R
    Gilmour was brilliant for Norwich last weekend. The new manager seems to fancy him. Can't see them allowing him to move.

    Barry
    Fingers crossed you stay up. I dread to think what will happen to Leeds if they go down. The Championship is a hard league to get out of.

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    Replies
    1. Gilmour is much too good for that Norwich side. If he stays he should at least get games. No use to him or Tuchel's down the line strategy if the guy is not match fit. I think he would thrive at Leeds. I don't see Leeds going down. They don't have that look of relegated about them despite the current difficulties.

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    2. Peter

      As we spent 16 years out of the Premiership after going belly up and nearly out of business after the Peter Ridsdale era, we know that only too well.

      A repeat experience of Championship mediocrity is just not in the project.

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