Leeds United swept Stoke City away 6-0 at an ecstatic Elland Road on Easter Monday.
It remained for Burnley with whom we were tied together at the top of the Championship on ninety-one points before the start of play to defeat or at least draw with our nearest automatic promotion competitors, Sheffield United at Turf Moor. Our trust that Alastair Campbell’s Clarets would fulfil their side of the bargain proved to be fully justified as they ran out 2-1 winners to send us both up a rare moment of combined trans-Pennine joy. Indeed, the only surprise was the Championship meanest defence’s concession of only their fifteenth goal of the season in the course of their thirtieth consecutive unbeaten match. As I write this both clubs could go up having amassed a hundred points over the season.
The final whistle at Turf Moor was cue for the promotion party delayed; by five years to be precise. The last prophet to lead us into the Promised Land of the Premiership, the still revered Argentinian Marcel Bielsa, did so in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic which prevented any public celebrations inside or outside Elland. This time, after the German shepherd, Daniel Farke, with a mixture of emotional intelligence, tactical nous and contract negotiation expertise from his economics degree, led us again from the Vale of Tears that is Championship football to the land of milk and honey (for some), proper celebrations were in order. Joy, cathartic release, relief, pride, shared communion at a special moment and sadness around the Leeds United faithful no longer with us are just some of the emotions that football supporters of any club feel at any moment of celebratory triumph. It is truly an occasion to live in the moment no matter where fans reside or watch their team. But fans of different clubs take different roads long travelled.
The final whistle at Turf Moor was cue for the promotion party delayed; by five years to be precise. The last prophet to lead us into the Promised Land of the Premiership, the still revered Argentinian Marcel Bielsa, did so in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic which prevented any public celebrations inside or outside Elland. This time, after the German shepherd, Daniel Farke, with a mixture of emotional intelligence, tactical nous and contract negotiation expertise from his economics degree, led us again from the Vale of Tears that is Championship football to the land of milk and honey (for some), proper celebrations were in order. Joy, cathartic release, relief, pride, shared communion at a special moment and sadness around the Leeds United faithful no longer with us are just some of the emotions that football supporters of any club feel at any moment of celebratory triumph. It is truly an occasion to live in the moment no matter where fans reside or watch their team. But fans of different clubs take different roads long travelled.
The journeys taken by Leeds fans in this decade and in previous eras have been rollercoasters from the sublime to the ridiculous; from the ascetic, masterful highs to the grievously, desperate lows; from addictive pleasure to unbearable frustration. Leeds United is an emotional club, if not uniquely so. While enjoying a fount of goodwill from the broadminded in the football community, our fans carry historical burdens of the siege mentality, defiance and traumas that are responses to memes of hostility, schadenfreude, and ridicule towards us that recur in every generation since the Don Revie era. The latest iteration of this scorn was “Leeds Are Falling Apart Again” a reference to last season’s late collapse in League form and subsequent play off final defeat sung with particular gusto by Leicester City fans. Oh, hate is truly a losing game especially when it occurs on nine consecutive occasions at home with no goals scored!
But we did not fall apart.
The campaign started inauspiciously with two draws and early exit in the League Cup 3-0 at home to Middlesbrough and the sale of another stand out star from last season’s futile promotion bid, Georginia Rutter to Brighton for £40m; this on top of the sale of the PSR driven sales of Archie Gray and Crysencio Summerville during the close season. However, excellent end of transfer business brought is Manor Solomon on loan from Tottenham; the Japanese international Ao Tanaka and ex Man Utd youth player Largie Ramazani. The securing of Joe Rodon on a permanent deal from Tottenham and attacking full back Jayden Bogle from Sheffield United cemented alongside captain Ethnan Ampadou what was to be the spine of the side. Mention should also be made of Joe Rothwell signed from Southampton whose skill at taking free kicks and corners (where we have lacked expertise) proved to be another valuable contribution to the campaign.
The season really began with a Dan James inspired win at Sheffield Wednesday with a virtuoso ran-the-length-of-the pitch goal, the first of his dozen for the season (at the time of writing) on top of his eleven assists. After our solitary home loss to Burnley in the middle of September, Elland Road became the impenetrable fortress; citadel and cacophony of raw sound that is such an essential perquisite for Leeds United success. But we had difficulty replicating our home from on the road with points needlessly dropped at places like Norwich and Bristol City, and defeats at Millwall (never a nice place to play and lose) and Blackburn. Familiar grumbles were expressed at our inability to break down well marshalled defences of otherwise inferior teams and at the lateness of Daniel Farke’s substitutions.
However, after the loss at Blackburn (will be glad to see the back of them and their fellow Lancastrian practioners of shithousery – Preston North End), we went on almost faultless three-month unbeaten run. Away wins were ground out at Stoke, Derby and Coventry the sort of grounds where on dark, rainy evenings, the hard yards are done by any promotion seeking side. At the citadel, Oxford (4-0), Sheffield Wednesday (3-0) and Cardiff (7-0) were swept away with imperious ease. The demolition of the hapless, relegation bound South Walians was only the third time in domestic competition that Leeds had won by this margin; Chelsea in 1967 and Southampton in 1972 in front of a Match of the Day audience mesmerised by that two minute, 32 touch passing movement by Don Revie’s maestros “(Poor Southampton do not know what day it is”, “the gap is an almighty chasm”; “It’s almost cruel” exclaimed the legendary commentator Barry Davies who witnessed perhaps Peak Leeds). Joel Piroe was scoring for fun; Ampadou and Roden were awesome in central defence; Tanaka was sublime in midfield and James and Solomon were superb on the wings. The culmination of this run of success were late, late shows against automatic promotion competitors Sunderland and Sheffield, coming on both occasions from a goal down to beat the Makems 2-1 at home with Paschal Struijk’s last second stoppage winner and stoppage time goals from Tanaka and Piroe to win 3-1 at Bramall Lane.
So, we went into the month of March with an eight-point gap to third place. Surely it was game, set and match. Surely promotion was a slam dunk. But this is Leeds remember; a club guaranteed to make the proverbial drama out of a crisis. March began with a nervy 1-1 draw at home to West Bromwich Albion. Next an early kick off, which always seem to spook Leeds (and Jurgen Klopp), at a typically raucous Fratton Park saw us lose to Portsmouth in a match where we were denied a stonewall penalty; Piroe missed horribly from close range and heroic goalkeeping at the Pompey end plus the woodwork thwarted us. Some reassurance came with a midweek 2-0 home win over Millwall, but nerves really jangled with the concession of two early goals at QPR (another lunch time kick off) due to appalling defending. We recovered to draw 2-2 but to ever hyper vigilant Leeds fans the red lights were flashing brightly in the dashboard. After the March international break, came the pivotal moment in our season.
On the last Saturday of March, we entertain Swansea City now managed by Alan Sheehan, a former Leeds stalwart from our League One days, at Elland Road. We score our customary early goal from American Brenden Aaronson which partially redeemed his appallingly misdirected pass in the penalty area at Loftus Road the previous Saturday that led to QPR’s opening goal. However, an early lead seems to stir anxieties for us. In the 15th minute we needlessly conceded a penalty which keeper Ilian Meslier heroically saves. But, not for the first time, we do not build on or extend our advantage. Then in the 63rd minute Disaster No 1 strikes. Meslier fumbles a corner to enable a tap in equaliser for Swansea. In the 86th minute, substitute Wilfried Gnonto, our Maradona shaped dynamo, volleys home to restore our lead to the relief and joy of the Elland Road crowd and the worldwide Leeds United community anxiously monitoring events on their firesticks or on Sky Sports Soccer Special. Now surely it is just a matter of seeing the game out. But then Disaster No 2 strikes. In the 95th minute, Leeds contrive to lose possession from their own throw in. From the resulting move, the Swansea aims a low but hardly powerful shot at goal which Meslier succeeds in pushing over the line. 2-2 FT. Cue a chorus of boos from the home crowd; visible distress on the face of Meslier and visible exasperation from his teammates in defence.
I must state that I am never comfortable criticising anyone in whose moccasins I have not walked a mile. Meslier has often shown himself to be a good shot stopper and to be brave in the face on onrushing forwards. However, this was the latest in a series of calamities in relation to his handling and judgment. There was the incredible fumble in the 97th minute at Sunderland which cost us two points. There were the double blunders at Hull which saw a 3-1 lead turned into a 3-3 draw. His handling at Brammall Lane was suspect and led to the Blades’ opener. Fans’ criticism of him and Farke’s faith in his him grew to a crescendo. Farke bowed to the inevitable and replaced with the experienced but rarely played Welsh international Karl Darlow. It worked although we were to exit the top two on April 5th after a draw at relegation threatened Luton at yet another early start. But then the fates intervene. The Blades go on a three-month losing run. We dig out nerve shredding away wins at Middlesbrough and Oxford and beat Preston 2-1 which should have been 4-1 as Leeds kept passing up gilt edged chances and contributing to our collective quotidian of anxiety. But when news filtered through from Home Park that bottom side had taken the lead against the Blades, promotion presented itself as a reality. It was to all, and intents secured by to the sound of smashed pottery with the six-goal salvo with Piroe ending his eight-match drought with four in the first half. Solomon also stepped into the breech left by a tiring Dan James with priceless goals at Boro, Oxford and at home to Preston.
So, we made it. We can properly celebrate like we and Liverpool fans could not do in 2020. Do not ask me about the manager’s future or remind me of what has happened to the three promoted clubs to the Premier League in the last two seasons! There is a title to win and a century break to achieve.
Congratulations as well to Liverpool and Wrexham.
Marching On Together!
But we did not fall apart.
The campaign started inauspiciously with two draws and early exit in the League Cup 3-0 at home to Middlesbrough and the sale of another stand out star from last season’s futile promotion bid, Georginia Rutter to Brighton for £40m; this on top of the sale of the PSR driven sales of Archie Gray and Crysencio Summerville during the close season. However, excellent end of transfer business brought is Manor Solomon on loan from Tottenham; the Japanese international Ao Tanaka and ex Man Utd youth player Largie Ramazani. The securing of Joe Rodon on a permanent deal from Tottenham and attacking full back Jayden Bogle from Sheffield United cemented alongside captain Ethnan Ampadou what was to be the spine of the side. Mention should also be made of Joe Rothwell signed from Southampton whose skill at taking free kicks and corners (where we have lacked expertise) proved to be another valuable contribution to the campaign.
The season really began with a Dan James inspired win at Sheffield Wednesday with a virtuoso ran-the-length-of-the pitch goal, the first of his dozen for the season (at the time of writing) on top of his eleven assists. After our solitary home loss to Burnley in the middle of September, Elland Road became the impenetrable fortress; citadel and cacophony of raw sound that is such an essential perquisite for Leeds United success. But we had difficulty replicating our home from on the road with points needlessly dropped at places like Norwich and Bristol City, and defeats at Millwall (never a nice place to play and lose) and Blackburn. Familiar grumbles were expressed at our inability to break down well marshalled defences of otherwise inferior teams and at the lateness of Daniel Farke’s substitutions.
However, after the loss at Blackburn (will be glad to see the back of them and their fellow Lancastrian practioners of shithousery – Preston North End), we went on almost faultless three-month unbeaten run. Away wins were ground out at Stoke, Derby and Coventry the sort of grounds where on dark, rainy evenings, the hard yards are done by any promotion seeking side. At the citadel, Oxford (4-0), Sheffield Wednesday (3-0) and Cardiff (7-0) were swept away with imperious ease. The demolition of the hapless, relegation bound South Walians was only the third time in domestic competition that Leeds had won by this margin; Chelsea in 1967 and Southampton in 1972 in front of a Match of the Day audience mesmerised by that two minute, 32 touch passing movement by Don Revie’s maestros “(Poor Southampton do not know what day it is”, “the gap is an almighty chasm”; “It’s almost cruel” exclaimed the legendary commentator Barry Davies who witnessed perhaps Peak Leeds). Joel Piroe was scoring for fun; Ampadou and Roden were awesome in central defence; Tanaka was sublime in midfield and James and Solomon were superb on the wings. The culmination of this run of success were late, late shows against automatic promotion competitors Sunderland and Sheffield, coming on both occasions from a goal down to beat the Makems 2-1 at home with Paschal Struijk’s last second stoppage winner and stoppage time goals from Tanaka and Piroe to win 3-1 at Bramall Lane.
So, we went into the month of March with an eight-point gap to third place. Surely it was game, set and match. Surely promotion was a slam dunk. But this is Leeds remember; a club guaranteed to make the proverbial drama out of a crisis. March began with a nervy 1-1 draw at home to West Bromwich Albion. Next an early kick off, which always seem to spook Leeds (and Jurgen Klopp), at a typically raucous Fratton Park saw us lose to Portsmouth in a match where we were denied a stonewall penalty; Piroe missed horribly from close range and heroic goalkeeping at the Pompey end plus the woodwork thwarted us. Some reassurance came with a midweek 2-0 home win over Millwall, but nerves really jangled with the concession of two early goals at QPR (another lunch time kick off) due to appalling defending. We recovered to draw 2-2 but to ever hyper vigilant Leeds fans the red lights were flashing brightly in the dashboard. After the March international break, came the pivotal moment in our season.
On the last Saturday of March, we entertain Swansea City now managed by Alan Sheehan, a former Leeds stalwart from our League One days, at Elland Road. We score our customary early goal from American Brenden Aaronson which partially redeemed his appallingly misdirected pass in the penalty area at Loftus Road the previous Saturday that led to QPR’s opening goal. However, an early lead seems to stir anxieties for us. In the 15th minute we needlessly conceded a penalty which keeper Ilian Meslier heroically saves. But, not for the first time, we do not build on or extend our advantage. Then in the 63rd minute Disaster No 1 strikes. Meslier fumbles a corner to enable a tap in equaliser for Swansea. In the 86th minute, substitute Wilfried Gnonto, our Maradona shaped dynamo, volleys home to restore our lead to the relief and joy of the Elland Road crowd and the worldwide Leeds United community anxiously monitoring events on their firesticks or on Sky Sports Soccer Special. Now surely it is just a matter of seeing the game out. But then Disaster No 2 strikes. In the 95th minute, Leeds contrive to lose possession from their own throw in. From the resulting move, the Swansea aims a low but hardly powerful shot at goal which Meslier succeeds in pushing over the line. 2-2 FT. Cue a chorus of boos from the home crowd; visible distress on the face of Meslier and visible exasperation from his teammates in defence.
I must state that I am never comfortable criticising anyone in whose moccasins I have not walked a mile. Meslier has often shown himself to be a good shot stopper and to be brave in the face on onrushing forwards. However, this was the latest in a series of calamities in relation to his handling and judgment. There was the incredible fumble in the 97th minute at Sunderland which cost us two points. There were the double blunders at Hull which saw a 3-1 lead turned into a 3-3 draw. His handling at Brammall Lane was suspect and led to the Blades’ opener. Fans’ criticism of him and Farke’s faith in his him grew to a crescendo. Farke bowed to the inevitable and replaced with the experienced but rarely played Welsh international Karl Darlow. It worked although we were to exit the top two on April 5th after a draw at relegation threatened Luton at yet another early start. But then the fates intervene. The Blades go on a three-month losing run. We dig out nerve shredding away wins at Middlesbrough and Oxford and beat Preston 2-1 which should have been 4-1 as Leeds kept passing up gilt edged chances and contributing to our collective quotidian of anxiety. But when news filtered through from Home Park that bottom side had taken the lead against the Blades, promotion presented itself as a reality. It was to all, and intents secured by to the sound of smashed pottery with the six-goal salvo with Piroe ending his eight-match drought with four in the first half. Solomon also stepped into the breech left by a tiring Dan James with priceless goals at Boro, Oxford and at home to Preston.
So, we made it. We can properly celebrate like we and Liverpool fans could not do in 2020. Do not ask me about the manager’s future or remind me of what has happened to the three promoted clubs to the Premier League in the last two seasons! There is a title to win and a century break to achieve.
Congratulations as well to Liverpool and Wrexham.
Marching On Together!
⏩Barry Gilheany is a freelance writer, qualified counsellor and aspirant artist resident in Colchester where he took his PhD at the University of Essex. He is also a lifelong Leeds United supporter.
I must also pay tribute to Junior Firpo another archetypal attacking full back and often accused in our Prem days of going AWOL from his defensive duties. But with his four goals and nine assists, he surely deserves another crack at the top flight if he wants to (he is out of contract).
ReplyDeleteWell done Leeds. The Premiership is richer because of their presence.
ReplyDelete