After their 2-1 defeat to Coventry over the weekend have Leeds United plateaued or are they just physically and mentally knackered? And before everyone screams they get paid enough money, they are youngsters, and all the other teams have the same amount of games et cetera, let’s just take a beat here and look at the extensive work, travel and pressure the team have endured so far this season.
The 2023/24 season started with a new, but very experienced manager, Daniel Farke who was enlisted with minutes to spare, he had to deal with the scores of egos in the “wantaway” players deserting a sinking ship, the Board scrambling for players who wanted to come and sign up whether that be on loan or basic sales, and fans watched on devastated at the relegation that ensued and the complete disarray and sh** show of decisions made at the highest level with the Board that enabled this to happen. And all of this was clearly demonstrated within the first couple of games with some players refusing to play for Leeds United as they openly verbalised their desire to leave, others demanding to be sold or loaned out, and I can only surmise that the morale but was at all time low. But Farke had a plan, and with his ingenious signings and Del Boy deals, he came up with a team of exciting, creative and thirsty youngsters who could see his vision. He coached, encouraged and moulded players of last season into new versions of themselves with belief and buoyancy, and Leeds United finally started winning games, scoring goals and all of sudden the football industry was buzzing about our new team.
However, as the season has progressed it has become apparent that Leeds United have been under immense pressure from all areas, and most of it completely beyond their control. Sky Sports has continuously bullied the team into changing fixtures to fit their televisions schedule, which at times has benefited Leeds United fans by way of access to watch their team on mainstream television, but simultaneously has angered and put strain on away fans, who had already made arrangements for travel, and arranging games around their own work schedules. In fact, Leeds United have had their fixtures amended to accommodate Sky Sports, with a scheduled 31 viewings already and the remaining five games all to be shown live.
As a direct result of these changed fixtures, including the televising of their FA Cup fixtures, at one point Leeds United travelled over 2,200 miles over 15 days and played eight games in just four weeks. This overall had to have some impact on the players, the management and the coaching staff although the results did not suffer as result of it. But are they now?
Add in the additional burden of International competitions, with Leeds United fielding four key players for Wales alone, and some younger players also receiving call ups for their respective countries for U21 and U18’s, tired legs and tired minds could prevail, and indeed injuries will inevitably happen as no player can come unscathed from the stresses on the body no matter how young and fit you are. Both Struijk and Georginio both required hernia operations, with Struijk yet to return, and Georginio not looking his best last Saturday, but at least they never had to do murderball under the old Bielsa regime!
Aside from the physical and gruelling schedule that these emerging stars are dealing with, there could also be external forces also influencing the players. It would be difficult to argue that the players don’t follow social media, that they are not closely monitoring the results of Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton on their tails, and the sheer outside noise would be a distraction for the best of us, never mind these kids that are enjoying the waves of support. But how do these players block out the noise? It’s not like the rest of us working classes who can finish our day at work and then go down the pub for a quiet pint or let off some steam on a Saturday night. For Leeds United players it is quite literally 24 hours a day full time job. If they go out in public in Leeds, or in fact anywhere, fans want to talk to them, engage with them, take pictures with them, every sports pundit in the country has an opinion on their tactics, their style of play, their strengths and weaknesses, every armchair football manager and keyboard warrior wants to tell them how to do it better or different. The players are bombarded from every avenue 24 hours a day, and all this at a time when they need to concentrate and focus on the end results of the season, which is the glittering lights of the Premiership.
Are they now becoming overwhelmed with the responsibility that Leeds fans are now demanding, that we are so close and not to screw it up at the last minute? Is the pressure getting to them, how is their mental health standing up? I would like to assume that the club is offering every single one of them support in this, and that the experienced players in Bamford and Cooper and injured Dallas, are able to provide a shoulder to lean on and lend an ear to listen, after all they have been here and worn the t-shirts for this rodeo.
Some Leeds United players may also be experiencing a level of anxiety (or excitement, which is also an unnecessary distraction) at the potential of been sold on after the season, after all Summerville and Archie Gray have unquestionably been attracting a lot of attention from both home and overseas investors, and the little niggles that of course a lot of players that were loaned out in August. Who is returning? Who wants to come back? Will they want my position? Will the boss just let them walk back in after all our hard work?
Now is the most crucial time to get behind our team and Farke, we need to scream our loudest support, be kind on social media if they have don’t perform as outstanding as they did say a month ago and remember that these lads are under intense scrutiny on a daily basis. If you had told us nine months ago that we were in the top three of the Championship in April this year, when we had no team, no money and no management, I’m pretty sure most fans would have taken that option and gleefully rubbed their hands at a promotion play off place. Let us be grateful for what the team has achieved so far, some unbelievable goals scored, the most exhilarating, albeit heart stopping matches on display and a white knuckle campaign for promotion the Championship has seen in a long time, so good that Sky Sports Leeds (as it is newly named by the locals) can’t seem to get enough of us!
Shout loud for Leeds United tonight, be kind to their mental health, support everyone in the club, and let’s get this job done and dusted so that the Premiership giants can see what a Yorkshire team can do when they have been written off by everyone and their dog!
