As another week rolls by with no clear confirmation on a Manager, Coaching Staff and who will be in the final squad come the 5th August, Leeds United fans can perhaps redirect their attention to what they really want out of their team this season.
Playing devil’s advocate here, I’m just going to put it out there, do we really want to start all guns blazing and race up the Championship table with a blinkered view of returning to the illustrious Premiership? Or should we say unofficially, the unspoken “Super League” because with a combined spending of approximately over half a billion hunts last season alone, Chelsea, Manchester United and Newcastle are unquestionably in a financial league of their own. It is no secret that Leeds United, amongst many other clubs, simply cannot match or compete on this fiscal stage.
Are we content to bounce back up to face the spending giants, knowing at best we can sit in the middle for the next few years, possibly look for a Europa spot in years to come? What is about the Premiership that we so desperately need, is it to give us status, prestige or bragging rights? Is it to make us a worldwide name, a bigger club, more sponsorships, more money, TV rights, lure higher quality players to the team? Do we have a sense of entitlement, a sentiment certainly shared by football pundits around the world who never tired of saying “Leeds are a big club, they deserve to be in the Premiership.” Let’s keep a cool head and look at the bigger picture.
Undoubtedly thousands of us celebrated around the world in our own special way when Leeds were promoted in the midst of a global pandemic. The chants rang around the city that we were back after 16 years in the mud and grunt of the Championship, notably one of the hardest leagues to exit once you’re there for the stay! We were on a roll, Bielsa at the helm, pundits falling over themselves to commentate on Leeds United in their first season of Premiership football, and let’s be honest, a lot of the pundits had played for Leeds United at some stage. As Leeds fans, who kept a wandering eye on the Premiership even when Leeds weren’t in it, it started to feel a little bit different now our team had officially taken their places at the big boys table. We resolutely earned our right to be there, playing games in empty stadiums to get there, sometimes without having enough players for a first team selection due to various players and staff enduring Covid illness (Spurs and Manchester United taking full advantage of the uncertainty at that time!). But now we are seated at the table, we noticed the unsportsmanlike attitudes in both players and managers, something Bielsa had ingrained in Leeds United from the off. The tempo was slower, a different style of play, VAR decisions were confusing at times, managers were trying to influence refereeing decisions, and all of a sudden we realised that this was indeed the Monte Carlo of the football world, where money and power affects matches, points and league places. We were transported back to the 1970’s where everybody sang how much they all hated Leeds. The rivalry of the War of the Roses was reignited, and here we were back in the thick of it. Why are we complaining, it’s what we wanted for 16 years right?
The Championship is rough and ready. You get stuck in and get the job done.. It’s entertaining, contraversial, the true grit and nature of what watching football on a Saturday afternoon is all about. It’s about the fans, reflected in the consistent high attendances at the football grounds that would rival many PL clubs.. This is a league packed with unpredictability, competitiveness and raw passion. It is the Grand National of footballing leagues, literally anybody has the chance to up, and go down. The Championship hosts a plethora of youngsters and former experienced football stars competing but most of all, enjoying the beautiful game of football. The style of faster and intense play in this league allows managers to be more innovative, willing to adapt different formations and make crucial tactical decisions at the drop of a hat. It’s exciting, entertaining and feels just slightly ever so much fairer than the alleged elite league above us.
So should we quietly rebuild our team from the ground up, keep our heads down for a season or so to stalibilise the ship, try the slow and steady approach. Have the Board really learnt from last seasons mistakes, and are able to hold themselves accountable for the mishaps, misspends and mayhem, and are now willing to demonstrate some self control with a view to creating a more solid foundation that is at the core of a successful 5 year projection. Or should we speed out of the racing tracks full pelt, aggressive and sweating for a place at a the higher realm?
But more importantly what do the Leeds United fans want to see? What are their hopes and dreams for this mighty club for the future? Do you want Leeds United in the role of the Hare? Or the Tortoise?
