Diary of a Leeds Fan (18/12-25/12/18)

Tuesday 18/12

Jose Mourinho sacked by manutd. The beating at Anfield was the last straw for the owners at old farmyard.

Samuel Siaz say’s ‘Adios’ to Leeds United and the club’s fans

Thanks the the YEP.

Aston Villa defender Axel Tuanzebe on the game with Leeds: “Beating the league leaders would send a message out there. That is our next target and we will be working hard this week to come up with a way to do it. “

“It will be tough. I don’t think we should expect anything less. But we will be going out to win. We don’t care who you are, what team we are playing against. We will always go out to win.”

The @FA have announced that there will be no FA Cup Replays from the 5th Round of this seasons competation, a season earlier than planned.

Yet another ‘knife in the back’ of the once great competition.

Newcastle United’s Karl Darlow is rumoured to be high on Leeds’ list of goalkeepers the club is looking at. The keeper is available for around four million pounds but Leeds are hopeful of arranging a loan for him. Darlow suffered an elbow injury late last month but is not looking at an extended absence.

The World Cup Final in 2022 will be played on this date. Bloody ridiculous!!

Burton Albion beat Middlesbrough 1-0 to reach the Carabao Cup semi final. Tony Pullis could be the next manager out the door!


Wednesday 19/12

A Legend signing a Legend. The great Don Revie and ‘Gentleman’ John Charles.

A ex player takes over at old farmyard until the end of the season, then another person will come in and finish the fantastic work agent Jose had started.

Leeds have scored twice as many goals (24) in the second half of matches as we have managed in the first half (12) in Championship games this season.
@LUFCDATA

A look on the work done by Carlos Corberan and Marcelo Bielsa with the under 23’s.

Thanks to the YEP.

Division One Burton Albion draw Manchester City in the semi final of the Caraboa Cup. Spurs v Chelski is the other tie.


Thursday 20/12

The ‘Bielsa Revolution’

Thanks to the Daily Mail.

The ‘rumoured’ choice of new badge for the centenary season and beyond.

It incorporates the 74 ‘smiley’ badge of the Don Revie era and the ‘rose’ worn on the 1992 Championship shirt. Andrea Radrizzani has stated previously the the new badge will incorporate ‘Leeds United’ on it.

Josh Warrington Tweeted: “🥊RINGWALK💥
Delighted to announce that captain Coops @LiamCooper__ will join me on the ringwalk, Saturday night.

Coops, a leader of #lufc this season and loves the boxing, so it’s an honour to have him along side me.
LETS HAVE IT!”

Tyler and Kalvin take time out of their Thursday night to team up with @LIFEChurchLeeds to serve meals and chat with the homeless in Leeds.

Kalvin(who says he makes a nice stew)on serving dinners to the homeless: “It’s a good thing to do. It’s nice to make them feel like they have a little family here which is something they maybe don’t have right now & maybe they’re feeling a bit lonely.”

Tyler Roberts on the current mood of the squad: “It’s amazing at the moment. Obviously everything is going well but the boys are focused on sticking to what we’ve been doing and what we believe in and hopefully we can all make something massive happen in Leeds.”

“One hundred per cent. I think all the lads are together, we’ve got great quality, we’ve got match-winners so I think we have got a bit of everything and that’s exactly what you need to get up.”


Friday 21/12

Aston Villa's key stats this season:
Games played: 22
Goals scored: 43
Goals conceded: 32
Yellow cards: 32
Red cards: 1
Shots per game (avg): 14.5
Possession (avg): 54.7%
Top goalscorer: Tammy Abraham (12)
Top assists: Conor Hourihane (6)
Home form (2018/19) -
W5 D5 L1

We’ve met before
Aston Villa 1 Leeds 0 April 2018
Aston Villa 1 Leeds 1 December 16
Both Championship games.
Aston Villa 2 Leeds 0 February 04
Aston Villa 0 Leeds 0 October 02
Aston Villa 1 Leeds 2 April 02


Saturday 22/12

Norwich go top of the Championship thanks to late winner at Blackburn Rovers by Pukki. WBA win 4-0 at Rotherham.

In the Premiership, Crystal Palace stun Manchester City to win 3-2 at the Etihad, Chelski lose 1-0 at home to Leicester City. It was the ‘Foxes’ first win at the bridge for sixteen years. Huddersfield lose again at the John Smith Stadium, the 3-1 defeat leaves the small dogs second from bottom.

The Leeds Warrior Josh Warrington took on two-weight former world Champion Carl Frampton in Manchester to defend his IBF Featherweight title.

Warrington had Frampton rocked with his all out attacking start in both the first and second rounds, a call back to many critics saying he didn’t have the power to take on a fighter of Frampton’s calibre.

What ensued was one of the best boxing matches of the year with both fighters remaining a constant stream of tenacity along with the ability to keep both feet on floor. However, Warrington’s ability to steal rounds and keep Frampton from building any momentum made sure that the points decision was in no doubt.

AND STILL...

Sunday 23/12

Aston Villa v Leeds

Team News: Two changes, Luke Ayling returns from injury and takes the captain’s armband, Jack Harrison replaces Lewis Baker who drops to the bench. Substitute Leif Davis had to replace the sick Barry Douglas after the left back was ill after warm up. No Bamford, injured in training. Villa make two changes.

Team: Peacock-Farrell, Ayling(c), Phillips, Jansson, Davis, Forshaw, Klich, Harrison, Hernandez, Alioski, Roofe.

The Game

Incredible, outstanding, amazing!
There are times in season’s that determine where a team ends up, maybe the 3-2 win at Villa Park might just be one of them.

To say that at Leeds were ‘dead and buried’ thanks to two early goals by Abraham and Hourihane was maybe premature and told only half the story of a compelling first half, Leeds could and should have had at least one, possibly two goals themselves if Jack Harrison and Mateusz Klich had taken their chances. Pablo Hernandez and Alioski also had efforts that just went wide before the break.

As in recent games teenager Jack Clarke was introduced at the start of the second half and it was his delightful run and superb finish that gave Leeds hope just before the hour mark. Within minutes the away end was ‘bouncing’ as Pontus Jansson headed in Pablo Hernandez’s corner kick to level matters.

Leeds were denied a clear penalty when a Villa defender stopped a goal bound shot with his hand, Nyland was again on hand to deny Alioski and Roofe couldn’t turn in the rebound, Nyland then produced a superb save to deny Klich with regular time nearly up.

With the game in injury time, Leeds had one more attack left in their legs, Alioski hit a hopeful cross in to the penalty area which Elmohamady headed into the path of Leeds’ top scorer Kemar🔥Roofe who blasted the ball past Nyland to spark wild scenes from both the Leeds players and supporters.

Jack Clarke with his first goal, Pontus makes it two and Roofe🔥 hits the winner.

Leeds were 33/1 at half time to win and I wouldn’t be surprised if a few supporters have a little ‘extra’ in their back pockets! I can’t speak highly enough of all the players in yellow and blue who were involved in this ‘cracker’ of a game.

Six wins in a row for the first time since September 2009, the minus fifteen season under Denis Wise. Leeds have also scored in every away game so far this season.

Man of the Match: Jack Clarke, stunning goal and scared the living daylights out of the Villa defenders.

BBC Radio Leeds commentary
Thanks to Adam Pope and ‘Get inn’ Noel Whelan.

Post Match

Marcelo Bielsa: "It was a very beautiful game. We played against very important strikers and it was very difficult for us to neutralise them, but at the end of the day, I think we deserved to win. Our players dared to play, they took many risks and I think they got the response they deserved.”

"I thought that we could win the game after the first 15 minutes when I saw that we could control their offensive players. In the first 15 minutes of both halves, it was difficult for us to control the game but then we gave good solutions to what happened in both boxes and we went well from one box to another."

Dean Smith: "It was poor defending for their goals. I think that has been a problem we've had for a while and it keeps rearing its ugly head. If I'm honest, I thought they were better than us today. I didn't think we were good without the ball, we've been better, and I thought we dropped too deep and never really got our press going at all. But with the quality of players we've got going forward, we can score goals.”

"That's my first ever defeat at Villa Park and I don't want it to happen too many times because it doesn't feel very good, that's for sure. I think Leeds shaded the game today but I still don't think we deserved to lose."

Match Highlights.

Monday 24/12

Two Reviews of the epic 3-2 win over Aston Villa.

David Watkins ‘Daring to Dream’ his match report from Villa Park

Thank you David.

Heidi Haigh tries to get her breath back after the incredible fightback at Villa.

First of all I want to wish the fantastic worldwide Leeds United supporters, a very Merry Christmas and it’s great to see us at the top of the league! Getting a last minute winner today saw limbs everywhere and fantastic scenes in the away end and long may it continue.

Last Wednesday I appeared on BBC Radio Leeds with Adam Pope on a Christmas wish special alongside a Bradford and Huddersfield fan. My wish was for Leeds to have some inner strength so we don't capitulate as we have in the past. I want us to continue doing what we are doing, getting as many points as we can and get a good FA Cup run to keep the momentum going. Our good runs in the past came when we took games seriously in the cup.

On our way to the game today we stopped at a different pub in Sutton Coldfield where we received a good welcome from the landlady. Thanks to Brook and Neil and also Evie for buying my book Back to Reality, 2017-18. Thanks too to Will for buying Once a Leeds fan, always a Leeds fan and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of Leeds United, Leeds United in the 1980s. One fella in passing said he'd give me a pound if we beat the Villa today and when I said “only a pound?” he replied he was a pensioner. Just before we were getting ready to leave I got talking to some Villa fans. As I took their photo we were chatting and I mentioned my first visit to Villa to see Leeds play a 0-0 League Cup game in the seventies which ended with our coach coming under attack when stuck in traffic after the game. The barrage of bricks put all the windows bar one through and I had to get down in the aisle to protect myself. As they mentioned something about books I told them I'd already written five. With that they moved over to one of the tables as I brought my books to show them.

One of the lads said that he thought what I was doing writing the books and blogs were fantastic and says no one at Villa does that. Of all the years he'd been following Villa he has never taken any photos. I said he should get together with others and write down those memories as it’s important for fans to see how it really was following their team. As I was asked about the score today I said I wouldn't predict one as I always get it wrong. I want us to carry on as we are, keep getting points, and then see where we are. I also hoped it would be a good game and I wasn’t worried about playing them. One of the Villa fans said that they could score goals but their defence and goalie were rubbish. It was nice to have some good natured banter with their fans and the time passed so quickly that I didn't realise we were already due to leave.

We arrived at the ground in next to no time and my daughter Dani and I decided to go straight in rather than go down to the Witton pub. As we were stood talking to Brian from Wales, I suddenly saw the cameras pointing at us. Dani went “not again mother, it’s every time I’m with you!!” As I looked up they still had the camera pointed at us, then came nearer and the man was laughing. He said they were looking for Christmas jumpers and so got a close up of the Leeds badge on mine and then went. It was quite funny really.

The team: Peacock-Farrell, Jansson, Phillips, Ayling (back after injury), Roofe, Alioski, Klich, Forshaw, Harrison, Leif Davis (making his first team debut at left back after Douglas had to pull out of the game after the warm up due to illness) and Hernandez. Subs: Clarke for Harrison (45) and Shackleton for Davis (78). Leeds won 3-2 after Villa took an early two goal lead before goals from Clarke (56), Jansson (61) and Roofe (90+5) won the game for us. Attendance was 41,411 with approx. 2,500 Leeds fans.

We got off to the worst start possible when Villa took the lead within the first five minutes of the game. We had a chance to equalise when the ball was passed across the goal but we were unable to capitalize on it. To make matters worse they got a second 12 minutes later to take a two goal lead. Both goals had come from mistakes and at that time I thought we were in for a tough afternoon although there was a pull on young Davis’s shirt which was ignored for one of them. Villa looked strong as we tried to get some fluidity going to our football and we did get a couple more chances on target but there wasn’t enough power in our shots. We were unlucky not to have Villa score an own goal for us but their goalie tipped the ball over the bar.

I thought young Davis was playing really well and although he was up against a skillful player, he more or less matched him. It was good to see another of our youngsters coming into the team and not looking out of place. Just before half time we won a free kick and I along with many other Leeds fans, thought the ball had sailed into the net from Hernandez but unfortunately for us it had gone wide.

As I was talking to Craig at half time, he asked me if we were down and out. I said no because we’d had some chances although not been powerful enough with our shots. His daughter Olivia had said it would be 4-3 to Leeds before the game.

The second half saw Clarke come on as sub and it didn’t take us long to start having some impact on the game. It was high intensity and end to end play, before Clarke attacking down the far side to our end got the ball into the penalty area. I was trying to zoom back out to get a photo of the shot but missed it as the ball hit the back of the net. As the Leeds fans celebrated, Alioski got the ball back out of the net and everyone ran back to the centreline to get on with the game. Bielsa was just going to make a substitute but changed his mind then. We started to have so much of the play as we kept attacking and as we won a corner, a young kid ran onto the pitch doing the Leeds salute and put a stop to the momentum. Why would you risk getting banned but also stop play when we were losing? A few minutes later though, Hernandez’s corner was headed into the back of the net by Jansson to equalise as the Leeds support went wild again.

Leeds were on a different level to the first half as they came forward to attack, again and again and Klich had a shot saved to prevent us taking the lead. After another attack there was a shout for handball and a penalty although we didn’t get that. I will need to see it myself but others around me were adamant we should have had a penalty. With Alioski leading many of the attacks from the right, he was having a good game and his shot was parried by the goalie. Villa started to have a few attacks before Leeds kept the momentum going with counter attacks. With the final minutes of injury time, many fans had resigned themselves to a draw which in itself would have been a good result. When Alioski crossed the ball, it was cleared only as far as Roofe who slammed the ball into the net for the winner!

There were fantastic scenes of celebrations from the Leeds fans with limbs everywhere. What a turnaround from two goals down; to get the win was absolutely fantastic especially as it meant we went back to the top of the table. This is what is special about following Leeds and long may it continue. I bumped into Craig and Olivia at the end of the game and he couldn’t believe it, saying he was going to post Heidi was right!

I said Olivia was too as she said we would win. It was a happy set of Leeds fans leaving the ground and the buzz amongst everyone is great. For once I’m going to enjoy Leeds being top of the league and we couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas present. Today was a great advert for football with an end to end game and other teams will, I’m sure, start taking notice of us. Having been live on Sky again today, they will have sat up and taken notice that the Sleeping Giant that was stirring a couple of years ago is now going up a notch under Bielsa. I also thought that maybe Saiz going was a blessing in disguise for Alioski, as he enjoyed so much of the play down the right hand side today.

I’ll spare a thought for friends who are going through a hard time health wise at this moment in time and any other Leeds fan too. Have a great Christmas everyone and see you at Elland Road on Boxing Day for another sellout crowd. LUFC – Marching on Together!

Thank you Heidi.

Top of the league, six straight wins, a goal scored at every away ground they’ve played at. Pretty bloody impressive stats!

I speak for most when it’s great being a Leeds fan. Enjoy the turkey and a few beers to celebrate.

MOT

By Keith Ingham