Thoughts of a forum lurker.

[Oldfox]

I am not a prolific poster on forums I tend to be a lurker, I read not only Leeds forums but those of other clubs. Here are a few of my far from lucid, disjointed ramblings on Leeds and Bielsa. As it is my first post for yonks it may go on a bit, forgive me.

Leeds are universally disliked, it is the fashion to dislike Leeds, every opposition forum has someone professing his hatred for Leeds. If challenged as to why, his answer most likely would be, ‘I just do”. This all makes what Bielsa has done at Leeds even more enjoyable, he has denied all these Leeds haters their normal end of season laughs. Bielsa has not only taken Leeds up he has done so in style of pure footballing poetry and the artistic merits of the world’s greatest masterpieces and that annoys them even more.

Of all the fans it has been Brentford’s who have wound me up the most. Their sheer arrogance and constant disparaging, myopic opinions on Leeds have more than annoyed me. With three games to go they were convinced the title was in the bag for them. They were convinced that Leeds would lose 2 of the last 3 and that it was axiomatic that they would win all 3 of theirs. It was so satisfying when the exact opposite happened. Even now they are claiming they are the best team in the League and promotion is a given because if they can win 8 in a row, they can win 3. The facts are they started the lockdown games 11 points behind us and despite completing their 8 consecutive wins, 7 being after lockdown, they still finished the season 12 points behind us. Sorry about that, I needed to get it off my chest, so now onto Leeds and Bielsa.

They said we would blow it again they said Leeds the eternal bottlers would blow up in the run in. Our run in was outstanding. In the last 14 games we won 12 and drew one, that is not good form it is phenomenal form it equates to over 100 points in a 38-game season and 121 in a 46 both which would be records. When the pressure was on others they broke, when the pressure was on us we did bend but we did not break. This was despite Sky making it as hard for us, pressure wise, as they could by continually making us play the round of games last. Brentford who had nothing to lose kept winning and West Brom did enough to crank the pressure further. But when the pressure was on Brentford and West Brom in the last chance saloon they buckled.

They often refer to Gordon Strachan’s goal in the penultimate game of 89/90 season as the defining moment in our promotion that year even though further work was needed at Bournemouth. The Hernandez goal against Swansea was perhaps even more a pivotal moment. That goal gave us breathing space and had we gone into the Barnsley game 2 points worse off the nerves would have been even more. The Barnsley game was the game which we did indeed bend we did not need any more pressure. We did not play our normal game our nerves were frayed. We bent and our attacking threat was almost nullified with only 6 shots at goal, our lowest of the season, but defence is just as an important as offence and our defence held firm limiting Barnsley to only 2 shots on target.

This season we benefited from 8 own goal the most in a season in our history the next best was way back in the 1960/61 season when we benefitted from 5. But it is not fortune for us this season it is due to the way we play. We overload down the sides and often get a player passing back from the by-line to oncoming runners or blasting it across the goal. We put defenders in positions where they are facing goal and well aware that 2 or 3 Leeds players will be bearing down on them and any mistake will lead to a tap in. Even if we are not bearing down on a defender his club will have done its homework and the player will be expecting it. Bielsaball not only gives our attacking players opportunities it installs fear in our opponents and fear begets panic which begets mistakes.

This season we have completed the league double over 9 clubs beating them both home and away, this equals a club record going back to the 1922/23 season. Two of those clubs Bristol City and Reading also had the same fate last season they must be glad to see the back of Bielsa.

I thought that after we had sealed the Championship title that we may take the foot of the pedal a bit as Liverpool did. I knew Bielsa would be having none of it but I thought that we would still lose a percent or two, I should have known better as we blew the opposition away in our last 2 games. Against Derby, with 7 changes our, running stats were the best of the season. This is no surprise really with Shackleton playing 90 minutes and clocking up 13km running on his own the best individual performance of the season contributing to the best overall running stats of the season. I have always liked Shackleton I remember early in the season 2 Leeds players were being quizzed about their teammates and the “who is the fittest player in the squad” question was answered immediately with no hesitation by both players as “Shacks”. To be considered the fittest player by your peers in any team is satisfying, to be considered so in a Bielsa team means you must be very, very special. My tip for the next sensation from the Leeds academy is Shackleton, he would have done it this season but for injury, I am so pleased his running produced an end product in our last 2 games my only regret is that there was no crowd their to make his first goal v Derby and his first Elland Road goal v Charlton even more special to him.

I was delighted to see we signed Meslier permanently for £5. I may have considered that a bit steep at one time but following his game v Arsenal and his performances during the Casilla ban makes it a bargain. If Bielsa stays Meslier will be our number one. He does the simple things well which has been a failing of recent keepers and his distribution is superb often setting up a counterattack opportunity for a team that is outstanding at countwer attacks.

Finally, on to Bielsa, I have been a Leeds fan for a very long time 1963 or 64 was my first game and his football is a joy to watch, I have never been more entertained by any Leeds team than I have by pure Bielsaball at its best. The goals we score the way we play has turned watching Leeds from, in recent times a chore, to a sheer pleasure and in fact a privilege. His football is pure entertainment home or away we go all out for a win. A draw will do is not his manta. Bielsa has now been in charge for 100 games winning 56 of them that is only equalled by Grayson who did the same in his first 100 League 1 and cup games. A fairer comparison is with the other 2 greatest managers in our history Don Revie and Howard Wilkinson, all three were charged with the same task to take an underachieving 2nd tier side to promotion, all 3 achieved the goal Revie won 36 of his first 100 games and Wilkinson 47. Both Revie and Wilkinson went on to make a mark in the higher tier, I just pray Bielsa will take the opportunity to replicate the remarkable achievements of his predecessors. Money has made bigger divides in the top league that ever existed before, but I know Bielsa can put a dent even in that. Please stay.

[Bielsa_revolution]

Nice read.

[NottinghamWhite]

Excellent post, thank you.

[Selby White]

Good read and appreciate the effort and thought you've put into this post.
Thanks.

[Davycc]

fantastic post Oldfox, well worth waiting for.

[Mr Russell]

Enjoyed that, thanks for posting!