Every tactical nuance, every permutation of results, all the formations and stats and touches and tackles and, above all, every kick of the ball comes down to one very simple aim: to win the game with style you can be proud of.
Leeds United 3-0 Fulham: Oh, God
If Pablo Hernandez is going to heaven a nutmeg won’t do. He’ll need to argue his way through the gates, because as a footballer Hernandez has dared to be God.
A lesson for all of Leeds United from their serious comedian Gjanni Alioski
While it was generous of Aleksandar Mitrovic to think he had to punch Ben White awake on Saturday, Alioski was instantly adjusted to the cardboard atmosphere. Like the best comedians, he takes fun very seriously. Whether his audience is a terrace of people or the stern printed face of a human sized labrador, his commitment to showbiz doesn’t waver.
Cardiff City 2-0 Leeds United: Has Always Been
106 days since Leeds United’s last game was a long time for Marcelo Bielsa not to change his plans, and after three cruel months of deteriorating certainties I’m grateful for the Peacocks’ constant rosarino.
An uncertain future but back to ‘normal’ for Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United
By this time next week we’ll have been through the familiar cycle. Pre-match press conference (I hope, I miss Marcelo). Team news. Kick-off. A football match. Post-match analysis and, hopefully, happiness.
We can call it normal but it won’t be, especially if we get the happiness part. We’ve wished football back into our lives because we’ve missed having a good time, forgetting that in 100 years of United’s history, watching Leeds play football has been a funny way of enjoying ourselves.
Liverpool, Leeds United and West Brom fans, daytrippers and injustice
English football has a plan. We have dates for the Premier League and Championship to resume. We have dates for them to end. We have kick-off times and broadcasting schedules. We also have 2,000 new cases of Covid-19 every day, but dwelling on that would only harsh the buzz of a sunny government briefing.
Rotherham United 1-2 Leeds United: Necessary
Winning is a drug, and this win unbalanced Bielsa, sending him into Quiroga’s arms.
The Square Ball Week: The Perfect Match
Leeds and Bielsa are a perfect match; like Fred and Ginger, or Sid and Nancy.
The Square Ball Podcast #114: Honking Goose
We’re tired of Spygate, but it won’t stop the childish finger pointing. With unlikely allies, we’re ready to go to war with Pontus and head up the Salim Lamrani revolution. First stop, however, is New York, where Jack Harrison will feel right at home.
Stoke City 2-1 Leeds United: Marcelo Bielsa Exists
300 hours of analysis, 26 Luton Town matches, 500 passes precisely; what good did any of it do?