Leeds United: Leeds finally win a game
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00:00Well, hello and welcome back to the Marching On Together Leeds United podcast.
00:05Leeds have won a game. The season is up and running officially, I think, is how we can start this podcast.
00:11Obviously, as always, I'm joined by my partner in crime on these podcasts, Lee from the Yorkshire Evening Post.
00:17Lee, you can actually be positive for a change, can't you? Because Leeds have won a game.
00:22Definitely. It's a double whammy. They've won a game and they've got some signings. So what more do you want, really?
00:28Do we just end it all now and just say, oh, that's it?
00:32That's it. Now it's just about winning the division. Well, no one cares about that. They just care about getting up.
00:36But I think everybody cares about not being play off. So first or second will do just nice.
00:41Look, there's a long way to go yet, obviously, but there was definitely lots of positive signs in the win at Sheffield Wednesday.
00:46And I think it was one of those games going to Hillsborough where not many people knew what to expect, really.
00:51Leeds were odds on favourites and a lot of people were sort of saying, really?
00:54Why would there be odds on favourites, et cetera? I mean, they've probably got a better spot.
00:58Well, they have got a better spot than Sheffield Wednesday, but Sheffield Wednesday have been improving.
01:01Obviously, in the Danny Royal, obviously, you had the Leeds game at West Brom where they just showed very little up front, albeit they were good at the back.
01:08So no questions to answer, really. But obviously, there was the boost the night before with Largi Ramazzani signing, which we'll talk about in a minute.
01:14A separate one for that. But that was obviously a big boost. And then, obviously, the game itself, and it was a very, very good performance.
01:19And to be honest, 2-0 victory, it's one of those where that probably flatters Sheffield Wednesday a little bit, really.
01:25I feel like Leeds probably were valued for winning a bit more than that. Not that they had an absolute abundance of chances,
01:30but they did look just very good at both ends, very solid at the back, which is obviously what you want.
01:35That's back-to-back clean sheets in the league, obviously. But with a lot more up front this time and both goals, very, very nice goals.
01:40And I won't want to get too carried away, but the first one reminded me a bit of Marcelo Bielsa football, to be honest.
01:45But I won't quite go down that avenue. But it was very much like that, straight out from the back.
01:49One pass, one touch, bang, bang, bang, up the other end. And then Matteo Josef taking out what he looked like scoring.
01:55And then Brendan Aronson, of all people, popping up with the goal. So, he's well on his way back.
02:00Obviously, that was his second goal already. And redemption seems to be continuing for him.
02:04I think, obviously, fans were a little bit angry with him at first, obviously, on his return. That's natural.
02:10But, as everybody always says, the way to win fans over is to perform. And that's what he's doing.
02:15And, obviously, he's producing end products. And it was nice to see him applauded off when he got subbed.
02:19So, that was that. And then, obviously, the second goal with Dan James and then superb through ball from Matteo Josef for that.
02:25Josef, obviously, still waiting for his first goal as the new main striker, if you like.
02:30Obviously, you can't say that's set in stone. It depends on what happens with Bamford.
02:34But Bamford is still injured as we speak. So, Josef is certainly going to continue there for the time being.
02:39And I do see him now as probably the first-choice striker. He didn't score, but beautiful through ball.
02:43And Dan James with a lovely finish. And there are other chances as well.
02:46There are a bit of Jeff Wensley at the moment. He looked dangerous at set pieces, etc.
02:49But, yes, a job done, basically. And I think everybody was very pleased.
02:52And all of a sudden, it changes things because you go into that with two points out of six.
02:56And you're thinking, not a good start. And then, obviously, that becomes five points out of nine,
03:00which is a little bit easier to swallow. Definitely a little bit better.
03:05And then, obviously, even on the next day, you start seeing teams slip up.
03:09I mean, Burnley, obviously, losing their 100 per cent start against Sunderland,
03:14who obviously had won three out of three. But Burnley, obviously, was seen as the main title rivals.
03:19And it's very early to say that. And even this weekend, Daniel, even at the weekend,
03:22the odds changed in terms of leads. Actually, they did re-become favourites for the league,
03:26even just by virtue of that win at Chef Wednesday and Burnley slipping up.
03:30So, you can't say anything but it was a positive weekend for Leeds.
03:34Most definitely, a million twists and turns to come.
03:37Yes, obviously, starting off with the transfer window.
03:40But, yes, it was the season up and running in a true sense of a victory.
03:44But it was also up and running in terms of the performance as well, I think.
03:47And also the signing as well of Ramazani.
03:50So, it all sort of dovetailed in together for what was a pretty positive weekend, really,
03:54I think, for Leeds United, which was needed.
03:56Yes, certainly. So, yes, after the start of the season in May,
03:59in terms of the first game against Portsmouth, then the Middlesbrough loss,
04:03then West Brom, all of the sort of perhaps early-season nerves,
04:07a bit of disappointment, of course, all the outgoings it had as well.
04:10It has just been a nerve settler and a bit of a demonstration that Leeds are still a good side
04:16and that it just perhaps was getting things sorted out at the club in terms of who was coming out
04:20and who was coming in. And now that's all starting to happen.
04:24Now the wheels are turning a little bit, things can perhaps settle down.
04:27One more game, of course, before the international break, which we'll come to in a bit.
04:31But it just feels a little bit more calm, I think, now after a frantic few weeks.