Hellooo, Hellooo United Are Back!

FA Cup semi-final? check. Beating Scum? check. On the cusp of safety? check. After the desolation of March, April has been a month to remember.....and it could get even better.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote in this newsletter that it felt as if the pendulum had swung against us. In March, we recorded a couple of losses, 2 draws, and scored 0 goals. To really rub salt into the wounds we were on the end of some horrific refereeing decisions.

But, a couple of weeks is a long time in football - and what a couple of weeks it’s been for Leeds United. Not only did we beat West Ham in London to secure our 1st FA Cup semi-final appearance in 39 years, we followed that up by beating Scum in their own back yard, before putting ourselves on the cusp of safety with a routine win over Wolves.

A Long Overdue Win At Scum

Not since 1981 have Leeds won a league match at Old Trafford. Due to the many failings at board level we’ve not been in the same division for large swathes of that time, but still, it’s been way too long since we’ve got one over on those grubby bastards at their Salford shithole. Of course, there was the famous FA Cup win back in 09/10, but we were in League One, while they were challenging for the title and bothering the latter stages of the Champions League. There was an undeniable gulf between us. Now? Not so much. 

Under Marcelo Bielsa we finally cracked the Championship after what seemed like an eternity. We may have been relegated after 3 seasons back, but we did so with a much stronger footing. From there, Daniel Farke has defied his detractors and made us a solid Premier League team this year. We may not be as swashbuckling as we were under Bielsa in the Prem, but we’re not easy opponents to play against.

Scum on the other hand have lurched from shit to shit: Shit owners to shit owners; shit managers to shit managers; shit players to shit players. They’ve gone from contender to also-rans ever since Alex Ferguson’s vice-like grip over the league and referees has ceased. Funny that.

Stress

The game itself was fucking stressful - almost unbearably so. Leeds controlled the first half and were 2-0 up inside 30 mins.

If anything Scum were lucky to only be 2 down at half-time with Tanaka coming agonisingly close to adding a third. Obviously, Scum's players reek of entitlement, as is the general sentiment around that club, and saw themselves as hard done by. Apparently, the badge on his shirt meant that Leny Yoro should have automatically been given a foul when out muscled in the air by Calvert-Lewin - regardless of how pathetically weak he was. Thankfully the days of old whiskey nose is long gone and not every decision goes their way.

This didn't stop them complaining incessantly, though, with their rat-faced captain leading the charge and getting himself a booking in the process. Not quite the sweet justice we were hoping for, but that would come later....

2-0 was dreamland for us fans, but it's a scoreline we're all very wary of. How many times have we fucked it up form such a position? Too many to even bear thinking about.

Scum came out swinging a bit more in the 2nd half; not that it was hard to improve upon their 1st half offering. Just when it felt like they were beginning to show signs of life they were dealt another blow. This time another of their rat-faced minions decided it'd be a good idea to try and yank Calvert-Lewin's hair free from his scalp. Of course it was a foul. Why would it not be? It's now deemed a red card offence, and when the ref went to VAR he was left with no option, much to the chagrin of the tourists in the stands. Off ya pop. Glorious stuff.

Initially, Leeds were comfortable keeping the ball, making the most of their extra man advantage. Comfortable until they weren't, that is. Casemiro's back post header pulled one back for Scum and ratcheted up the stress levels.

The rest of the game was a bit of a blur; some better finishing and final stage decision making would've seen us home and hosed. At our own end Darlow was forced into a point blank save, while Calvert-Lewin headed one off the line. Nerve-shredding stuff - almost to the point where switching off seemed like the sensible and healthy option. Despite the 4th official adding 7 minutes in a desperate attempt to help Scum find an equaliser, Leeds held on. The joy and relief was palpable. The feeling in that away end must've been the zenith for most Leeds fans there. What a moment.

Scum Tantrums

And the good times didn't stop with the final whistle; in the aftermath we were treated to a delicious Scum tantrum; Roy Keane did his performative anger routine; Fernandes, seemingly forgetting about how Scum's previous success was achieved, complained about the refereeing; Carrick acted with as much grace as you'd expect from someone who played the majority of his career under such a spiteful cheat.

Then we came to Rio Ferdinand. What can be said about the slack-jawed moron whose brain never developed beyond his teenage years? In a crowded field, he seems to be intent on making himself the media’s biggest laughing stock with his brain-dead ramblings. 

Wolves Wimper

The trip to Old Trafford was book-ended with a return to Elland Road to face Wolves, and the chance to go 9 points clear of the drop for a couple of hours at least. Everyone knew this game should’ve been a relatively straight forward one. The phrase ‘should win’ has haunted Leeds numerous times in the past. We don’t deal well with ‘should wins’.

Thankfully for us Wolves played like a team who are well aware of their fate, with most of their players presuming that they won’t be there the following season. It showed. Leeds could’ve taken the lead within a minute of kick-off, but had 2 wait until the 18th minute when James Justin scored an overhead kick. Almost immediately after the first goal went in, the second one followed when Aaronson laid one on a plate for Okafor. Leeds cruised through the rest of the game; the only heart-in-mouth moment was when Darlow pulled off a spectacular save to prevent any late nerves. A Calvert-Lewin penalty sealed the inevitable in stoppage time. 

Chance To Make History

After reaching the semis of the FA Cup and beating Scum, as things stand after the weekend's victory over Wolves, Leeds are 8 points clear of relegation with 5 games to go. A win away to the soon-to-be Iraola-less Bournemouth (I’m wishfully thinking that this will somehow negatively impact our south coast opponents) would see us more or less safe, but I don’t want to get greedy. The main event this week is undoubtedly the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea. IF, and it's a big if, the players can pull off a victory at Wembley, and take a huge leap towards safety, then April will have been, arguably, one of the most momentous months we’ve seen as Leeds fans.