The West Yorkshire of England seems to be buzzing after what Leeds United has achieved in the first two games of the season. They went past two playoff favourites in Stoke City and Derby County with absolute comfort, scoring seven goals in the process. The victory against Derby was astounding, especially the fact that this was just their second win in their last 13 visits at Pride Park and a first away win in eight months. The squad hasn’t gone through a major overhaul under Marcelo Bielsa, but the new manager has already worked wonders with players who looked like deadwood under the management of Thomas Christiansen and Paul Heckingbottom.
However, the Whites need to be cautious before they fall to any urges of premature euphoria as last season also they had started brightly under Christiansen, before finally fading away. So many are still sceptical about their Premier League chances and rightly so, but United faithful have every right to be optimistic that these two results have not been flashes in the pan.
The high pressing and possession based technical game is something one doesn’t associate with Championship sides as we often see a more direct approach taken by the teams. However, under Bielsa, the Whites are willing to take the risk of playing out from the back, and so far they have been able to beat their opponent’s press.
Playing the way they have been playing, a physical toll would take hold over the course of the season, and that is where squad depth will come into question as the games will come thick and fast. Someone like Mateusz Klich seems to be a significant player in the current setup, and it would be interesting to see if he gets injured, whether the others will be able to step up to cover for him. However, those are things to worry about later as right now United’s movement and pressing doesn’t seem to have an answer from the opponents.
Another thing which people might question is that Bielsa has never won something significant in terms of trophies as a manager. He has always been applauded for his brave and unique approach to football where he has revolutionised the game in some way or the other, but regarding real success, he has just got an Olympic Gold medal to show for with Argentina. More recently, Bielsa was managing Marseille, and in 2014, his side won 8 of the first ten games which made them the table toppers for a brief period. However, they went on to finish 4th that campaign.
That is one of the things which is likely to happen with this Leeds side as well, as every game the players are being pushed to their limits physically, and there will come a time where they will be jaded and worn out. Thumping victories like these are always refreshing to see but what set champions apart is their ability to win ugly. Their ability to win when the key players are missing, their ability to win when they are playing below par and their ability to win when the lady luck is not on their side. These are the hallmarks of a Champion side and only time will tell whether Bielsa’s men will be able to cope up with such adversaries. Remember winning the League is not a 100mt sprint, it’s a marathon.
So for now consider us sceptics about Leeds United’s chances of winning the Championship. Let us hope to be proved wrong by Bielsa at the end of this season.
