All Leeds Aren't We: It's Leeds United against the world - YEP 25/9/21
Poet and Leeds United fan Matt Abbott on the reality check that has been the season so far.
By Matt Abbott
Let’s face it. We’d all expected to be in a slightly better
position by this stage. To at least have a league win under our belts if
nothing else. But at the same time, it’s far too soon for crisis mode. Last
season’s opener - the swashbuckling 4-3 defeat at Anfield - felt hyper-surreal.
And it set the tone for the season: old foes, empty stadiums, and iconic
performances.
This season has already been a bit of a reality check. A
depleted defence, a tough run of fixtures, and everybody slightly off the pace.
But we’ve had poor runs under Bielsa before and we know that once it clicks,
we’ll be a formidable side. And what’s even more encouraging is the knowledge
that Cresswell, Gelhardt and Summerville are teetering on the edge of our
starting XI.
James is rapidly acquainting himself. And whilst the odd
frustration still lingers, it still feels as though we’re right on the brink of
a convincing victory.
At times, there’s been a strange atmosphere inside the
stadiums this season. It feels like some fans around the country are going for
shock factor with offensive chanting and so on. Almost treating it like an
organised Twitter meet-up. And then some are acting as though they’ve never
been away. Like they haven’t ached for the matchday experience from the very
depths of their core - pined for watery pints and shuttle bus queues.
But the highlight for me so far was the tail end of the
Liverpool game. Hear me out – I’ve not totally lost it. We were 3-0 down, we’d
had 10 men for most of the second half, and we’d been utterly outclassed. And
yet Elland Road felt like a cauldron. After Bamford’s audacious attempt to lob
Alisson from the halfway line, our tails were up, and we were at peace with the
situation.
This is just it you see. It’s Leeds United against the
world. Always has been, always will be. None of this “second team” nonsense -
we’ll battle to where we need to be and upset folks along the way.
We’re not here to make friends. We’re here to make history.
We’ve potentially got so many key players missing for West
Ham’s visit that it’s an entirely free hit.
And October’s fixtures are far more palatable than the ones
we’ve already played.
So, let’s roll our sleeves up, sing our hearts out, and show
the world why we’re a club like no other.
On a final note, I’ve been pleasantly surprised to hear the
overwhelming majority of fans inside Elland Road applauding when the players
take the knee.
I know it’s still divisive, but it feels like we’re
definitely turning the tide.
