Leeds United 6-2 Cagliari: Embrace the vibes - The Square Ball 1/8/22

BRING IT ON

Written by: Rob Conlon

Before writing this match report, I was considering rewatching Leeds United’s 6-2 win over Cagliari, hoping to figure out whether those six goals were a result of a productive summer’s work or because Massimo Cellino’s old team are just rubbish. But that would be missing the point. Sunday evening in Leeds was all about embracing the good vibes for what they are.

The refreshment of the squad at Elland Road this summer has made me excited about the upcoming season — not necessarily out of any expectation, more curiosity around new beginnings. At least until two dour I-hope-that’s-not-how-you-treat-your-friends friendlies against Aston Villa and Crystal Palace brought back the nagging doubts about how much fun watching Red Bull football is going to be, and how joyless other Premier League clubs make the Premier League feel. Which is why sticking six past Cagliari felt significant going into the new season. It was fun!

Walking over the bridge from Holbeck and getting that first glimpse of Elland Road provided a jolt of giddiness for a new campaign, but I was relieved the streets were still quiet apart from a young fan having his photo taken by his parents in front of every bit of Burley Banksy artwork he passed. After the stress of 2021/22, I’m not sure I could have faced being thrown straight into the psychodrama of another chapter in the story of Leeds United Football Club just yet. It was much better to be eased in.

The new ticket scanners worked without any issues, and a bar in the East Stand serving Guinness was reassuringly expensive (£6 a pint!). I’d got to the ground early with my dad to watch England play Germany in the Euro 2022 final. It didn’t take long for the concourse to fill up with other fans doing the same, which made it all the more galling when Lina Magull’s entirely predictable late equaliser for Germany took the game to extra-time. Leeds had already delayed the kick-off against Cagliari by 45 minutes so we could watch the Euros final (as if there was no recent evidence of England playing in a similar final lasting beyond ninety minutes), and their options were no doubt limited with fans already booking transport around the original 6pm scheduled kick-off. The mistake was in that original scheduling, confirmed four days after Elland Road hosted England’s warm-up match against the Netherlands. Such a clash really shouldn’t have been beyond Leeds to predict.

That meant once the whistle for the end of ninety minutes was blown at Wembley, the inner-Yorkshireman kicked in. I’d already missed the first five minutes of the Leeds match, so might as well watch some of the rest given I’d paid for a ticket. I mainly spent the rest of the first half explaining who the new players are to my dad. Within a few minutes, he asked me who the blonde haired number 8 is. I told him it was Marc Roca. “He’s good,” was the verdict. Given he needed a similar amount of time watching Junior Firpo in the first game of last season before telling me he’s rubbish, I’m taking this as a good omen for Roca.

🙌 Du du du du Patrick Bamford! pic.twitter.com/exwZQhwPB7

— Leeds United (@LUFC) July 31, 2022

The good vibes didn’t really begin until the second half. All I can really remember from the first 45 was Rasmus Kristensen standing high up the pitch on the right wing with nobody around him, screaming at his teammates for not passing him the ball until it was too late. Rodrigo put a stop to any arguing by making space for himself in the penalty area and blasting the ball into the net with an assertion I’d long since given up on seeing from him. That gave us the excuse to rush back down to the concourse for the final five minutes of the England game, getting within sight of a TV screen at the exact moment Chloe Kelly’s winner was crossing the line. I didn’t really know what had happened or how, but it didn’t matter.

Ten final minutes passed with England winding up Germany’s players, keeping the ball irretrievably in the corner, by which point it was half-time in the Leeds game. Positivity and warmth at Elland Road can often feel jarring, which is what made the chorus of Three Lions on the concourse all the better, returning to our seats surrounded by kids belting out Sweet Caroline.

Leeds United joined the party, sending out the same eleven for the second half after the second string got their own ninety minutes in a behind-closed-doors game against Manchester City Under-21s the previous day. Rodrigo did more neat work in the box to score what was definitely not an own-goal, and Brendan Aaronson provided the moment this pre-season has desperately needed: the type of drive and invention from the centre of the pitch we dreamed of last season, and the striker’s finish from Pat Bamford we sorely missed.

England were lifting the trophy as Leeds were cruising at 3-0 up, which was a bold time for United to test the mood. Enjoying the panic among Cagliari’s defence whenever Leeds’ midfield and attack applied ‘the net’ of Jesse Marsch’s pressing, Diego Llorente and Robin Koch were left exposed at the back as the visitors escaped the pressure and scored twice in quick succession. Illan Meslier had already made a good save in the first half when Cagliari’s rapid striker Zito Luvumbo seared past Koch to go one on one with the ‘keeper. It seemed unfair on Meslier for him to be subjected to fellow striker Gianluca Lapadula dinking a finish straight out of Ella Toone’s repertoire, and even crueller for Luvumbo to spank another finish past Meslier after Leeds were again stretched on the break.

🔥🔥 @Patrick_Bamford pic.twitter.com/ksLU9TDcpL

— Leeds United (@LUFC) July 31, 2022

Luvumbo should have made it 3-3 a couple of minutes later, prodding his attempt narrowly wide after Cagliari found more space behind Pascal Struijk at left-back. That moment led to a frenzy of tweets demanding Leeds buy a new left-back, quickly. While I agree An Actual Left-Back would be good, I’m not sure it will solve the problem of being exposed out wide. Marsch is asking his full-backs to provide the width to Leeds’ attack; United could have a prime Terry Cooper wearing number 3, but he’s not going to stop a cross if he’s standing in the opposition’s half of the pitch. It doesn’t matter who is in the dugout, football is a game of risk vs reward, and the logic behind Marsch’s use of his full-backs was shown in Leeds’ fourth, as Struijk received the ball high up the pitch, feeding Jackie Harrison to dance around a defender and give Bamford a tap-in for his second goal of the game.

Bamford’s goal came so quickly after Luvumbo wasted the chance to level the scores it prevented any chance of testing just how tetchy Elland Road could get in a friendly. Harrison was enjoying himself far too much to let Cagliari spoil the fun. One turn in the middle of the pitch was so slick it should have Leeds ringing Newcastle to ask for another zero on their offer for Jackie, then telling them to fuck off anyway. The new signings all lived up to their reputations: Roca’s distribution complementing Tyler Adams’ industry; Aaronson showing he has the skills to go with the Red Bull running; Rasmus Kristensen living up to his future cult hero status, suddenly rising from lengthy treatment on a head injury like Tyson Fury waking from a Deontay Wilder haymaker at the count of nine.

There was still time for Rodrigo to complete a hat-trick of goals and Aaronson to complete a hat-trick of assists, giving Rodrigo a simple finish for his third and chipping a free-kick onto the head of Robin Koch to round off the scoring. We could forget about any defensive frailty and start looking forward to seeing how many we can put past Wolves in the season opener.

Rather than trying to share my attention between England winning a major tournament for the first time since 1966 and Leeds slapping in six goals on a summer’s day, I’d have liked to have been able to enjoy both occasions to the fullest. But take a step back, and the image of Rachel Daly dancing around Wembley will remain iconic, something to cherish along with Jack Charlton holding the Jules Rimet, and how many new Rachel Dalys she has inspired will only become apparent in the years to come. As for Leeds beating Cagliari in a pre-season friendly, we’ll find out what that means next week against Wolves. Bring. It. On.