Mighty Leeds Weblog

Leeds United have ticked another mid-season break box with a 2-1 win over Real Sociedad in an Elland Road friendly, as Jesse Marsch’s preparations for the Premier League restart continue. By Graham Smyth Marsch’s men were better than the showing against Elche last week and worthy of the victory, although still not in full flow or flight. Here’s the YEP take on a bitterly cold night at Elland Road. Good day Cody Drameh The right-back continues to impress, having flown through the week of training out in Spain. He was the best of Jesse Marsch's second half substitutes and looked perfectly at home. He's in for an interesting January, but if he remains a Leeds player in February then something will have gone very right for him and for the club. It'll have to be something big, you'd think. Willy Gnonto Thrown into the starting XI at late notice, Gnonto was at it from the start and the attention given to him by Real Sociedad was a painful compliment. But he st...

Leeds United have a raft of players entering the final six or 18 months of their Elland Road contracts at the turn of the year and Victor Orta needs to shape how this club's next phase looks Transfers are only going to dominate the Leeds United agenda more and more from here on out. With more than four weeks until a return to action and then only two matches until the January window opens, it’s easy to see why attention is on the chance to strengthen this squad. However, Victor Orta’s eyes will also be on the players he already has in the building at Elland Road. With the arrival of 2023 comes not only another window, but the final six or 18 months in several contracts at Leeds. Traditionally, clubs like to ensure nobody they are interested in keeping enters the final year of their deal. With a number of players entering their 30s, it’s an intriguing time as Orta plots the transition of this squad. Joel Robles signed his one-year deal in the summer, so a decision will surel...

Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch believes Patrick Bamford is getting closer to full fitness ahead of the Elland Road clash with Arsenal. By Graham Smyth Bamford started against Crystal Palace last Sunday and Marsch felt his striker looked in ‘good physical form’ after a stop-start comeback from last season’s series of injuries. Leeds were keen to manage the striker’s route to full fitness carefully, but a groin injury in the second game of the season at Southampton kept him out of two games and restricted him to substitute cameos against Everton, Brentford and Aston Villa. He has impressed Marsch in training this week and is progressing towards full fitness. "He's getting closer and closer to fully being 100 per cent which he knows he hasn't been in some time,” said the head coach. "He's looked good in training this week. He's part of the solution for us, for sure, in finding ways to score more goals. It's getting him fitter, more up to speed with ...

Forshaw was speaking to Danny Murphy in an interview with the Mail Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw has opened up on a different side to Jesse Marsch’s character that he is not afraid to show the squad. Marsch was appointed as Marcelo Bielsa’s successor in March earlier this year following the departure of the Argentine. Bielsa’s style as a manager was to keep his distance from the playing staff, as he looked to make his relationship with the squad as professional as possible. Marsch, on the other hand, is someone who takes a much more hands-on approach to man management, keeping in constant conversation with his players. While Marsch is always happy to keep his door open, Forshaw claims he is equally as unafraid to tell players how it is if he’s not happy. Speaking in an interview with former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy for the Daily Mail, Forshaw cited two examples of how he can ‘switch if he needs to’. He said: “As a character, he is very personable. You walk past ...

It says much about the state and augmented size of Leeds United's squad that despite two fresh injuries they are emerging from an international break in such a position of strength. By Graham Smyth Jesse Marsch may have lost Adam Forshaw and 16-year-old Archie Gray for this weekend's game against Aston Villa but time has been more than a healer for Leeds, since that defeat at Brentford. A 29-day gap between games was, for fans at least, barely tolerable and in a season that already boasts such a long break for the World Cup, hardly ideal in terms of momentum and fixture scheduling. It was timely, though. Just like at any other club, those who did not head off on international duty had a little time off and a lot of time on the training ground with Marsch and his staff, working on tactics, set-pieces and conditioning. But Leeds were also able to use the hiatus to their advantage, because it allowed Rodrigo to miss just one game as he rehabilitated his dislocated shou...

AFTERNOON OUT Written by: Rob Conlon Taking two years off the Premier League 2 and rebranding it as an Under-21s competition this summer should have made it feel fresh and hip, but sometimes reserve football is less about developing for the future and more about maintaining the present. If Norwich City Under-21s arrived at Thorp Arch on Monday afternoon expecting a match against Leeds’ usual youth team, they should have sensed something was up when looking over to the TV gantry at the far side of the pitch and spotting United’s first-team boss Jesse Marsch. It doesn’t really feel like an Under-21s game if Jack Jenkins isn’t playing for Leeds, but even new signing Darko Gyabi had to sit to one side, allowing Marsch to watch half a dozen of his first teamers get a useful ninety minutes into their legs. Midfielders Gyabi and Jenkins were swapped out for Adam Forshaw and Sam Greenwood, the backline featured Cody Drameh and Leo Hjelde, on the wing was Crysencio Summerville, and the di...

Whites boss Jesse Marsch said there was no doubt that Leeds United were improving despite being left with a “terrible” feeling after Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Southampton. By Lee Sobot Leeds were 2-0 up by the hour mark as Rodrigo completed a brace but Ralph Hasenhuttl’s hosts rallied to pull a goal back through Joe Aribo in the 72nd minute before equalising through Kyle Walker-Peters with nine minutes left. The Saints comeback denied a United return of six points from a possible six after last weekend’s 2-1 win at home to Wolves and Marsch delivered a balanced assessment of events at St Mary’s and his side as a whole after two games of the new campaign. "Obviously we're disappointed," said Marsch. "It's a terrible feeling to play so well and then have the game switch and then walk away with what feels less than one point. "But that's also I think, progress for us to be so disappointed with only a point and we also have to see through the trees ...

Leeds United were dealt a fresh injury blow in the early stages of Friday morning's pre-season friendly against Crystal Palace in Perth. By Lee Sobot Summer signing Luis Sinisterra was handed his first Whites start in the fixture but the Colombian international went to ground off the ball in the 12th minute, holding his left hamstring whilst laid down on the turf . The 23-year-old then received treatment on the pitch but the winger was unable to continue and hobbled off with his arm around club doctor Rishi Dhand. Rodrigo was brought on in Sinisterra's place as the winger headed down the tunnel with United's head of medicine and performance Rob Price. The contest became increasingly scrappy and niggly as Diego Llorente, David Ozoh and Joachim Andersen were all booked. Ozoh was carded for a high boot challenge on Adam Forshaw who took several hits and Forshaw was then taken off and replaced by Marc Roca in the 33rd minute.

Adam Forshaw has been catching the waves with his Leeds United teammates while on tour of Australia By Graham Smyth Leeds United's Adam Forshaw is a proud Scouser, a central midfielder and a surfer. He laughs at that last suggestion, but the 30-year-old was one of those who braved the ocean on a board as Jesse Marsch and his squad enjoyed the Gold Coast's famed environment. Marsch himself can surf, so too can Brenden Aaronson and Patrick Bamford had a go as well. Forshaw was in his element. "I don't know about that [being a surfer], I got up once or twice this morning but it didn't last long," he said. "I loved it, to be honest, it woke me up because I haven't been sleeping that well since I've been here. It was good fun, it knocks you about a bit and we enjoyed it." Marsch took the squad to the beach for a stroll and a dip in the sea almost every morning since Leeds' arrival on the Gold Coast, before the transfer to Brisb...

Jesse Marsch’s version of Leeds United is beginning to take shape on and off the pitch By Graham Smyth This is the Leeds United job Jesse Marsch wanted. A process man, he was parachuted into last season’s relegation scrap and instead of building something was forced to fight fires with results king and performances a secondary concern. “If you look at the end of last year, we were introducing tactical themes, but it was so much about just managing the game to get as many points as we can,” he said before the 2-1 Queensland Champions Cup win over Brisbane Roar. “And really I hate that. Right? I’m much more about a process and developing a team the right way and less about trying to win right in the moment. “But relegation demands that you do that. So I’m proud of our team for the way that they performed. I’m proud of the team for the way they stuck together. And now we need to play better football and maintain that mentality and belief and commitment from the group and we wi...

Leeds United played out a season packed with joyous moments but one which nobody wants to remember By Graham Smyth A season to forget came to an end in an unforgettable fashion for Leeds United. It did not meet expectation, although it did so nearly realise fears, and it did not make for an enjoyable time for anyone involved yet the 2021/22 campaign did deliver moments. There were few occasions when performances were so complete that they bred confidence, it just wasn’t that kind of season from start to finish. Scanning through the results to jog memories of good days at the office only brings one or two games to the surface, like Leicester City at home when Adam Forshaw came roaring back to significance after 85 Championship and Premier League games outside the starting XI. Leeds were quite good that day and the entertainment wasn’t bad either, with chances for each side and a Raphinha free-kick that was matched, if not bettered, by Harvey Barnes’ sublime strike. They were...

Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw has said that other forms of exercise gave him clarity while injury prevented him from playing football. By Flora Snelson Forshaw sat out the entirety of Whites' stunning maiden top-flight season with a hip injury that threatened to end his playing career altogether, so it was a huge relief for him to get back on the pitch and make 22 Premier League appearances this campaign. But last month, Forshaw counted himself out of United's relegation run-in as he was side-lined once more with a fractured kneecap suffered during a training session. No stranger to the treatment room, the 30-year-old described the effect of injury and his own key to coping with it. "I had times where, from a sports point of view, I was really down and didn't know where to turn to," Forshaw said. "At times I've thought I might have to retire, which is taking everything away from me in terms of what I've dreamed of doing as a kid. ...

ENJOY NOTHING Written by: Moxcowhite • Daniel Chapman The Friday night crowd at Elland Road was 21,321, and a few years ago, that wouldn’t have been remarkable, met with a tut and a shrug and maybe a sigh. Back in 2015/16, the season started with Uwe Rosler and ended with Steve Evans while Massimo Cellino ruled all, adding pie taxes to South Stand ticket prices and threatening to prevent our away fans from travelling to punish Sky (don’t worry, that never made sense). Along the way, home fixtures against the following teams had fewer than 21,321 in attendance: Ipswich, Blackburn, Cardiff, Bristol City, Middlesbrough, Fulham, Bolton, QPR, Reading, Wolves. These were all first team games in the Championship. The average attendance that season was 21,667, just 346 more than went to see Leeds United Under-23s play a development match this weekend. Leeds didn’t win, going down 3-1 to the Under-23 portion of Manchester City’s ‘Elite Development Squad’. According to Wikipedia this compr...

Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch has lost Adam Forshaw for the remainder of their Premier League relegation battle. By Graham Smyth The midfielder has fractured his kneecap and will not return until the summer according to Marsch. "We had an unfortunate injury with Adam Forshaw two days ago," said the American. "He was back in training and took a knock in a collision and fractured his kneecap. It's a six-week injury so that puts him out for the season. He's one of the guys who gives more to the group, does everything he can to think about the team first. For us this is obviously painful, he's an important guy but he will still be a big part of the group. It should be a relatively straightforward recovery and by summer he'll be back and ready to go. He's a leader in our team." Marsch admits it's a blow for the Whites, who face Crystal Palace on Monday night at Selhurst Park after a 16-day break, but it's mitigated somewhat by the r...

88 KEY SMILE Written by: Moxcowhite • Daniel Chapman Leeds manager Jesse Marsch was getting wound up by the end of this game, berating his own bench for substituting the wrong player, berating the referee over a foul and getting a yellow card. The situations would have enraged anybody. Subs are simple and important. The ref, Anthony Taylor, was so inconsistent I swear at one point I saw him with a full head of hair. At the final whistle Marsch uncoiled, the stress leaving his body in a rush. He embraced his Southampton counterpart, Ralph Hasenhüttl, with warm smiles and laughter, coming back to him a few minutes later for more joviality before they walked down the tunnel. Leeds fans, not getting any explosive last minute winners this time, were choosing their emotions between underwhelmed by the football, disappointed to only draw and relieved to gain a point, but Jesse seemed just glad to share the points and a handshake with Ralph. “Nice to see him,” Marsch said, “and also his ...

Jesse Marsch didn't create the leadership group at Leeds United, it pre-dated him, he's just given it a name. By Graham Smyth What the American has done, however, by naming the seven in his 'leadership council' is put a little more onus on those players to dig Leeds out of a hole. And at Wolves, that's exactly what they did. Two of them, captain Liam Cooper and Kalvin Phillips, are itching to help and after the international break will be expected to play a significant part in the Premier League run-in. There's little doubt that they will strengthen Marsch's hand, not least defensively, but neither got on at Molineux. Cooper was the obvious first appointee to the council as the man holding the armband and including Phillips, who has admitted on a number of occasions that he's not one of the big voices in the changing room, is a smart move, clearly designed to make him feel every bit as influential as he should be, as an England regular and top Pr...

OBTUSE MATEUSZ Written by: Rob Conlon As players from Leeds and Norwich, and the staff, and the fans, and pretty much everyone else anywhere near Elland Road were being consumed by the tension of a relegation battle, Mateusz Klich couldn’t stop giggling. When both teams were arguing about Stuart Attwell’s decision to overturn the penalty he awarded to Norwich in the second half, Klich was keeping out of trouble, nowhere to be seen. Two minutes later, Adam Forshaw made sure Norwich couldn’t take a throw-in, went down after being pushed, and the Canaries were tweeting around Attwell again. With a smile on his face, Klich went over to Forshaw, to make sure Teemu Pukki was picking him up off the floor gently enough. While Norwich players were fuming at Attwell, Klich strolled up behind Kenny McLean and tried to knock the ball out of his hands. Leeds had no intention to get the game restarted quickly while protecting a 1-0 lead, but Klich wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to have some...