Mighty Leeds Weblog

There were smiles all around Elland Road as Leeds United finished pre-season with a relatively satisfying 6-2 victory over Cagliari. By Graham Smyth The side relegated to Serie B last season struggled to cope with Jesse Marsch’s pressing system and although they provided a five-minute scare with two second half goals and a spurned golden chance, Cagliari ceded control of the game to Leeds for the vast majority. Here’s the YEP take on the last of the summer friendlies. Good day Patrick Bamford The size of the smile when he scored his first said it all. Pre-season or not, this was another box ticked on his road back from injury hell. He took it well, too, making a good run and finishing off Brenden Aaronson’s through-ball with real composure. A fully fit, firing Bamford is essential for Marsch and Leeds, whether a new striker arrives or not. Rodrigo Got off to a slowish start with a couple of moments of dithering that wasted good territory and possession and then roared t...

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...

Leeds United brought the curtain down on their pre-season friendlies in the most emphatic style with a 6-2 victory over Cagliari. By Graham Smyth A Rodrigo hat-trick, 90 minutes and two goals for Patrick Bamford and a trio of assists for Brenden Aaronson provided the highlights, if not the answers to all the questions over Jesse Marsch's team. Those will come in time, with the American and his men now staring at nothing but the 2022/23 Premier League proving ground. Pre-season games always have at least one incongruous element to them, whether that's trialists, an entire XI worth of changes or exotic opposition, but Leeds' bench provided it at Elland Road. A Saturday run-out against Manchester City Under-21s for Joe Gelhardt and what you'd consider to be the guts of the bench for the Premier League opener - left Marsch with an odd bunch of substitutes that included Ian Poveda and Helder Costa. It's no secret that both wingers are considered surplus to requ...

Leeds United completed their pre-season friendlies with a 6-2 thrashing of Serie B visitors Cagliari who were blitzed by a Rodrigo hat-trick, Patrick Bamford brace and Robin Koch header. By Lee Sobot Leeds dominated the first-half and went ahead in the 35th minute when Rodrigo worked his way across the box and fired a superb reverse finish into the top right corner. The Whites had already created a host of decent chances, Marc Roca and Patrick Bamford both denied by Cagliari keeper Boris Radunovic who also scrambled a corner off the line. Cagliari created just one opening in the entire half but the pacy Zito Luvumbo nearly made it count, the Angolan winger sprinting clear of Robin Koch down the left side and eventually producing a low shot that was heading inside the near post until Illan Meslier diverted the attempt wide. Leeds, though, ended the half with more openings, the lively Rodrigo producing a lovely curling effort from the edge of the box that Radunovic scrambled cl...