Leeds United owner's selfie lap, Bruno Lage's West Stand crowd nibble and off-camera moments - YEP 7/8/22

Leeds United got the season off to a flying start with an impressive 2-1 win over Wolves at Elland Road on an incident-packed opening day of the season.

By Graham Smyth

Rodrigo cancelled out Daniel Podence's disappointing opener in the first half and, after soaking up huge pressure from Wolves, Leeds broke out to take charge again, earning a winner that was credited to visiting defender Rayan Aït-Nouri.

There was plenty going on, on and off the pitch, throughout a testy encounter between two sides developing a keen dislike of one another.

Here's what you might have missed as the Whites started the 2022/23 Premier League campaign as they mean to go on.

Off-camera moments

Andrea Radrizzani posing for selfies with supporters as he made his way around the ground prior to the game.

The owner spoke publicly this week of his reasoning for sacking Marcelo Bielsa and his belief in the club's transfer policy.

His Elland Road popularity took a slight dip during last season's most difficult moments but there was no sign of that as he was greeted by numerous fans on Saturday afternoon.

Leeds have reinvested the money recouped from the sales of Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha and should Radrizzani and the 49ers invest more in order to bring in a striker they will have one happy fanbase.

As Leeds warmed up new players and staff members alike began to familiarise themselves with the matchday routine at Elland Road.

Rene Maric, one of the most recent additions to Jesse Marsch's staff, entertained himself with shoulder keepy ups during the team's warm-up and then pulled off a cheeky blindside nutmeg on fellow new face Ewan Sharp.

Elsewhere on the pitch the substitutes were engaged in a rondo, with Mateusz Klich the elder statesman in good form, laughing and joking with the youngsters around him.

There was little to laugh about as Joe Gelhardt threw himself to the ground in a ferocious attempt to win the ball.

When the teams emerged from the tunnel Marsch was given an ovation from those in the West Stand behind the dugout and responded in kind.

It was not the fans' last managerial interaction of the afternoon.

The trouble started when referee Robert Jones decided Hwang Hee-chan was fouled, the striker throwing himself to ground clutching his face right in front of Leeds' technical area.

Marsch was incensed and let everyone within ear-shot know all about it.

Bruno Lage, the Wolves boss, did not like what was said and so ensued the first spat of the afternoon.

Lage produced the international hand signal for 'chat' moments later when Hwang did not get another free-kick in a similar position.

Marsch was also engaged in an animated discussion with Pascal Struijk, who seemed intent on explaining a situation to his boss after Wolves had stuck a ball in behind him that caused trouble.

Lage, meanwhile, was in animated discussions with all and sundry, reacting to the mockery of the Leeds fans behind his dugout with Wolves 2-1 down late in the game.

At full-time the two managers had another coming together as Lage refused the handshake of his opposite number, with Archie Gray and Cody Drameh amused bystanders.

Cooler heads eventually prevailed and Marsch departed on a lap of the pitch.

First, though, there was an immediate debrief with Struijk, who received a playful shove from Maric as the grinning defender continued to make his point.

Marsch was also seen in conversation with Hwang, his former player, presumably smoothing out whatever was said in the first half.

Rasmus Kristensen took it upon himself to pump the crowd up as the players walked around the Elland Road pitch to a deserved ovation and as the South Stand called for the Kalvin Phillips fist pumps, Marsch insisted that Illan Meslier do the honours. New boys Brenden Aaronson and Tyler Adams were the last to leave the pitch, soaking up as much of their debut atmosphere and experience as possible having got off to a near-perfect start.