Leeds United 2-0 Sheffield United: High power — Square Ball 21/10/24

Happy days

Written by: Rob Conlon

At the full-time whistle, Jayden Bogle stood alone by the East Stand roaring with the satisfaction of a man whose choices in life had been proven correct. Earlier, the sight of Leeds United scoring from a corner was so overwhelming that Ao Tanaka sank to his knees and gazed towards the heavens as if thanking a higher power. Even Daniel Farke felt it was necessary to express his gratitude for the divine: “Thank God Pascal Struijk is back.” Every now and again, on nights like this, Elland Road feels righteous.

It might just have been the perfect night, a night we will hopefully look back on as a defining performance in a title-winning season. Leeds made a mockery of fears about injury absences and internationals returning late from around the globe. From the first minute to the last, they made Sheffield United look like the team playing through a fog of jet lag. The goals were timed so perfectly we could spend the last twenty minutes reminding Chris Wilder that our feelings towards each other are mutual. Long before either strike, Kieffer Moore was flagged offside in Leeds’ penalty area. Despite the game being stopped, Illan Meslier raced to kick Moore’s shot off the line, determined to make sure he was going to end this Friday night with the cleanest of sheets.

Through gritted teeth, Wilder said Leeds were “a different animal”: “We haven’t played anyone of this calibre.” He added that he’d studied Southampton’s win over Leeds in the play-off final and attempted to replicate their game plan, a useful explanation that enlightened all of Yorkshire, given nobody knew what the fuck Sheffield United were trying to do while watching the game. Again, it’s a compliment to Leeds. The visitors arrived at Elland Road unbeaten in the league, having not conceded a goal since August, but still felt like they were the ones who needed to change what they’ve been doing to have any chance of getting a result. To steal a phrase from Marcelo Bielsa: in this division, Leeds are the protagonists.

They have been in every game this season, whatever the result, but never better than against Sheffield United. Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk were imperious in defence, the former relishing the physical battle with Moore and the latter pocketing Callum O’Hare into anonymity. They shared a big hug with Meslier at the final whistle, having protected their goalkeeper from any demons lingering in the back of his mind from his mistake at Sunderland. In front of the defence, Ao Tanaka and Joe Rothwell in particular were the stars of the show, snapping into tackles and moving the ball quickly and classily. Leeds’ two best chances of the first half began with Rothwell setting off from a standing start around the halfway line and driving towards the opponents’ goal, Largie Ramazani clipping the post on the first occasion and the second ending with Brenden Aaronson volleying high and wide.

With Aaronson starting the second half by volleying another chance harmlessly over the bar, the solitary criticism of the first hour could be of Leeds’ finishing, only for Struijk to step up and show everyone how it’s done from the most unlikely of sources. Struijk said afterwards that Rothwell’s low corner was a piece of “improvisation”, and maybe a free jazz approach was the only idea left that Leeds hadn’t tried from a set-piece — for both the delivery and the finish. “It comes a little bit off my shin, I have to be honest,” Struijk said, “but top bins is top bins.”

His finish meant Dan James and Manor Solomon’s first involvements after coming off the bench were to join the celebrations in front of the Kop, while Mateo Joseph’s subsequent introduction helped Leeds keep their shape in response to Sheffield United changing their own formation in a desperate attempt to find an equaliser. They had the ball, but couldn’t do anything with it, until Joseph put them out of their misery by finishing off Joel Piroe’s pass and celebrated his 21st birthday a few hours early with a giddy belly flop in front of the North-West corner. While Joseph got the acclaim, Piroe’s through ball means he averages a goal or assist every 56 minutes in the Championship this season. Watching him stroll from inside Leeds’ half and casually put Joseph in on goal made me think Aaronson could help himself by learning from Piroe and relaxing a bit more. Aaronson’s effort can’t be faulted, but he remains a scatty bundle of nervous energy, whereas in good times and bad Piroe benefits from being so laid back he could fall asleep on a clothesline.

Wilder’s humility afterwards didn’t last long before he started crowing about the cost of Leeds’ squad. “The chief exec has already mentioned it,” he said, “[they have] the highest wage bill in Championship history.” I already knew Wilder was obsessed with Leeds, but I never knew he was so obsessed he’s been listening to TSB’s interview with Angus Kinnear. It also spectacularly misses the point. As Johan Cruyff once said: “I’ve never seen a bag of money score a goal.” The goalscorers that did for Sheffield United were signed by Leeds as teenagers for minimal fees. Ever the pauper, Wilder turned to £23m striker Rhian Brewster from the bench. It’s not our fault he hasn’t scored for two years. As usual, it was left to Daniel Farke to sum up a perfect night far more sensibly than Wilder ever could: “Happy days.”