Mighty Leeds Weblog

Leeds United were always expected to lose to Manchester City and the 3-1 scoreline did flatter them a little, but it was not a night of entirely lost causes at Elland Road. By Graham Smyth There were a few performances of note that gave the hosts positives to cling to ahead of a tricky trip to Newcastle United – including that of the returning-from-illness Illan Meslier. Without the Frenchman’s interventions, Leeds could easily have stared down the barrel of a rout and it took just 40 seconds for the goalkeeper’s importance to show. Not everyone in White covered themselves in glory, however. Here’s the YEP take on an inevitably difficult evening, as Premier League football made its return to LS11. Good day Willy Gnonto It's very difficult to see how Jack Harrison gets his place back with Gnonto playing as he did against Manchester City. The 'Premier League ready' debate was put to bed as he ran at Manchester City defenders, went past them and drew fouls in dange...

SEEING a glut of goals at Leeds United's Yuletide matches had been becoming a bit of a Christmas ‘tradition’ alongside roast turkey and all the trimmings, mince pies and mulled wine. By Leon Wobschall Last December, United let in seven to Wednesday's feted visitors alongside four against Arsenal. In the previous festive season in 2020, they conceded six at Manchester United, but did counterbalance things with five of their own against Newcastle and West Brom respectively. This was a night when Manchester City scored a mere three times, although it probably should have been several more. Before the decorations went up this year, the numbers were ominous in truth regarding the defensive concessions of Leeds, who have now eclipsed their worst Premier League tally of 70 in a calendar year set in 2003. Leeds shipped a combined total of seven goals in chaotic games with Spurs and Bournemouth ahead of the World Cup hiatus before even bumping into someone special in the opp...

Manchester City beat Leeds 3-1 at Elland Road on Wednesday night. By NEIL SQUIRES Erling Haaland is carrying on where he left off before being rudely interrupted by a World Cup he wasn’t invited to. The Norwegian followed up his Carabao Cup goal against Liverpool with a second-half double on Wednesday night as Manchester City cut the gap at the top of the Premier League to five points with victory in his home city of Leeds. In front of watching father Alf-Inge, once of the United parish, Haaland took his tally to 26 goals in 19 games this season as the champions exposed the gulf in class between the two sides. Leeds manager Jesse Marsch, who played a hand in Haaland’s development at Red Bull Salzburg, could only wish for such playing riches. Haaland could have scored inside a minute as he outpaced the Leeds defence only for Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier, passed fit to start after a bout of glandular fever, to thwart him with a flailing left hand. He sprang the Leeds defence ju...

CHONKY Written by: Moxcowhite • Daniel Chapman When Kalvin Phillips, the Leeds born and raised midfielder, scored the winner in Leeds United’s centenary celebration match against Birmingham City in October 2019, manager Marcelo Bielsa described the moment as a gift from god. “Sometimes, God puts things in the right place,” he said, and while there had been no better candidate for scoring that goal than Kalvin, it felt like a touch of the divine was needed for the right thing to be done. Leeds United’s history has rarely been about the right things falling into the right places. Since Phillips went over the Pennines to join Manchester City this summer, Bielsa’s words have allowed different interpretations. Maybe the right place for Kalvin was Leeds all along, because Manchester sure hasn’t looked like home from home for him so far. Or maybe it was about the level that goal was scored at, and the Championship was where Phillips belonged. Or perhaps this is a question of which deity...

Leeds United will be entitled to World Cup payments from FIFA for the involvement of any Whites player in the tournament, along with summer departures Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha. By Graham Smyth The game’s governing body has revealed it will distribute a sum of £189m to clubs around the world whose players take part in the Qatar tournament this winter. Details were confirmed on Tuesday, with clubs set to earn approximately £9,000 per player for each day they remain with their international side. Payments will begin on the first day of each country’s preparations and last until the player and his nation are either knocked out or reach the final. A total of 416 clubs from 63 countries benefited financially from the programme for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Any player who goes all the way to the final could earn their club a share of £250,000 minimum, a sum that accounts for the 28 days the tournament is scheduled to last. Jesse Marsch’s Leeds United squad boasts several pla...

YOUR PREACHER TEACHER Written by: Moxcowhite • Daniel Chapman We’ve got transfers, or at least some of them, and new kits, whether you can buy them or want to or not. We’ve got people confused about newfangled tickets and a fixture list already being transformed by the broadcasters (and other clubs’ tawdry Europa League affairs) into months of Sundays. What’s missing, ahead of Saturday’s big kick-off? On Thursday morning you could have said, Jesse Marsch’s pre-match press conference, but by afternoon, we got that too. He began with his usual rundown of injury updates, spoke about his sadness at letting Raphinha and particularly Kalvin Phillips go, his belief in the new guys, and gave some hints about the season ahead without getting too caught up in making predictions or promises no football manager can keep. If there’s been a theme developing through Jesse’s press work this summer, it’s that this coming season Leeds can play under him without the “stress” that characterised his ...

Jesse Marsch has outlined his long term hope for his and Leeds United's future - and his wish for the recently departed Whites hero Kalvin Phillips. By Lee Sobot Marsch is now less than one month away from beginning his first full season at the Whites having been appointed as Marcelo Bielsa's successor at the end of February. American boss Marsch was named as the club's new head coach after Bielsa was sacked with Leeds hovering above the Premier League drop zone which Marsch's side then occupied heading into the final day of the campaign. However, a final day 2-1 victory at Brentford sealed United's top-flight survival as Burnley dropped into the bottom three by blowing their lines in a 2-1 loss at home to Newcastle United. Leeds are now approaching their third season back in the Premier League and the Whites have already signed six players this summer in the shape of Brenden Aaronson, Rasmus Kristensen, Marc Roca, Darko Gyabi, Tyler Adams and Luis Siniste...

Kalvin Phillips has paid tribute to Leeds United supporters as "the best fans in the world" after leaving the club to join Manchester City. In an emotional open letter, Phillips also hailed Marcelo Bielsa as "the best manager I have ever come across". The 26-year-old midfielder has signed a six-year deal with the Premier League champions, for a fee thought to be in the region of £45million. Addressing the Elland Road faithful directly, he said: "You are the best fans in the world. I love you all and will miss you." Phillips was at Leeds for 12 years, having joined at the age of 14, during which time he helped them win promotion to the Premier League and became a fixture in the England squad which made the final of Euro 2020. In his letter, Phillips says: "I would like to express how much of a privilege it has been to play for this amazing club. "Since making my debut at 17 it has been a journey any Leeds lad could wish for." Ph...

Kalvin Phillips has completed a big money move to Man City after a lengthy period of speculation. By Jason Jones Leeds United have delivered a heartfelt message to departing midfielder Kalvin Phillips after his long-anticipated transfer to Manchester City was confirmed on Monday morning. The 26-year-old leaves his boyhood club after amassing 234 senior appearances and 14 goals, as well as earning 23 caps for England. Phillips has penned a six-year deal with the Premier League champions, with City paying an initial £42 million for the player, rising to £45 million with add-ons - although Leeds believe the deal will eventually be worth closer to £50 million. He will wear the number 4 shirt for Pep Guardiola’s side. The midfielder joined the Whites at the age of 14, and made his first team debut in April 2015. With the arrival of Marcelo Bielsa came a positional change that allowed him to cement his place as one of Leeds’ most influential performers, and Phillips would go on t...

Manchester City CONFIRM the £45m signing of Kalvin Phillips from Leeds United on a six-year deal as the midfielder joins Erling Haaland at the Etihad this summer with Pep Guardiola preparing for another title challenge Manchester City have announced the signing of Kalvin Phillips from Leeds The 26-year-old makes the move on a six-year deal from his boyhood club The Premier League champions agreed a £45million fee with Leeds last month Midfielder is Pep Guardiola's second signing this summer after Erling Haaland By ISABEL BALDWIN Manchester City have confirmed the £45million signing of Kalvin Phillips from Leeds United on a six-year deal. The midfielder is the third arrival at the Etihad this summer after Erling Haaland's £51million move from Borussia Dortmund and the free transfer of goalkeeper Stefan Ortega as Pep Guardiola brings in reinforcements ahead of City's Premier League title defence. The 26-year-old will wear the No 4 shirt at the Etihad following...

Leeds United are poised to complete their fourth signing of the summer today as star man Kalvin Phillips also completes his move to Manchester City. By Lee Sobot England international star Phillips had his medical with City on Friday and the official announcement of the deal for Pep Guardiola's side to sign the 26-year-old midfielder is expected at some point on Monday. City are expected to pay £42m - rising to £45m with add-ons - and Leeds are looking to sign a new first-team defensive central midfielder to replace the outgoing Phillips. RB Leipzig's Tyler Adams and RB Salzburg's Mohamed Camara are two of the options that United are keen on. In the meantime, the Whites are adding a highly rated young centre midfield prospect to their ranks in the shape of 18-year-old Darko Gyabi from Manchester City for £5m. Gyabi also had his medical with Leeds on Friday and the announcement of the young midfielder's signature is also expected on Monday.

The whereabouts of Victor Orta during transfer windows has become a point of fascination for Leeds United fans and a source of amusement for the director of football. By Graham Smyth Last week the Spaniard was photographed, not by the press but a fan, in an airport lounge awaiting a flight to Belgium. It has become a routine occurrence and another quirk of the summer for the Whites, akin to new players being spotted and caught on camera as they arrive at Elland Road to sign or new kits being leaked. The past week has been a busy, dizzying one for Orta, and it has not been uncommon for him to visit two countries in a single day in pursuit of the players Leeds will sign once the expected Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha money comes in. Orta has lined up three of his top targets and back-up options for the positions in which the squad will most need strengthening once Manchester City capture Phillips and the Raphinha saga is brought to a close. Phillips had his medical at the Etihad o...

Sky Sports News senior reporter Tim Thornton examines the challenges Jesse Marsch faces with his two best players set to leave the club this summer By Tim Thornton Sky Sports News senior reporter Tim Thornton examines what's next for Leeds with stars Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips set to leave the club this summer... Leeds have been fully aware these moves could happen for a while. They even knew last summer that Marcelo Bielsa could leave the club. In January, they managed to fight off interest and keep Phillips and Raphinha and they've been planning ever since. They've already made three signings this summer in Brenden Aaronson, Rasmus Kristensen and Marc Roca. Those players would have signed regardless, but there's money in the kitty now. We expect Leeds to move quickly and bring new players to the club: another midfielder, a winger and a striker to play alongside Patrick Bamford as Jesse Marsch likes to play two up front. Leeds paid £16m for Raphinha and w...

The longer Jesse Marsch’s 12-game stint as Leeds United coach went on last season, the more the Whites started to look like a Marcelo Bielsa team – at least in terms of shape. By Stuart Rayner But given what the American inherited, 2021-22 was just about doing the necessary to stay in the Premier League. Having narrowly achieved that, the season to come will be more about doing it his way. And whilst many Leeds fans might prefer to replicate Bielsaball, at least Marsch looks like being given the tools he needs. Kalvin Phillips’s imminent departure to Manchester City, followed by Raphinha’s sale – which seems a lot more inevitable than his destination – will take away Bielsa’s two star performers. A broken leg will deprive them of stalwart Stuart Dallas, and Luke Ayling may not be back from surgery when the new campaign kicks off on August 6. Patrick Bamford seems certain to face greater competition, even beyond improving 20-year-olds Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood. The team i...

Victor Orta's shortlist of defensive midfielders stands at three but no matter the names on the list, no one can be the new Kalvin Phillips at Leeds United. By Graham Smyth Mercifully, that won't be asked of whoever Orta brings in this summer, in the wake of Phillips' now certain departure for Manchester City. News of an agreement between the English champions and the Whites was long feared and heavily expected yet still landed like a bombshell, leaving a crater that quickly became filled with sadness and concern. Losing Raphinha will be difficult because he's such a good player and so much fun to watch. Saying goodbye to Phillips, however, is different and will lead to a grieving process for fans who have watched him grow up from a box-to-box Championship midfielder to a fully fledged Premier League defensive destroyer and England international. Phillips is one of their own. Watching him dump attackers on the Etihad turf in sky blue will be like losing a limb a...

Leeds United are currently speaking to three potential replacements for Kalvin Phillips, including RB Leipzig's Tyler Adams. By Graham Smyth Manchester City are expected to complete their pursuit of Phillips when he returns from his holiday and the YEP understands Whites director of football Victor Orta is talking to a trio he believes could come in this summer. American international Adams is high up on Orta's list and has worked with Leeds head coach Jesse Marsch twice previously, at New York Red Bulls and RB Leipzig. Adams, 23, moved to the Bundesliga to reunite with Marsch in January 2019 and has racked up 102 appearances for Leipzig, 14 of which have come in the Champions League. The 19-cap midfielder, previously linked to Arsenal, has shown versatility with stints at right-back and on the right side of midfield, but the deep-lying position that Phillips made his own at Elland Road is where Adams has played the vast majority of his football. His fellow Red Bull...