Mighty Leeds Weblog

BUDDIES Written by: Moxcowhite • Daniel Chapman A Friday night friendly with a bigger than Steve Evans’ era crowd and a similar glum feeling of trying to think of something better to do and not coming up with an answer worth dwelling on. Take Mateusz Klich, or Brenden Aaronson and Rasmus Kristensen, or Tyler Adams on the sideline, all hearing whispering from the back of their mind about how if things had been a little different, in their pride and imagination by just a tiny degree, they would have a game in Qatar on Sunday instead of this in Beeston on Friday. This was football but not as we’ve been seeing it for the last six weeks, overscheduled and overheated beamed into the comfort of your home four times a day, hypnotic LED visions of sundrenched stadiums with vast air-conditioning systems blasting cash sickness into the faces of the best players in the world. David Silva, a World Cup winner and Premier League champion, the best player here, looked cold. He tapdanced on the b...

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 continued their build-up towards the resumption of the Premier League season with a 2-1 victory against La Liga highflyers Real Sociedad at Elland Road as Pascal Struijk and Rodrigo netted a goal apiece. Lee Sobot Whites boss Jesse Marsch welcomed back two of United's three World Cup stars as Denmark international Rasmus Kristensen and the USA's Brenden Aaronson both started. Mateusz Klich also came into the side that started last Thursday's friendly at Elche but USA international star Tyler Adams was once again not involved after his heavy involvement in Qatar. Leeds also remained without injured octet Patrick Bamford, Luis Sinisterra, Robin Koch, Diego Llorente, Junior Firpo, Crysencio Summerville and Stuart Dallas plus Illan Meslier who has been suffering with glandular fever. But nine players missing then became ten as news filtered through that Jack Harrison, who had been named in the XI, would miss out due to experiencing a bit of tightness in the w...