Mighty Leeds Weblog

Leeds United's Tour of Australia has come to an end after a hectic two weeks of matches, travelling and supporter events. By Graham Smyth The Whites picked up a win over Brisbane Roar on the Gold Coast, lost to Aston Villa in Brisbane and drew with Crystal Palace in Perth. Jesse Marsch and his men met dignitaries, locals, koalas and hundreds, if not thousands of fans while Down Under. Here are the YEP tour awards and some highlights of a memorable fortnight in Oz. Player of the Tour Robin Koch was solid throughout and Joe Gelhardt showed how dangerous he is and how hard he's going to push for minutes this season but for consistency and first impressions you cannot look past Rasmus Kristensen. The Danish international is a big character and a big presence on the right hand side. His aerial prowess was useful in both halves of the pitch and he bombed up and down throughout the games. He looked sharp in training too and fully bedded in with the rest of the squad. T...

Determining Leeds United's size, stature and standing in the Premier League on their Australian tour has depended entirely on perspective. By Graham Smyth Up close, in the lager-infused frenzy of fan events in Gold Coast, Brisbane and Perth, as Whites from all over Oz mingled with their travelling UK, Singaporean and Malaysian counterparts, Leeds looked like a big deal. The intensity of the following Down Under has more than met the expectations of new signings, all of whom cited the club's fanbase and history in their reasons for making summer moves. But even those in the travelling party with plenty of Elland Road experience have been caught by surprise during this trip, Pascal Struijk and Joe Gelhardt among those putting voice to that very thought. As more than 600 packed the Gage Roads Freo Brewery the night before the game against Crystal Palace to roar Gelhardt, Adam Forshaw, Marc Roca and Mateusz Klich onto the stage for a Q and A session, Leeds sounded like a bi...

Young Leeds United star Joe Gelhardt was pleased to get more minutes in the tank against Crystal Palace - but with one regret as the Whites looked to double their lead. By Lee Sobot Twenty-year-old forward Gelhardt replaced Whites no 9 Patrick Bamford during the interval of Friday's pre-season friendly against the Eagles in Perth which was goalless at the break. Jesse Marsch's side then went ahead 11 minutes after the restart as Rodrigo tucked home a penalty awarded for a foul on Crysencio Summerville and Leeds then pushed on in search of a second. After a brilliant through ball from Sam Greenwood, Gelhardt was left one-on-one with Eagles keeper Vicente Guaita and attempted to chip the Spaniard to double the Whites lead. Guaita, though, scrambled back tip Gelhardt's clever attempt just wide although the striker known as Joffy insists he should have laid on a pass for Crysencio Summerville who was running through to his right. Palace equalised shortly afterwards ...

Jesse Marsch entertained questions from Australian and British media following Leeds’ 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace on Friday By Graham Smyth Leeds United have a lot of work still to do ahead of the Premier League season but it's not a new experience for head coach Jesse Marsch. Speaking after a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace to end a three-game pre-season tour of Australia, Marsch admitted the Whites aren't exactly where he wants them. He insisted, however, that the performance against the Eagles looked more like the football he's trying to get them to play and he has confidence ahead of the campaign. "I don't know how many years I've been a manager now but I've literally never come out of pre-season and gone into the season feeling like we're ready," he said. "It's just the reality. It's an ongoing process. But you know, from day one, the work and the concentration from this group of players has always allowed us to, day by ...

Striker Patrick Bamford has saluted the latest chapter in his Leeds United comeback against Crystal Palace after a Whites change of plan. By Lee Sobot Bamford endured a torrid run with injuries during the 2021-22 campaign but started his second game in succession in Friday's friendly against the Eagles at the Optus Stadium in Perth. The no 9 said the initial intention was to play 90 minutes with a view to staging another match against Palace for those less involved the next day but that the large number of absentees in the Eagles squad had led to a rethink. On a bumpy pitch, Leeds went ahead in the 56th minute through a Rodrigo penalty awarded after Crysencio Summerville was fouled but Palace levelled 11 minutes later as Jean-Philippe Mateta tapped home from a rapid counter. "It was slippy!" smiled Bamford on LUTV, providing his post-match thoughts. 🤞 Fingers crossed. #lufc https://t.co/jmnYeyNWji — Leeds United News (@LeedsUnitedYEP) July 22, 2022 "B...

Leeds United were denied victory in their final friendly in Australia against Crystal Palace as a rapid Eagles counter attack sealed a 1-1 draw at the Optus Stadium in Perth By Lee Sobot Jesse Marsch's side went ahead in the 55th minute through an ice-cool penalty from Rodrigo which was given after Crysencio Summerville was fouled. Palace, though, equalised 12 minutes later through Jean-Philippe Mateta who was left with a tap in from a rapid Eagles break from a Whites corner. Leeds were also hit with a fresh injury blow as the Whites lost summer signing Luis Sinisterra to what appeared to be a hamstring injury. In a niggly and ill-tempered contest featuring several yellow cards, Adam Forshaw was also withdrawn after just 33 minutes. Leeds began brightly and Patrick Bamford intercepted a back pass but then strayed offside before firing wide after Sinisterra attempted to play him through on goal. At the other end, Odsonne Edouard scuffed an attempt at a spectacular acro...

Leeds United were dealt a fresh injury blow in the early stages of Friday morning's pre-season friendly against Crystal Palace in Perth. By Lee Sobot Summer signing Luis Sinisterra was handed his first Whites start in the fixture but the Colombian international went to ground off the ball in the 12th minute, holding his left hamstring whilst laid down on the turf . The 23-year-old then received treatment on the pitch but the winger was unable to continue and hobbled off with his arm around club doctor Rishi Dhand. Rodrigo was brought on in Sinisterra's place as the winger headed down the tunnel with United's head of medicine and performance Rob Price. The contest became increasingly scrappy and niggly as Diego Llorente, David Ozoh and Joachim Andersen were all booked. Ozoh was carded for a high boot challenge on Adam Forshaw who took several hits and Forshaw was then taken off and replaced by Marc Roca in the 33rd minute.