Leeds United Chat • Sunday’s game against Sheffield United is the bread and butter Leeds need to be winning
This seasons opening game at Anfield felt like a free shot. A chance to showcase Bielsaball on the biggest stage and show the world what we could do, and we won plenty of admirers in the process. Jürgen Klopp won’t have been the only one saying “Wow!” after that game had finished. On the flip side, last weekends game against Fulham felt like one we should win. If we are to survive in the Premier League this season, we need to beat the teams down the bottom end of the table and you’d think Fulham would be one of those. It was tense in the end but beat them we did securing our first important three points in the Premier League in the process.
And so, we come to this weekends game. A Yorkshire derby sure, with all the emotion and passion that entails, but realistically it is a game we need to win if we are to hold our own this season. Sheffield United are last years men, the surprise package that everyone delighted in seeing climbing up the table, but this season is already looking like that difficult second album. Defeat to Wolves at Bramall Lane on the opening weekend followed by a one nil loss to Villa on Monday evening leaves Chris Wilder’s men pointless, languishing towards the bottom of the table.
Whilst Leeds will even take confidence from their performance at Liverpool and especially from their first victory at Elland Road on Saturday against Fulham, Sheffield United will go into the weekend lacking confidence, still anxiously searching out their first points. Especially with defender John Egan suspended following his sending off at Villa Park. The second season was always going to be tougher for them and they will most likely find themselves scrapping in the middle of the table this season rather than reaching for the European places.
It’s these fixtures against the mid-table teams that will decide Leeds United’s season. Results against the likes of Sheffield United, Palace, West Ham, Aston Villa, Brighton and Manchester United will ultimately determine whether it is a successful one or not. Survival is key of course, but Marcelo Bielsa is not a man to settle for survival and Andrea Radrizzani will be keen to maximise Leeds United’s profile for both investors and top players alike. If Leeds are to achieve anything this season, Sunday’s game feels like the kind of bread and butter fixture we need be winning.