Don’t forget – Jesus once wore the shirt
David Prutton, now a Sky Sports pundit but nicknamed “Jesus” by Leeds fans once upon a time, due to his startling resemblance to the alleged Son of God, might therefore be wryly amused by the fact that United’s automatic promotion hopes appeared to die on Good Friday. As yet, and with a barren Easter Monday visit to Brentford answering no prayers originating in and around LS11, there seems to be nary a sign of any resurrection for what was probably a misplaced optimism that we might find a straightforward path out of the EFL wilderness. Barring a miracle on a par with the loaves and fishes gig, it’s likely that Leeds United will, after all, have to settle for a play-offs lottery that has served them so ill on so many occasions in the past.
But, soft. Perhaps the time for despair is not yet nigh. Any neutral observer looking at the twists and turns taken by this season’s Championship promotion race will note that it’s been a consistently inconsistent affair, predictable only in its inscrutable unpredictability. You couldn’t have made it up, such observers would say, possibly gasping and throwing their hands in the air to signify outraged disbelief. If you were writing a script, they might add, you wouldn’t have dared include so many plot twists, for fear of being dismissed as some lunatic sensationalist with a bevy of bats in the belfry. Why, then, should we assume that all is done and dusted with two games yet to be played for each interested party? Why on earth would we now presume to predict an outcome that has from day one been so capriciously impossible to foresee?
Out of such perverse logic might appear the odd straw for fans of Leeds United eagerly to clutch with a fierce defiance born of pure desperation. Could Ipswich get a point at Bramall Lane while a depleted Leeds triumph over the division’s form team Aston Villa, leaving things on a last day knife-edge? Of course not. But then again, you might have argued as dismissively about ten man Wigan’s chances of overcoming a one goal deficit to beat the Championship’s best home ground team in Leeds. And you’d surely have bet against a QPR side that had lost seven on the bounce somehow defying the match stats to see our heroes off 1-0 the other week. All of which proves the truth of the old saw about not counting chickens before they’ve hatched.
Of course, in public, I’m maintaining a front of stoical resignation and predicting yet more play-off disappointment for my beloved Whites. My perceived sanity and any remaining shreds of credibility probably depend upon this outward display of common sense. But this little blog is my private fantasy land – and here, all things are possible until the actual point at which it can be shown they haven’t actually happened. So, just between you and me, gentle reader, I will cling on to my faint but still flickering hopes that a miracle could yet occur, and that we might yet see our favourites ascend to the Promised Land as of right, instead of having to trust to that fickle and Leeds-hating jade Lady Luck. You never know, it could still just happen.
Hell fire, friends – we might yet even win the Championship. The kind of roller-coaster script this year’s League has apparently followed might actually demand a properly daft denouement like that. Keep the faith.
Marching On Together
Life, Leeds United, the Universe & Everything 
Good read Rob. How many of us are having the same fantasy I wonder…..every single one of us is the answer. Do you think if we pool our power of thought all at the same time we could actually pull this fantasy off and make it work. Ah well another fantasy in the making Rob.
Come on Leeds, united we stand and united we win (I changed the last word because I want to be positive).
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Army Commando motto:
United We Conquer.
Never say die Rob
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Until the maths don’t stack up, there always a chance. Also our history in the play offs should have no influence if that is our route up.
Maybe just a couple of tweaks to the squad to rest some possibly jaded players?
Perhaps consider the likes of Shackleton and Brown plus one or two from the successful u23’s(although Bielsa is not one for tinkering)
A big call perhaps in such huge games but who knows? I certainly don’t.
All I know is Leeds haven’t been this enterprising and entertaining for years and we still have huge games to look forward to this season.
Let’s do it for Les Reed author of the best football anthem ever! MOT
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Oh how I wish I could convince myself to BELIEVE (in miracles) Rob but alas I am resigned to accepting that we have completely bottled and blown our best chance in years. We have fluffed our lines against much weaker sides who couldn’t buy a win for weeks until Bielsa’s Leeds rolled into town or failed miserably at “fortress” Elland Road. Conversely, Sheffield United are scoring for fun and keeping clean sheets despite suffering injuries/suspension to key players whilst we misfire on all cylinders
Sorry to be so defeatist Rob but my prediction is that we will suffer further humiliation by suffering defeat in the Play Off semi finals to none other than Frank Lampard’s Derby County to cries of “karma” from the Pride Park fans
The play offs are usually regarded as a lottery but Villa are nailed on to walk them this season and by comparison our form has been abysmally inconsistent for the past 2-3 months
Being top at Christmas was meant to almost guarantee promotion based on many years of previous stats but true to form we have bucked that trend so I guess we have to plan for at least another season in the Championship with or without Mr Bielsa and definitely without James, (what a costly waste of a January window that turned out to be)
Keeping things in perspective, Bielsa has brought many highs this season and ensured that our academy will be an effective production line for our club for years to come and I would have gladly accepted being within the promotion mix with 2 games to go but decades of disappointments and our repeated poor performances have left me seriously fearing another false dawn
PLEASE, PLEASE prove me wrong Mr Bielsa for I am your most unworthy yet long suffering disciple and my carer has told me to get a grip!
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Rob, you are of course entitled to dream that a miracle may happen, but we all know how likely that is. On Monday evening I was so deflated that I was convinced we were destined for another year in the Championship, but time softens the blow of two defeats when we really thought we could win. If we are to return to our rightful home in the Premiership then we’re going to have to win at Wembley, probably against the team who are surfing upwards on the back of a club record ten successive victories. It will take a win on Sunday against Villa to revive my confidence, so for me this is the key to how our season will finish. We are due some luck too. Time for the gaffer Bielsa to get the lads back on track. COME ON………………. MOT
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Hi Rob,
Like you looking for a miracle.
I may have found one.Ipswich have drawn 16 matches this season I think that is more than any other team. And we seem to play better against the better teams and records are there to be broken. Bamford hat trick 3.0 Then there would be two cup finals on the last day.🤞mot whatever happens.Been a great season.her indoors has still not forgiven me for the racket I made when the third went in against Blackburn.
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Sorry Rob…even a miracle result for Ipswich at Brammal Lane would just set us up for last day disappointment!
I’d argue that Sheff Utd finishing the job on Saturday would confirm our brilliant achievement of reaching the play offs.
Let’s focus on May and be thankful that there are no tricky games such as QPR, Birmingham or Wigan in store MOT
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My god Rob, that must have taken some writing, straws and clutching? . We all know what’s going to happen and that’s the play offs, I am actually in two minds as to hoping we lose to Villa, get them in the final then stuff em!! Sheffield losing or drawing to Ipswich at home won’t happen but I desperately hope so!!
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I’ve been down since Monday subdued by the fact we have missed out on auto but why cant sheff n Norwich lose their last two games in this league? Is it that impossible we can over turn our fortunes by smashing villa in the process and leave it till the last day?
Why not 🙂
I was young (ish) when we got relegated to league one n bates followed the rules by the way at the time as we were not “relegated” when entering admin (follow 15 point deduction in league one) another story haha
Fair play we had to win ten nil (ish lol) to survive but I had the hope
Cmon Leeds now this would be special
Shef n Norwich think there up regardless n we can still fight
Hope they are very complacent
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I predict we don’t get relegated. Nice One Rob its been a tough week
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I’m not a religious man Rob, but I find myself now praying that some post Easter miracle will be on it’s way. You never know, and as you say, no god fearing supporter would have put money on the results listed above; so why not more of the same. Even if this miracle occurs in the playoffs, I for one will not complain.
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The one and only thing that has cheered me up somewhat is the reasonable chance that Bielsa will be at the club next season come what may. This season has been unbelievable in the way we took the league by storm and totally unexpected. Whilst the elation and adrenalin rush was a great experience, it was somehow inevitable given our injury situation alone that this would not last. How many games have we gone into with the confidence of a comfortable victory, I cannot remember that far back. What I wish for does not sit well with what I believe will happen. We don’t have a Roy of the Rovers unfortunately.
This was never a one season objective if we are honest and it’s easy to pick fault, so easy. Marcelo Bielsa is a godsend and we are so lucky to have him. He loves the club and the fans and we love him. If it’s back to the drawing board then so be it. We get the players he needs, we keep our best young assets and he gets the funding, and we get a real proper pre season. For now, get behind the guys because they have given us one of the best seasons at this club for a long time
The dream is not dead, far from it. MOT
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Some words of encouragement from Bob Dylan:
“I ran into the fortune-teller
Who said, “beware of lightning that might strike”
I haven’t known peace and quiet
For so long I can’t remember what it’s like
There’s a lone soldier on the cross
Smoke pourin’ out of a boxcar door
You didn’t know it, you didn’t think it could be done
In the final end he won the wars
After losin’ every battle” ( – ;
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😎
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“Alleged” son of god?
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Call me a sceptic 🤨
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