Norwich & Sheffield United Miss Out on Wembley; Leeds Still in the Mix – by Rob Atkinson


This heavily disguised lament is brought to you from deep within the tortured soul of Glass Half Full Productions Inc. Apologies for the late hour. I’ve been speechless with disappointment.

Congratulations though to all Canaries and Blades out there; your teams both did it when it mattered.

Keep the Faith, you mighty White Army – I know it’s not easy.

Marching on Together.

44 responses to “Norwich & Sheffield United Miss Out on Wembley; Leeds Still in the Mix – by Rob Atkinson

  1. steve Emsley

    Rob its never easy supporting LUFC that’s why the fans are so loyal and Passionate though MOT

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  2. 1955southwesterly

    All season across most websites Leeds fans have been revelling in the fact that we travel to away fixtures with great support and have filled ER . Claiming also that it is the “other teams cup final”. Using that as a reason , no, excuse for QPR type performances.
    Well it is now the time, it is the other teams cup semi final, but it’s also ours, this is what it’s come down to.
    No excuses, cup semifinal………ours!!!!!!!

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  3. Philip of Spain.

    It’s hard to take but it’s time for us to win a knockout completion, it’s in the stars!!

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  4. kevin matthew barry

    Gotta stay positive guys……the last time Leeds Utd won a major trophy at Wembley was the FA cup in it’s centenary year,,,,,it’s our centenary this year if if we reach the play-off final the stars will be aligned in our favour.

    MOT.

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  5. Samuel Coley

    The truth is we have lost 9 times since Christmas and that is not the form of a team who get promoted. Bielsa had managed to get this team playing some excellent football at times but additions are needed for next season. You never know , if three performances in the play-offs comparable to those produced against Derby , West Bromwich etc are produced we might all be celebrating anyway. Here’s hoping. MOT.

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  6. Well done indeed through gritted teeth. Norwich and the Blunts have indeed deserved it.
    Time now to focus on a massive opportunity and be thankful that there are none of those pesky teams like QPR, Brum or Hull in the play offs

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  7. Life is LUFC

    Ohhh Thump! We have one last chance left now and I hope the lads embrace it and go out there and do the real business. Talk about doing everything the hard way. Me nerves are in shreds and me fingers nails no longer exist. Why do we do this to ourselves…….because we all love Leeds through thick and thin that’s why. ALAW

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    • Guess what – I’m quite looking forward to another Championship campaign, another season where were the big fish in a small pond 👍

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      • Johnny Bangkok

        I think it would be a lot easier if Bielsa stays as I am sure he would make the necessary changes to improve our “efficiency” and get auto promotion but if he leaves I fear for our chances to get out of this league next year..

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  8. I feel happy today Rob, whatever happens!
    We have had a fantastic season of exciting football, most of the time.
    No kick and rush, time wasting or a negative approach.
    So many things have gone against us, with weak refs
    and devastating injuries.
    A squad trimmed down to the bare bones.
    A fantastic manager, and the best supporters in Football.
    The January window was the only blot on our ambition, and is still a mystery to me.
    I really hope we can keep Mr Bielsa, but he will demand a big shake up & more of a say in choosing players.
    The play-offs beckon, and I hope the team plays with confidence, and without fear.

    MOT!!!

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  9. Kevinmichael1938@gmail.com

    Lets keep our hopes alive it would great to get promoted through the play off final at Wembley it will be like a fantastic day for us.

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  10. Congratulations to Norwich and Sheffield on reaching the Premier League. No disrespect to these teams, but they will always be small teams, that will play to stop up. They will never be big clubs, they don’t have the fan base. When we get up we will be a team that can compete at the top end, a team that can attract better standard of players than teams of less standing in the game. Whatever happens this season we have had a great season, playing some of the best football that the Championship has seen, and a team that set the pace for most of the season.

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    • Peter Robinson

      Nige, NUFC don’t have a decent fan base ? How many did you take to Wigan this year – half an hour over the Pennines ? We took 5,300 on a 500 mile round trip for a Sunday lunchtime kick off when we could have stayed at home and watched it on the tele. We have sold our stadium out for the last ten years and we can’t get a season tiocket for love nor money. We may not have the biggest capacity stadium but please don’t confuse that with the actual number of fans because we’re out here – we just can’t get to watch games. That doesn’t preclude us from being fans and being part of the ‘fan base’. Don’t forget, we were founder members of the Premier League having been in the old First division for 19 seasons out of 20 at the time. Recent times have not been kind to either of us but we are up and you have blown up … again. I think I would rather support a team which delivers than one which used to deliver but have forgotten how to now.

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      • Does he mean ncfc?

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      • Peter Robinson, I don’t recall how many fans we took to Wigan, I would imagine that we took as many as we were allowed, we usually sell all of our allocation. We took 15,000 to Tranmere while in league one, will that do for you?

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  11. It would help if I remembered the inititals of my own team – Old Finger Syndrome kicked in above, but I’m sure you realised that I was talking about Norwich City and not the slightly more lowly Norwich United.

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    • I did wonder. If it had been Newcastle, I was going to say I’d rather support a team that’s won the League Title within the last 92 years. Seeing as it’s Norwich, I’ll amend “within the last 92 years” to “ever”.

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  12. Well at least the term “doing a Leeds” won’t be a referral to club’s imploding after spending beyond their means. Oh no, “Doing A Leeds” will now mean any club that stay in the top two for most of the season yet fails to get promoted.

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    • Let’s leave that till the fat lady sings.

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      • We got sussed a long time ago. Teams can sit back and “Rope a Dope” us now. Unless Marcello has a change of heart with formation and a few of the personnel then theres no chance in hell that that team is getting past West Brom,Villa or Boro etc. It all looks very pretty the fannying about in and around the opposition box but its all show and no blow. I would obviously love to be proven wrong but we’re not going up now.

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      • I’ll keep my powder dry for now, but I won’t claim to be wildly optimistic.

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  13. My head’s all over the place.
    Well done united and City (that’s Sheffield and Norwich not their name sakes from the wrong side of the country).
    Believe it or not Leeds can still be promoted!
    We’ve beaten all the current play off contenders so have nothing to fear.
    I hear what you say about the championship Rob but, staying down will probably mean losing some players(probably to bloody Norwich again)! Keep the faith and as ever MOT.

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  14. Respect to Bielsa. His instruction was gentlemanly, and within the spirit of the game. Unusual for Leeds, yet perhaps this will change people’s perception of you. Me, I’ll look forward to you coming to Oakwell if we go up, I’d prefer you to go up if I’m honest than the Blades.

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    • The more I reflect on it, the dafter it seems. Not a head injury and the ref played on. It was only the hysterical reaction of the Villa players that led to what followed. If you come up and we stay down, it’ll be good to meet Barnsley again 👍

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  15. Well done Sheffield and Norwich.. I’m not in my way confident about the playoffs but thats down to history. However.We all know there have been questionable decisions on all fronts, but I refuse, unlike some to just moan, criticise, slag off and look for scapegoats. This season has been one of the best for a long time and it’s a crying shame that there are those who cannot wait to really put the knife in. I notice that the same people over the season have choked trying to give a complement. It’s still alive, the dream and what a dream it would be if it was fulfilled in a sell out Wembley Stadium. What a fitting stage for our lads who have given us a brilliant time and a coach who today demonstrated to the football world what a true gentleman, modesty personified and a credit to this sport. We are Leeds, Bielsa is Leeds

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  16. Pinch me Rob….I’ve woken up excited as this brilliant team has a real chance of a trip to Wembley!

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  17. Grenville Hair

    The writing was on the wall when the fixtures flipped – in the second half of the season Bielsa had been worked out, which is why (and I said so at the time) being top at Christmas counted for nothing. Teams realised they could suffocate us. He’s done wonders with a deeply average squad, of course, but the truth is as it ever was – a simple unwillingness on the part of the owners to invest in proven, quality players. Wilkinson was given the money to do that and that enabled the Leeds team of that era to get over the fact that we are everyone else’s cup final in this division. Would Hull have laid down before Leeds as they did before the Blunts? I don’t think so somehow.

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  18. Easter was a nightmare but i feel we can do it at wembley. We have beaten all possible opponents can’t wait to put Fwankie in his place. If so i’ll be at wembley we are a BIG club we deserve this it’s been best season in years believe lads! Can’t even think of the alternative…
    One last thing. Would Villa have done same, give us a goal? I very much doubt it!

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  19. We’re the famous Leeds United and we’re going to Wemberley … we are Premier League ! ! ! MOT ALAW ps. sorry but I can’t bring myself to congratulate 1. a team that scores then goes 7 at the back 2. a team that picks up a crap player ( who couldn’t even score into double figures playing for Celtic) who had an extraordinary season. I am Leeds, you are Leeds, WE ARE LEEDS

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  20. Hi Rob,
    Come on, I’m dying to hear your take on the Villa game – Grielish and all!

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  21. Andy Hinks

    good luck to the blunts & canaries in their quest to finish fourth bottom next season, another couple of mickey mouse clubs to add to “the premier league?….my arse!

    its because we are everybody’s cup final every game, why we lost those games when you have it easy as they lay down & die for you! always been that way even when were lolling about in mid-table season after season & if we don’t go up thru the play-offs will be the same again next season!

    try not to be to jealous just enjoy the fight for fourth bottom as your only ambition to match the size of your club!

    Kent white since 1969!

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  22. Life is LUFC

    Was I watching the right match Leeds v ? (make your own name up but they wear blue and dark red kit and reside in the west midlands)
    Rubbish ref who probably thought he was on come dancing and is still trying to work out what a football was doing on the dance floor.
    Then this chap falls over and rolls about on the ground (ref probably thought it was a ghost). A young chap wearing white looks to the ref but he makes no effort to stop the dance so the two lads in white carry on dancing and put the ball in the back of the net. I’m OK up to that point.
    All hell then breaks loose, there’s red and yellow cards flying around like confetti and the only person on that pitch that does anything to take the heat out of the situation is the whites manger. The other lot pause their sulking but are not happy about the red card and start the sulking, threatening hell and damnation.
    I think they won the game when all is said and done even though the white team played to the rules and finished up loosing out all round.
    The moral being your “Damned Leeds United if you do and your Damned Leeds United if you don’t” obey the rules and bring the game into disrepute.
    The FA/EFL they are just a bunch of corrupt T055ERS who would not know what fairness was if they fell over it and broke their necks.
    WACCOE, ALAW, WAL, MOT the best team on this planet bar none.

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  23. Hi Rob, was hoping you had wrote about the Leeds villa game, however I’ll put my comment on here.
    The game was a nothing game, meant sod all as we weren’t getting auto promotion after the run of games we had blown.
    On the other side (fingers crossed) we play fwankie’s derby in the playoffs beat them again (boring I know) then set up a final against Villa which we won’t be giving them a FREE goal. Let’s keep the faith. Marching on together

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    • Derby would worry me. It’s not usually ideal to face a team you’ve twice beaten comfortably. Karma could bite us on the arse. As for the Villa game, I’m still bloody speechless, though I may well deal with the match and the fallout in my next Evening Post column. It’d be too tempting to swear and be libellous here.

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  24. king sniffer

    Just seen that Villa scored earlier in the season when one of the Stoke players went down injured. That needs to get bombarded across social media to everyone with a Villa connection. Hypocrisy and duplicity is rife. Whoever plays Villa in the semi final, beware; Hourihane has a licence to grab and punch opposing players without any consequence. Grealish plays by the rules of no touch football unless he decides to make a tackle himself. Oh, and there’s a good chance the referee will blow his whistle for half time if you are just about to put a cross into their box.

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  25. Stephen Farrer

    Rob,

    Missing your LUFC news and thoughts…

    Steve Farrer

    On Sat, Apr 27, 2019 at 7:14 PM Life, Leeds United, the Universe & Everything wrote:

    > Rob Atkinson posted: ” This heavily disguised lament is brought to you > from deep within the tortured soul of Glass Half Full Productions Inc. > Apologies for the late hour. I’ve been speechless with disappointment. > Congratulations though to all Canaries and Blades out there; y” >

    Like

  26. Manston White

    It’s really getting obvious now. BBC has it as headline news Bamford banned on main news page. Not sport but headline news! Gotta laugh at the pathetic attempt to spotlight Leeds.

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  27. James Rigby

    Come on lads lets stay positive. We all know we never do things the easy way so lets just get behind the team and get the job done.

    Only thing that worries me is that the team only played well against villa because the result didn’t matter (same again against Ipswich), and when we start the play-offs the team might freeze again…but sod it – lets bloody do it! mot

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