Leeds United 1-0 Sunderland: Old dogs, new Tarik
We're always told results don't matter in pre-season, so if that's true, why can't we have some ten goal good times?
We're always told results don't matter in pre-season, so if that's true, why can't we have some ten goal good times?
Suddenly, the Championship's dread grudges resume beating under the floorboards. Next season could bring Millwall, Middlesbrough and Frank Lampard's Coventry together with Sunderland, all specific, irrational problems for Leeds United. Eight games you can afford to miss, right there.
A game, two goals, some players and a season of stories destined for the record books, one way or another. Leeds and Sunderland have plenty left to say to each other.
Pascal Struijk was wearing the most enormous unmovable grin you'll ever see on a footballer. A lot of football had to happen over a long time for that smile to get that wide.
Fans will always be reassessing and reshuffling their chosen memories for as long as there is more football, and I guess more podcasts. In the meantime, Joel Piroe scored a great header.
No Leeds fan wants Illan Meslier to do... do that again. But every game is a kind of waiting to see if someone does.
Howard Wilkinson was never afraid that his way might be wrong — you could only do what you believed in and take your result. But if the result was that he was right, well, he absolutely loved that.
A lot of people will tell you that promotion at any cost is the only important thing. But the mood of Elland Road during the Sunderland game suggests Beeston is one place that still wants a little bit more from football.
For once our club, setting out to be normal, is achieving it. And it’s not enough.