For years, Leeds United have fallen short in their quest to make it back into the topflight of English football.
Last year they finally made it to the Premier League and despite waiting for such a long time, expectations were high for the team, and in particular their manager Marcelo Bielsa.
The 65-year-old from Argentina is widely regarded as one of the best managers when it comes to detail, scrutinising the opposition and finding a way to win. Seeing him put his methods to work in the Premier League was always going to be fascinating and so far, the results have been impressive.
Leeds have played four games so far, including two against last season’s top two and a trip to Sheffield United. They have been beaten just once, picking up two wins and a draw in their other three games.
Their first two games finished 4-3, rather uncharacteristically for Leeds, but low scoring wins and draws in their past two games have been much more like what we are used to seeing from them.
The Pressure on Leeds
Of the teams coming into the Premier League over the past decade, no one has had the same kind of pressure that Leeds are facing this year. They have come close on many occasions to getting back into the big time, and with each failure, more pressure was added to get there next time around.
When Leeds finally made it to the Premier League, talk wasn’t of surviving in the league, but it was of flourishing in it and making signings that would carry them forward, rather than doing all they can to finish 17th.
This approach has led to moves such as Spanish international Rodrigo joining the club, while Robin Kock and Diego Llorente have been other notable additions. Early games have shown that Leeds have the quality to mix it with the very best that the Premier League has to offer.
While they lost the game, few will go to Anfield and score three this season, and there won’t be many that will take points off Manchester City home or away. Leeds have done both in their first four games, and picked up two victories in their other two.
The pressure is on, it was always going to be, but Leeds are responding.
Why are Leeds Having Success?
There will have been many people with sports betting accounts that were looking to Leeds this season and betting on them. The vast majority will have been backing them for success, a top half finish would represent that.
But why? Well, the simple reason is that they are good at a lot of things, and many people have seen that. They are very well organised, don’t concede many, and although they have long since had problems finding a striker who can score goals, their team ethos gives them multiple potential scorers.
The four games so far have been an indication of what is to come, and for Leeds fans, the indications so far are very promising.
