Not bov

Put Liam Cooper’s smirk on the side of the East Stand

Written by: Rob Conlon
Artwork by: Eamonn Dalton
Bruno Lage putting his finger to his lips, and Jesse Marsch telling him where to go

A new season! A new start! A new squad! A goal down after five minutes! Wait, what?

If Leeds United were determined to start their season showing us the hallmarks of our brave new world, the shock of the new felt very same old when Daniel Podence fluked Wolves’ opener down, up, down, and over Illan Meslier. This is what Wolves are in the Premier League to do, an experiment in trying to win football matches using voodoo alone. How were we meant to enjoy our shiny new toys when Wolves players were too busy tripping all over them?

But for a while, even Wolves were distracted by the freshness at Elland Road. I thought Leeds played well on Saturday, and watching the game back, they were better than I remembered, even while giving up more chances than I recalled too. It wasn’t always pretty. Leeds relied on the ‘all in’ mantra of the Red Bull handbook to create the best of their own chances, Jackie Harrison and Brendan Aaronson fizzing around Wolves’ back four, Tyler Adams and Marc Roca flying into their midfield whenever the ball went forward. If Wolves did get the ball beyond our press, well, that’s all part of the fun too. What’s the point in having a talented ‘keeper like Meslier if we’re not going to show off how good he is?

After a first half in which Wolves were at their most threatening on the break, it was disconcerting for them to start the second half by not letting us have a touch for twenty minutes. Leeds’ ‘all in’ energy was lacking — in LUTV commentary, Tony Dorigo spoke of how no amount of pre-season training can prepare the body for the physical shock of the first competitive game, and trying to recover the ‘here we go’ hype punctured by Wolves’ early goal was emotionally tiring for supporters, never mind players.

Leeds have bought new players to go straight into the starting eleven, but we’re being promised a squad game in 2022/23. For all Roca and Adams might be more talented footballers than Mateusz Klich and Sam Greenwood, they’re still learning what it’s like playing against Premier League pisstakers. Klich came on, immediately passed the ball to a Leeds player — something that had proven difficult at the start of the second half — and dragged United up the pitch with his energy off the ball.

Klich’s role in the winner enabled the effective simplicity of Marschball at its most coherent. Three forward passes — Struijk to Greenwood, Adams to Klich, Klich to Bamford — and Leeds had split the game open.

Then Klich’s true value became apparent. After sitting on the bench watching Wolves players find any excuse to waste time, he could now start asking them who wanted the ball at breaks in play, holding it above his head and out of their reach until he got a satisfactory answer, then giving it to someone else anyway. No wonder Bruno Lage was in such a huff with Marsch at full-time. He’s seen this before. The only thing more punishing than Leeds’ comeback at Molineux last season was Klich striding over to an argument between the two benches, his cheekbone swollen out of proportion after an earlier injury, and putting his finger to his lips. Simmer down. Don’t fuck with a man who doesn’t give one.

Part of my excitement for the new signings this season is because we will see what some of the older heroes can contribute now they have some help. Klich’s cameo suggests Leeds shouldn’t be packing him off for World Cup practice just yet, and even though Liam Cooper wasn’t fit enough to play, he made a much more subtle, but just as gratifying, mark on the game.

In both games against Wolves last season, Cooper was doing his best to get stuck into the pantomime villains, calling it on with Raul Jimenez at Elland Road and popping his head up from the bench to tell their coaches to “fuck off” at Molineux. Maybe Saturday was a sign we’re due a more serene campaign. Cooper didn’t need to shout anything at Lage as he walked down the tunnel. Lage had already been told where to go by Marsch upon the final whistle, and was still venting as he left the pitch, past Cooper, whose smirk said he didn’t need to get involved in round three. He could leave Elland Road feeling satisfied as it was. Leeds’ season opener wasn’t meant to start with going a goal behind, but it was always meant to end with our captain laughing in the face of the opposition manager. ⬢

DON'T MISS ANYTHING FROM TSB

Pick your emails:
  • Support The Square Ball

    Get more from TSB+

    ⬢ Ad-free podcast
    ⬢ Extra episodes
    ⬢ The Match Ball Live video
    ⬢ Every digital magazine
    ⬢ Daily email and more
    ⬢ From £4.99 a month
    ⬢ Click here for one month free trial
tsb_podcast_2023_thumbnail
If you wanna be the best
A photograph of Sarah Danby walking out of the tunnel for Leeds United Women with two mascots either side of her
Chicken and egg
tsb_guide_2023_web_thumbnail
Elephant Stampede
tsb_podcast_2023_thumbnail
Do you recall?
THE_MEMBERS_SHOW_38
TSB
Futebol
members_show_2023_web_thumbnail
TSB
Barmby
tsb_podcast_2023_thumbnail
Ooh I wanna take ya
240318_COC_5TH_ROUND
TSB
Knockout
members_show_2023_web_thumbnail
TSB
Limewire
PROP_240319
Wind It In
propaganda_podcast_2023_thumbnail
Flex
Joe Rodon sits on the ground getting treated after Millwall's Jake Cooper booted him in the head
Stressless
The Square Ball