When I think of the start of the football season, I picture a baking hot Elland Road basking in the sunshine and renewed hope. It’s an idyllic view of August given Leeds United’s propensity to ruin the month by selling off everyone’s favourite players late in the window — no, I’m still not over Max Gradel leaving — but one thing is for sure: there’s no better time for a debut than the August or September sunshine in LS11.
My mind immediately turns to Pierre-Michel Lasogga’s impression of Miroslav Klose in the 5-0 demolition of Nigel Clough’s Burton Albion. Everything about that sentence feels wrong but, on the day, it felt like all was right with the world.
The unfortunate reality of Leeds United debuts is that over the last twenty years, it’s usually all downhill from there — and in the most extreme of circumstances, it starts off at rock bottom and somehow still gets worse. I’ll never forget Jimmy Kebe, as much as I might try. If only he’d made his debut in the August sunshine rather than winter in Sheffield and a 6-0 defeat, it could all have been so different.
⬢
To read the rest of this article, you need to join TSB+ — members get access to this plus extra podcast and video episodes, all podcasts advert-free, can read every issue of our magazine online and much more. You can join or log in below.
Join TSB+
Support TSB and get all this:
- PODCASTS —
- All podcasts ad-free in one feed
- Members only podcast & video episodes
- The Match Ball live video & early access podcast
- Your voice on the show
- EXTRAS —
- Members Daily Email
- Discounts on merch
- MAGAZINE —
- Digital subscription
- 8 x 80-page magazines a season
- Read as PDFs or web posts
- YEARLY ONLY —
- Add paper mag subscription any time for just £8 (+p&p)
- Or select TSB+ Mag to add paper subscription now
TSB+ Mag
£5.66 p/m
- Billed yearly at £67.88 plus postage
- First month free trial
- Adds 12 month TSB Mag subscription
- £8 instead of £18 - £1 per issue (+p&p)
Other options
TSB Magazine
£1.50 p/m
- Billed yearly at £18 plus postage
- 12 month TSB mag subscription
- 80 page print magazine
- 8 issues of TSB per season
- Delivered worldwide
- Discount on special issues
Gift Memberships
- Give the gift of The Square Ball
- Send a magazine subscription
- Give a TSB+ membership
- Send a gift card