For many Leeds fans, including us, the creeping ever closer
of the summer that promises so much provides a sense of childish
giddiness. The expected flurry of
exports added to the mystery surrounding the inevitable Cellino ‘stamp’ on the
current squad makes for excellent viewing and potentially a slightly improved
chance of troubling the top of the table come May. Having said this, with the
2014/15 season put well and truly to bed, we at @LUFC_Calypso felt it best to
first look back at our top 5 moments of an otherwise depressing season
dominated by off-the-field sagas and unfathomably disappointing form on the
pitch. Amongst the drivel that the United faithful endured for large parts of
the season, it appears that there were 5 fairly positive things that occurred
between August and May. Who knew?
1) Ross McCormack
Unsurprisingly, this was the first thing that came to mind.
Ross McCormack’s talismanic performances on the field combined with the
emergence of leadership qualities that has allowed him to blossom in his
increased role of authority has, all said and done, contributed to McCormack’s
fantastic season. Certainly his best in a white shirt, McCormack’s rise to form
has not gone unnoticed, unsurprisingly claiming all the awards available at the
club, whilst also finding himself shortlisted for Championship Player of the
Season and included in the Team of the Year. Whether he’ll be turning up for
pre-season bright eyed and bushy tailed at Thorp Arch (when it’s re-opened)
remains unclear, but we’re quietly confident that when he says he wishes to
stay, he means it. Either way, a great season individually should be richly
rewarded in some capacity, and for those groaning that he is simply a money
grabbing footballer like many others, please don’t. Give him whatever money he
wants and build a team around him. Simple.
2)
Leeds United 4 – 0 Birmingham City
Although it may appear petty to dedicated one our highlights
of the season on a victory against a team who left it to the final minute of
injury time to avoid relegation, we feel it was simply nice to watch our
beloved team finally turn up for a televised football match. With Birmingham
offering little more than 11 shadows to pass the ball around (or through) for
90 minutes, we showed the supremacy that we once used to inflict on
significantly bigger fish in a significantly bigger pond. All the same, it made
for one hell of an afternoon. This was made all the sweeter by completing the
double over the very same lacklustre outfit towards the end of the season, one
of two teams of which we were able to inflict such misery upon. Depressingly,
it was just as entertaining watching the misery of others as it would be to see
our own outfit performing to the best of our ability. Nevertheless, an
undeniable highlight.
3)
Matt Smith
As alluded to in a previous article, Matt Smith has proven
to be a shrewd signing and worthy of the affection the majority of Leeds fans have
given him towards the back end of the season. Stepping up when many, including
us, belittled his ability before a ball was kicked, Smith’s goal scoring efforts in a turbulent season
highlighted that his future may well be bright. Whether he has the ability to
lead the line for a promotion winning side is still cast into considerable
doubt, but he has been a silver lining to an otherwise darker than dark cloud. One
of the few who always gave it all whenever called upon, he’s been fantastic and
well worth a new deal.
4)
Farewell, David!
Initially seeming like our knight in shining armour, David
Haigh soon became the pantomime villain that everyone loves to hate. Seeing his
departure from the club along with the rest of his cronies left a faint smile
on the faces of all fans, and GFH’s reign of terror could not have come to an
end any sooner. Whether in time, his position as the scapegoat will be either
glorified or proven wrong is anyone’s guess, yet his smarmy persona was never
going to be a good fit in the long term, and we won’t lose any sleep fretting
over his absence in footballing or financial matters at our club. Under Cellino,
the club can at least hope for an improvement on the traumatic reign of his
predecessors. One thing is for sure, we’re all in for an exciting, but let’s
hope it ends in a plethora of wasted
champagne and the rightful earning of our return to the Match of the Day
billing.
5)
Its over!
Sadly, the end of the season itself may well be the
resounding highlight. Going against the otherwise positive attitude emitted in
the rest of this article, perhaps it is best, given the procession of horrifying
form and frequent saga exposure, to write this season off as transitory and see
where we are come August. Putting the
weekly agony endured to one side for 90 odd days will surely prove the
necessary remedy to mount the promotion push that we all hope for. Having said
that, it’s World Cup year, so in the meantime buckle up and wait for penalties!
No comments:
Post a Comment