This is one of the biggest clubs in English football; with their fabled Elland Road ground pouring in excess of 30,000 rabid fans every week; a team enshrined in folklore with the likes of Don Revie & Billy Bremner; a team that won the Premiership in that unforgettable season in 1992 with the likes of Gary McAllister; Gary Speed and Lee Chapman. They then captured the imagination of the entire world with that inexorable 2001 team that advanced cataclysmically to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League; boasting such star players as Harry Kewell; Ian Harte & Mark Viduka.
And then as sudden as the rise; came the inexorable fall. Spending way above budget in a bid to hit the big-time; they failed and catapulted down dramatically. Forced into a one-way quandary & spiral; there seemed no way back for them as they cocooned between the second and even third tiers of English football; fading into oblivion and obscurity in equal measure.
With a whole host of managers having tried and failed to rouse the sleeping dragon; I think the turning point came with the arrival of maverick Argentine legend Marcelo Bielsa a couple of years back. The former Argentina national manager certainly has impressive credentials. And his unique tactics (Drone-gate notwithstanding) and unerring passion seemed to work wonders for Leeds; bringing out the best in every player and with enthusiasm at an all-time high. They almost made it back last season; but were upset in a dramatic 2-4 home loss to Frank Lampard's equally-inspired Derby Country after winning 1-0 in the away leg.
This time though; there was to be no mistake. With the players firing on all cylinders and everyone buying into Bielsa's skilled mantra; the club have powered their way not just into the Premiership; but as champions to boot; in what is arguably the toughest league in the world. So lo and behold; the War Of The Roses is back; and the Premiership next season will just have a more nostalgic; and dare I say it; more beautiful feel to it.
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