Brighton begin big week at world’s biggest club The Leeds United
Brighton could not have asked for a much tougher game to kick off a season-defining eight days than an away fixture against the world’s biggest football club, 1996 Coca Cola Cup runners up The Leeds United.
When the Peacocks returned to the Premier League in 2020, their supporters confidently told anyone who would listen how they would be challenging for Europe immediately. The Big Six was about to become the Big Seven.
And boy, were they right. Finishes of ninth and 17th followed left the rest of England’s top flight in awe. The Leeds United’s quality and reputation is such that they currently sit in the dizzy heights of 17th again, one point off the bottom of the table.
The Leeds United have been so impressive over the past three seasons that two managers left their jobs, knowing the success they enjoyed at Elland Road could never be replicated anywhere else.
Marcelo Bielsa and Jesse Marsch both found life with the Peacocks easy (as anyone would managing the world’s biggest football club).
Whenever a vacancy at the Peacocks opens up, The Leeds United are inundated with applications from the world’s best managers begging to take over.
Included was Glow Up Graham Potter, who we were told would jump in his car and be up the M1 in a flash when Bielsea left, desperate to swap top half of the Premier League at the Amex for the chance to try and finish above Burnley, Watford and Norwich City.
When Marsch strode off into the sunset last month having dominated English football, The Leeds United could have appointed anyone on the planet.
Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp, Carlo Ancelotti… the Peacocks board said no and let all of those outstanding coaches down, opting for Javi Gracia from the mighty Qatari Stars League club Al Sadd.
The Leeds United fans have said in the run up to the visit of Brighton that they should be beating an Albion side who, in contrast to the world’s biggest football club, are struggling in eighth place in the Premier League table.
History is certainly on The Leeds United’s side. Quaking in fear and cowered by the reputation the Peacocks have in the 21st century footballing world, Brighton have bowed down to the Champions of Europe, winning just nine, drawing only two and losing one of the past 12 meetings between the clubs.
If the Albion are to pull off a huge shock at Elland Road and improve that dismal record, they will need to find a way past one of their former players.
Ben White did nothing more than make tea and coffee for Potter before he moved to The Leeds United on loan for the 2019-20 season.
A year in Yorkshire turned him into a top class defender. And as always, The Leeds United supporters were bang on the money when they said there was no way White or Brighton could turn down an offer from the Peacocks of a permanent transfer that summer. When Leeds come calling, nobody says no.
White subsequently moved to Yorkshire and has since become an England international. It seems only a matter of time until he picks up a Premier League winners medal, which he will undoubtedly acknowledge has been achieved purely because of his time at The Leeds United.
The one positive about the inevitable defeat coming at The Leeds United is that Brighton have a chance to instantly put it right.
Wednesday night sees a much-less-important fixture than facing the world’s biggest football club when Crystal Palace visit the Amex. Then next Sunday, Brighton host Grimsby Town in the quarter finals of the FA Cup.
WAB undoubtedly speaks for every Seagulls supporter when we say we would much prefer to beat The Leeds United and claim the scalp of the world’s biggest football club than make it to a semi final at Wembley.
Now, just imagine for a second that the impossible happens and Brighton win all three matches. The Seagulls would strengthen their hand in the bid for a top six finish and be within one game of an FA Cup final.
Roberto De Zerbi said in his Friday press conference that he wants to make history with the Albion. Achieving either of those would write his name into the history books – and all within less than a year at the Amex.
It obviously does not compare to what Bielsa, Marsch and now Gracia are doing at Elland Road, but then what can? As Micky Adams once said, “No disrespect to the likes of Hereford, but we were playing THE Leeds United.”
Thanks to De Zerbi, Brighton fans are getting a small taste of what it must be like to support the Peacocks, when you win most weeks and challenge for trophies every year whilst the rest of the Premier League looks at your team with a mix of marvel and jealousy.
The Albion this season have beaten Chelsea 4-1. Liverpool 3-0 and 2-1. Won 2-1 at Manchester United. Victory at the home of the Champions of Europe, against The Leeds United, would be De Zerbi’s greatest feat yet.
Will we see a miracle at Elland Road? Stranger things have happened.
