Saturday Fulham Stuff - 27/06/20...

[WhiteJC]

"Anxiety is through the roof" - Leeds United fans feeling the nerves ahead of Fulham clash
Leeds United host Fulham at Elland Road on Saturday afternooon - and supporters are feeling the nerves ahead of kick-off.

Here's a look at what the Whites faithful have had to say ahead of the game:

@TerenceLUFC Anxiety is through the roof for today. Get it done lads. Please #lufc

@JoshBannable Biggest game of the season today for Leeds. Please show up @LUFC

@markdkelly75 Dear @LUFC. Do you remember last year? Let's not do that.

@jack_considine Comfortable win today please lads. Don't think my heart can take anymore nonsense #LUFC

@HarryLMA0 Please just don't lose that's all I'm asking for @LUFC

@ScottReyner91 Nervous, excited!, I can't watch it, I need to watch it! We're gonna bottle it aren't we? We're gonna get into them and beat them aren't we!? #lufc

@MrLukeyGeorge With Brentford winning yesterday, today's game is a must win. #lufc

@jimwalker1993 Our season won't be defined by today's result, but for the sake of my anxiety levels it would be helpful #lufc

@marchingonintea We need that turn of fortune today, didn't get it last week. We have all we need to win today but so do Fulham. It will rest on who wants it more & who gets that bit of fortune. For my sanity's sake I pray it's us #MOT #lufc #ALAW

@TomSJohnson Positive result today - that's all we ask! #lufc

@matt_tempest Biggest #lufc game in probably 14 years. Win and I'll start to believe we are up. Just hope we don't do a Leeds, that would be a very leedsy thing to do.

@DanielMoses91 Massive game today for @LUFC



https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/anxiety-through-roof-leeds-united-fans-feeling-nerves-ahead-fulham-clash-2897139

[WhiteJC]

Angus Kinnear on Leeds United crisis response, 'Sunday League' government handling and clubs channelling Stephen Hawking
Leeds United chief Angus Kinnear has described the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as 'Sunday League' and says football will have to create its own solutions to bring back fans.

The Whites CEO addressed fans in his programme notes for today's Championship game against Fulham and expressed his admiration for the way in which the entire club had shown unity throughout the coronavirus crisis.

Leeds were the first second tier club to confirm pay deferrals for first team players and coaching staff, while the charity wing of the Elland Road outfit continued to meet the needs of local people and many fans opted to donate their season ticket rebate to the academy at Thorp Arch or accepted a bundle of benefits in place of the cash.

"The crisis has given the club an opportunity to demonstrate to the world how united we now are," said Kinnear.

"From our players stepping up and being the first to take a wage deferral, insisting it was contingent on the backroom and office staff keeping their jobs and being paid in full; to our Foundation team who donned PPE to deliver food parcels to those who most needed it in Beeston and Holbeck; to the majority of supporters committing to keep their Season Ticket money in the club, when it was undoubtedly needed just as much at home.

"This spirit of togetherness has no doubt inspired the players whose professionalism and commitment throughout the period cannot be questioned. The same can be said for the backroom staff who have enthusiastically overcome every obstacle that the Covid-19 protocols have presented. It is hard to imagine many teams will be as well prepared for this unique run-in."

Football has made a return in the top two divisions, allowing Liverpool to clinch the Premier League title this week and presenting Leeds with an opportunity to play for top flight status.

They lost their first behind closed doors game last weekend at Cardiff City but have eight games remaining to finish off the job of finally escaping the Championship, starting with today's visit of the Cottagers to Elland Road.

Kinnear and the Whites - who did lead the Championship when it was suspended - insisted throughout the game's suspension that returning to play was the best and fairest way to settle the season and lauded the sport's authorities for standing firm amid pressure from some quarters to declare the campaign null and void or decide tables by a mathematical equation.

"We have been working hard with the authorities to ensure that football could safely be resumed," he said.

"We have always believed that, for the future of the industry and the integrity of the sport, the right place was to complete the season where we started it – on the pitch. The leadership of the Premier League and the EFL deserve credit for achieving this objective in the face of a number of parties who were, completely understandably, putting the interests of their own club before those of the broader game.

"From teams not wanting to play matches because they might lose them, to clubs channelling the spirit of Stephen Hawking to come up with league curtailment formula that confounded the basic principles of mathematics, pragmatism has ultimately prevailed.

"There was never going to be an elegant solution, but we believe that the compromises reached to give the nation its game back are as equitable as they can be given the formidable context."

Leeds head coach Marcelo Bielsa has gone on record with his distaste for the idea of football without fans and Kinnear agrees, calling last weekend's behind closed doors game in Cardiff a 'miserable' experience.

He says the return of spectators to stadiums is vital for the finances of clubs outside the top flight but suggests the sport itself will have to come up with their own answers rather than putting faith in the UK government.

"The next challenge facing the game is the return of crowds," he said

"The current situation is economically untenable for all but the Premier League and my first miserable crowd-less experience at Cardiff reinforced the axiom that the game is truly nothing without the fans.

"As the government's handling of the overall pandemic can, at best, be described as "Sunday League", the initiative, creativity and commitment for delivering safe solutions will need to be taken by the Premier League, EFL and the individual clubs, to which the co-operation of supporters to a new normal will be critical."



https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/angus-kinnear-leeds-united-crisis-response-sunday-league-government-handling-and-clubs-channelling-stephen-hawking-2896892

[WhiteJC]

Leeds United fans comment on Twitter – match day nerves

After the disappointment of losing to Cardiff in their return from lockdown, Leeds United take on 4th placed Fulham at Elland Road today. It is the Whites first home game since returning from the lockdown imposed in late March.

It will be another tough game as the Whites continue the battle to maintain a gap to the playoff-chasing sides that was narrowed to five points with Brentford's 1-0 win over leaders West Brom last night.

In what is a true 'six-pointer' of a game, Fulham could narrow that gap to four points with a win whilst a Leeds victory would give them an eight-point cushion over 3rd place Brentford.

The game itself is that important that it has Leeds United fans on something of a knife-edge. Nerves are already a little frayed in some quarters after last week's mistakes gifted Cardiff both their goals.

These fans will want the reassurance that the Whites can bounce back from that disappointment and back to the form that brought them five consecutive clean sheet victories leading up to the imposition of lockdown.

With kickoff around three hours away, and team news two hours away, Leeds United fans are already all over Twitter and the nerves that they are feeling can be easily gauged. Ahead of the match, here are some of the things that they are saying.



https://the72.co.uk/175892/leeds-united-fans-comment-on-twitter-match-day-nerves/

[WhiteJC]

💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾💥💥 #FFC #LEEFUL pic.twitter.com/YH3wcHRMlL

— Neeskens Kebano (@Neeskens_Kebano) June 27, 2020

[WhiteJC]

Graham Smyth delivers major update on Pablo Hernandez ahead of clash v Fulham

Leeds United fans have been sweating news of Pablo Herandez ever since Marcelo Bielsa revealed on Thursday that he would be having a late fitness test ahead of the game at Elland Road this afternoon.

And the good news is that he's with the Leeds squad to face Fulham.

That news was delivered by Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth ahead of the crunch clash at Elland Road.

There's no mention of whether he's starting or will be on the bench but his involvement will give Leeds a huge boost ahead of a must-not-lose game.

He was missed in the 2-0 defeat to Cardiff and today represents a massive opportunity for Leeds not just to put real daylight between them and third place, but also to cement their credentials for the title.

West Brom lost to Brentford last night which has left them on the same points as Leeds, on top with goal difference.

A win would see Leeds create real daylight – moving three points ahead of West Brom and eight ahead of Brentford in third.



https://motleedsnews.com/matchday/graham-smyth-delivers-update-on-pablo-hernandez-ahead-of-clash-v-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

🔁 One change for the Whites, as Harry Arter replaces @Neeskens_Kebano who drops to the bench.#LEEFUL pic.twitter.com/3wsbTP6avM

— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) June 27, 2020