The Marching On Newsletter 🟡 Unseen comments from Lucas Radebe interview
PLUS my thoughts after chat with Gabriel Gudmundsson and Johnny Giles' surprise.
Edition #7
Welcome to The Marching On Newsletter, a free weekly Substack from me, Isaac Johnson, which unpacks all things Leeds United. If you enjoy this edition but have not yet signed up, consider subscribing to get each newsletter sent directly to your inbox each Friday morning! Or forward it to a friend who may also enjoy it. Cheers! 🗞
IN THIS EDITION:
⚪️ Club news and injury updates
🟡 Lucas Radebe: The unseen interview bits
🔵 Why Leeds kept announcements vs Bournemouth quiet
🟡 Daniel Farke’s bicycle quip
⚪️ Answering your questions
⚽ Latest club news
Daniel James out for up to six weeks with ankle injury
Wilfried Gnonto and Lucas Perri unavailable until after international break
Gabriel Gudmundsson speaks out for first time on own goal vs Fulham
Lucas Radebe opens up on becoming new Leeds United club ambassador
Academy goalkeeper Rory Mahady joins Scunthorpe United on loan
Sean Longstaff speaks out on scoring first goal for Leeds
💬 Lucas Radebe interview - the unseen bits
I had the pleasure of speaking to Lucas Radebe this week, after he was unveiled as a new Leeds United club ambassador at half-time in Saturday’s match against Bournemouth.
The Chief was in good form and we spoke about his new role and his thoughts on Daniel Farke, which you can read about here.
We also had a discussion on other matters which I’ve kept exclusively for you, my subscribers, to read. Enjoy.
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Lucas Radebe is befitting of his club ambassador role. This is a man who won the FIFA Fair Play award in 2000 and was branded as a “hero” by Nelson Mandela a year later for his community work in native South Africa.
On the pitch, the centre-back - who earned his nickname from his time at homeland club Kaizer Chiefs (the team which the band would take their name from because of Radebe) - made 260 appearances for Leeds, so knows a good defence when he sees one.
“We’ve seen the partnership of Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon. I mean, I’m not even that boggled - but it’s absolutely amazing. I think that back four is very strong, and that’s what we need in this club,” Radebe told me.
“I mean we’ve got [summer signing] Jaka Bijol who is just quality as well. You know, we spent some money and he’s obviously not been able to [get into the team], but it’s great that we have that kind of depth.
“The captain as well, Ethan Ampadu, he can shift and play defence. I think for me those positions, we’re strong. That’s the quality you need to week in, week out.
“We’re going to have tougher opposition. There are no weak teams anymore, and the defence is always going to be tested, but I think the most important thing is to have depth in that position.”
Radebe, now 56, also earned his title of The Chief for being a leader and a colossus at the back, and was named club captain ahead of the 1998/99 season. Several current Leeds figures have, independent of one another, outlined how the new summer signings all carry brilliant characters - something Radebe says is so important.
“It’s pivotal,” he stated. “It’s massive because obviously you come into a team where there’s a lot of individuals with different characters, but when you come with such strong character, this quality - it helps everyone.
“Not just the fans but the coach, it relieves pressure on the manager. I think it’s the quality that you need to be able to compete in this league.”
1996 AFCON winner Radebe contributed to Leeds’ run to the Champions League semi-final in 2001, a year after reaching the same stage of the UEFA Cup.
He sees similar character in this current side to the ones he played in - but with a caveat. “The character, the passion, yes - but I would hate to compare because of the different generations,” he explained.
“But I think the qualities and the values that you see from these players and the characteristics, there are similarities.
“Going forward, we’ll see more of it and hopefully they will, as a unit, move on and achieve even better. Because we expect them to be better than us, to be honest.
“We’ve taken the club to this level (gestures height with hand) and we expect them to take it to another level. It’s a big ask.”
Well, if the players need any advice, they can now go and ask The Chief himself.
🗣️ Quote of the week
In yesterday’s press conference, Daniel Farke was asked whether Tottenham Hotspur’s trip to Norway for their Champions League game with Bodo/Glimt will have a knock-on effect for the visitors amid Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off.
“I don’t think so, because nowadays you don’t travel by bicycle or by ship or by coach.
“They have their private jets. When the air hostess brings in a nice orange juice and coffee, it’s not so worse, believe me!
“It’s not like in my generation where the travel was horrendous.”
✍️ Isaac’s diary
The mood post-Bournemouth was more jovial than is usual when late goals are conceded. Of course, there was deflation. But there was also a sense of hope about what could lie ahead.
United scored in back-to-back games for the first time and netted twice against a team who had kept three clean sheets in their past four matches. Joe Rodon told me that the dressing room was ‘positive’ once the initial disappointment settled down.
A few days later, I was talking to Gabriel Gudmundsson. It’s never easy asking players about their low moments, but he articulated his emotions about that own goal at Fulham very well. “I was hurting for two days,” he admitted during our chat.
The 26-year-old was easy to talk to and is clearly a thoughtful character. He’s played brilliantly since arriving - in my opinion, Gudmundsson has been the best-performing summer signing so far. He’s already loved by fans - just like another man at Elland Road on Saturday.
I’ve been told that Johnny Giles had no idea that he was going to be bestowed a lifetime achievement award until the moment came pre-match vs Bournemouth, with the reason for his invitation being kept a total surprise. No wonder Giles was emotional.
This is why the club were keen to keep all things under wraps by being cryptic when initially sharing about the two announcements, as not to ruin the surprise for the great man.
Loved ones, I would presume, were in on the act, gathered to take a photo with him afterwards. A fine memory for the family album and a jovial start to the day in itself.
📹 Watch: Elland Road roars for Johnny Giles
The surprise for Giles - who played more than 500 games for Leeds - made for a wholesome moment.
The former central midfielder, now 84, got a little teary as he was cheered by the terraces. Memories flooded back, I’m sure.
Watch Elland Road’s super reaction to his appearance below.
[Click on the image below to watch the video. Clicking takes you to a new browser].
🗳 Poll - Win, lose or draw?
Quite a simple one this week, but one that warrants a question given the respective form of both clubs.
Leeds have lost just one of their past four games, though Tottenham are unbeaten in six - but have won only one of their past four fixtures.
United beat Wolves whereas Spurs could only draw with them last weekend.
Both teams have won just one of their last three Premier League games. Leeds got their victory more recently, with Spurs’ last league win coming on September 13.
United are yet to be beaten in the league for more than a year. They have also had a full week’s rest, unlike their opponents.
Leeds have lost their last four meetings with Spurs, winning just two of their last 14 encounters.
Those are the facts, now cast your vote below.
❓ Answering your Leeds United questions
buttz: Why won’t Farke try Tanaka instead of Aaronson every week? He has more skill, better shot, just as much energy - in fact a better all round player.
To be fair to Aaronson, he has played better on the wing than he did for the second half of last season as the number 10. And recently, he’s played fine.
We saw Tanaka brought on for him on the right wing in the final passages of play against Bournemouth and he conceded the free-kick that led to the goal. That’s probably one answer right there.
But also Tanaka has never played on the right before. He may be more skilled but you can’t start putting square pegs in round holes at this level. Experimentation like that is too risky.
Donna: Who is the ref for the Leeds game?
Tom Bramall. He’s handed out two red cards in five games this season but one of them was a second yellow for Hugo Ekitike when he took his shirt off while on a booking after scoring against Southampton in the League Cup.
The Sheffield official has meanwhile handed out 13 yellow cards overall, which is fewer than three per game. He’s overseen two Leeds games in his career, including the 1-1 draw with Luton Town in April.
This will be his first league game at Elland Road, having first taken charge of the Whites in a 5-2 FA Cup third round home replay win over Cardiff City in January 2023
📩 Send in your own question by filling in this simple contact form or emailing isaac.johnson@reachplc.com.
📰 My most read stories of the week
1) Leeds United player ratings as Sean Longstaff shines amid late Bournemouth drama
2) Leeds United ace takes responsibility for last-gasp Bournemouth equaliser - ‘I look at myself first’
3) Daniel Farke breaks silence on Brenden Aaronson draft excluder ‘mistake’ in Bournemouth opener
4) What Leeds United player told me about dressing room mood after Bournemouth draw speaks volumes
5) Analysing Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s three chances vs Bournemouth - how many should he score?
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