Here are your Leeds United morning headlines for Friday, June 29.
Bielsa responds to empty Elland Road challenge
As one of the Championship’s better-supported clubs, Leeds United will arguably suffer more than most from being forced to play their remaining matches behind closed doors.
The Whites have had more than 30,000 fans show up for every home league game, but will face the challenge of playing in front of empty stands when Fulham come to Elland Road this weekend.
Every team faces the same situation, however, manager Marcelo Bielsa hasn’t ignored the challenge his players will face.
“Some questions are very difficult to answer. I cannot ignore the impact our supporters have on us,” Bielsa said ahead of the visit of third-place Fulham.
“At the same time, what I think is the necessity, the possibility and the wish to win is the same.”
Cut-outs of fans and the pumping of crowd noise into the stadium are two approaches considered by Leeds ahead of the game, which is the first of five home matches between now and the end of the season.
Dallas: World isn’t “falling apart” after one defeat
Bielsa's side might have lost their first game back, away to Cardiff City, but some of the reactions have been a little over the top.
That’s according to Stuart Dallas, who has got a good idea of the dramatic reactions to Leeds' defeats in his five years at the club.
“The media will always overreact, the public will always, again we come back to that ‘we’re Leeds United and one bad result people have a meltdown’,” the Northern Ireland international said.
“We’re seven points clear of third place. We’re joint top on goal difference or whatever it is, it’s as if the world’s falling apart.
“It’s not. This is a challenge and we’ve got to embrace it. Of course, there’s pressure, we represent a lot of people at this football club.
Victory for Leeds over Fulham at the weekend can see them extend the gap over the Cottagers to 10 points with seven games left.
Bielsa’s team go into the game off the back of three straight home victories, without conceding a goal in any of them.
Leeds in “advanced talks” over Palace talent
Leeds United are one of two clubs in strong contention to sign Jadan Raymond, a 16-year-old midfielder currently on the books of Crystal Palace.
The Whites are in advanced talks over the teenager, according to The Athletic, but face competition from Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes.
According to the report, the box-to-box midfielder is looking to move to a club that can offer him a clear path to first-team football.
Raymond is an England under-17 international and featured alongside Birmingham City sensation Jude Bellingham as the Young Lions won the 2019 Syrenka Cup in Poland.
He came off the bench to score the winning penalty in a shoot-out victory while other starters in the game included Liverpool duo Harvey Elliott and James Norris.
The Athletic reports that financial benefits are “not thought to be the primary factor” behind a switch for a player who has been with Palace since the age of eight.
