By Ian Waterhouse
September was a good month for us Leeds fans. Four wins and two defeats marks a severe upward trend in form and the signs are that after a difficult start, Garry Monk is finally getting it right and his band of young chargers are starting to knit together tighter than your Nan’s knitted woolly jumper.
Of course I blame myself for this winning trend, simply because I was away in Spain for a number of the White’s game’s and unable to attend, which would suggest I am Leeds’s unlucky charm when in blighty. So I have come up with a solution! If the club are happy to pay for me to go on holiday throughout the season, then I can all but guarantee promotion.
Silliness aside the month got off late due to the international break and a Yorkshire derby against Huddersfield would surely provide the whites with the perfect platform to build on right?
Err wrong, high flying Huddersfield look a different team this season and struck in the 55th minute to get one over their local rivals.
The pressure was on and few would have been surprised if trigger happy owner Cellino would have pulled the trigger after Just the one win in the league left Leeds hovering in the relegation zone.
As Leeds hosted Blackburn three days after the Huddersfield defeat, the reports were that Monk, had 90 minutes to save his Leeds career. It was win or bust against bottom of the table Rovers.
It was left late but the wave of relief that must have washed over everyone inside Elland Road as new boy Kyle Bartley struck in the 86th minute to give Leeds that 2-1 victory they just about deserved was larger than anything George Clooney had to tackle in the film ‘The Perfect Storm’.
A tricky away trip to the ‘always welcoming (ahem)’ Cardiff City was next and arguably Leeds’s best performance to date followed.
Chris Wood found the back of the net from the Spot and Hernandez doubled the tally late on in a truly sensational second half display that sent the away fans into delirium and for the first time this season we picked up back to back league victories.
Blackburn came back to Elland Road again only this time in the EFL Cup. After back to back victories the pressure was relatively off Monk and it showed as Leeds won again progressing to the last 16 where Norwich City await.
Confidence high and Leeds sniffed another three points, Ipswich were the victims this time as Chris Wood continued his early season good form to give Leeds victory and a third clean sheet in a row.
Wood celebrating the winner v Ipswich (Photo Credit www.radioyorkshire.co.uk)
Four wins in a row left Leeds in a strong position and talk of the play-offs started to hit the terraces again.
However, the month ended as it started, with defeat, away at a very impressive Bristol City. Marlon Pack scored the only goal of the game bringing the Whites back down to Earth with a bump.
That said, Leeds have been impressive in September and if that form continues into October then Garry Monk could be hailed as the messiah.
In fact, the good form has continued as a 2-1 win at home against Barnsley has propelled Leeds to the giddy heights of 11th.
With Chris Wood showing us why we paid £3m for him and the new signings starting to gel in the squad, there really is reason to be positive as the nights draw in.