When the song burst out at Bolton with the now regular “du du du du du du, Thomas Christiansen” you couldn’t help but wonder what would happen in a few months if things hadn’t gone well for a man not many, if any Leeds fans had even heard of, let alone know much about.
Coming from the Cypriot league to the Championship is one of the biggest jumps taken for any manager or head-coach in the UK this summer, if not the biggest and there was always a worry that this could eat him up, like it does with so many experienced managers in the past. However it has been the complete opposite to this point, with Christiansen getting nearly everything not just right, but absolutely spot on. We score goals, we don’t concede them, the players look as happy as any squad in years and years and the fans are flooding back to Elland Road, last nights 31k attendance testament to that. The atmosphere was bouncing last night and has been for every home game this season, fans are beginning to believe we aren’t a million miles away from something very special.
Christiansen has first and foremost looked to make players happy with the philosophy, and if you didn’t really fit in, you were allowed to leave. He has been honest and even one of his most controversial decisions to date has turned out to be one of his best. He let the players vote for who they wanted to be captain and they chose Liam Cooper, a player who most of us weren’t even sure would make the squad and a player who has been flawless so far this season leading the team to result after result and looking every bit like the captain the other players clearly thought he was. Christiansen has also changed the style of football, and the high pressing and quick forward passing football has been a breath of fresh air, and has meant less pressure on the defence, which has led to six clean sheets from seven league games.
In terms of the start to the season this is pretty special. The tough spells will come and how we respond to them will determine how far we can really go this season. We have hit the top but so early it barely means anything. What it does mean is that when we do have a bad result we won’t be playing catch-up, and we are well in the mix if we carry on playing like we are. The performances have deserved the results and as it stands we are worth being top of the league table. Thomas Christiansen has had a dream start to his Leeds United life and long may it continue. It has given the club and the squad the foundation this season and the fans are coming out in their droves to see the side play.
