Atmosphere at football matches – Silence of the Crowds. There has been much recent debate in Leeds United Facebook groups about the atmosphere of the crowd at Elland Road. There are times when it is quiet. And, having been to home matches this season, it can be a little concerning. There are many ways to look at this.
There is a question about the planned development of the stadium with an extra 20,000 fans, if that would be the death knell for Fortress Elland Road. But since there are more than that number on the season ticket waiting list it is a no brainer to take Leeds back to having 50,000 fans in the stadium again.
Away fans at Elland Road predictably taunt Leeds fans about the absence of their famous atmosphere. Equally Leeds away fans at other stadiums are louder than the home fans, so maybe away fans are just nutters (in a good way) whatever the club. Or maybe Elland Road is not living up to its reputation.
Firstly, as I have been watching Leeds under Farke he certainly tries to play a Premiership style of football. Whilst it is undoubtedly successful in terms of possession, clean sheets and win rates, it can be slow, involving much sideways defensiveness, and dull to watch when waiting for a forward run. As the match goes on fans can get audibly frustrated when the ball unnecessarily goes all the way back to Meslier.
But is this style of football not a wider phenomenon of the Premier League? Do most teams now play a certain way to stay in the Premier League. So is Leeds actually better prepared for when they get promoted? It certainly gets results but has side effects. Some teams simply play Leeds with a defensive wall and wait for the rare counter attack (Blackburn this season). The problem is not all about Leeds, but the way the opposition plays. Take Plymouth Argyle at Elland Road with an XG of zero.
The issue is how Farke brings in players and sets up his team, and then manages the game. Why did Leeds not go on to beat the woeful Plymouth Argyle this season with more goals in the second half? Why was the second half against an ineffective QPR this season so dull until we scored the second goal in extra time?
Leeds fans are demanding and expect more penetration from the Leeds midfield to break down solid walls of defenders. Kamara and Gruev were and are not the right players to do that. Rothwell, on the other hand, this season is more positive.
Many longer term fans make a point about Bielsa’s total football – chaotic and successful to a point. He believed football should be entertaining and Leeds were entertained. The problem for Farke is that he needs to extinguish the cloud of Bielsa over his tenure at Leeds. He may well do that if he gets Leeds promoted this season (24/25). And many fans want that at any cost. But many others find his style of football too frustrating to watch.
There are moments when the metaphorical roof at Elland Road is blown off by the football at Elland Road. The win against Leicester City last season (23/24) was my highlight of the season and fans stayed behind to have a party in the stadium afterwards.
But not as many fans this season appear to be staying behind to enjoy the victory wave with Farke this season in my view. They are slightly bored and frustrated by Farke’s style of football, however much it delivers. Bielsa showed that football can entertaining as well deliver results.
But there are deeper questions here – when Leeds were relegated from the Premier League in 2023 the club almost self destructed as a business with new owners coming in and the best players going out the other door. That crisis continued in to Summer 2024 with questionable contracts seeing more good players (Gray for instance) leave the club. Maybe Farke is the response to that – bringing calm and safety to the club if it is to be promoted. Maybe the silence of the crowd at Elland Road is a price that has to be paid.
