Daniel Chapman: Why Jean-Kevin Augustin has provided Leeds United a spark without even kicking a ball

I argued here a couple of weeks ago that twenty-four-seven football should replace the void in which, in January, transfer rumours grow and dissatisfaction thrives.

I’ve changed my mind.

Leeds United have just had their best weekend of the decade so far by not playing any matches, while diverting everyone’s attention instead to YouTube, to watch compilation videos of a hot-shot transfer target named – let’s see here – Kevin.

Jean-Kévin Augustin, in fact, and while a week ago it felt like Leeds United’s entire future depended on signing a proven striker from the Premier League, namely Che Adams, this weekend it was Jean-Kévin or nothing, because three minutes of a raw French kid’s Europa skills and goals with a thumping Eurodance soundtrack is still as seductive as a Brexit 50-pence coin.

It’s foolish to conclude anything from YouTube, but football makes fools of enough of us without YouTube’s help, so I’ll go ahead and declare Augustin really is the cross between Kane and Mbappe that the hype is claiming.

What I have seen in the videos, at least, is a skilful centre-forward who doesn’t need an invitation to shoot; a welcome contrast to Pat Bamford, who wanders penalty areas looking for somewhere to place his hat, stick and gloves while the butler announces his presence.

Augustin’s actual impact might be blunted by the Championship – it wouldn’t be the first time. But, for now, his impact on morale is significant enough, and that should not be discounted.

Leeds lately have looked stale and afraid, not so much in need of better players as fresher ones.

Jean-Kévin fits that bill: if his mere presence in an East Stand box keeps the blues away from Elland Road, he’ll already be helping.

Any exciting striker from France will be compared by Leeds fans to Eric Cantona, a player whose arrival in 1992 might not have been helped by YouTube.

The compilations of his pre-Leeds career have been retrospectively produced and, while the goals are spectacular, the kung-fu tackle on an opponent while playing for Auxerre is terrifying.

Never mind YouTube, back in the day you’d have had to get that tape in a brown paper bag from under the video-shop counter.

Then there’s the clip of him chucking a ball at a referee, and calling the French national coach a sack of something unprintable. That he was coming out of retirement to play for Leeds – aged 25 – was a strange detail at the time, but only avid connoisseurs of World Soccer magazine had an inkling of his backstory.

Like Augustin, though, Cantona promised pure excitement, at a point in the title race when Leeds needed a thrill.

It might seem like churlish hindsight to dismiss him as a cheerleader, and the juggling volley he scored against Chelsea underlined his talent, but the cheers were what he did best, and really, it was the Kop doing that work for him, the way Carl Shutt eventually had to do his job in the European Cup.

Most of Cantona’s goals in the title season were like the Chelsea effort: a late flourish as a substitute, the third in a 3-0 win that Howard Wilkinson’s hard workers had already earned.

Cantona’s presence caused as many problems as it solved for Wilko: he’d been dropped for the Chelsea game after a 4-0 defeat at Manchester City convinced the manager that the only chance they had in the league was relying on his tried and trusted players.

The only deviation from then on was Jon Newsome replacing the injured Mel Sterland and, arguably, Newsome put more important points on the board than Cantona.

But ‘Ooh-aah, Jean Newsomé’ never caught on with the crowd. Fans have their favourites – it’s why Vinnie Jones is revered, despite only playing one season.

Leeds fans cherish the effort of players like Newsome, but fall over their heels in a flash for someone like Cantona; in the 1970s Trevor Cherry was a stalwart, but Tony Currie was the star.

This season Stuart Dallas is a candidate for player of the year, and he’d be a worthy winner, but worthiness is not all we’re looking for.

Jean-Kévin Augustin hasn’t even played yet, but I’m already wondering not how much he’ll have to do to overtake the Cookstown Cafu/Roberto Carlos/Kaka/delete as necessary, but, how little.

On the strength of the past weekend, he’s already gathering votes.