Diego Llorente should help Leeds United fulfil their aims with albatross quickly banished - David Prutton

We have seen clubs come up in the past and struggle to register that first win which then becomes a bit of an albatross around their necks.

Looking at it purely from a neutral point of viewpoint, so far they have been involved in two of the most entertaining games that we have seen.

I am sure that from Marcelo Bielsa’s viewpoint he wants to tighten up in certain areas, especially defensively, because as great as it is to win 4-3 you don’t want to be hedging your bets about being able to outscore the opposition by that amount every single time.

There’s obviously plenty of stuff for Leeds to work on and that effort will prove more productive on some match days than others but, overall, it’s been a bright start.

However, if you are conceding seven goals every two games then you are going to find yourselves in a sticky situation come the end of it.

Yes, it’s great in those games when you outscore the opposition but a crucial element of ensuring a successful return to the Premier League relies on a solid defence.

There are different variations with what Marcelo has got at his disposal and he will settle with who he has got the most faith in with regards to providing that bedrock at the back.

Going forwards, meanwhile, they have looked expansive and threatening and, while I am probably sounding quite pragmatic - and possibly a little bit boring - if they won 4-3 every week, I’m sure the fans wouldn’t care one jot.

I am perhaps just looking at it a bit more from a strategic and coaching point of view, although you can’t deny that goals win games and, so far, Leeds haven’t disappointed.

Spanish international defender Diego Llorente became the club’s latest signing by joining from Real Sociedad this week and you would think that is what Leeds’ fans would have hoped for regarding transfer activity.

It feeds into that very excitable side of being a football fan. He has played over 100 games in La Liga and is a Spanish international and you would definitely take a bit of that at Elland Road when you have had players of varying quality over the course of a very long period of being outside the top-flight.

After that, it’s a case of brilliant, great CV, now let’s show us what you can do for Leeds which is how open-minded the club’s fans are.

Once you are in the door and have the shirt on it is then time to perform, regardless of how much you cost or where you came from.

Tomorrow’s Yorkshire derby at Sheffield United is next up and there will be an extra edge to this game given that Blades boss Chris Wilder was not happy with some things said by Leeds’ players when the two sides were battling it out for automatic promotion during the 2018-19 season.

He was very bullish about his side and, while Sheffield Wednesday is no doubt the big one for him given his background and leanings, I’m sure that Leeds will come a very close second when it comes to teams he absolutely wants to get one over.

You can look at the way the Blades have started this season, but they have not necessarily had the rub of the green with regards to some of the decisions made.

Leeds will be looking to build on a great result last time out but they are up against a Blades side that took this division by storm last season and who are looking to get back to that kind of form.

They played some stunning football to get to where they did and fully deserve to be in the Premier League.

Their next achievement will be to not only build on last season but to cement their place as a regular in the top-flight.

Both of these clubs know that, at one stage, that was a given for each of them.

But it’s going to be fascinating to see these two pitch up against each other again and if you are a neutral or just a fan of Yorkshire football then it’s something you should definitely be looking forward to take in tomorrow.

But, as is the under-current with all of this, it’s just tinged with the continuing sadness that the game will not be played in front of an packed full house at Bramall Lane.

My God, that would have been some atmosphere.

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Thank you Laura Collins