Leeds United suggestion shot down in 12th man argument as 49ers eye key Elland Road date

There was once a Marcelo Bielsa press conference at Thorp Arch, in the bad old pandemic days of Zoom meetings, that got off to an unusual start. Rather than the polite smile Bielsa would wear upon entry to the room to sit down and greet journalists through a laptop, he wore something between a frown and a scowl. His translator relayed precisely why, to a Leeds staff member who had apparently tried to chivvy Bielsa along for the press conference start time, or at least that was how the Argentine had interpreted the situation. Those of us who had experienced Bielsa's glare, delivered on rare occasions in response to some question or other, felt slight pangs of relief that this time we were not the recipients. "I know my responsibilities," said the head coach, twice, via Andres Clavijo. Very much in the same way, Elland Road knows its responsibilities this week, of all weeks.

Recent suggestions, on social media, that some sort of choreographed flag or scarf display be arranged for Friday night's game against Leicester City have received a mixed response. Some like the idea of giving Daniel Farke's players a breathtaking sight to accompany the noise as they walk out into the stadium before kick-off. Others have pointed out that previous attempts at this very thing might have looked good but they did not deliver the desired result. Derby County, in the play-offs, the most obvious example. You can be almost certain 49ers Enterprises know this, because the last ownership did, after pulling out all the stops to give supporters a helping hand or props to make Elland Road a visual spectacle for a number of big games. It was eventually decided, in the latter half of last season, that the atmosphere was best left to the fans and choreography just wasn't appropriate.

Now there might be a case to be built for some future one-off game, be it a cup tie or play-off, but for a regular Championship fixture against Leicester City? Entirely the wrong message and not one Farke will be sending to his players this week as he calms things down to rest legs and minds ahead of the fixture. This is not a cup final, this should not be a cup final for Leeds United and letting Leicester think for one second that they are Leeds' cup final would go against everything Farke has been talking about since he arrived.

For us in the media and probably for most supporters too, this is a big game. It will take on big game feel, because these two sides are out to win automatic promotion and because they're two very, very good teams. It cannot be ignored that a Leeds victory would narrow the gap between them and their visitors to just six points. That gap was once 17 points. Should it become six points then we can finally take the phrase 'title race' down off the shelf, dust it off and sprinkle it liberally into the narrative.

For Farke and his players, however, this is just the latest in a run of games that happens to have brought maximum points. It's just another opponent to be respected, like Plymouth and Rotherham were respected, and another opportunity to experience that winning feeling again. Leeds will set out to dominate the ball, they'll look to create chances and they'll do their utmost to counter the strengths of the opposition. Another press conference will take place at Thorp Arch this week, this time face-to-face and with Farke at the top table. This is what you can expect him to say: "I don't over-interpret the table, not with so many games to play. This league is relentless. Perhaps when you are there on game day 42 you can look at the table. This is another difficult game. I'm quite respectful, they are a good team." No big deal, no flags to wave, just another day at the office.

The other reason why there need not be any special effort to turn Elland Road into something it probably isn't, is that the stadium has an emotional intelligence. It knows when it is needed. So many times during both of the recent Premier League relegation fights, the home crowd sensed a need for them to do what they do, but louder, and so they did. There will be an edge and an urgency to the atmosphere, which the players may well sense as they stride out just before 8pm, but beyond that Elland Road's role will best be performed with spontaneity. When the team needs a lift, scarves will be whirled around heads. "We are the champions," will deafen, for minutes on end if needs be. That's when Elland Road is Elland Road. Leave the atmosphere to the experts, forget the flags and the clappers. Instead, give them something to get their teeth into, some adversity or ascendancy, and watch them go like the clappers.