Why Leeds United's victory at Newcastle United was a step towards becoming a fully fledged Premier League club - Graham Smyth's verdict

Leeds United are not yet a fully fledged Premier League club, on or off the pitch, but in their first year back in the top flight they don’t have to be.

This season is simply about being competitive enough and doing enough to stay up. It’s not quite a case of fake it ’til you make it, because there are some very good footballers in Marcelo Bielsa’s group.

Their early season form and an ability to cause problems for the best defences in the land caught many by surprise and led to some getting a little carried away with what could be achieved.

But the expectation at board level was very clearly stated from the outset – just stay in this division.

Remaining in the top tier will give Leeds the time and the revenue they need to build something that lasts at this level and not just in a footballing sense.

On Monday a fresh round of investment from the financial backers of NFL franchise the San Francisco 49ers was announced and owner Andrea Radrizzani spoke of his five to seven year plan and a dream of European football at a redeveloped Elland Road.

All of that is dependent on the club’s newfound Premier League status lasting beyond the 2020/21 campaign.

Two or three years of the television income and commercial opportunities, not to mention the matchday revenue that will flood back into the club when the pandemic is finally behind us, will set Leeds up with a chance to try and make Radrizzani’s dream a reality.

So a 2-1 win over Newcastle United, no matter how it came, was important.

You could tell from his demeanour and his words that Bielsa was in no mood to pluck positives from a game that could so easily have been drawn or even lost, such were the problems the Magpies caused Leeds in the second half.

And yet another injury setback for Diego Llorente further soured the mood.

But in the grand scheme of things and in the bigger picture, the three points were positive enough in themselves.

Paraag Marathe, Leeds’ new vice chairman, spoke on Monday of Leeds being one of the most recognisable brands in global football.

By this stage of the season, their strengths and weaknesses in a footballing sense are easily recognisable.

So too is their identity. They like to attack and create chances and they like to entertain.

Against a struggling Newcastle United that was expected to set up with the aim of being hard to break down, the absence of the creative Mateusz Klich from Bielsa’s starting line-up was a shock.

Leeds United without Klich had become unthinkable, thanks to two almost ever-present seasons in the Championship under Marcelo Bielsa.

Prior to the trip to St James’ Park, Klich had missed just one of the Argentine’s games in charge, and that came after the title and promotion had been won, when the beer and champagne had rightfully flowed.

Stuart Dallas was preferred in midfield and linked up well enough in the first half with the defence and the attack.

But it was the Premier League quality Leeds added to their squad last summer that made the difference in a relatively flat first half.

After a drab, scrappy opening, during which Llorente limped off to be replaced by Pascal Struijk, Leeds assumed control.

Kalvin Phillips was hemming Newcastle in, Jack Harrison was finding acres of space out wide and it was only composure that was lacking from the Whites in the final third.

A badly sliced volley attempt from Harrison and passes that should have hurt the hosts but didn’t, let some slack marking off the hook.

Then up popped Raphinha.

Bielsa had spoken about the benefit of wide players arriving at pace in central areas of space before the game and the Brazilian winger, signed from Rennes last summer, is capable of doing it so well.

When Gjanni Aloski nicked the ball near halfway and Patrick Bamford put Rodrigo in on the right, Raphinha appeared all alone just inside the box, received a pass and coolly curled the ball past Karl Darlow.

With Newcastle unable to get anything going and Leeds dispossessing them with ease, it looked like another long night for the hosts.

Raphinha arrived at pace in the area, again, to take another pass from Rodrigo and his shot hit the outside of the post. Had it gone in, Newcastle might well have buckled.

Instead, they came out for the second half and managed to get a foothold.

When Bamford and Luke Ayling’s attempt to play pretty football out of trouble, 30 yards from their own goal, Newcastle pounced, a one-two between Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron allowing the latter to run clean through and beat Illan Meslier. Leeds did just enough to get their noses in front again and it was once more Premier League quality that told.

A Newcastle attack broke down, Harrison picked up the ball and worked it out of the corner, Rodrigo swept it right for Raphinha and he took his time, drifted inside and dinked the ball to the back post where Harrison arrived to complete the move with a fine half-volley finish.

An even game broke out, with chances at each end.

Jonjo Shelvey danced into a dangerous position and Struijk had to clear from the six-yard box, before Jacob Murphy thumped the ball just wide from a long way out.

His departure, for ball carrying expert Allan Saint-Maximin, made life even harder for Leeds.

Yet they themselves were a handful on the break, Rodrigo finding Raphinha yet again, the winger in turn feeding substitute Tyler Roberts who couldn’t quite guide it past Darlow.

At the other end a Harrison mistake in possession allowed the home side to switch the ball left where Jamal Lewis arrived unmarked to fire just off target.

A succession of corners caused problems for Leeds, Jamaal Lascelles the chief aerial threat before Shelvey threw himself at one and forced Meslier into a sublime save.

Dallas’ move to left-back had removed what was a sturdy defensive look to the Leeds midfield and Newcastle steamrolled their way through the middle, Fabian Schär able to run further than he ever should have to fire at goal, Meslier saving brilliantly again.

Ball carrying has long been a problem for Leeds, when their man to man marking system breaks down, and Saint-Maxim did it well to keep Newcastle on the front foot.

But time and time again Leeds did just enough, until time, for Newcastle, ran out.

It was far from pretty but it was a win and another important step towards this season’s only objective of note – remaining a Premier League club.