Leeds United: Leeds United’s journey back to the promised land. Part 2.

Just as the rise and fall are something of Hollywood proportions, so too is the saga of the fall and rise. From living the dream to years of bottom pit football, Leeds rise once more.
#PausaHistoria [THREAD] https://twitter.com/PausaFutbol/status/1287437042037567489

On January 21, 2005, a 50% stake was bought by Ken Bates for £10m and Bates became the club's new chairman, replacing Krasner. This investment effectively saved Leeds United from going into administration. Bates used to own Leeds’ old rival, Chelsea.

Blackwell was forced to sell most of the remaining players, including Aaron Lennon; somehow he managed to build a team using loan players and experienced professionals at the twilight of their careers. Leeds finished 14th in 04-05 Championship.

05/06: Leeds had a busy summer. Leeds decided this is the year to get the promotion. Leeds were pragmatic from home but proactive at Elland Road. The results? A result was good enough for a Championship at Cardiff. The suffering could only be short-lived, right?

Wrong. Leeds lost to Watford. 90 minutes away from being back in the Premier League. Now, they’re back in the purgatory of English Football. As the 06/07 season started, Blackwell’s contract was terminated after a poor start. From the cusp of glory to frustration.

Leeds flirted with the relegation zone throughout the majority of the 06/07 season. With being consistently inconsistent, Leeds were relegated once more after entering voluntary administration. A year ago, they were almost at the 3rd tier of English football.

Leeds United was now paying for the dream. Ken Bates put the club into administration two days before the 2006/07 season ended to ensure the 10-point deduction would be applied to that season rather than their first season in League One.

There’s always a saying for karma right? Leeds were hit with a 15-point deduction for the start of the League One season for exiting administration without the supervision of the Company Voluntary Arrangement. More complications upon more complications.

Despite the 15 point deduction, Leeds did well enough to earn a playoff spot. Leeds applied for the deduction to be reduced but to no avail. Leeds had to win promotion to the Championship via playoff. Leeds saw off Carlisle for a date with Doncaster Rovers at the new Wembley.

Another playoff final defeat for Leeds. 90 minutes away from being in the second tier of the Championship. Another season awaits Leeds in the third tier of English football. Two final losses of promotion for Leeds United. Misfortune was the destiny for Leeds United.

08/09 saw Leeds lose in the semi-finals of the League One playoff. 09/10 gave Leeds something more to cheer about. 86 points were good enough for second place. Leeds United defeated reigning Premier League champions and old rival, Manchester United at the FA Cup.

Leeds United in their initial season back of the Championship finished 7th of the 2010-11 campaign. The trajectory was positive. Yet Leeds was as high as 2nd by Christmas. The lack of investment didn’t give Leeds any depth they needed. Another season in the Championship awaits.

Despite the promising initial season, Leeds finished as high as 13th for the next two seasons in the Championship. Leeds has a new owner: Massimo Cellino. Despite the new ownership, the results for Leeds weren't much better.

On December 1st, 2014, Cellino was disqualified by the Football League after it obtained documents from an Italian court, where he was found guilty of tax evasion. Another scandal upon Elland Road. For the next two seasons of 2014/15, 15/16, Leeds stagnated.

16/17 saw a positive trajectory. On January 4th, 2017, Italian businessman Andrea Radrizzani purchased a 50% stake in the club from Massimo Cellino. Leeds had a strong start, but didn’t win any of their final five matches and finished seventh. Another unfortunate event.

Radrizzani implemented a culture change. He brought back the rights to Elland Road for £20 million in the summer of 2017. The new director of football, Victor Otra, did extensive work of bringing in new players for the first team and the academy.

It seems promising but Leeds finished 15th. Leeds needed someone that is ambitious. Marcelo Bielsa.

Bielsa. A Maverick. At the start of Bielsa's reign saw Leeds make an impressive start and after nine games, Leeds were at the top of the Championship. It seems like a straightforward run for Leeds to go back to the Premier League with a famed manager.

As this thread indicates, Leeds United couldn’t steer away from making headlines once more. Bielsa admitted to sending a spy outside the Derby training ground. Spygate resulted in a £200,000 fine which Bielsa actually paid himself. From being favorites to another controversy.

After being in the top two with Norwich City for the majority of the season, with four games of the season remaining, Leeds were still sat second in the Championship table. And a shocking collapse ensued. Leeds lost three of their last four remaining fixtures. Playoffs await.

Leeds won 1-0 at Pride Park before the second leg provided an all-time classic. The game swung both ways before Gaetano Berardi’s red card. Derby's Jack Marriott scored a late winner and Leeds’ promotion dreams were over.

Bielsa agreed to stay on for another season. Once again, Leeds started the season in sensational fashion and was top on New Year’s Day. Yet, the start of 2020 was brutal. Leeds lost four of their next five.

Leeds drew at fellow promotion rivals Brentford before rattling off five straight wins. In the final game before lockdown, they beat Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield 2-0. Seven points clear with nine games to play. Leeds had another obstacle: the lockdown.

There were talks of football being null and void due to the lockdown. Despite the concerns, football was resumed to be played in June 2020. Leeds’ first match? A 2-0 loss to Cardiff. Leeds responded with a late winner from Pablo Hernandez against Swansea.

Leeds beat Barnsley 1-0 at Elland Road to move even closer to their goal. Their Premier League return was sealed the following night after West Brom lost to Huddersfield, sparking wild celebrations. Leeds United, after sixteen years of turmoil, are now back in the promise land.

It’s been some journey for Leeds United since their relegation from the Premier League. 15 different bosses. Four takeovers. Points deductions, administrations, and a Spygate scandal. This is the fall and rise of Leeds United. They lived the dream. They also lived through hell.