Leeds United 5 Burton Albion 0

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Wow! We all knew perfectly well that if this Leeds United side was to be acknowledged as the real deal then we really had to be beating a side like Burton Albion by three, four or five. Well, we did it, we beat them comprehensively and now we can be certain that we are indeed the real deal.

That is not to be disrespectful to Burton Albion but with the start they’ve had and with the catalogue of injuries and missing players they were suffering we really couldn’t contemplate not beating them; any team aspiring towards the top of the Championship this season must put away struggling sides like the Brewers. In the past fourteen years or so there have often been moments of great optimism like we are enjoying now but every time they proved to be short-lived and usually foundered with a dismal display in a game everyone expected us to win. Not this time; Leeds dominated this game in a manner that suggests we are destined for great things this season while Burton will most probably be fighting another relegation battle. Leeds totted up no less than 30 attempts on goal to a solitary effort from the Brewers and while we hit the target ten times with ours that one Burton effort was off target; if we carry on like this Felix will have to work very hard to keep himself warm once we get deeper into the winter!

The only real concern I had going into this game was that with two more celebrated strikers joining up with us on transfer deadline day, how was Thomas Christiansen going to keep everyone happy and would he dare change a winning formula? Well, with Ezgjan Alioski having played two full games with Macedonia last week that was at least something of a reason to bench one half of our magical duo of Alioski and Sáiz to give Lasogga a start, a start he clearly was desperate to make as he risked not being at the birth of his child! The way he played suggests that it will now be a problem for TC to leave him out – but what a problem to have! We appear to have players all over the pitch now who are willing to have a pop at goal and more to the point all of them seem to know what they are doing! Chris who?

It is not just in attack though that we now look strong – to some extent the guile and quality in midfield and up front has taken the pressure off the back line but to have conceded just 2 goals in six Championship games is still some effort. Yep, this Leeds side looks like the team to beat at the moment and if we can sensibly rotate the squad and ensure everyone is kept involved then who knows what the limit is. 

It is hard to say who the top teams will be this early in the piece – I thought Sunderland and Forest would be amongst them yet both suffered poor defeats today – but I’ve not spotted one yet better than Leeds. Maybe Cardiff will continue their good run, their draw with Fulham today suggests both those sides will be up there and Boro and Derby seem to have finally got it together. We have to see off Birmingham on Tuesday and then Millwall next Saturday ( I doubt either of them will worry the play-off positions come May) then, after the 2nd XI does battle with Burnley, the games against Ipswich and Cardiff may well define our season. Fingers crossed!