Coronation Street is no match for Elland Road

Say what you like about Elland Road — and in my experience it is not a place to linger — but Leeds United is the soap opera that just keeps on giving. The sainted Marcelo Bielsa, their coach, has won himself massive plaudits and double page spreads in the press for the near-miraculous feat of making The Damned United vaguely likeable, even momentarily.

Bielsa gifted Aston Villa a goal after Leeds had scored a controversial opener. Villa thought that play had stopped for an injury; Leeds didn’t kick the ball out, and scored. Cue general handbags, after which Bielsa ordered his players to let Villa score.

In the general moral carnival that ensued, it was good to see that centre back Pontus Jansson wasn’t having any of this nicey-nicey stuff and, channelling the spirit of Norman Hunter, did try — unsuccessfully — to stop the goal.

We should be careful about too much of this as players go down increasingly regularly with seemingly terminal injuries, often accompanied by that routine of beating the ground with their hand to indicate that yes, that really did hurt. Should the ball always be kicked out at that point? I don’t think so.

Also generally lost in the piety was Leeds striker Patrick Bamford’s fabulously deceitful face clasp and agonised drop to the floor when mildly caught by a flailing arm. Ah football, don’t you love it!

Readers of a certain vintage will recall that ‘dirty Leeds’ have form in this area. Back in April 1971, Leeds were desperate for points in an agonisingly tight race for the First Division title with Bertie Mee’s Arsenal. Playing West Brom, and already 1-0 down, a loose ball from Hunter cannons into the Leeds half.