If you are Leeds United fans, and you should be reading this, cast your mind back to the dark days of David Hockaday and the Cellino journey.
After you’ve recovered enough from the shudders wracking your body, now try picture the presence of volatile defender Giuseppe Bellusci on Twitter offering to outduke fans. Ah those days, those dark days when it was best that certain Leeds United players and fans didn’t meet socially.
Nowadays thought, with Cellino firmly back in Italy, and with Bellusci also tucked up there, it’s a different Leeds United. Well, this season it is – thankfully.
That bonhomie extends to random meetings in the public arena between Leeds United players and fans. Be it city squares or restaurants, that conviviality is there to be seen by all – even on scheduled trains.
Samu Saiz, Mateusz Klich, Pablo Hernandez and Pontus Jansson are simply in the buffet car trying to buy a coffee. Thing is though, Leeds United fans love their players and it isn’t long before they are joined by a happy, joyous and singing throng of Whites supporters.
You see, this whole scenario is one of the most pleasing things about Leeds United at the moment. Under Cellino, it was a club divided where fans were often at each other’s throats. Yet, under the stewardship of Andrea Radrizzani Leeds are a club where it’s all coming together.
That’s definitely noticeable on the pitch where they are pulling up trees with their performances. The thanks for that goes to Radrizzani and Victor Orta who brought in the genius who is Marcelo Bielsa. It’s also true off the pitch, the ethos of Marcelo Bielsa percolating through at all levels.
The Whites are now…well…United.