Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Remember what happens to the best-blade plans
DALLAS SOUNDS NOTE OF CAUTION AMIDST CELEBRATIONS
AMID all the back-slapping at Leeds for passing the magic 40-point mark, Stuart Dallas claims Sheffield United serve as a sober warning.
Just nine short months ago the Blades were Yorkshire’s top team after Chris Wilder performed the sort of miracle associated with Christmas.
Wilder had followed up winning automatic promotion at Leeds’ expense in 2019 to guide them to their best finish since 1975 of ninth.
Yet their star has fallen as quickly as it rose and now they are destined to go down as one of the worst teams in Premier League history.
Dallas, 29, says the Blades story is a cautionary tale for Leeds in their first campaign back in the big time.
The Northern Ireland international said: “Sheffield United, the season they had last season was incredible and it just shows how it can change.
“This season they have not been able to continue that, so it’s important we look at that and have that in our minds as well.
“I think 42 points is a good total for us to have at this stage of the season.
“I don’t know where we are in terms of the table, but we’re starting to build a bit of momentum. That’s what we want to do, we want to get as far up the table as we can.”
Leeds are not the Blades and while the men from Bramall Lane massively overachieved last season and still look like a Championship outfit, Marcelo Bielsa’s team have developed into a proper top-flight team.
Bielsa’s (below) greatest asset as a coach is he improves players, and not one of their starting XI on Saturday looks out of place in the top division.
They boasted nine current or former full and Under-21 internationals in their line-up for this Yorkshire derby, with another six on the bench.
They have quality all over the park and that was strikingly evident.
The excellent Raphinha made the first goal for Jack Harrison before the Manchester City loanee’s dangerous cross was turned into his own net by Phil Jagielka for the second.
Jagielka’s own goal restored the advantage after Ben Osborn levelled with his first Blades goal – and the home side should have won more comfortably, such was their dominance. Skipper Liam Cooper insists Leeds will not ease up, even though they have achieved their survival target.
The Scotland centre-half said: “It’s always massive to get past t h e 40-point mark and we’re always looking to improve.
“At the start of the season, that was the aim – to stay in this league – and now we’ve gone past the magic points mark, we can go and get some more wins and progress even further up the table.”