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Dan Moylan, Michael Normanton, and Daniel Chapman (Moscowhite) recorded episode 111 straight from Elland Road, returning to the studio after a frustrating 2-0 defeat to Hull City. Jarrod Bowen — who had been linked with a January move to Leeds during the week — scored both goals (25’ and 58’), adding particular irritation to the loss. Hull’s compact defensive setup and tight marking of Leeds’s full backs forced long balls that bypassed Bielsa’s midfield, and individual errors compounded the damage: Kalvin Phillips attempted a pass in his own six-yard box that gifted Hull possession for the opener, while Barry Douglas was beaten too easily for the second.
Despite the defeat, Leeds remained top of the Championship. Frank Lampard’s Derby came to the rescue by beating Norwich, meaning Leeds held their lead. The hosts reflected that six points from three Christmas games would have been satisfactory going in — they had the six already — and the blip, while infuriating, did not fundamentally alter the season’s complexion.
The contrast with the two games that preceded Hull was extreme. Against Aston Villa, Leeds came from 2-0 down — Leif Davis making his debut at left back after Barry Douglas fell ill before kick-off — with Kemar Roofe scoring a winner deep in injury time. Against Blackburn, another 3-2 comeback, Roofe scoring again in the 94th minute, Gaetano Berardi celebrating on one leg with abandon. Neither club could recall Leeds scoring two winning goals after the 90th minute in consecutive games. Gjanni Alioski’s improved form was highlighted as a further positive, his confidence elevated by playing in his natural position on the right.
The episode title comes from a historical tangent prompted by John Charles’s birthday — he would have turned 87 that week. Major Frank Buckley, who managed Leeds from 1948 and first worked with Charles, was notorious for injecting players with monkey gland serum at Wolves. He brought the same unconventional approach to Leeds, including barking instructions at players through the newly installed Elland Road public address system while sitting in the West Stand — to the considerable displeasure of local residents awakened by his profanity.
Looking ahead, Dan predicted a clean sheet win over Forest on New Year’s Day with Gjanni Alioski to score, while the QPR FA Cup tie was flagged as an opportunity for the younger players. The search for an experienced back-up goalkeeper dominated the January window discussion, with Bailey Peacock-Farrell’s form prompting concern.
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