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Episode twenty of The Square Ball, recorded on 21 December 2010, brought Dan Moylan, Michael Normanton, and Daniel Chapman (Moscowhite) together for the last episode before Christmas — a show that had a genuine piece of good news at its centre, even if the broader picture remained complicated.
White Watching covered two results. Leeds had lost 2-0 at QPR on 11 December, a result that continued the away-day difficulties of the season. But on 18 December, at Elland Road, came the moment the episode was built around: a 3-2 comeback win against Burnley in which Leeds came from behind to win late. The result arrived with the energy of a side that could, when it needed to, find something.
The news off the pitch was significant: Luciano Becchio had signed a new contract. The previous episode had discussed the uncertainty around the club’s prize striker at some length; this episode found the panel relieved and reflective about what the deal meant. Becchio’s importance to the way Simon Grayson’s Leeds played was examined again — a player who had become genuinely central, and whose retention felt like a statement of intent.
The episode’s most unusual feature was an interview with Howard Wilkinson, conducted by Moscowhite, which gave the programme a historical depth unusual for the podcast in its early years. Wilkinson’s tenure as Leeds manager — League Champions in 1992 — carried enormous significance in the club’s story, and his presence made episode twenty something more than a match review.
The Christmas timing gave the programme a slightly warmer register than usual: a programme that felt like a seasonal stock-take, and one that — with Becchio signed and the Burnley comeback fresh — had genuine reasons for optimism.
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