As Victor Orta cried to camera and Dan James reversed out of Elland Road, I was pondering what could have been. Almost five years later, I’m convinced the events of 31st January 2019 were the best thing that could have happened for Leeds. Which is not to say we should not have signed Dan James, quite the opposite.

Had Dan James signed for Leeds that night, it’s quite possible he would have been the difference between automatic promotion and our play-off date with that fateful night against Derby. In fact, even if we had still ended up facing Frank Lampard’s odious brigade, James likely would have ended Scott Malone’s whole career; and it’s for that exact reason I’m glad Swansea left the phone off the hook.

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