Even heroes need something to do

A packed and feverish Elland Road, mood imploding amid a stoppage time equaliser by Norwich. A substitution, a clearance by Illan Meslier, a target-man's header by just-on Joe Gelhardt. Raphinha on the ball, too wide, too far, but he's too composed and too committed to mess this up. A cut back, Gelhardt, a vital winning goal, ecstasy; and still time at the other end for Tim Krul, yes the goalie, to tee up Teemu Pukki in the penalty area, yes the expert striker, and Meslier to stand up to him, brave, saving the shot with his face.

People might scoff at nostalgia for relegation battles but it never stopped us celebrating Mark Viduka's winner at Highbury in 2003 and it might be all we get from the next few seasons if all goes to plan. That classic winner against Norwich wasn't even Joffy Gelhardt's only contribution to staying up in 2021/22. His composure in the 92nd minute against Brighton, when he whipped the ball around players in a tight space on the byline, flicked it over and jumped a tackle then dinked a cross onto Pascal Struijk's head at the far post, was even more extraordinary for coming at the end of a full ninety minutes of striving rather than as a super-sub. On the final day, at Brentford, Jackie Harrison scored the vital goal with the sort of careful strike that, as his trademark, makes it odd that his final ball is often so wayward. The memorable images were of Raphinha, celebrating in the stands, crawling across the pitch giving thanks to God. But the day almost belonged to Joffy when, in the first half, he was ruled marginally offside after getting onto Harrison's flick and smashing his shot into the roof of the net. Had that stood and been the decider, it might be talked about more. Of the goals that stood it's odd, given how often Viduka's goal at Arsenal is still replayed twenty years on, that we don't see Gelhardt's skill against Brighton more often when it was only a couple of years ago. Yes, it all ended badly a year later. Viduka's fall, within twelve months of Highbury, was greater.

Besides, anyone feeling disengaged by the way Leeds play now and fearing a future at the bottom of the Premier League might feel better after watching the ends of those games against Norwich and Brighton. Maybe the awkward vibes this season, and last, is because the odds are in the Peacocks' favour and that's not how we like it. Or maybe, remembering how good Elland Road felt in last season's play-off semi-final, regular season league football in winter is never going to be as thrilling as we want it to be. We need something to kick against, rather than waiting to be kicked, and we need heroes to create drama. When the Canaries equalised that day, it felt like the last thing we needed. But I didn't know how much I needed Joffy the supersub to score, Meslier the superkeeper to stop Pukki, to make me feel alive. What a pair of absolute beauties, those two.

Not anymore, they're not. Meslier is trying to win back his own club's fans. Gelhardt is off to Hull, in search of what beauty he can find there. Their fall, from being good enough to keep Leeds in the Premier League but now not thought good enough to help us get back, does not feel good. This time, at least, Joffy isn't still staring out of the side of the club shop at Elland Road while he plays games on loan for another club.

I've no idea whether Gelhardt is a good footballer anymore and that feels part of both cause and symptom of his declining status. He's a footballer, but he hasn't been playing football. So how can anyone know what he is anymore? In 2021/22 he played 746 minutes of first team football for Leeds, plus 618 in the Under-23s, a total of 1,364 — fifteen games' worth of football. Since then he has played ninety minutes in the Under-21s, 419 in the Leeds first team, and 1,198 on loan at Sunderland in 2023 — 1,707 in total. It's the equivalent of less than nineteen full games in two-and-a-half seasons after fifteen in one. What has he been doing the rest of the time? Injured a bit, and training, I guess. And not getting anywhere.

Only eleven players can start a first team match but it's only in recent years that the rest have been reduced, like Gelhardt, to not having enough to do. There's a risk of shouting at the clouds here, but if ever a player needed the return of proper all-ages reserve team football it's Joffy. And, perhaps, Meslier. Once upon a time if a young player couldn't get into the first team, let's say like Mark Tinkler after he'd graduated from the youth team in the mid-1990s, there was still a competitive league for them to play in, and play he did: 138 times in six seasons, including three seasons of 25 games or more, one of 38. I'm sure it wasn't what he wanted. It's called 'the stiffs' for a reason. But it meant training was practice with a purpose, keeping up a rhythm of competitive games that were regular chances for honing skills and impressing coaches or new clubs. He's been doing well in the reserves, managers'd say, as they brought a squad member onto the bench, and it carried more weight than showing good signs in training.