On Ben Foster’s podcast, Leeds United legend Stuart Dallas discussed the latter stages of his time with the club, particularly how the Whites won a promotion race against Brentford.
Stuart Dallas’ football career came to a devastating end at the end of last season, since he had been unable to play for the last two years owing to a severe injury.
Dallas’ setback, however, did not detract from his status among Leeds fans, who see him as an icon of the promotion-winning season and one of the most significant players in that team.
Stuart Dallas reminisces on Leeds getting through sticky patch under Bielsa in 19/20
One of the best times in the club’s recent history was the 19/20 promotion-winning season, during which Dallas played in whatever position that Marcelo Bielsa required.
However, it wasn’t all roses throughout that season, as Leeds’ form dipped around the festive period, as Dallas revealed on Ben Foster’s podcast – Fozcast:
“We started that season pretty well, and I believe we were 14 or 15 points ahead at Christmas time, but as you know, the crowded fixtures always **** things up.
“So we almost ****** it up, we got to a point where we had Nottingham Forest away and Brentford away, we got beat by Forest away, and then we went to play Brentford, who by the way were steamrolling teams at that point, they were right up our backsides.”
Dallas discusses Brentford rivalry in promotion hunt, Thomas Frank digs and Bielsa’s “incredible” speech
There was a bit of a needle between the promotion rivals that season, especially when Leeds squandered a substantial lead, as Dallas mentions, allowing Nottingham Forest and Brentford to face Leeds back-to-back in February 2020.
A loss to Forest allowed Thomas Frank’s Brentford to put pressure on Bielsa’s Leeds, but the Whites responded admirably with a draw at Griffin Park before going on a superb run until the end of the season, when they only dropped five points out of 42 to win the title.
Dallas commented on that period, citing the competition sparked by Frank’s Bees in the build-up, highlighting his personal role in the drama, and how Bielsa roused the group to a dramatic improvement in fortunes.
Also highlighted was Dallas”mind the gap’ drunken dig at Brentford as Leeds earned promotion and the league title thanks to the Bees’ slip-up at Stoke.
“I remember Thomas Frank stating in interviews, ‘Leeds wouldn’t fancy coming to our property. I know what it’s like to play at Brentford; it was the old stadium at the time, and I knew how bad it could be; he said, ‘They won’t want to come’.
“He was just putting pressure on us; he was doing the right thing. I had a little nibble back when we got promoted; I probably regret that now, but he was only putting pressure on us.
“But we got there that night and ended up drawing, but first Bielsa had a meeting, which was really wonderful. It seemed as if we could have played that game right then and then, and it made the hairs on my arms rise up, just how he made us feel and everything he showed us.
After losing to Forest, all hope was lost, and we appeared to have cracked under pressure once more, but that comeback from behind was crucial.
It should have been a win, but the fact that we stopped the rot that day was the catalyst for our incredible run.
Frank’s Brentford were a genuine thorn in our side that season, but the manner we held them at arm’s length after that was incredible.
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