The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Friday 13th March) Palace prepared for 'very physical' Leeds encounter
Good Morning. It's Friday 13th March, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road...
Palace prepared for 'very physical' Leeds encounter
Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner is heading into this week’s clash against Leeds in a much more confident mood, compared to the last time they met just before Christmas. The memory of that 4-1 drubbing at Elland Road, a result that many believe triggered a collapse for the South London side, clearly still lingers, but with reinforcements settling in well and Jean-Philippe Matata handed his first minutes since January (in their 0-0 draw with Cypriot minnows AEK Larnaca last night), things are looking a lot rosier for the South London outfit.
It's all about depth. The permanent additions of Jorgen Strand Larsen and Brennan Johnson, coupled with the loan arrival of Evann Guessand, have transformed a thin squad into a versatile unit. With Jean-Philippe Mateta now back from injury, Glasner suddenly has the luxury of rotation during a gruelling three-game week. Glasner himself noted that the integration of these new faces has been a "two-way street," praising the chemistry between the regulars and the newcomers. By adding genuine, Palace are no longer just surviving games; they are tactically equipped to match the intensity of a Leeds side that previously bullied them. According to Glasner:-
“The new players are really getting integrated [with the group] very well. It’s not one-way, it’s two-ways, but it’s quite easy because the player who are here are great lads, and so are the new ones as well, so it’s maybe easier,” he continued. “It just gives us more options and we need this now. We have a three-game week again, and are expecting a very physical and intense game against Leeds, where we got punished at Elland Road [in December]. Therefore, we need all these options, and it’s good to have them.”
Simon Jordan weighs in on Savile debate
Leeds United have stirred up a bit of a debate by asking the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to broaden its definition of "tragedy chanting" to include those relentless Jimmy Savile songs that echo through the away end at Elland Road. Right now, the law is pretty much locked into football-specific disasters like Hillsborough or the 2000 Istanbul deaths, leaving Savile in a bit of a legislative grey area.
Since the disgraced figure was a Leeds native but had no official ties to the club, away fans use the chants to rile up the home crowd, and Leeds wants it treated as a public order offence. Simon Jordan weighed in on talkSPORT, and in typical fashion. While he isn’t knocking Leeds for trying to protect their image and the victims of Savile’s crimes, noting that the situation certainly carries "elements of tragedy", he’s skeptical about where the line is drawn.
'Is every offensive chant a crime, or are we just policing bad taste'? Jordan pointed out the irony of fan culture, reminding everyone that Leeds fans themselves haven't always stayed on the right side of the line with their own chants about past disasters like the Munich air crash. Ultimately, he suggests that while there’s 'a case to be made for broadening the law', it’s a tough ask to stop, what many believe to be 'winding up' from opposition fans.
“It’s a balancing act between being offended by something and something having the connotation of a tragedy. “And there’s an argument to suggest that what happened with Jimmy Savile has elements of tragedy attached to it for those who were victims of it. And it ruined lives. “So there was a case to be argued, but you’re blowing into the wind of what football fans will and won’t do, and what they will next say, which is offensive. No one has the right not to be offended.
“There’s a balancing act between lionising terrible, tragic events like Hillsborough and other events that we’ve seen tragedy chanting for years and years. I’m gonna imagine Leeds fans were participating in it. They sang about the 1958 Munich crash and turned it into a parody song.”
“I’m not offended by Leeds making an application to the CPS. I’m interested in understanding what the measurements would be to define what is a tragedy song. Does it have to be legacy football clubs that have had these tragic events that can make these cases? “I don’t have an issue with it. So I think there’s a case to answer. Will it achieve things? Will it stop the culture of football? Will it make them think twice? Yeah, maybe. “
Uncertain summer for Ramazani despite blistering form
Largie Ramazani’s resurgence in La Liga is beginning to turn heads back at Elland Road, sparking a complicated debate about his future under Daniel Farke. The 25yo has been instrumental in the Spanish side’s recent surge, netting three goals in his last four appearances and helping them secure nine points from a possible twelve to climb to 12th in the table.
However, despite this "brilliant run," his long-term prospects in West Yorkshire remain clouded in uncertainty. While Leeds was careful not to include a buyout clause in the loan agreement, it is unclear if he truly fits into the club’s top-flight ambitions. No longer a developing prospect, Ramazani now faces the reality of a "make-or-break" plateau.
With Noah Okafor currently occupying the left-wing slot, Farke must decide if Ramazani represents a genuine upgrade or if his recent form is merely a purple patch in a league that suits him better. If Leeds intends to solidify their position in the upper echelons of the table next season, they may find that neither player offers the elite consistency required to take the club to the next level.