The 2018–19 season saw Leeds United competing in the Championship (known as the Sky Bet Championship for sponsorship reasons) for a ninth successive season.
Season summary
Leeds' season started with an impressive win against relegated Stoke City at Elland Road, followed by a 4–1 win against Frank Lampard's Derby County at Pride Park, moving Leeds up to 3rd in the Championship table.
Leeds' first defeat of the season was against former manager Garry Monk's Birmingham City in mid September, but by the turn of the year the side were in pole position, despite a 4–2 defeat to Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on 1 January 2019.
Before a 2–0 victory over Derby County on 11 January 2019, manager Marcelo Bielsa admitted he had sent a spy to Derby's training ground, after reports emerged in the press that a man was spotted the previous day outside the training ground. Derby manager Frank Lampard was critical of Bielsa's method. On 12 January, Leeds United released a statement in response to the incident. Tottenham Hotspur Manager Mauricio Pochettino described the incident as 'not a big deal' and commonplace in Argentina.
On 15 January, the EFL announced they would be investigating the incident. With intense media scrutiny on what was coined 'Spygate' in the media, Bielsa announced a press briefing on 16 January 2019, where he gave a detailed analysis of his research on a PowerPoint presentation to the gathered media and journalists, detailing his meticulousness, thoroughness and preparation over his opponents, with some journalists in attendance describing it as a 'coaching masterclass' and 'genius'.
The 'Spygate' saga was resolved on 18 February, when Leeds were fined a sum of £200,000 by the EFL for breach of a portion of Rule 3.4 of EFL Regulations ("In all matters and transactions relating to The League each Club shall behave towards each other Club and The League with the utmost good faith."), with the EFL also announcing a new rule as a result, that teams could not watch opposition training up to 72 hours before a game. It was subsequently revealed, by Bielsa, that he paid the £200,000 fine in full himself.
Towards the end of January, Leeds missed out on signing Daniel James with the deal being pulled on the final day, but did sign Kiko Casilla from Real Madrid.
The team's form dipped in January and February, whilst some pointed towards the implications of Spygate, Bielsa refused to make excuses outside of himself.
Damaging defeats in March to Sheffield United and Birmingham City had left the promotion race out of their hands, and would need Norwich City and Sheffield United to slip up in order for Leeds to be promoted automatically. Two wins against Preston North End and Sheffield Wednesday briefly raised hopes before losses to 10 man Wigan at home and an away loss to Brentford would mean the side enter the playoffs.
This rendered their last two games almost meaningless, however they didn't go by quietly. The visit of Aston Villa saw tempers flare during the second half. The officials waved away calls for a foul as Mateusz Klich took the lead for the Whites.
As players and staff broke out into a fracas, Marcelo Bielsa ordered his players to stand aside and Aston Villa were able to equaliser through an unopposed goal. The Leeds manager and his side later won the 2019 FIFA Fair Play award for their sportsmanship in this action.
Leeds entered the playoffs and played Derby County over two legs. In the first leg at Pride Park, Kemar Roofe handed Leeds a lead in the tie before returning to Elland Road.
Stuart Dallas gave the side a 2-0 aggregate lead, before a mix up between Kiko Casilla and Liam Cooper just before half time allowed Jack Marriott to reduce the deficit and give Frank Lampard's Derby County hope.
Negativity crept in and the home side threw the second leg away, allowing Derby to win 3-4 on aggregate. Jack Marriott's late goal sending Frank Lampard's Derby County to the playoff final.
Pre-season and friendlies Leeds United announced pre-season friendlies against Forest Green Rovers, York City, Southend United, Oxford United, Guiseley and Las Palmas.
Competitions Championship
League table
Results summary
Results by matchday
Matches
Play-offs
FA Cup
EFL Cup
Statistics No.Pos.NameLeaguePlay-offsFA CupEFL CupTotalDisciplineAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals1GK Bailey Peacock-Farrell280001000290102DF Luke Ayling382201010422613DF Barry Douglas21+6000000021+60804MF Adam Forshaw19+11010100021+110306DF Liam Cooper363200000383607FW Kemar Roofe27+51411000+1028+615609FW Patrick Bamford15+7910002118+7103010DF Ezgjan Alioski44700100+2045+2710011FW Tyler Roberts20+8300102023+834013GK Will Huffer10000000100014MF Samuel Sáiz15+4000001+1116+514015DF Stuart Dallas10+16222001013+1642018DF Pontus Jansson37+2300002039+238119MF Pablo Hernández37+21220000039+2126020DF Tom Pearce0+20000+10202+300022MF Jack Harrison32+5420102037+542023MF Kalvin Phillips4212000204618127GK Jamal Blackman00000020200028DF Gaetano Berardi10+3020000012+306133GK Kiko Casilla1702000001902134MF Lewis Baker2+900010205+902035DF Conor Shaughnessy00000010100036MF Izzy Brown0+100+1000000+210039FW Ryan Edmondson0+100000000+100040DF Leif Davis1+300010002+300043MF Mateusz Klich461020000+2048+21010046MF Jamie Shackleton3+1601+1010207+1700047FW Jack Clarke4+1820+2010005+2021048MF Jordan Stevens0+100000000+100052DF Aapo Halme1+300011002+312054MF Clarke Oduor00000+10000+100057FW Kun Temenuzhkov00000+10000+1000
Transfers In Date Pos. Name From Fee 1 July 2018 DF Joshveer Shergill Walsall £25,000 4 July 2018 DF Leif Davis Morecambe Undisclosed 28 July 2018 DF Barry Douglas Wolverhampton Wanderers £3,000,000 31 July 2018 FW Patrick Bamford Middlesbrough £7,000,000 17 January 2019 GK Kiko Casilla Real Madrid Free 29 January 2019 MF Mateusz Bogusz Ruch Chorzów Undisclosed 29 March 2019 MF Morten Spencer Sunderland
Out Date Pos. Name To Fee 19 June 2018 GK Felix Wiedwald Eintracht Frankfurt Undisclosed 1 July 2018 FW Moses Abioye Unattached Released MF Madger Gomes DF Matthew Keogh FW Moise Kroma MF Romario Vieira 5 July 2018 GK Andy Lonergan Middlesbrough Free 14 July 2018 FW Marcus Antonsson Malmö FF Undisclosed 1 August 2018 MF Ronaldo Vieira Sampdoria £6,000,000 2 August 2018 MF Luke Murphy Bolton Wanderers Free 3 August 2018 FW Ousama Siddiki Logroñés Undisclosed 31 January 2019 FW Samuel Amissah FK Liepāja
Loan in Date fromDate toPos.NameFrom 1 July 2018 9 January 2019 MF Lewis Baker Chelsea 16 July 2018 16 November 2018 GK Jamal Blackman 30 July 2018 31 May 2019 MF Jack Harrison Manchester City 30 August 2018 MF Izzy Brown Chelsea
Loan out Date fromDate toPos.NameTo 1 July 2018 31 May 2019 DF Lewie Coyle Fleetowood Town 3 July 2018 31 December 2018 FW Paweł Cibicki Molde 5 July 2018 31 May 2019 FW Jay-Roy Grot VVV-Venlo 6 July 2018 DF Tyler Denton Peterborough United 8 January 2019 DF Paudie O'Connor Blackpool 11 July 2018 31 May 2019 FW Malik Wilks Doncaster Rovers 19 July 2018 FW Alex Machuca Burgos 20 July 2018 2 January 2019 DF Liam Kitching Harrogate Town 31 July 2018 26 January 2019 FW Hadi Sacko Las Palmas 21 August 2018 31 May 2019 DF Laurens De Bock Oostende MF Yosuke Ideguchi Greuther Fürth 24 August 2018 FW Adrián Balboa Terrassa MF Ouasim Bouy PEC Zwolle 29 August 2018 FW Caleb Ekuban Trabzonspor 31 August 2018 MF Vurnon Anita Willem II 10 January 2019 MF Eunan O'Kane Luton Town 1 September 2018 31 May 2019 FW Oliver Šarkić Barakaldo CF 1 January 2019 MF Samuel Sáiz Getafe 7 January 2019 MF Conor Shaughnessy Heart of Midlothian 8 January 2019 DF Paudie O'Connor Bradford City 11 January 2019 MF Paweł Cibicki IF Elfsborg 25 January 2019 25 February 2019 GK Will Huffer Barnet 29 January 2019 31 May 2019 FW Hadi Sacko Ankaragücü 31 January 2019 FW Sam Dalby Morecambe DF Tom Pearce Scunthorpe United
References