Pontus Jansson, the saviour of Leeds United TSS October 6, 2016 Leeds United 9 Comments Pontus Jansson is already being hailed as the long-awaited saviour of the all-too-often dismal Leeds United defence, and with good reason too. His value to the club goes way beyond a few crunching tackles and a head that seems magnetised towards the ball, for the combination of his ‘out there’ personality, the improved results his performances have spearheaded and an uncharacteristic quiet spell from the man above (that’s Cellino, not whatever spiritual being you believe to be hovering above the clouds…) has allowed some focus to shift towards a team who have often been overshadowed by the chaotic ownership of past and present. In light of recent results, it might seem silly that Garry Monk’s position as Leeds United manager appeared to be under genuine threat at the beginning of last month, but Leeds were struggling to find any kind of form and looked like a sure-bet for a bottom six finish. The media reports should have been laughable since Garry Monk clearly needed – and deserved – time to shape his squad, but when your hair-triggered owner has bet big on promotion (literally, betting fans money he can achieve it) you had to fear for a manager who was considered among England’s best only a few months previous to his Swansea exit. Luckily, Monk found a formidable central defensive pairing in Jansson and Kyle Bartley before Cellino’s trigger-finger got too itchy, relying on the age-old football philosophy that if you get the defence right, you give yourself half a chance. And it’s half a chance Leeds have taken. Our form heading into the international break reads 5 wins from the last 6, which includes 4 clean sheets and only 2 goals conceded. That the defence have been a factor goes way beyond understatement, but the rest of the team have played their part too, their own performances improving amid the sense of confidence a bit of momentum can bring. Hernandez, Wood, Taylor… everyone really. They’ve all had some big moments recently which shouldn’t be completely overlooked amid our hero-worship for one man. ….. pic.twitter.com/udPae5xTJa — #WALMOT (@backup3333) September 30, 2016 That said, everything good happening to Leeds at the minute circles back to the raging lunatic destroying anyone who dares enter his domain. Some of Jansson’s tackles have been cheered like 30-yard screamers from the Leeds support and that raw emotion feeds everyone else, especially Jansson’s team mates. Not only that, the rest of the team are bound to feel a bit more confident in taking a risk when they’re so well protected should possession be lost. Meanwhile, and outside the 90 minutes of football, you’re more likely to find Leeds United fans on social media discussing their new hero than all the other stuff we usually argue about. Jansson has united a fanbase and lifted the spirits of everyone. Momentum and a feel-good factor have been rare occurrences in recent years and for both to stand any chance of becoming more regular, a couple of things need to happen. Firstly, Jansson has a buy-out clause Leeds can activate after 20 games which is said to be in the region of £3.5m. That’s not an insignificant lump of change, but it’s a fee Leeds United must be ready to pay. Secondly, I’ll never be a fan, but I can live with a quiet Cellino who keeps himself out of the limelight and leaves the manager to take care of the football. Whatever your thoughts on Cellino, Garry Monk is infinitely more qualified to make football decisions and needs time, backing and – most importantly – freedom in which he can continue to shape his Leeds United team. It’s easy to forget when you’ve found a bit of form, but Leeds United’s current incarnation is only a little bit of Garry Monk’s doing. We’re like Frankenstein’s monster, with random pieces (not all of them bad) from all Cellino’s previous managers botched together to create a whole. It’s that constant instability and lack of a singular vision that led to our horrendous start. We’d benefit from another couple of transfer windows (and the right backing), not only for the stability a long-term manager brings but the cohesive plan he’ll have had sufficient time to assemble. For now though, let’s just celebrate the rise of Pontus Jansson, a man who’s provided us a long overdue period of happiness. On and on…