Opinion: Why Leeds United are like a teenager jilted at the school disco

Ben White impressed Leeds so much, they don't want to let him go / Picture: Getty

The Leeds United faithful are almost making themselves look like a lovesick teenager jilted at the school disco in the pursuit to keep the highly-rated defender.

Gentleman and ladies of Yorkshire – as good he is, and he is, he’s one footballer, he was on loan, that loan has finished and now he returns to his parent club, Brighton, who made the investment in him by signing him as a youngster.

Countless players have played for Leeds United in defence over the past 100 years, and many more will in the future, welcome back to the top table but so far as Mr White is concerned please build a bridge and get over it.

It’s become apparent that Ben has put down roots in Sussex by going on the property ladder – this may merely be an investment or a clear indication that he will be playing his football in the Premier League in the upcoming season in Sussex for Brighton and Hove Albion.

I always thought it would be an impossibility to get a better all-round player to pull an an Albion shirt than Mark Lawrenson, the ultimate shutdown argument in the greatest ever Brighton player debate.

But from what we’ve seen and heard could White be the first real contender to Lawrenson’s crown?

New European cashcow?

With both European domestic competitions decanting to two countries, Portugal and Germany respectively, for a eight-club straight knockout, the longest season in the history of the game will eventually come to a close next week.

For the purists, a World Cup-style, straight knockout from the quarter-final stage is almost manna from heaven, albeit coming about in unprecedented circumstances.

But when the dust settles will the bean counters and the commercial people at UEFA think, ‘hold on we might have something here’?

Sixteen club sides, eight in each chosen nation, 14 games in two competitions, in 14 days, huge TV audiences and hopefully at some point travelling supporters.

A footballing Super 8?

The possibilities are endless: picture the scene maybe not next May, but 2022, England is the chosen host for the Champions League, and you’ve got City, Liverpool, Juventus, Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern, Barca and Ajax in the final eight.

Seven potential cracking games, huge global TV audiences, and the UK economy getting a boost with six sets of travelling fans making the trip.

Clubs will have to have a window in their domestic season, but in many cases most seasons will have finished by early May.

It would the two legged quarters and semis in March and April which would aid many clubs with fixture congestion – and at the end of it all it creates a good old fashioned winner take all knockout tournament over not just the final 90 minutes.

Ultimately it will all come down to money, it always does, but as well as huge commercial cash cow it also brings back a bit of excitement to the game which can’t be a bad thing.