Sober the new comedy film (due out soon) starring Dean Smith and Tom Gibbons – and directed by Matthew Cooper – is set during the period when Marcelo Bielsa managed Leeds United – the football club’s first season back in the Premier League in too long to mention.
Bielsa has a telling cameo in the film (really), and in this blogpost Dean talks about the magic of Marcelo.
My footballing timelines can be split into 3. BB, B and AB. Before Bielsa, Bielsa and After Bielsa.
Sober star Dean
Before Bielsa I would have classed myself as a big Leeds fan. Going to Elland Road a few times a season, checking twitter for Phil Hay goal updates and talking about it with friends and my Dad. But in the last few months of BB I was completely turned off. Thomas Christianson had done OK but was gone after Christmas and Paul ‘Hecky’ Heckinbottom had done nothing to recapture my enthusiasm. To the point where I GENUINELY FORGOT Leeds were playing on two occasions towards the end of that season. Both away defeats. Both had to be checked when I remembered that there had been a weekend past. Mental to think of now. But he was sacked and in was brought this guy, an Argentinian, with a temper. So, I did some reading up on it and it seemed like it might be good or might be shit. And, of course, us being Leeds, I decided on the latter.
The first day of the season rolled around and I was playing in a charity game in Grimsby and so didn’t see it live but when I saw the highlights. Wow. We had well and truly entered into the Bielsa times.
The Bielsa Effect
There is not time on a blog or enough words in the English language to adequately do justice to what this man gave me. He gave me my football club back, the sense that Leeds were important and special and mine. He gave me my childhood back, the sense of wonder in Elland Road and the optimism of youth.
He gave me a different understanding of what football meant. He gave me excitement and anticipation and nearly 4 years of unbridled love and joy. I can’t even. I didn’t want him to go. It wasn’t even on my radar to be honest. When the news broke he was going to be sacked I was shooketh. I couldn’t believe it. It had to be fake news. Alas, not. This will be a mistake I thought.
And here in the AB, After Bielsa, times. I think I was right to have that thought. Fuck me it has been miserable. Marsch felt ok at the time but turned out to be a talentless bag of hot air. Gracia steadied the ship then set it on fire. And the less said about Big Sam the better. Marsch was the ‘natural successor’ to Marcelo Bielsa apparently. Like succeeding caviar with the shits. Where was Farke in all this ‘natural successor’ chat?! Cos let me tell you. From where I’m sitting, fresh from a 3-0 pasting given out to Millwall at The Den. Maybe Victor Orta should’ve looked at what was under his nose. MOT.
Sober (2023) is the new comedy film set in Leeds and starring Tom Gibbons (Funny Cow) and Dean Smith (Waterloo Road / Still Open all Hours).
