Yorkshire Football: Five Things We Learned

Leeds United are getting their act together

Fresh from the circus of last season, calm seems to have been restored at Elland Road which witnessed an opening day barn-stormer against Burnley on Saturday. New head coach Uwe Rosler is being allowed to get on with his job and looks like doing rather well judged by Saturday’s display in which the Whites looked unlucky not to record an opening day victory.

Rotherham could be in for a long year

Not many were expecting much from MK Dons upon their ascension to the second tier of English football, so a 4-1 win at Rotherham does not bode well for the Millers’ prospects of avoiding relegation. Rotherham boss Steve Evans admitted there was “no excuse” for the heavy opening day loss after defending that “wasn’t good enough” and it’s no surprise to see Rotherham now as short as even money favourites to go down.

Sheffield Wednesday might be better than we thought

Plenty of folk were talking up the chances of League One champions Bristol City ahead of the new Championship campaign yet the Robins were blown away 2-0 at Hillsborough by a side who are now seventh favourites for the title.

Only Middlesbrough, Derby, Hull, Wolves, Brentford and Burnley sit above the Owls in that pecking order and Wednesday could be major players in the promotion race under head coach Carlos Carvalhal and owner Dejhon Chansiri.

Sheffield United’s task is harder than we thought

Sheffield United remain favourites for the League One title, but any pretensions that promotion would come easy were blown away by Saturday’s 4-0 capitulation at Gillingham.

The overriding feeling approaching the new campaign was that this season would finally belong to the Blades who were left broken-hearted by last term’s play-off semi final defeat to Swindon Town.

Yet Saturday’s opening day nightmare saw United eased in the betting with boss Nigel Adkins pulling no punches in defeat.

United are still favourites to win the division - narrowly ahead of Wigan and Millwall - but Adkins admitted: “We have to do better, that wasn’t good enough. We won’t shy away from that.”

Paul Dickov proved morals still exist

Without question the most bizarre happenings of the weekend came at Doncaster Rovers who took the lead ‘by mistake’ and then allowed Bury to walk in an equaliser. Amidst all the talk of modern technology and video refs, Rovers boss Dickov proved common sense and the art of knowing what’s morally right and wrong can still prevail. Credit to Dickov, even if it cost his side two points.