Leeds United began their pre-season campaign with a 3-2 defeat to Championship side Wrexham on Saturday.
Daniel Farke used the match to give plenty of players valuable minutes, rotating his squad across both halves, so the result should be viewed in the context of it being Leeds’ first outing of the summer.
Wrexham also had the advantage of being further along in their preparations, having returned to training earlier ahead of a Championship season that kicks off before the Premier League.
Leeds also had a few key players missing due to injuries and fitness concerns.
Even so, it was another eye-catching result for Phil Parkinson’s side, who have now beaten both Manchester United and Leeds during their pre-season schedule.
Ryan Reynolds has been proven right after Wrexham beat Leeds United
Wrexham have been on a meteoric rise in the last few years under the ownership of the two Hollywood actors and global superstars – Ryan Reynolds and Robert McElhenney.
They have elevated the Welsh outfit on the global stage through a hugely popular Netflix documentary series, and they were a whisker away from playing in the Championship playoffs last season.
Reynolds insisted before the game that they are in the United States to put on a show against Premier League opposition and carry out the club’s long tradition of giant killings.
Reynolds said on ESPN ahead of the game: “We are not only coming to America to play, which has always been the most exhilarating and exciting thing to see live.
“But to do it against three Premier League teams in a row in Tampa, New York and Philly [Philadelphia].
“The 165+ years of history of Wrexham have seen its fair share of giant killings.”
His business partner also insisted that the players are desperate to win against the Premier League teams, and prove their worth.
McElhenney added: “Trust me, these guys want to win [the pre-season games]. Everybody is desperate to win.
“They are ready to go. We have been texting with some of them, and they are chomping at the bit to go out and put on a show.”
Wrexham had a distinct advantage over Leeds United
Wrexham had a distinct fitness advantage over Leeds ahead of their pre-season fixture, and it showed during the game.
While the Leeds stars returned to pre-season training last week, the Wrexham players have been training for more than two weeks, due to the Championship season starting before the Premier League.
It was also Wrexham’s third pre-season game, while Leeds were going out for their first game of the summer preparations, and they looked off the pace compared to their Championship counterparts.
Regardless, Wrexham have beaten Manchester United, and Leeds are likely to be firm contenders for promotion next season.
This is not good enough, and proves numerous issues still🙈
Hardly a competitive match using mostly players that never started games – it was nothing more than a friendly kick around. It means nothing to Leeds United. Wrexham will have more competitive challenges next season – so good luck to them.
We looked like England in the second half. We were walking round. Pass completion was poor, and we looked laboured. Yes, Wrexham had the benefit of recent games. But we made them look good. There is such a thing as pride. No penetration. Even when our best players came on, we looked poor.