It’s hard enough getting your head around a World Cup in November and December without Leeds United reappearing in our lives right in the middle of it. We’ve juggled with the significant moral issues surrounding the hosting of the World Cup in Qatar and we’ve made peace with the tournament halting the Premier League season just as Leeds United were finding a groove. And that’s mainly because it’s, by and large, been a fantastic tournament so far and England are actually really good in it. And suddenly, from a position of crying like a spoilt child about the World Cup ruining our fun at a stupid time of year, it’s sucked us in like the Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Now I’m DEMANDING live football at 10am on a weekday morning three weeks before Christmas, and I don’t care who knows it. But then out of nowhere, Leeds United - remember them? – are waving at us from the departure lounge with a cheery announcement and it’s all gone very much “we’re off to Spain if you’re interested?” And, unexpectedly, I’m very much conflicted. Adam Forshaw curling in top bins free-kicks and Joffy almost killing himself to win a pull-ups competition on the high bar? Yes please LUTV, I’ll have some of that with a side order of Liam Cooper looking really fast in that short sprint bit, so much so that I had to do a double-take to check it was him, and Willy Gnonto just absolutely loving life in every clip that you see.

If we’re turning the whole season on its head, shaking out the contents and just dealing with what comes out, then yes, why not watch a Leeds United pre/mid-season training camp at the same time as watching England’s finest ripping it up in Qatar, and enjoying some downtime too? It seems we can’t get enough of great footballers and great people, just having a great time, and I don’t know who I want to see riding an inflatable unicorn in a swimming pool first, Bukayo Saka or Pascal Struijk?

Nothing makes sense anymore, so it’s hard to know what to expect when this fever dream of a season gets back underway on December 28^th at home to Manchester City, although in the meantime Leeds have been drawn away to Cardiff City in the FA Cup, so at least some things have stayed the same. With the month-long break for the Queen’s passing and then this break for the World Cup, all forms of convention have gone out of the window, however, and I’m half-expecting Leeds to run out versus Man City in next season’s new home kit, or with a new signing that we were allowed to register outside the transfer window because “what the hell, why not? It’s Christmas… I think.”

But certainly it appears that Jesse Marsch is taking things seriously over in Spain. I like the sound of double sessions and some quality time to drill the tactical side of the game into the players, even if there’s no Patrick Bamford due to minor groin surgery and even if our three World Cup players won’t be joining back up with the squad until they’re back in Leeds next week.

Assimilating back to club life after a major tournament is usually something we are allowed to ease into after a few weeks break and some time away from football, but there’s no such luxury this time around. It’s quite possible we will go straight from the emotional upheaval of however England’s tournament ends to Man City at home, with just about enough time to draw breath and demolish some pigs in blankets on Christmas Day. Although that’s perhaps a little galling for the players who have had six weeks without games but still can’t max-out on sherry and Christmas pudding on the 25^th.

For the three Leeds players who have been representing their countries in Qatar, there is precious little time to clear some head space before the sight of Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland appears before them on the lush Elland Road turf.

Tyler Adams, Brenden Aaronson and Rasmus Kristensen are enjoying a well-earned break this week before joining back up with the Leeds squad and it’s to be hoped that none of them are too crestfallen by their World Cup experience, and from what I saw they should all be very proud of their performances. Adams of course will have to sit out the Manchester City game after his red card at Tottenham, but there should be no problem in terms of match sharpness and perhaps the only issue is whether they are quite ready to get back on the emotional rollercoaster that is Leeds United. In fact that applies to all of us.       

I was perfectly happy to take a break from the Premier League season when it was paused after the 4-3 defeat to Tottenham, and secretly, I bet Jesse Marsch was of a similar mind-set. It had been a tumultuous few weeks with ending the winless run at Liverpool, then the comeback win at home to Bournemouth and then the shuddering defeat to Spurs, when we deserved so much more. Making sense of that requires some time away, but I’m not sure tying your England colours to the mast – or Wales or USA or however you are inclined – is an emotionally healthy way to enjoy that precious respite.

Fortunately, Jesse Marsch has claimed he is not too heavily invested in the international game, and if the white wine and cheeseboard is anything to go by, as per his social media post while watching the USA qualify for the knockout stages last week, then I think we could all learn a lesson in how to detach ourselves during an enforced break from Leeds United.

Of course it is to England’s credit that we have been sufficiently distracted from the domestic game over the last few weeks, but with the help of LUTV I’m now starting to fill my quiet moments with the first Leeds United ponderings of this mid-season break. Who is going to fill the void left by Tyler Adams for the Man City game? How would Illan Meslier’s incessantly long arms have fared in that pull-up competition, had he not been at home nursing a virus?

I hope we soon find an answer to all these questions, and the fact that we’re pondering them at least answers one thing; we could never completely forget about Leeds United.