Leeds United's pre-season tour of Australia is over, and the Whites travel back to England with a mixed bag of results Down Under. The Whites beat Brisbane Roar in Queensland, before losing to Aston Villa, and finishing off the tour with a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace.
Leeds' tour was a success, allowing the new signings to settle into the squad, while the players also got an insight into how well-supported the Whites are Down Under. Archie Gray, Joe Gelhardt and Liam Cooper were among those to praise the Aussie support.
But what have the Australian press made of Leeds' tour?
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The West Australian reported that 'thousands' of fans missed the first 30 minutes of Leeds' game against Crystal Palace due to a ticketing issue. 'Fuming' and 'very frustrated' Whites supporters couldn't enter the Optus Stadium because ticket app Ticketek crashed, leaving thousands of fans unable to access their tickets on their mobile phones.
The issue kept fans locked outside the stadium up until 30 minutes into the game - with the official crowd recorded as 33,919. The fixture between Leeds and Crystal Palace was described by The West Australian as a 'blockbuster' - highlighting how significant Leeds' pre-season tour Down Under has been on Australian football.
On the pitch, the Australian press have been surprised at the competitiveness in Leeds' games Down Under. The Whites' defeat against Villa was described by The Daily Telegraph as 'brutal' - with John McGinn's nasty challenge on teenager Archie Gray overshadowing the game.
'Someone forgot to tell Aston Villa and Leeds that their Queensland Champions Cup clash was supposed to be a pre-season friendly,' they said. The West Australian also commented on the competitive edge in Leeds' fixtures - labelling the Crystal Palace clash as 'feisty' due to a high number of yellow cards.
However, the coverage Down Under has highlighted how well-followed Leeds are on the other side of the world. The West Australian reported that Fremantle was 'painted white, yellow and blue' while Jesse Marsch's side trained in the town.
An 'army' of supporters turned up to watch the open training session despite the poor weather. There has been a genuine excitement Down Under while Leeds have been touring the country.
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