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First visit to the new stadium for me.
Parking for us was fine. Walk was 22 minutes, and much more pleasant, with lots more space to get past slower walkers than we were used to with GP.

Stadium wise it was awesome - everything worked really well - turnstiles, digital tickets, queues for food, loos etc. Sooo much better! Not an obstructed view, pillar or overhead balcony in sight for us. It rained for a few minutes in the second half and those to the front of the stand got a bit wet but we are thankfully far enough back to be undercover unless it’s very squally.

The concourse was brighter, far bigger, less crushed/frenetic, and the areas outside the stadium were much bigger than I’d expected. So different to the are round GP.

We found/photographed our stone pretty easily - though hundreds were also looking for theirs - and you had to wait a while for feet to move out of the way :-).

It had been said to me that nothing - no videos, pics etc - can prepare you for that feeling when you reach the top of the steps and look out onto the vista of the pitch and stands. I agree. It’s still not properly hit me that this is our new home - half expecting to go back to the old ways, old routines and views.

Atmosphere. VERY quiet from the home fans! This was a little surprising and a bit perturbing tbh! Maybe people like us were just taking it all in - and though we met and chatted to new fans sitting near us it wasn’t the usual ear,y season ‘Great to see you!’ chats with the old crowd that we’ve known for so long. The Roma fans to our right, though few in number, totally dominated. The noise they created suggests at least that when the home fans go for it, the new stadium will potentially be the proverbial cauldron.

The game:
Positives - KDH was, alongside Gueye, our best player today.
When he went off the momentum changed. He was strong, tidy, calm, progressive and creative. Looked an experienced leader of a midfielder. Barry missed a sitter in the box that he (KDH) set up. If he’d scored then it would have really helped him as he settles in at the club.
Barry did ok - good pace and showed skill on a couple of occasions once early on when on the touch line with his back to goal, he flicked the ball around a defender and left him for dead. He appears a little languid even lethargic but then bursts into life. We felt that even Lukaku was a bit like that sometimes, so will wait to see how he goes once he’s settled.

Branthwaite did well - good to see him back in the frame. Shame for Mykolenko but an opportunity for Aznou. He did ok but will need to do better positionally IMO.

Pickford made a couple of cracking saves but his distribution was unusually poor. An off day in that context.

Second half post subs we were poor - we lost momentum and lacked leadership. They hit the bar, we struggled at corners. Barry set Ndiaye up really well but he completely missed the goal when it was easier to score - he’d nail that 99 times in a 100.

I really hope we get 2 or 3 new starters in asap. KDH showed the way and slotted in with ease.

If you were a Leeds fan watching us in the last 20 minutes you’d be thinking that there are 3 points there for the taking :-((…..

Early days. If we can improve certain key areas there is huge potential for us to get back to where we surely belong.

Match days will be massively different for Blues fans attending home games from now on.

GP is gone. Onwards and upwards.
COYB.