Good Morning. It's Monday 17th March, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road...
Leeds rescue a point at Loftus Road
Leeds United demonstrated resilience and tenacity at the weekend, battling back from a two-goal deficit to secure a 2-2 draw at Queens Park Rangers. While the comeback earned them a point, the result leaves Whites fans with mixed emotions as rivals Sheffield United and Burnley closed the gap at the top of the Championship. Leeds remain top of the Championship but only by goal difference, making the race for promotion even tighter.
Leeds faced a nightmare start at Loftus Road, a ground where they've suffered four straight defeats. History seemed to repeat itself as the hosts raced to a 2-0 lead. Koki Saito's spectacular curler, gifted by an unfortunate Aaronson touch, opened the scoring from 20 yards. Captain Steve Cook then compounded Leeds' woes, heading in off the post with half an hour on the clock.
Leeds clawed their way back into the game on 40 minutes. A well-worked move involving Aaronson, Piroe, and Solomon culminated in Firpo stabbing the ball home from close range, though Morgan Fox got the final touch. The introduction of Willy Gnonto at half-time proved concise. The Italian winger injected pace and creativity, setting up the equaliser on 51 minutes.
His incisive pass found Dan James, whose cut-back eventually fell to Jayden Bogle to slot into an empty net. With 40 minutes still left on the clock, Leeds took their foot off the gas, allowing QPR back into the game. Long throws caused havoc in and around the Leeds defence, with Meslier having to be alert to deny Cook his brace, and a last gasp sliding tackle from Struijk to thwart Dunne.
Tired and predictable
There’s an undeniable comfort in a settled starting XI. Teams thrive on consistency, players build chemistry, and fans find comfort in a predictable lineup. However, clinging too rigidly to the same lineup, as Leeds are perhaps finding out, can have its downsides. Injuries inevitably strike, familiarity can breed predictability for opponents, and tiredness will creep in.
At this crucial juncture of the season, introducing fringe players like Chambers, Dėbayo, and Schmidt might be considered too risky, bordering on reckless. Their combined league minutes this season total a paltry 46 mins – a statistic that speaks volumes about Farke’s questionable substitution strategy.
It's not just the lack of rotation among starters, but the inefficient use of Gnonto (152 minutes) and Ramazani (126 minutes) this year. While the walking wounded continue to trudge on, these valuable assets sit on the bench, gathering dust. It was a brave decision to bring Gnonto on at half time at Loftus Road and it paid dividends, though I cannot remember the last time
Criticising past decisions is easy. However, the failure to learn from glaring mistakes is inexcusable. The missed opportunity to strengthen the squad during the transfer window is now bearing bitter fruit. Those teams that did bolster their ranks are reaping the rewards, leaving Leeds vulnerable.
While 21 points remain up for grabs, complacency cannot be afforded. Any further slip-ups could see Leeds tumble out of the top two for the first time this year, a scenario that could culminate in a nerve-wracking play-off final against a resurgent Coventry City under Frank Lampard.
