Leeds United v Manchester United Match Thread

[CHAPELALLMAN]

I think most here have missed Bijol was AWOL for their goal, that's his job right there. Struijk had to come from wider to try and close the gap and Bornauw, who does look quicker got closer. But the gap was left by Bijol who, as the middle man in a back three, should be there.

The goal is still scored if Perri stays on his line.

The pass was at least a yard beyond the left flank of our penalty box if you were to continue that line higher up the pitch, so no way was it central. It was Struijk's area of the pitch as the left CB.

And the ball was to the right of Struijk as he ran back, so he was much nearer to the ball than Bornauw. Bornauw ran across diagonally to try and close down Cunha, and nearly did, but he had much more ground to cover than Struijk.

[Johnthewhite]

Having our three regulars missing today, caused us to lack fluidity & calmness to our game.

Two leaders not on the pitch was evident.

We missed Ampadu terribly in midfield, Ethan would have picked up so many second balls we missed out on, also, providing us with his leadership skills in front of our defence & helping to push us forward from the middle of the park.

Also, Rodon too, Manure cut us open a few times in the second-half, Joe's anticipation & pace would have tightened us up at the back.

Bogle was a loss going forward, though I thought Justin did quite well.

After saying all that, we were good value for a well deserved point.

Here, Here
Seven unbeaten, let that sink in people

[Volvo Jack]

Shame we did not get the second goal but a point is welcome

Can't believe how fit the United players are. each game they have played recently they seem
to get stronger in the second half

One thing I don't understand how a goalkeeper can kick a ball into touch from a dead ball ??

[Fatter than brolin]

Well deserved point, could have been more but wasn't, we move on

[weasel]

Yes you are correct about Struijk being slower that Cunha,the club have taken notice and have ordered him to be retrofitted with a rocket up his arse..

So just over a third of goals have come from the left, and just under a third from the right, which leaves about a third coming from the centre...

Worrying times indeed

Was about to post similar. So for every 10 goals we concede roughly 4 were down our left, 3 down the centre and 3 down the right. Like you say not exactly a huge difference.

[weasel]

Struijk may not have "a lack of pace", it may just be that Cunha is quicker.
Most players in a sprint with Dan James will look like they have a lack of pace but it's just he is incredibly quick.

Also the striker has the advantage there as Struyjk has to turn and then run so Cunha gains the initial momentum. For me it was just a well weighted pass and good movement by Cunha. Bornauw a little slow to react, but forgiveable as he was blowing out of his ar$e at that stage, and Perri tempted to come but then caught on no man's land.

[PhoenixUnited]

Having our three regulars missing today, caused us to lack fluidity & calmness to our game.

Two leaders not on the pitch was evident.

We missed Ampadu terribly in midfield, Ethan would have picked up so many second balls we missed out on, also, providing us with his leadership skills in front of our defence & helping to push us forward from the middle of the park.

Also, Rodon too, Manure cut us open a few times in the second-half, Joe's anticipation & pace would have tightened us up at the back.

Bogle was a loss going forward, though I thought Justin did quite well.

After saying all that, we were good value for a well deserved point.

I don't disagree with all of that.

However, I really hope that the Leeds United Recruitment Team has a first team, first pick goalkeeper on its radar for the close season. On the evidence of what Lucas Perri has offered up so far - he doesn't deal with crosses very well, his positioning is suspect at set pieces and open play, his ball distribution is bang ordinary generally and occasionally embarassing - we need to have better quality all round. He cost us a goal today

[weasel]

Having our three regulars missing today, caused us to lack fluidity & calmness to our game.

Two leaders not on the pitch was evident.

We missed Ampadu terribly in midfield, Ethan would have picked up so many second balls we missed out on, also, providing us with his leadership skills in front of our defence & helping to push us forward from the middle of the park.

Also, Rodon too, Manure cut us open a few times in the second-half, Joe's anticipation & pace would have tightened us up at the back.

Bogle was a loss going forward, though I thought Justin did quite well.

After saying all that, we were good value for a well deserved point.

More than just Rodon being missing was that Bornauw has gone from no games, or a minute here and there, to having to play 2 intensive matches in 3 days. I think if Farke had have had options he would have replaced Bornauw but with no Rodon there wasn't a like for like, there also wasn't the option to drop Ampadu into there, also not the option taken on Thursday to move Justin into there as there was no Bogle to replace him. As such I feel because of circumstances Bornauw was playing longer than ideal and was running on empty. If he had been 100% he maybe gets a block in there or even gets to the ball first.

I definitely feel our absences were more impactful on the result than Man U's

[weasel]

Zirkzee was excellent,

Zirkzee reminds me of Aaronsen. Buzzes around but lacks end product. Strange how both found a crucial end product today.

[CHAPELALLMAN]

Also the striker has the advantage there as Struyjk has to turn and then run so Cunha gains the initial momentum. For me it was just a well weighted pass and good movement by Cunha. Bornauw a little slow to react, but forgiveable as he was blowing out of his ar$e at that stage, and Perri tempted to come but then caught on no man's land.

When the ball was delivered, it was to Struijk's right as he ran back to our goal, with Bornauw 2 to 3 meters to Struijk's left. He had more ground to make up, but at least was able to put in a challenge which just failed.

[Barlow Boy]

Terrible to hear
Thoughts are with the family

Apparently, this was in the West Stand around 20 minutes before kick off.

[CUSSIE01]

I'm surprised that nobody seems to have mentioned that Strujik's lack of pace had quite a bit to do with their goal. Having watched a clip from a different angle, Struijk was just about level with Cunha when the ball was released, yet he was left for dead, and more than a yard behind Cunha when he scored.

We have conceded a lot of goals down that left flank this season. These were the comments in the YEP after the Forest game, before we started the unbeaten run, and IMO they are still relevant ;

" All of those goals came down Leeds’ left-hand side and that appears to be an area, for one reason or another, opposition teams are targeting. According to Opta, 39 per cent of chances created against Farke’s men are coming from that side, with just under 31 per cent coming in each of the centre of the pitch or right-hand side.

Six of the last seven opponents have scored from attacks down Leeds’ left-hand side, with Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton joining the four teams mentioned above. In those six games, the Whites have conceded eight goals as a result of an attack down that side, either directly from a cross or - as in Sunday’s case - a penalty for a foul from stand-in left-back Jack Harrison. "

I’m not sure it all comes down to Struijk being slower as much as Struijk being left isolated more. When we start Aaronson on the right he tracks everything all over the pitch and covered for Bogle getting forward but when I watched Okafor today he rarely broke sweat to get back to cover any Guds runs leaving Struijk exposed on the break. Good managers notice these things and plan accordingly.
I’d put Struijk in our best 4/5 players this season along with Rodon, Ampadu, Aaronson & DCL. Bijol would be in there but hasn’t played as much as the rest.

[Orange Box]

I would think so mate, as the three of us didn't see an incident in the ground.

Unless you’re on top of the incident you are unlikely to, and it’s only in recent times clubs have been reporting things like this, it’s more common than you would think.
I used to medic now and then at Leeds and Bradford city, plus Cas Tigers, and I have dealt with a handful of cardiac arrests at games in my time, none of which attracted a great deal of attention because the clubs have systems to get quickly out of the public eye.
As you say, it’s sad, but the often used phrase we used to hear was “it’s the way he/she would have chosen to go.” That gave everyone the ability to deal with things.

[CHAPELALLMAN]

I’m not sure it all comes down to Struijk being slower as much as Struijk being left isolated more. When we start Aaronson on the right he tracks everything all over the pitch and covered for Bogle getting forward but when I watched Okafor today he rarely broke sweat to get back to cover any Guds runs leaving Struijk exposed on the break. Good managers notice these things and plan accordingly.
I’d put Struijk in our best 4/5 players this season along with Rodon, Ampadu, Aaronson & DCL. Bijol would be in there but hasn’t played as much as the rest.

Stach not included ?

[CUSSIE01]

Stach not included ?

Maybe not as consistent as the rest but good point Aaronson getting a mention should cause a stir in the ranks

[weasel]

When the ball was delivered, it was to Struijk's right as he ran back to our goal, with Bornauw 2 to 3 meters to Struijk's left. He had more ground to make up, but at least was able to put in a challenge which just failed.

You really do need to watch the whole build up. Cunha actually starts on our right and is being marked by Bornauw. He starts moving running sideways. Bijol gets drawn out by Sesko which leaves a huge gap bwtween where Bornauw is and where Struyjk is. At no point is Cunha the man Struyjk is marking and he is focussed on Zirkzee. When Zirkzee gets the ball Struyjk is initially drawn slightly towards Zirkzee and his focus is on both Sesko and Zirkzee, not Cunha. Cunha is now able to arc his run in behind Struyjk with Bornauw slow initially to follow him.

Struyjk for me is blameless.

[Lufc76Cor]

I think most here have missed Bijol was AWOL for their goal, that's his job right there. Struijk had to come from wider to try and close the gap and Bornauw, who does look quicker got closer. But the gap was left by Bijol who, as the middle man in a back three, should be there.

The goal is still scored if Perri stays on his line.

Sometimes you just have to acknowledge that the other team played a good passing move and cut us open, regardless of where Bijol is the final pass through was on Struijk's side, but I'm not gonna blame him for that, it was a good move, but the keeper is 100% to blame once that final pass is played, he ran out then stopped whereas showing him the goal, the finish was a scuppered shot and if he stayed on his line could have stopped it by sitting on it, if he keeps coming for it he more than likely gets the block but that slight hesitation that we've seen far too often now costs us the goal

[malcolmw]

Sometimes you just have to acknowledge that the other team played a good passing move and cut us open, regardless of where Bijol is the final pass through was on Struijk's side, but I'm not gonna blame him for that, it was a good move, but the keeper is 100% to blame once that final pass is played, he ran out then stopped whereas showing him the goal, the finish was a scuppered shot and if he stayed on his line could have stopped it by sitting on it, if he keeps coming for it he more than likely gets the block but that slight hesitation that we've seen far too often now costs us the goal

I agree with that. Zirkzee's pass was point accurate - as was the build-up in midfield prior to that. Defenders not really to blame. But you're right - had Perri stayed on his line its unlikely the goal is scored. Even Farke admitted that afterwards.

I would also say that we were not getting to the 2nd ball in midfield - as we do when Amps is playing. Maybe with him on the field, that buildup of theirs doesn't happen.
But irrelevant really - they scored - it is what it is.

[malcolmw]

Given only a couple of days between this one and the visit to Anfield, I think you have to evaluate both games together. Here are a few of my thoughts when doing that.
- Brilliant team defensive performance against Liverpool. We have become much more confident and mature when we don't have the ball. We limited them to possession in mainly non-dangerous areas and then crowded them effectively if they managed to get forward.

- Given the injuries, and therefore necessity of radically changing the line-up, I thought it was a master stroke of Farke's to keep DCL on the bench. I have no doubt Slot was surprised by that and had planned his starting 11 based in a significant part in quietening one of the league's most in-form strikers. Also, showing faith in Bornauw and Justin was risky but brave. It paid off of course and the outcome is we now have confident back-up's for Rodon and Bogle.
In fact Justin was the deserved man-of-the match for me.

- Aaronson played so well against Liverpool - much smarter on the ball. So glad to see his constant hard work get rewarded with the goal today. Funnily enough, up to the goal, I don't think he played as well as he did at Anfield. Also, its becoming noticeable that because he goes to ground so much, ref's never give him the benefit of the doubt in contact situations. He was fouled a few times today and the ref played on.

This end of season fixture situation is ridiculous. You cant play a match like we did at Liverpool and be fresh again in 3 days - unless you're one of the ultra rich teams with huge depth in their squads. Today was a "lead in the boots" situation for most of our team. Players like Stach, Gruev, Bornauw as key examples.

- Bijol is turning into our standout acquisition of the pre-season. I thought today he was by far, the man of the match - brilliant. Played very well at Anfield too.
In fact, every one of our new boys from the summer is offering great value right now. Perri is still a bit erratic, but he makes some key saves at key moments in many games.

- If I choose my best 3 players from these past 2 games, I'd go with Bijol, Justin and Gudmundsson. Aaronson is close, but those 3 were consistently brilliant in my view.

- Seems Longstaff is close to getting some minutes. He played well prior to his injury and gives us another type of midfield option over Tanaka and Gruev.

- With Amps back against Newcastle, I'm hopeful we can get something from the game. I'm worried though about the quick turnaround again, with still having lots of fatigue still in the legs.

- Given current situation and status, I hate to say this, but I think we have to sacrifice the cup game against Derby. Play a second string and let the main squad get some rest.

[Chilli D]

Also the striker has the advantage there as Struyjk has to turn and then run so Cunha gains the initial momentum. For me it was just a well weighted pass and good movement by Cunha. Bornauw a little slow to react, but forgiveable as he was blowing out of his ar$e at that stage, and Perri tempted to come but then caught on no man's land.

Accurate description.