Graham Smyth has responded to John Eustace’s “laughable” comments following Leeds United’s 1-1 draw against Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday.
Daniel Farke’s side had to wait until the 88th minute to take a well-deserved lead at Elland Road, but Danny Batth equalised just two minutes later on January 1.
All of this action meant 10 minutes of added time, with Leeds pushing for all three points, but more time was only added on after a flurry of yellow cards brandished by referee Oliver Langford.
Writing via the Yorkshire Evening Post [2 January], Smyth said: “You can and should credit Blackburn for their defensive ability and for the spirit they showed in fighting back having conceded a goal so late on.
“Eustace knows how to get a result against Farke and Leeds, given the evidence of the last four meetings. But his anger at the officials for adding on 10 minutes at the end of the game was quite incredible, given the time-wasting tactics employed by his side.
“If you live by the sword, you should be prepared to die by it, and suggesting that Blackburn were somehow wronged by the addition of so many minutes is laughable. Are supporters not entitled to a bit?”
“Football where the ball is actually in play, that is, and not football where a player goes down for 30 seconds to a minute and then gets up without needing treatment.”
Leeds United suffer late blow in draw against Blackburn Rovers.
Everyone at Elland Road will have thought the Whites had all three points when Pascal Struijk converted his 88th-minute penalty, only to be disappointed moments later.
While Leeds now have a three-point gap at the top of the Championship table, with Burnley and Sheffield United falling over hurdles, that gap could have been even bigger.
After missing out on promotion to the Premier League last season, losing to Southampton in the play-off final at Wembley, attaining that accomplishment is critical this time around.
Farke, who won the Championship with Norwich City, is under pressure to deliver promotion at the second time around, and his team is in an excellent position to accomplish it.
All three points would have given the Whites a bit more comfort, and with so much of the campaign left, every point counts.
The goal is that two missed points do not haunt them in the future.
