Here are our four talking points from Leeds United’s 1-0 loss to Blackburn Rovers at Elland Road in the Championship, as the hosts suffer their first home defeat of the season.
Blip probably isn’t cutting it anymore. What everyone believed would be a small hiccup after returning from the international break has turned into a full-fledged schism, spectacularly ending one of the club’s best league seasons in decades.
The previous time Leeds went three games without a win was in August, and Daniel Farke had a lot more on his plate at that point in the season. Prior to yesterday, the Whites had not drawn consecutive blanks in front of goal all season.
That break in the schedule has crushed United’s momentum and mojo, whether it’s one point from nine, five from 15, or whatever. They appear to have banded together at the last minute prior to the Watford game and are still trailing behind.
There were two days between Watford and Hull City, followed by four days before Coventry City, two before Sunderland, and three before Blackburn Rovers yesterday. Has that been enough time for Daniel Farke to work out the issues he is seeing?
It feels like it should’ve been. The wait for Connor Roberts and Wilfried Gnonto may have been longer than Farke had hoped, but Archie Gray, Daniel James, and Sam Byram have proven to be viable options.
Ethan Ampadu and Joe Rodon have been together for four of the five games, Junior Firpo has only missed the first hour of the first game, Ilia Gruev has played the previous three games without a win, and Georginio Rutter, Crysencio Summerville, and Patrick Bamford have all been completely available.
It has not been an ideal spell, but Leeds have not been compelled to play the under-21s due to international obligations. It’s impossible to overlook the comparable story unfolding with their closest rivals.
Ipswich Town, the division’s most difficult team to beat, has remained in that vein with only one loss in five games, but two victories and two draws show that they, too, have had their challenges.
Leicester City have only taken one more point than Leeds out of the 15 available. Their three losses do not present a positive picture either. Meanwhile, Southampton appear to have been the most successful up to this point, but they did not win any of the first three after the break.
Back-to-back home wins, along with United’s dismal form, means they can now draw level with Farke’s side if they win their two remaining games. The final day at Elland Road will not be for the faint of heart.
Gnonto rises to the forefront
Gnonto was undoubtedly one of United’s hardest-hit players during the international break. The Italian had been in excellent form before departing with his country’s under-21 squad.
The 20-year-old had seven goals in his previous nine games prior to the break and was impressive again when he returned to the lineup yesterday. One of the benefits of having such a good group at Farke’s disposal is that there is usually one player who can stand up when others struggle.
Yesterday, Gnonto carried the torch after Summerville, Rutter, and Joel Piroe failed to make an impression. The kid made more vital passes (five) than anybody else in the game, appeared the sharpest among the home attackers, and raced back to assist Roberts on several occasions.
Leeds’ problem has been that not enough of their attackers have been playing well enough to cause problems for opponents. If it wasn’t Summerville, it was Gnonto yesterday, and Rutter has seen the occasional flash here and there.
Striker conundrum
Bamford has struggled to make an impact in the Leeds system since returning to the team from Huddersfield Town following injury. Farke finally twisted on Saturday after a long stint with his number nine.
However, Piroe was no more effective at leading the line. The Dutchman was completely ineffectual at the head of the attack, and he didn’t appear to contribute anything to the buildup or within the box.
Is the system the problem? Is the problem with Farke’s team’s current formation, or is it due to the fact that two senior attackers are failing to fire simultaneously? Mateo Joseph may be forgiven for asking why it wasn’t his turn to start yesterday.
Piroe’s long tenure as a first-choice attacker under Farke came to an end around the turn of the year. After starting every league game he was available for, primarily behind Rutter at the top of the attack, the defeat at The Hawthorns proved to be the last straw.
Piroe left the team when they began their record 15-match unbeaten streak, leaving him on the bench till Bamford was injured in Swansea. Piroe has failed to impress from the start or off the bench in 2024, thus Joseph, who has made an impact from the bench, will take his place in Bamford’s absence.
Farke believed Piroe’s goal at Coventry gave him the motivation and confidence to start yesterday, but the strategy failed, and there is clearly a justification for giving Joseph a chance at Riverside Stadium next Monday.
Farewell to Elland Road till D-Day
The Whites are now on the road until their last game on May 4 against Southampton, when everything is possible for each team in the league table. Middlesbrough comes first, followed by Queens Park Rangers.
The previous week has demonstrated that no matter how little you believe a team has to play for, they can outperform anyone in this division on their day. Sunderland would have had no chance of picking up a point against title contenders at Elland Road, and many people would have laughed at the thought that Blackburn could also beat Leeds.
On paper, Michael Carrick’s team doesn’t have anything to play for. Their slim play-off chances were effectively ended by their stalemate at Portman Road yesterday. They are now eight points and three positions behind Norwich City, with only nine available.
In contrast, the weekend’s results have placed relegation pressure back on QPR. Prior to their current three-game winless streak, the Loftus Road club had only lost once in nine games, despite their low league position.
Under Gareth Ainsworth, it was evident which way QPR were going, but Marti Cifuentes has turned the ship around, giving them a fighting chance of survival. If Leeds is looking for positive statistics, you can rest confident that QPR do significantly better away from home.
Perhaps being away from the anxieties of over 30,000 home fans will benefit the Whites. We’ll see, but the heat is on, and they need to produce outcomes in both of those games.
Southampton’s schedule may add to the burden. The Saints have two games before Leeds return to the field, and if they win both of them, they will be level on points.
Psychologically, Leeds players are unlikely to appreciate the feeling of not only failing to catch the top two but also falling to fourth place. So, Southampton can draw level, Leicester can go four points ahead of Leeds if they beat West Bromwich Albion, and Ipswich will not play again for another two weeks.
Leeds play twice before the Tractor Boys return to the field, which means the Whites may go four points ahead of the Suffolk side. Kieran McKenna’s side would then have two games in hand over Leeds, as they travel to Hull City and Coventry City before the final day.
