Leeds United’s automatic promotion aspirations were severely dented on Friday night when they were thrashed 4-0 by Queens Park Rangers.
The Whites were humiliated from start to end in the capital, with two goals in either half summing up the season’s worst outcome and performance.
It was clear early on that Leeds were not at their best, and it didn’t take long for them to pay the price when Ilias Chair’s long-range shot deflected in off Joe Rodon.
Lucas Andersen then doubled QPR’s lead midway through the first half, and despite Leeds’ efforts both before and after the break, the game was over when Lyndon Dykes scrambled in a corner.
Sam Field then concluded a humiliating evening for Leeds with a fourth goal, the second coming from a set-piece, despite QPR being one of the league’s poorest teams at both attacking and defending those circumstances.
A BBC correspondent discusses how Leeds fans responded at full-time.
Leeds should have been confident going into this game after beating Middlesbrough 4-3 at the Riverside on Monday.
Patrick Bamford’s absence was insufficient to explain such a dramatic decline in performance, even if his replacement, Joel Piroe, had one of the worst individual performances seen in a Leeds shirt.
Leeds are currently in a position where the top two may not even make it to the final day, and fans are rightly outraged.
And, reporting on BBC Radio Leeds full-time, writer Jonathan Buchan described how the crowd responded as the players reached the away end.
He said: “Leeds players are standing in the penalty area, looking at the handful of hundred fans who remain. Again, they reacted angrily, with many in the top tier holding out their arms and asking, ‘What was that?’
“That is the big question.” What was that? Quite a few making hand gestures, geeing them up, or attempting to gee them up, those who remain. The majority had left, as Liam Cooper emerges and slaps a few hands and pats a few teammates on the back before walking away to the far side. Daniel Farke came over and spoke briefly with Archie Gray.
Twelve months after Bournemouth, Leeds is in the same position.
Almost exactly a year ago today, Leeds were defeated 4-1 at Bournemouth in a game critical to the Premier League relegation race.
Leeds were humiliated that day, as evidenced by the score, and the visiting supporters reacted violently.
Leeds managed to find themselves in the same situation yesterday night, but perhaps this was more embarrassing considering the nature of their opponents.
Victor Orta and Javi Gracia both lost their jobs as a result, and while Farke is unlikely to be fired, doubts about his capacity to execute the job will undoubtedly arise.
