Leeds United. Been following since 1973. That was the team.
Back in the Premiership were we belong. Now to stay up.
What is going on at Leeds United, how can Sam Allardyce do anything with four games left in the season?
He’s replaced Javi Gracia after just 10 weeks in charge, the second shortest manager rein in the premiership history.
I can’t see us staying up now, especially with the goal difference and struggling to score.
I hope I’m proved wrong.
Leeds United 1 Crystal Palace 5 HT 1-1
Bamford (21) Guéhi (45+1), J Ayew (53, 77), Eze (55), Édouard (69)
Assists –
Aaronson (21) Schlupp (45+1), Olise (53, 55, 69), Hughes (77)
This was a dreadful performance, god knows what happened in the second half. We just can’t stop leaking goals and with it being so tight at the bottom, I can see goal difference being very important.
This is not looking good, especially with the fixtures in May that we have.
Crystal Palace staged a remarkable second-half turnaround to give a significant boost to their Premier League survival hopes and leave stunned Leeds with plenty of work to do in their own bid to avoid relegation.
The Eagles scored four goals after the break with Jordan Ayew – in for the injured Wilfried Zaha – scoring two in an incredible demolition of the home side.
Such a victory looked hugely unlikely after Patrick Bamford’s 50th goal for the club gave Leeds the reward their early dominance deserved.
But from then on it all went downhill as Marc Guehi flicked in an equaliser on the stroke of half-time before Palace scored two goals in two minutes soon after the break.
First, Ayew made it 2-1 with an excellent header before Eberechi Eze added a quick third, poking in from Michael Olise’s pass.
Odsonne Edouard drove a fourth into the bottom corner following a quick counter – with the excellent Olise providing the assist again – and Ayew completed the rout late on when he lifted a shot over Illan Meslier, prompting many Leeds fans to leave.
The stunning win moves Crystal Palace up to 12th in the Premier League, six points clear of the relegation zone, while Leeds are 16th, just two points above the drop.
I really do fear for us with just 8 games to go, where in the same position as last season, but this season we are leaking goals and not scoring, which we weren’t last season.
League position 16th after 30 games – After 30 games last season, Leeds were 16th.
Chelsea 1 – Leeds United 0 – HT 0-0
Fofana (53)
Assists:-
Chilwell (53)
Now playing under a new manager and after a good cup result, hoping for the double over Chelsea this season, we failed to score again.
Welsey Fofana scored his first Premier League goal for Chelsea as the Blues beat Leeds to ease the pressure on manager Graham Potter.
After a run of just two wins in their past 15 games, there was a sense that three points were a must for Potter, despite insisting he retained the support of the club’s owners before the game.
The Blues made a blistering start and could have been 3-0 up inside 30 minutes.
Kai Havertz was one-on-one with Leeds keeper Illan Meslier, while Joao Felix smashed a shot from distance against the crossbar before Ben Chilwell prodded wide from an excellent position.
After that there was a growing sense of deja vu around Stamford Bridge as Chelsea faded while Leeds grew into the game, with Jack Harrison sending a free-kick over the bar before the break.
But Fofana ended Chelsea’s run of 396 minutes without a goal when he rose to head home from a corner early in the second half.
Leeds upped the pressure in the closing stages as the hosts dropped deep to try and hold on for a precious win, making for a nervous finale to the game for the home fans, but they held on to secure their second win this year.
Chelsea remain 10th despite the win while Leeds are 17th and one point above the relegation zone.
So what looked a promising season, after we beat Chelsea earlier in the new season, we have been on a slide down the league, mainly because we can’t score.
As mentioned in the previous Leeds post, why did we not bring in a forward or two?
Only 13 matches left to stay up, but the bottom half of the table is so tight, 6 points separating the bottom 9 clubs.
Good luck to the new manager Javi Gracia, he is going to need it.
League position 17th after 25 games – After 25 games last season, Leeds were 15th.
Nottingham Forest 1 – Leeds United 0 – HT 1-0
Johnson (14)
Forest were second-best throughout the first half, but Johnson’s thumping 14th-minute strike was enough to move them six points clear of the relegation places.
After Leeds failed to clear a free-kick on the right, the ball bounced up for the Wales forward to rifle it into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
The hosts were indebted to debutant goalkeeper Keylor Navas, on loan from Paris St-Germain, who made important first-half saves from Wilfried Gnonto, Luke Ayling and Luis Sinisterra, who put Leeds best chance of the game over the bar from six yards out.
Leeds threat all but vanished in the second period and Forest comfortably held on for a third victory in five Premier League games, moving up to the 13th in the table.
Jesse Marsch’s Leeds, meanwhile, have gone seven league games without a win and stay 17th, above the relegation zone only on goal difference.
Another dispiriting result leaves Leeds without a Premier League since 5 November.
Even taking into account the break for the World Cup, it is a statistic that makes for grim reading for their supporters.
Yes it is, and more so as were struggling to score, which isn’t helping, why we didn’t bring in a couple of forwards during the January transfer market is beyond me, as Bamford as lost it up front.
As you can see from below, were in a worse position then last season, all that hope after the early games this season as gone. We can’t afford to be relegated.
League position 17th after 20 games – After 20 games last season, Leeds were 15th.
Leeds United 1 – Manchester City 3 – HT 0-1
Struijk (73) Rodri (45’+1), Haaland (51, 64)
Assists –
Greenwood (73) Grealish (51, 64)
Not who you want to be playing the first game back after the World Cup break.
Erling Haaland became the fastest player to reach 20 Premier League goals as Manchester City overcame a stubborn Leeds to reduce Arsenal’s lead at the top of the table to five points.
Frustrated by a disciplined and determined home side and their own profligacy for much of the first half at Elland Road, City snatched the lead just before the break through Rodri’s follow-up finish and then sped into the distance in a one-sided second half.
Having seen a couple of efforts saved early in the game, Haaland – playing in the city of his birth against the side he supports – did not celebrate his goals but showed little mercy in securing them to bring up his impressive tally in just his 14th game of the campaign.
He could not miss for his first, set up in front of an open goal by the unselfish Jack Grealish, who himself had missed a hat-trick of good opportunities in the first 45 minutes.
Grealish was the provider again for Haaland’s second, which he slotted in from close range following a deflection to give Leeds too much of a deficit to overcome.
In keeping with their display, the home side refused to lie down and got a goal back through Pascal Struijk’s header from a corner.
And they could have set up a grandstand finish had Joe Gelhardt’s poked finish not trickled the wrong side of the post.
No shock in the result, but need to move forward as it’s very tight at the bottom, 12th to 20th are only separated by 6 points.
Don’t want another relegation fight, though we are one position worse off, compared to last season and it wasn’t as tight regarding the point’s difference.
League position 15th after 15 games – After 15 games last season, Leeds were 14th.
Leicester City 2 – Leeds United 0 – HT 2-0
Koch (16 og), Barnes (35)
Assist –
Dewsbury-Hall (35)
Under-pressure Leeds boss Jesse Marsch was singled out for criticism by his own club’s fans as the West Yorkshire side slipped to a disappointing defeat at fellow strugglers Leicester.
The visitors were booed off at half-time as they trailed to a Robin Koch own goal and a second 10 minutes before the break from Harvey Barnes, who extended his record of scoring every time he plays against Leeds to five Premier League games.
Then, when Marsch replaced popular Colombian winger Luis Sinisterra with striker Joe Gelhardt 15 minutes from time, the visiting fans responded with more jeers and cries of ‘what is going on’.
The final whistle brought more negative chants and American Marsch’s position is starting to look shaky.
Leicester’s second win of the season was not enough to lift them out of the relegation zone, but it did move them to within a point of their 16th-placed opponents.
Out-of-form Leeds are winless in seven and not picked up a point away from Elland Road since 13 August.
We are definitely struggling again, the big problem is scoring again. We don’t want to be in another relegation battle again this season.
We’re need some wins before the World Cup starts next month.
League position 16th after 10 games – After 10 games last season, Leeds were 17th.
Leeds United 1 – Everton 1 – HT 0-1
Sinisterra (55) – Gordon (17)
Assists –
Aaronson (55) – Iwobi (17)
Luis Sinisterra scored his first Premier League goal for Leeds as they came from a goal behind to draw with Everton in a pulsating encounter at Elland Road.
The Colombian winger, who hit his first goal for the club in the EFL Cup last week following a summer move from Feyenoord, drove in from 18 yards after the break as Leeds piled pressure on Everton.
They were much improved after a poor first half when Anthony Gordon scored for a second successive game, keeping his cool to slip the ball through Illan Meslier’s legs following Alex Iwobi’s through ball.
Leeds’s top scorer Rodrigo also went off with what Jesse Marsch confirmed afterwards was a dislocated shoulder following an innocuous challenge with Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
Leeds’s second-half recovery came after a first period where they showed plenty of effort but found Everton’s new-look defence too tough to breach.
Another good performance to start the season and keep us in the top 5, hopefully the injury to Rodrigo isn’t too bad.
League position 5th after 5 game – After 5 game last season, Leeds were 16th.
Leeds United 2 – Wolverhampton Wanders 1 – HT 1-1
Rodrigo (24), Aït-Nouri (74 og) – Podence (6)
Assist –
Harrison (24)
I can’t believe another season is here, though starting earlier then usual because of the World Cup in November/December.
In this soft reboot of the determined but ragged side that salvaged safety on the final day of last season, there was energy, endeavour and more than a little appetite for a fight as they battled their way back from Daniel Podence’s early goal to seal victory.
Rodrigo fired them level with an angled drive in the first half and Ryan Ait-Nouri found his own net for the winner. In between there was a lot of harrying, high pressing and hearty tackles.
It was good to see Bamford back, but we need to sign another forward before the end of transfer market due to his injury concerns.
At least it was a win and were not bottom of the league at the start of the new season, like last season.
League position 5th after 1 game – After 1 game last season, Leeds were 20th.
Brentford 1 – Leeds United 2 – HT 0-0
Canós (78′) — Raphinha (56’pen), Harrison (90’+4)
Assists –
Wissa (78′)
Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch said it took everything he had to keep the Elland Road club in the Premier League.
Marsch replaced much-loved Marcelo Bielsa as Leeds boss with 12 games of a troubled campaign remaining and achieved his aim of avoiding relegation with a last-day victory at Brentford.
Jack Harrison’s added-time winner removed any lingering doubts over survival, sparking scenes of celebration on the pitch, in the stands and the technical area, where the American manager lay on his back in jubilation. Please note no Leeds fans went on the pitch, considering what had gone on at other grounds recently.
Marsch said he could offer no guarantees about the future of any of his players, including England midfielder Kalvin Phillips and Brazil winger Raphinha, who opened the scoring with a well-taken second-half penalty.
Leeds started the day needing to better Burnley’s result to survive.
The result meant Leeds became the first side since Wigan in 2011 to survive after starting the final day in the bottom three.
Even after Raphinha had kept his nerve to find the net after he had been chopped down by Brentford keeper David Raya, Leeds fan still did not allow themselves to believe the escape act was on.
Canos duly brought them down to earth with his equaliser but he was booked for his celebration and then followed that up by fouling Raphinha, which wrecked Brentford’s chances of turning the game around.
Leeds’s safety was ensured when Harrison drilled home the winner.
I have to be honest, with our record against Brentford, I was really surprised with this result and that we stayed up. As mentioned above, first team in 11 years to start in the relegation zone on the last day and stay up!!
Hopefully we can keep our top players and bring some new players in, as we can’t rely on just one centre forward to score goals and don’t want to be in this position next season.
League position 17th after 38 games – After 38 games last season, Leeds were 9th.
Arsenal 2 – Leeds United 1 – HT 2-0
Nketiah (5′, 10′) Llorente (66′)
Assists –
Martinelli (10′) Firpo (66′)
Arsenal took a huge step towards securing Champions League football next season as they saw off an ill-disciplined Leeds United, with the 10-man visitors dropping into the Premier League relegation zone.
Leeds early capitulation was entirely of their own making, with goalkeeper Illan Meslier gifting the hosts an opener before captain Luke Ayling was sent off for a needless lunge on Gabriel Martinelli. Eddie Nketiah pounced on Meslier’s lose touch to open the scoring and then finished a swift move to double the Gunners’ lead before Ayling’s rash challenge left Leeds a man down for more than an hour
The Elland Road outfit did not have an effort on goal until Diego Llorente headed past Aaron Ramsdale in the 66th minute to tee up more of a nervy finish than anyone inside Emirates Stadium would have anticipated.
Leeds applied some late pressure, sending Meslier up for set-pieces, but the fourth-placed hosts were never seriously in danger of losing their lead and now hold a four-point lead over Tottenham in fifth.
Defeat for Leeds, coupled with Everton’s win at Leicester, means Jesse Marsch’s side slip into the bottom three with three games remaining.
You can’t keep playing with 10 players, especially with all the injuries that we have had this season. Plus our goal difference is another point against with teams around us. I think were struggle to stay up.
If we go down, it will be a battle to keep the players and come straight back up, which will not help the club at all.
League position 18th after 35 games – After 35 games last season, Leeds were 9th.
