Good day for missing Leeds United man and ‘nervous’ youngster as Watford temptations resisted — YEP 30/3/24
Leeds United left it late to salvage a 2-2 draw from their Good Friday evening return to Championship action at Watford which produced a particularly good day for a man not even playing.
By Joe Donnohue
Here is the YEP’s take and some off-camera moments from the
four-goal stalemate at Vicarage Road.
Good day
Mateo Joseph
The Spanish forward only spent a cumulative quarter of an
hour on the pitch across two appearances for club and country this week but
managed to find the net on both occasions, each time in the right place at the
crucial moment. That sort of striker's instinct could prove especially useful
for Leeds during this Championship run-in and beyond.
Charlie Crew
Named on the bench for the first time, Daniel Farke admitted
the young Welsh midfielder was a tad nervous but fully deserving of his place
in the 20-man squad. The Leeds boss also suggested he would not have had any
qualms if Crew's introduction had been necessitated by injury during the game,
although that was not required. Wales U21 youngster Crew also has a familial
connection to Watford and Vicarage Road so his inclusion on Good Friday will
have been extra special.
Ilia Gruev
Conspicuous by his absence, Leeds' midfield didn't appear to
tick as methodically as it has in recent months with the Bulgarian picking up
loose balls, playing simple passes and thwarting opposition attacks. It's
touch-and-go for him on Monday but Leeds' concessions from open play and Farke
shuffling players around to accommodate for his absence meant his stock remains
high, even without playing.
Bad day
Liam Cooper
Farke was left between a rock and a hard place with his team
selection after Cooper played 90 minutes for Scotland in midweek having not
featured regularly in the preceding weeks. The skipper looked rusty at Vicarage
Road and was brought off on the hour mark, after which Leeds conceded no
further shots or touches inside their penalty area.
Joel Piroe
Struggled to get up to the pace of the game after being
brought on by Farke, losing the ball with his first two touches of the ball at
a time when Leeds needed to show composure. To the naked eye, he didn't
contribute too greatly to the late push for a winner either.
Off-camera moments
A pair of Leeds fans on the full London Overground service
to Watford Junction singing 'We all dream of a team of Michael Browns...one
Michael Brown, two Michael Browns, three Michael Browns, four Michael
Browns...' and so on, all the way up to 100.
Ethan Ampadu gee-ing up the starting XI as they underwent
their final warm-up drill, clapping vehemently and shouting words of
encouragement.
Watford's groundsmen resisting the temptation to pass Leeds'
balls back during the warm-up, forcing a member of the coaching staff to go and
retrieve them instead.
Leeds fans teasing breakdancing Watford mascot Harry the
Hornet with a chant calling the individual within the suit's character into
question.
Watford 'keeper Daniel Bachmann's 'Gym Class Heroes'
routine, performing a foam rolling exercise on the match-ball during a break in
play as a teammate received treatment. The Hornets' skipper followed it up with
a few stretches that wouldn't have looked out of place in an Eric Prydz music
video.
