Graham Smyth hits back at Daniel Farke criticism with Leeds United vs Blackburn point — YEP 2/1/25
By Kyle Newbould
The Leeds United manager’s substitutions have often been
questioned but came off to keep the Elland Road unbeaten streak going on
Wednesday.
Daniel Farke has regularly been criticised for the nature of
his substitutions but the YEP’s chief football writer Graham Smyth insists
those changes worked during Wednesday’s 1-1 draw against Blackburn Rovers.
Leeds United’s nine-game home winning run came to an end on
New Year’s Day, with some sloppy defending allowing Danny Batth to level from a
corner almost instantly after Pascal Struijk’s late penalty. The game was
crawling towards a tight 0-0 before bursting into life late on, with Farke’s
side carving out enough chances to re-take the lead during 10 minutes of
added-time.
In such games, fans have often questioned Farke’s ability to
change things with his substitutions, while an insistence on waiting until the
70-minute mark can frustrate those inside Elland Road. There was nearly a break
from tradition when Willy Gnonto stripped off on 50 minutes and while that
attacking replacement for Joe Rothwell was delayed, second-half introductions
were crucial to Leeds’ late penalty.
‘Farke’s changes changed things’
“Plan B was to go to three at the back - Ampadu, Joe Rodon
and Pascal Struijk - with Daniel James and Max Wober as wing-backs,” Smyth
wrote in his YEP post-match verdict. “Gnonto was to play as an attacking
midfielder alongside Brenden Aaronson, ahead of Ao Tanaka. Bamford and Joseph
partnered up top.
“And while the entertainment value did not rise all that
significantly, the game did open up a little. Farke's changes changed things.
Blackburn were tempted into more frequent forays upfield and things stretched
enough that James and Wober had some space in which to attack the flanks.
“When the penalty came, it was from a Wober cross, a Bamford
flick and Joseph's dart into the area. A wing-back feeding a striker who linked
up with his strike partner. Plan B, working, with a little help from a wild
lunge in the area. Had that lunge not come, perhaps Joseph would have stuck the
ball away to open the scoring. Regardless, down he went and in went the
spot-kick from the boot of Struijk.”
Leeds form continues despite draw
Farke and Leeds will be disappointed to have dropped two
points on Wednesday, particularly after dominating for large parts of the game
and then going ahead late on. But they remain top of the Championship and
actually opened up the gap on third-place Sheffield United, who lost at
Sunderland later in the evening.
Away form has been an issue for Leeds earlier this season
but back-to-back wins at Stoke City and Derby County allowed for an Elland Road
blip. And Smyth believes the bigger picture is key when reflecting on rare
dropped points at home.
“Winning your home games and drawing away is a perfectly
acceptable way to go about promotion, in most reasonable minds,” the YEP’s
chief football writer added. “So winning two on the spin away from Elland Road
should therefore make it a little more palatable that Leeds picked up just a
point at home to Blackburn.