Leeds United man finally answers call, Manor Solomon's venting and off-camera Hull City moments — YEP 5/1/25
By Graham Smyth
The YEP verdict and off-camera moments from Saturday’s 3-3
draw at Hull City.
Leeds United followed up their snoozefest draw against
Blackburn Rovers with a six-goal thriller against Hull City.
Anyone who called for more excitement following the Rovers
stalemate will perhaps be more careful about what they wish for, because the
3-3 draw in Hull was a horror-show at times. Here's the YEP take on the events
at MKM Stadium.
Good day
Abu Kamara
Forced to apologise for a social media post in a weird
pre-game press conference - the crime of congratulating a mate on scoring for
Portsmouth the same day as failing to track a runner for Boro's winner - the
youngster scored two for Hull, including the late leveller. He was deadly on a
day when others were so wasteful.
Ao Tanaka
Not that you would have known it, looking at him at
full-time, but this will eventually be a day that Tanaka looks back on fondly.
It brought his first goal for Leeds United and what a screamer it was too. It's
something Leeds have been crying out for, because goals from central midfield
were lacking last season too. It's something we've long suspected he could do
for the Whites. But when it arrived it was beautiful. It's just a shame it was
overshadowed by what came later. Hopefully there will be more of the same from
the Japan international because goals from distance are a perfect response to
deep-lying defences.
Bad day
Illan Meslier
It needs very little explanation, really. There have been
difficult days for him at Leeds but this was right up there among the very
worst.
Daniel Farke
He did not get the first half performance he wanted from his
men and even if the reaction was exactly - almost to the very letter - what he
asked for at half-time, what followed the third goal was unforgivable and so
hard to explain. There is a question mark over the lack of substitutions in the
latter stages prior to the Hull equaliser because some were underperforming and
others looked leggy.
Daniel James
The winger has been excellent this season, especially of
late. This was not his finest day, against his former club too. Even with a
goal, he was one of the poorer performers in the Leeds side. The hard work
wasn't lacking but composure was.
Off-camera
Willy Gnonto handling the ball in the subs' rondo, much to
the delight of his team-mates. Isaac Schmidt then flicked the ball at the
Italian to try and tempt him into another.
The attacking players getting in their last-minute shooting
practise while the centre-backs completed an activation drill, the subs kept
the ball in the air and Sam Byram took a ball to play on his own. Ao Tanaka
then joined the full-back to give him some company.
Ed Wootten throwing a football at Willy Gnonto's head, then
going to greet referee Anthony Backhouse.
A middle aged DJ shown on the big screen as he played music
pre-game, patting his chest like a goalscorer celebrating a goal.
Selles claiming that Bogle caught him with an elbow, making
that motion to the officials after a slight coming together over a ball that
went out of play into the Hull technical area.
Farke permitting himself a little fist pump as Leeds made
their way back to halfway after going 3-1 up in the second half. The manager
was applauding above his head as Rothwell raced around pressing and stopping
Hull from attacking.
Solomon venting to Ampadu at full-time and gesticulating
back down the pitch to the scene of whatever had irked him during the game.
Alex Cairns put his arm around the winger and then listened to his complaints
about the game as they went off.
Meslier trudging off and appearing to head straight for the
tunnel before a change of heart saw him go with his team-mates towards the away
end. His body language as he then went down the tunnel said it all.