Mighty Leeds Weblog

By Graham Smyth The YEP’s take and off-camera moments from Saturday’s 1-1 draw at home to West Brom. Leeds United need more from one of their forwards but can ask little more of one of their defenders after another good display against West Bromwich Albion. The 1-1 draw did not boast the emotional highs of the last two Leeds outings but it was a solid result against a decent side going for promotion themselves. Here's the YEP take on the Saturday lunchtime stalemate against the Baggies. Good day Joe Rodon When the opposition manage to counter so dangerously in the final minute, a Rodon recovery is exactly what the doctor orders for Elland Road. Even if his first challenge had an air of him falling into it after catching his studs in the turf, the second, from his knees, was the kind of desperate, urgent defending you need from your centre-backs in such situations. It was a Gandalf 'you shall not pass' moment if ever there was one. Rodon's form has been stellar...

By Graham Smyth Leeds United were always going to come back down to earth but as bumps go a draw with West Brom wasn't even the biggest felt by the Whites on Saturday. The squad's arrival at Elland Road was delayed after the team coach sustained some damage just prior to departure from the hotel. Parked buses have been an issue for Daniel Farke at times during his tenure but this was something new to contend with on matchday. An unscheduled change to the routine would be at least a minor irritation for the Leeds boss for he is a creature of habit. The devil is in the detail and each one has to be just so. Leeds' processes on and off the pitch have underpinned a 16-game unbeaten streak but even if the day did not go exactly to plan, it was fine. Sure, a 1-1 draw after going ahead inside 10 minutes is a little deflating when you've experienced the highest of highs in the last two games but zooming out reveals a bigger picture of seven points from nine against three ...

Former Leeds star Liam Cooper is enjoying his new life at CSKA Sofia Cooper has struck up a friendship with former Aston Villa star Stiliyan Petrov By JOE BERNSTEIN Liam Cooper’s unlikely journey from captaining Leeds to Bulgaria started in the heat of Dubai rather than the snow still visible in Sofia. Going to the gym during a family holiday to appease his demanding manager, Marcelo Bielsa, he met the former Aston Villa and Celtic star Stiliyan “Stan” Petrov and struck up a lasting friendship. When Cooper left Elland Road last summer and a move to hometown club Hull fell through, Petrov was instrumental in the 33-year-old beginning an unexpected new life with CSKA Sofia. ‘My agent said he might have an option in Bulgaria so I reached out to Stan because he’s a legend in his country. He’s close to the manager, Aleksandar Tomash, and he set up a video call with the board. ‘They really wanted me. Everything has been new: weather, culture, lifestyle, but everyone has helped ...

Sheffield United moved to within three points of Sky Bet Championship leaders Leeds following a 2-1 win at QPR. Ben Brereton Diaz’s early goal and Tyrese Campbell’s thumping second-half strike put Chris Wilder’s side two up. Michael Frey gave the hosts hope with a 72nd-minute penalty but the Blades held on to secure a fifth consecutive away victory. It was the ideal response to Monday’s 3-1 home defeat by Leeds, whose five-game winning league run ended when they drew 1-1 with West Brom earlier on Saturday. Second-placed United are now five points clear of Burnley in third, although the Clarets have a game in hand. The result also means the Blades have now won on their past two trips to London, having lost their previous eight matches in the capital. They went ahead after 10 minutes through Brereton Diaz’s third goal since rejoining the club on loan – and he was helped by some woeful Rangers defending. After on-loan Tottenham youngster Yang Min-hyeok was dispossessed by Gu...

Leeds look like a dead cert to return to the Premier League, writes JASON MELLOR - as Daniel Farke's side take another step towards promotion after draw with gutsy West Brom Leeds entertained West Brom in the Championship at Elland Road on Saturday The Baggies took a point after Darnell Furlong cancelled out Junior Firpo's strike By JASON MELLOR Daniel Farke was unfamiliar with the cautionary tale of Devon Loch but it would take a choke of similarly disastrous proportions to deny Leeds United a place back at the top table of English football. The unfortunate thoroughbred's astonishing collapse and ultimate defeat with Grand National victory at its mercy has become a metaphor for sporting collapse over the decades. The kind of which befell the United States' Ryder Cup team when they were on the wrong side of the Miracle of Medinah 13 years ago. Or Newcastle's stunning implosion to allow Manchester United to bridge a 12-point gap to win the Premier League ...

By Graham Smyth Leeds United boss Daniel Farke believes a 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion will be a beneficial 'punishment' for his players. The Whites followed up late wins against top four sides Sunderland and Sheffield United with a point against the sixth-placed Baggies to stretch their unbeaten run to 17 games. Having started on the front foot and gone into an early lead through Junior Firpo's second headed goal in as many games, Farke could sense his team were seeking too much enjoyment and playing 'posing' passes rather than the simple options so he knew there was real peril of an equaliser. It duly arrived when Darnell Furlong was left unmarked to produce the season's first headed goal against the Whites. Speaking to his players in the dressing room straight after the game Farke addressed how costly it can be if they do not stay 100 per cent focused, but he was more pleased to do so after a draw than he would have been had they lost the game. ...

By Graham Smyth Tony Mowbray says the question that will be on Leeds United minds right now is 'what next?' as Premier League survival becomes harder and harder for promoted teams. The top flight relegation zone currently reads exactly like the 2023/24 promoted line-up, with Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Southampton combining for just nine wins between them. What it would take to stay in the 2024/25 Premier League is something Mowbray admits is lurking at the back of his mind too, with West Brom in the play-off picture as the Championship campaign nears the finishing straight. Having said after a 1-1 draw for his Baggies at Elland Road on Saturday that he's sure the stadium will host Premier League football next season, Mowbray posed a question for the decision makers at Leeds. "I think for this great football club, it's about what do they do in the summer?" he said. "I had a chat with Daniel [Farke] earlier, what are they doing this summer? Ho...

Whites take a point against the Baggies. Leeds United returned to home turf against West Bromwich Albion in a Sky Bet Championship kick-off on Saturday lunchtime, taking a point away from a hard-fought encounter. Daniel Farke’s side came into the match on the back of two last-minute victories against promotion rivals Sunderland and Sheffield United and were now looking to remain focused against the Baggies, who sat in fifth position. Tony Mowbray’s side arrived in West Yorkshire with confidence of their own. The away team were comfortably inside the play-off places ahead of the game and would be looking to add to their points total. When the game got underway, as usual a packed-out Elland Road welcomed the Whites onto the pitch, and saw their side take an early lead! The Baggies had come close first though, after John Swift had connected well with Adam Armstrong’s low cross into the box, but the midfielder put his shot just wide of the post. From the next cross of the game,...

The Whites were unable to claim the three points against West Brom in the Championship Leeds United had to settle for a point against West Bromwich Albion this afternoon as their five-game winning streak came to an end. Junior Firpo scored for the second consecutive game following his goal against Sheffield United. But they went in to the break level following Darnell Furlong's equaliser in the 39th minute and were unable to grab a winner. Daniel Farke's side were looking to distance themselves from promotion rivals Sheffield, who are in action at Queens Park Rangers today. Should the Blades come away winners, they will close the gap to three points with 11 games left to play. Speaking to reporters after the game at Elland Road, Farke felt his team missed too many chances that could have been the difference. "Yes, sometimes you have also have to accept to learn to live with a point and we do today," he said. "Top start to the game, we played on the fron...

By Stuart Rayner If back-to-back come-from-behind victories against the chasing pack had given the impression that Leeds United's Championship charge was unstoppable, the comedown against West Bromwich Albion was a warning not to light the cigars just yet. It was far from a disaster, the Whites extending their unbeaten run to 17 league matches – their best sequence since the season they won the division above in 1991-92. But a spirited Baggies took two points off them with a 1-1 draw that was as much about their own sloppiness. In the first half, Leeds looked like a team that had been to the well too often, sloppy and complacent after taking an early lead. Their second-half showing was more intense, but still as ragged. Had second-half efforts from substitute Mateo Joseph and Daniel James gone under rather than onto the crossbar, it would have papered over things a bit, but this was one of those days when work was a bit of a slog for the league leaders. Yet they still did...

By Lee Sobot Leeds took on West Brom in a Saturday lunchtime kick-off at Elland Road. Leeds United’s winning run was ended as Saturday’s lunchtime hosting of Championship visitors West Brom ended in a 1-1 draw. The table-topping Whites put themselves on course for a sixth-straight league win when Junior Firpo headed Daniel Farke’s side in front from a superb Dan James cross with just nine minutes on the clock. West Brom, though, continually looked a threat and the Baggies drew level with a headed goal themselves six minutes before the interval as Darnell Furlong arrived at the back post with a looping header to convert from a John Swift free-kick. Leeds were then roared on in another Elland Road cauldron of noise after the break but West Brom gave as good as they got and only heroics from Whites centre-back Joe Rodon saved Leeds deep in second half stoppage through brilliant tackles on Tom Fellows and Daryl Dike in a Baggies counter. Victory would have sent Leeds eight poin...

By Leon Wobschall SHEFFIELD UNITED manager Chris Wilder has called for more consistency from referees and a better ‘balance’ in their approach after praising the performance of David Webb in Monday night’s high-stakes Championship meeting with promotion rivals Leeds United. The County Durham official, conscious of the magnitude of the game, adopted a pragmatic and sensible stance amid a highly competitive arena, when no quarter was given in a game of major significance at the top end of the table. Wilder has been critical of pedantic refereeing standards on previous occasions this season. Ahead of Monday’s Yorkshire derby, he jumped to the defence of Leeds rival Daniel Farke after he picked up a third booking of the season for encroaching onto the pitch to celebrate the Whites’ 95th-minute winner in the recent match against Sunderland – and was forced to watch the game at Bramall Lane from the stands after picking up a touchline ban. Wilder said: “I’ve got to say (about) the re...

By Joe Donnohue YEP chief football writer Graham Smyth does not envisage there being too much 'crossover' between Leeds United and Rangers, should 49ers Enterprises complete a prospective majority shareholding acquisition of the Scottish Premiership club. It is anticipated Leeds could have a sister club of sorts by the middle of 2025 if 49ers Enterprises are successful in acquiring the requisite shareholding in Rangers to take control of the Ibrox club. Paraag Marathe, Leeds chairman and vice president of football operations at the San Francisco 49ers, is named among the core individuals said to be brokering the deal between existing Gers shareholders and an American consortium, featuring the Californian executive and health insurance magnate Andrew Cavenagh. Supporters have naturally pondered what developments north of the border could potentially mean for the running of Leeds and whether Marathe will remain in post at Elland Road. "What it means for Leeds, I do...

By Stuart Rayner Daniel Farke says it has been important for Leeds United to enjoy two wins which have felt pretty monumental in this season's Championship title race, but they must refocus again for the visit of West Bromwich Albion. On consecutive Monday, the Whites came from behind to find late wins against title rivals Sunderland and Sheffield United, pulling five points clear at the top of the table with 12 games to play. They felt like very big deals, and manager Farke said it was important his players enjoyed them. "These type of wins, against Sunderland and at Bramall Lane, you have to enjoy," he argued. "This is good for the whole mood, for the togetherness, for the self-belief when you know you can win tight games. "I think Sheffield (United) before were in the lead 23 times during the season, 20 times they won, three times a draw. They'd never lost a game after being in the lead. "At Bramall Lane, in front of an excited crowd buzz...

By Joe Donnohue Leeds United owners 49ers Enterprises may be looking for a new chief executive this summer amid reports that Angus Kinnear could join Everton. The Leeds CEO has been linked with a switch to the Toffees, who are in the midst of a stadium move to Bramley-Moore dock on the banks of the River Mersey. It was suggested by MailOnline that Kinnear’s previous experience as commercial director with Arsenal following their 2006 Emirates’ Stadium move is a factor in the decision to consider the Elland Road executive. Additionally, Kinnear’s supporter-facing appearances on popular fan podcast The Square Ball and attendance at meetings such as those with the Supporters’ Advisory Board has also contributed to the regard in which he is supposedly held by the Friedkin Group, who recently took majority control of Everton. Speaking on the Inside Elland Road podcast, YEP chief football writer dissected the links: “What I'd say is that there is so much smoke that something's...

By Danny Hall Sheffield United’s own mentality monsters must embrace promotion battle after Frank Lampard point Chris Wilder is backing his own Sheffield United mentality monsters to not let Monday night’s defeat to title rivals Leeds United derail their push to join them in the Premier League next season. Daniel Farke’s side took another major step towards promotion with a late 3-1 victory at Bramall Lane, and it would take an almighty slip up for them to falter now. That would appear to leave one automatic promotion place to go for, currently occupied by the Blades but eyed by their closest rivals Burnley and Sunderland, who may have slipped to outsiders after back-to-back defeats left them eight points adrift of United in second. United can pile some of the pressure that has built since Monday back onto Burnley with a positive result at QPR this weekend, with Scott Parker’s side in FA Cup action against Paul Heckingbottom’s Preston North End. It would also calm some nerves a...

Harry Dimond Angus Kinnear is set to leave Leeds United for Everton next season as the 49ers will begin to draw up candidates for the vacancy. The Leeds CEO is to put an end to his eight-year spell at Elland Road, as Everton are confident of securing Kinnear. It’s certainly brought mixed reaction around the club as many favour Kinnear staying, but a minority wouldn’t be phased by his exit. Daniel Farke didn’t say much regarding Kinnear, but all the signs are pointing to the CEO making the jump to Merseyside. This will now leave Leeds with a problem: Who replaces him? There have been many mistakes in the career of the Leeds CEO. Kinnear not accepting £33.5m for Harrison is certainly one. It doesn’t mean he did a bad job on the whole, but Everton fans aren’t welcoming Kinnear due to the Whites faithful giving him a harsh reputation. However, whether Kinnear did a solid job or not, a replacement is needed. Speaking exclusively to LeedsUnited.News, Graeme Bailey has expla...

Roman Empire Written by: Chris McMenamy Pablo Hernandez is my Roman Empire. There is no goal that I think about quite as often as his sixteen second screamer against West Brom on 1 March 2019. West Brom kicked off and floated a ball forward, which Liam Cooper met with an intent that set the tone for what was to follow. Jack Harrison set off running with the ball like a hamster on a wheel, Leeds’ all white kit giving him that extra speedy look. As the West Brom defence retreated hastily, Pablo Hernandez appeared on the right with his arms aloft, demanding the ball, and Harrison obliged. One touch, two touch, then bang, right into the top corner. "Hernandez.... MAGNIFICENT!" It was a fast start the last time @LUFC and @WBA clashed at Elland Road... #EFL | #SkyBetChampionship | #LUFC | #WBA pic.twitter.com/TbhltfjVfu — Sky Bet Championship (@SkyBetChamp) October 1, 2019 At least that’s what the video tells me. My first person view from the south-east corner of ...

By Chris Gallagher Leeds United boss Daniel Farke has revealed that Ethan Ampadu could return to action within six weeks, although he hasn’t ruled out season-ending surgery for the skipper. The 24-year-old has been a hugely influential figure in helping the Whites to the top of the Championship, but he was watching on as the team beat Sheffield United last time out due to a knee issue. The club had been waiting for further tests to discover the extent of the problem, and whilst it’s apparent that Ampadu will miss a chunk of games at least, Farke could have the defensive midfielder back for the run-in. That’s after the German told reporter Beren Cross that they are hopeful he will respond well in the initial rehab period. “A knee injury. Cartilage issue. Complicated. Surgery would have meant Ampadu out for the season. Decided to go conservative route. Good chance rehab will be successful, but still means he will be out for four to six weeks. After we found out there is a chanc...

Adam Pope Who wouldn't want a slice of Leeds United, hey? Back-to-back heart-stopping victories in not dissimilar fashion to the 2018-19 season when United came from two down at Aston Villa to win 3-2 and then win by the same scoreline, having lost a first-half lead, to Blackburn Rovers with a last minute brace from Kemar Roofe on Boxing Day were worth anyone's money. If that was prime Marcelo Bielsa then Daniel Farke is in his own prime at Elland Road right now. Coming from behind to beat two promotion rivals in Sunderland and then Sheffield United in the final knockings of crackling atmospheres is why football has us addicted. When it means more, like a promotion-beckoning moment, then the rush is fierce. Harnessing the ride Leeds United provides makes the club even more attractive, especially to investors. Quite simply, nobody does it quite like Leeds. Red Bull have a significant financial interest, but not to the same extent as owners San Francisco 49ers Enterpr...