Mighty Leeds Weblog

By Graham Smyth The YEP’s take and off-camera moments from Leeds United’s goalless draw against Newcastle United at Elland Road. Leeds United more than matched Newcastle United at Elland Road thanks in part to one man who excelled on what must have been a strange day, personally. The Whites were good value for a 0-0 draw with the Magpies and might even have nicked all three points. Dominic Calvert-Lewin's late chance saw Daniel Farke's hands go to his head in agony with the win right there on the striker's boot. But after the game the German admitted three points might have been a tad greedy because Newcastle had moments of their own in a largely even affair. Here's the YEP take. Good day Sean Longstaff As strange as it must have been playing against his former side, the occasion evidently inspired the midfielder. He was crunching into tackles from the off, setting the tone and covering for Ethan Ampadu's absence. With the ball he was smart and wit...

Why the next two months will be pivotal for Leeds' survival bid - and the position they desperately need to invest in after Newcastle draw, writes AADAM PATEL By AADAM PATEL As one of the Newcastle coaching staff described it post-match: ‘If that was on in my back garden, I’d have pulled up the curtains.’ This was that kind of game where neither Leeds or Newcastle could find that killer edge in front of goal - the combined expected goals (1.01) of both sides was the lowest in the Premier League since January. But for Leeds, this was ultimately a step in the right direction with a battling performance after a grim week which saw questions of both their tactical approach and their recruitment strategy. Ultimately, four points in three games - with two against Champions League sides - makes for a solid start and the fact they are yet to concede at home spoke volumes of just how well they have set up at Elland Road and how tough they will be to beat. ‘I don’t think anyone i...

By Tom Coates When Daniel Farke reconvenes with his Leeds United players at Thorp Arch, he could be forgiven for simply writing ‘final ball’ on a whiteboard in massive capital letters. His side’s 0-0 draw with Newcastle United will, of course, be scrutinised with the intense focus of a Premier League analysis department. It will be reflected upon by a professional team of coaches, with all the benefit of hindsight, but it is hard to imagine a conclusion similar to the one drawn by fans not being reached. Leeds simply did not give Nick Pope enough to do between the sticks. 10 shots, one on target - it is the statistic that stands out on the page. While Farke will no doubt relay this to his players behind closed doors, he is not one to read the riot act. Post-match, as is the norm, Leeds' manager was calm. Daniel Farke’s analysis “I’m pleased," he said. "Not just with this game today, but in general with our start to the season. “Especially the home games - ...

By Kyle Newbould Leeds United and Newcastle shared the spoils at Elland Road and the YEP has your key talking points. Leeds United earned another important home point with Saturday’s hard-fought 0-0 draw against Newcastle on Saturday. Daniel Farke’s side were full of energy and aggression in the first-half, albeit lacking final third quality in a manner that screams late-summer transfer business. Lukas Nmecha and Willy Gnonto looked particularly sharp but no one in white was able to turn that momentum into a shot on target inside the first 45 minutes. A cagey second-half saw Leeds continue to keep their visitors at bay going forward but struggle to find that killer pass on the counter-attack, even with a raft of forward-thinking substitutions. After a difficult week and consecutive defeats, however, few would turn their nose up at the outcome and the YEP has detailed the key takeaways from that draw below. Lukas Nmecha’s physical factor The major talking point around one ho...