Leeds United boss Farke's keeper reaction, star-studded press room and off-cam Man Utd moments — YEP 5/1/26
By Graham Smyth
The YEP’s take and off-camera moments from Leeds United’s
1-1 draw against Manchester United at Elland Road.
Leeds United were thwarted in their attempt to end a 23-year
league winless streak against Manchester United at Elland Road.
The Whites could justifiably feel a little unlucky to take
just a point from their encounter with Ruben Amorim's side, having hit the
post, been denied by Seene Lammens and finished the stronger side. But Brenden
Aaronson's goal was cancelled out by Matheus Cunha's equaliser three minutes
later on a day when quality was lacking for both sides in the final third.
Here's the YEP take.
Good day
Brenden Aaronson
End product was missing from his game until recently but now
he has two goals and three assists to his name. This performance was more about
grit than quality yet when the moment came to score against the old enemy he
kept his head quite brilliantly.
Jaka Bijol
So many times in the first half Bijol was right where Leeds
needed him to be, whether it was in the air or with last-gasp vital defending
on the deck. The Slovenian has found his feet in the Premier League and been a
big part of their turnaround.
Bad day
Lucas Perri
The Leeds keeper will feel like he could have come out of
this one with a clean sheet and a victory, but hesitancy cost him and Leeds as
Cunha ran through.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Denied by the post and by a lack of service from his
team-mates on a day when he could have bullied an inexperienced central
defensive unit. When a decent cross did come he won it and hit the woodwork. It
felt like Leeds did not play to his strengths often enough.
Ruben Amorim
The Man Utd boss sent his press conference sideways after a
relatively tame question about his job status. Amorim wasn't exactly ranting
but he repeatedly stated he was a manager, not a head coach, and he was not
going to quit. There seems to be a running theme of opposition players and
managers suffering headloss after games at Elland Road, though this was not in
the same league as Mo Salah's extraordinary outburst. Amorim was, however, then
sacked the following morning.
Off-camera
Promotion hero Mateusz Klich brushing shoulders with Jaap
Stam and Steve Bruce in a press room packed with more journalists than it has
ever seen before.
The squad's least experienced player Sam Chambers passing
the ball about with two of his most experienced in Sean Longstaff and Sam Byram
at the end of the warm up.
Willy Gnonto giving Ao Tanaka a ball and telling him to put
it top right hand corner from 25 yards, which the Japan international duly did.
Chris Domogalla and Daniel Farke complaining to fourth
official Robert Jones after Dominic Calvert-Lewin went down without getting a
free-kick.
Farke had his face covered with both hands after his
goalkeeper Lucas Perri spooned the ball out of play needlessly in the final
minute of the half.
Klich was reintroduced to Elland Road at half-time for an
on-pitch interview, none of which could be heard in the West Stand due to
technical issues with the microphone.
Calvert-Lewin firmly telling Perri to get more length on his
kicks.
Noah Okafor, Ilia Gruev and Dan James paying visits to the
Manchester United dressing room area after the game.
