Mighty Leeds Weblog

If Leeds United are not in full-blown crisis territory yet then they appear headed directly towards it after that 3-2 defeat at home to Fulham. By Graham Smyth A game that took on must-win status in the wake of a 2-0 loss at Leicester City, who were bottom of the table prior to kick-off on Thursday and now sit 16th, two places and two points clear of new relegation zone dwellers Leeds. Here’s the YEP take on how Sunday played out. Good day Joe Gelhardt It hasn’t been an easy season so far for the youngster, who has struggled to impose himself with admittedly scant minutes in the first team. He is often being asked to come in desperately late in games in which Leeds are desperate for a goal and at 20 years of age it’s always a massive ask. At least, against Fulham, he showed again that he has a game-changing ability, which was evidenced at times last season, by setting up Crysencio Summerville’s consolation. Crysencio Summerville Got his first Premier League goal and car...

ARM ROUND THE SHOULDER Written by: Moxcowhite • Daniel Chapman A sodden morning of murk barely allowing afternoon to happen was not kind to those Leeds fans, not inclined to give up their tickets, who trudged through puddles outside and inside Elland Road for a grim Sunday of duty instead of pleasure. Leeds United are playing, so we have to go. With no domestic television coverage, no glamorous opponent, no razzle and no dazzle, this was the Premier League showing its arse, hardly distinguishable from the Championship we longed for so long to escape. At one point Fulham hit a long ball up to Aleksandar Mitrovic and Liam Cooper headed it back over halfway, and amid the damp muttering crowd the Champo vibes were strong. This could have been any game, anywhere, at any time, the only difference from 2017 that Leeds are bereft and clueless at the bottom end of a different table. The more time passes since Marcelo Bielsa was fired, the more Faustian that pact looks. Maybe that did secure...

Leeds United and Jesse Marsch looked to be on a collision course with inevitability even before a defeat to Fulham that can only have shortened the time to impact. By Graham Smyth Eight games that have yielded two points and a place in the relegation zone have also cranked up the pressure on a head coach struggling to find solutions to problems at both ends of the pitch. At Leicester City on Thursday night Marsch could hear and feel the fans slipping away from him and at Elland Road on Sunday they separated entirely in the wake of Fulham's second and third goals. He still believes he will hold onto his job thanks to board backing he indicated had been reaffirmed between full-time and his post-match press conference, yet his grasp can only have been weakened by yet another defeat. On Friday, the board's stance was clear - Marsch is under no significant pressure and there are no plans for immediate change. CEO Angus Kinnear's match programme notes insisted that the cl...

Jesse Marsch took full responsibility for Leeds United’s woeful form after a 3-2 defeat by Fulham, but believes he and the board remain united on his future at the club. By Graham Smyth Just as 3,000 away fans at Leicester City made clear their anger at the way the team is performing under Marsch, Elland Road turned on him and the board during a defeat that extended Leeds’ winless streak to eight games. Defeat left them in the Premier League relegation zone, two points from safety and those left inside the stadium at full-time left Marsch and the club’s decision makers in no doubt about their unhappiness. The head coach has no issue with the response. "I understand the frustration from the fans and we are equally frustrated and more so,” he said. "We are doing everything we can and we are together, we are unified. The players have been great, and I know it hasn't been easy for them or us but we believe in them. We believe in them and I have to find ways to hel...

Jesse Marsch gave his thoughts to the media after Leeds United were beaten at home to Fulham on Sunday afternoon. The Whites went ahead in the match but the West London outfit hit back and eventually ran out 3-2 winners on the day. The head coach summarised the match after the full-time whistle. He said: “I don’t think our fans want to hear a lot of tactical analysis right now. “We had a good start to the game and you feel like after the goal we felt we were going to get control of things. “But, we found ways to hurt ourselves, to give up goals in ways we don’t think we should be. Then we put games in balance. “Even in the second half when it’s 1-1, you can see our confidence isn’t at its highest. Then, we find a way to give the game away.” Marsch was asked about the key moments in the match and he spoke about the way in which the goals were conceded. “Set-piece defending, we take a lot of pride on,” the head coach stated. “So basically it’s two corners then a throw i...

A lame Leeds United suffered a bitterly disappointing defeat at home to Fulham. By Stuart Rayner Few players emerged with much credit as the Whites were beaten 3-2. Illan Meslier – made a big one-on-one save but only after conceding a soft goal 6 Luke Ayling – like Meslier, he made some good interventions, but was partly at fault for two goals 5 Robin Koch – an outstanding goal-line clearance. Had a couple of moments where he was looking for a pass and nothing was on 7 Liam Cooper – defended stoutly 6 Pascal Struijk – worked hard but made Leeds look more solid for his return 6 Marc Roca – did brilliantly to deny Harrison Reed a goal but little influence on the ball 5 Sam Greenwood – after a bright start, he was unable to impact the game 5 Jack Harrison – very quiet on the right 5 Brenden Aaronson – one lovely pass to send Patrick Bamford through but Leeds needed more 6 Luis Sinisterra – Leeds' chief attacking threat until taking a knock late in the first hal...

To borrow a phrase from the Oxford English Dictionary, it was squeaky bum time when Leeds United played Fulham. For a long period it was unclear which way it would go. By Stuart Rayner But once the stalemate was broken it was abundantly clear which way Jesse Marsch’s job prospects are heading. The focus of the chanting might have been at the Leeds directors but as the boos rang out at Elland Road there was no question the coach is in the bullet seat. "What the f***ing hell was that?" has become an unfortunate theme tune at recent Leeds matches. Marsch's Leeds team are in the relegation zone with two points from 24. Only a couple of months into a season which started with such promise, the cut-throat nature of the Premier League means he will do well to still be in charge at Anfield on Saturday. Early in the second half the game was so engrossingly on a knife edge at 1-1 that six substitutes – three from each side – stood stock still watching, too distracted to...

Leeds 2-3 Fulham: There were boos at Elland Road as United’s winless run stretched to eight games Mark Walker Bobby Decordova-Reid and Willian scored second-half goals as Fulham won 3-2 at Elland Road to send Leeds spiralling into the Premier League’s bottom three. A fourth straight defeat has further cranked up the pressure on Leeds head coach Jesse Marsch, whose side’s winless run was extended to eight matches. It started well for the under-fire American when Rodrigo headed Leeds in front, but they were pegged back before half-time by Aleksandar Mitrovic’s header. Leeds had most of the possession in the second period as they strived to regain the lead, but there was no end product and they were punished by Decordova-Reid’s header and Willian’s sliding finish. Leeds substitute Crysencio Summerville reduced the deficit in the first minute of added time, but it was not enough and by then Marsch had already endured chants of ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning’ from his own...

Lee Sobot A Leeds United side in freefall fell to a sixth defeat from their last eight games and dropped into the Premier League's relegation zone as Sunday's hosting of Fulham ended in a 3-2 defeat. Leeds went ahead in the 20th minute as Rodrigo headed home from close range after a Jack Harrison shot had been deflected to the back post but Fulham drew level just six minutes later as Aleksandar Mitrovic escaped Luke Ayling to head home a corner at the near post. The Whites then had chances to bag the game's third goal but so did Fulham and the Cottagers got it in the 74th minute when Bobby Decordova-Reid headed home an Andreas Pereira cross from the second phase of play from a corner. The mood inside Elland Road turned and Fulham bagged a third goal in the 84th minute when Harrison Reed weaved through the Whites defence and set up Willian for a tap-in and the damage had been done before substitute Crysenscio Summerville pulled a goal back in the last minute. The Whi...

Whites captain Liam Cooper has revealed the aftermath of Leeds United’s defeat at Leicester City but outlined reasons for confidence ahead of today’s Elland Road showdown against Fulham. By Lee Sobot Cooper dropped to the bench for Thursday night’s Premier League clash at Leicester in which Jesse Marsch's side suffered as 2-0 defeat which extended a barren recent run to no wins in seven, five of which have ended in defeat. Cooper was brought on for the second-half and admits United’s display was below the standards required but the Whites skipper says his side remain confident of turning a corner ahead of this afternoon’s 2pm kick-off against the ninth-placed Cottagers in West Yorkshire. Fifth-bottom Leeds have taken just one point away from home so far this season but Cooper has highlighted United’s recent home record as a big reason for hope. Only league leaders Arsenal have left Elland Road with a victory so far this season in last weekend’s 1-0 triumph in which Leeds im...

The West Yorkshire team are winless in seven matches. Mark Walker Leeds United’s under-fire boss Jesse Marsch has declared his players will “do whatever it takes” to win Sunday’s home Premier League game against Fulham. A section of travelling Leeds fans turned on Marsch’s side after Thursday night’s 2-0 defeat at Leicester left them winless in seven matches. Marsch admitted he was feeling the heat, but remained defiant as Leeds sit above the relegation zone only on goal difference. He said: “We need to use the pressure in a way to motivate us to be clear. The clarity of what exactly the game will need will be the most important thing. “I know they’ll be ready to run and fight and do whatever it takes. I know they have that and then it’s just making sure they do it in a way that helps us win the match.” Leeds took seven points from their first three matches, but their promising start to the season has faded and frustration is mounting on the terraces. A section of trave...

Leeds United's Premier League game at home to Fulham on Sunday feels like a huge one for Jesse Marsch. By Stuart Rayner Important though that is, it will be less about the result, more about the mood at Elland Road. Winless in seven matches – a sequence thanks to the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the Nations League which stretches back to August – Leeds need the points to plump a bigger cushion between themselves and the Premier League relegation zone than the five goals' difference currently keeping them out of it. The 2-0 defeat was not the most damaging aspect of Thursday's game at Leicester City, nor the characteristic failings in front of goal, nor the individual errors which made both Foxes goals too easy. What stood out was the reaction to Marsch. If a fanbase is not sold on a coach, whatever he does right, it does not take much to go wrong for resentment to bubble back to the surface. That happened on Thursday. Two-nil down, the team was booed off at...

The unforgiving nature of the Premier League was rammed home once again to Jesse Marsch on Thursday. By Stuart Rayner Marsch's trip to Leicester City, where he began his adventure as Leeds United coach, was bruising to put it mildly but the board have decided it will not be where it ends. The American therefore has to dust himself down, clear his mind and prepare his players for a game at home to Fulham on Sunday which will be even more crucial to him than the club. On Thursday night, Marsch got battered from all directions. Most damagingly from the away end, where fans questioned what he was doing and, as his players came over to thank them at full-time without him, where he was. The most pointed chant was simply "Marcelo Bielsa". Leeds lost 2-0 to a side who only had one shot on target all night. Robin Koch's own goal summed up a capacity for shooting themselves in the foot but their shooting at Danny Ward's goal was just as bad. They had 13 efforts,...

Leeds United have no plans for an immediate change and Jesse Marsch is not yet under significant pressure from Elland Road chiefs, despite a seven-game winless run. By Graham Smyth A 2-0 defeat by Leicester City, who were bottom of the Premier League before Thursday night’s kick-off, prompted boos, chants of Marcelo Bielsa’s name and anger towards Marsch’s tactics and decisions. The head coach was also forced to apologise after the game for going straight down the tunnel at full-time, a decision that caused more ructions in the away end. Although Marsch insists it is too soon to start thinking or talking about relegation battles, Leeds find themselves three points off the bottom of the table, albeit with a game in hand, so Sunday’s game against Fulham at Elland Road was always going to take on the same must-win feel that surrounded the Leicester game. Failing to take even a point at the Kingpower has dialled up the pressure, but only externally according to club sources. The YE...