Jesse Marsch's Black Knight routine - Graham Smyth's Verdict on Leeds United's Man City pain - YEP 1/5/22
Leeds United head coach Jesse Marsch was possessed by the spirit of Monty Python's Black Knight on Saturday evening, as painful blows continued to rain down.
By Graham Smyth
A season that continues to kick the Whites in the teeth at
every turn did yet more damage even before kick-off against Premier League
leaders Manchester City, with Burnley managing to do what they hadn't
previously in the top flight and coming from behind to win, leapfrogging Leeds
in the process.
The sight of Liam Cooper going down the tunnel with a physio
in close attendance, his afternoon over before it began, dialled up the anguish
for the side now in 17th place. Cooper is the club captain, their best
performer over the past two games and one of Jesse Marsch's seven-man senior
leadership council. He joined two of his fellow leaders, Patrick Bamford and
Adam Forshaw, in missing the clash with title-chasing City. Bamford may yet
feature this season, while Forshaw is out until the summer thanks to a
fractured kneecap. So too are Tyler Roberts and Crysencio Summerville - the
hits just keep coming.
And at the end of a first half that saw Pep Guardiola's men
meet stiff resistance in open play, only to take the lead thanks to a
set-piece, Stuart Dallas was carried from the pitch.
His challenge on Jack Grealish left the visitors with a
free-kick but left the Ulsterman pounding the turf in agony. It was immediately
evident that Dallas had done himself serious harm - this is not a player who
goes to ground easily or habitually shows pain, despite often playing through
it. A stretcher was quickly produced and in distressing scenes, a clearly upset
Dallas placed upon it, Leeds suffering yet another hammer blow.
At this point, Marsch's men were well in the game and
competing. At full-time they walked off with a 4-0 defeat to their name.
"It's a crazy thing to say but I truly believe that." #lufc https://t.co/K08eC6YD7v
— Leeds United News (@LeedsUnitedYEP) April 30, 2022
Marsch was quick to offer public support to Dallas and then,
in his discussion of the match and Leeds' situation in general, dished out some
more of that relentless positivity that has become the hallmark of his
two-month tenure.
In his defence, there were positives to be found in this
match - Leeds surprised Guardiola with a new formation, played some nice stuff
in patches and had moments that should have led to chances and chances that
should have led to goals, missing only a little composure and quality in the
opposition half, as a full Elland Road bared its teeth again. The atmosphere
was still rocking when Marsch went down the tunnel, having pumped his fists to
salute the fans' defiance.
With the adrenaline still perhaps coursing, Marsch gave the
impression that this defeat was but a scratch. It was, he said, a bit like a
win 'in many ways' although he admitted that phrase had a crazy ring to it.
Maybe, however, there really is nothing else for it but to ignore the pain and
damage of a brutal campaign and put on a brave face. Maybe that, from Marsch,
coupled with the incessant chanting of home fans, which can sometimes draw the
bewilderment and ire of those not fortunate enough to be there inside the
ground, is exactly what this Leeds team needs.
Looking too closely at wounds already inflicted, the state
of the league table or Rob Price's medical room, will focus minds only on
problems and not solutions, on battle scars and not the battles still to be
fought.
Instead, Marsch will bounce into this week, gathering
whoever is still fit enough to fight, and draw their attention to all that was
good against City.
A pragmatic approach was expected but Marsch still managed
to catch Guardiola off guard with a new formation.
Leeds have gone from a manager for whom change was a
weakening of belief in the plan, to a manager who changed things drastically
for a specific opponent. Marcelo Bielsa took serious flak for not playing a
different way against the elite - only when the results went against him of course
- so for Marsch to face criticism for doing just that would suggest managers
simply cannot win.
Five at the back, with Kalvin Phillips and Mateusz Klich in
front of them, put a white wall between the visiting world class talent and
Illan Meslier's goal. The plan, from the outset, was to spring pressing traps
and then counter attacks, and it very nearly worked a treat in the opening
three minutes. Joao Cancelo's slip allowed Rodrigo to run clean through from
close to halfway but he failed to put daylight between him and the defence and
when faced with a shoot or pass-to-Raphinha dilemma, he could do neither.
Against opposition this good, chances that golden do not routinely present
themselves and it was one Leeds would rue.
Manchester City sighed in relief and then huffed and puffed
in frustration as a mass of white shirts met their advances.
Having kept things impressively tight for the opening 13
minutes, and been so solid at set-pieces in recent weeks, conceding an opener
from a free-kick was a kick to the unmentionables.
Dallas was adjudged to have fouled Sterling, Phil Foden
swung in an inviting ball and Rodri escaped Kalvin Phillips to nod into the far
corner.
Leeds laughed off the flesh wound and came out swinging,
keeping the Elland Road crowd fully engaged.
A struggle to make the ball stick in the final third and a
lack of options at times for the man in possession prevented them from creating
much in the way of clear-cut chances until a half-cleared cross fell to Junior
Firpo and he slammed a shot over.
Suddenly the game began to open up for Leeds, who used big
switches to their wing-backs to move forward and create some momentum. City's
danger was clear and ever-present, Meslier had to stop a low shot from Gabriel
Jesus and Pascal Struijk had to slide in to block a Sterling effort, but Leeds
were using physicality to disrupt their visitors, treading a fine line between
aggression and transgression.
Dallas had been key to this, giving Grealish a buffeting on
the flank and looking for even a hint of a poor touch to try and steam in and
nick the ball. But in first-half stoppage time his willingness to put his body
on the line cost him dearly and ended his game, if not his season.
Leeds continued to see enough of the ball to consider
themselves in the game, but with too many passes failing to reach their
intended target, failed to capitalise on their early second half possession.
A second set-piece concession was just as painful as the
first, Ayling and Klich getting closer to each other than to Ruben Dias, whose
header was swept in by Nathan Ake.
Marsch was left with little option but to introduce Joe
Gelhardt on the hour and while Leeds managed to put together a spell in the
opposition half, the most their energy and endeavour could muster was Daniel
James' ball across the area.
City broke the spell to show how devastating they can be and
how simple they can make it all look, gliding downfield in the blink of an eye
before Foden slipped in Jesus and he finished. Their quality was the difference
between the sides.
The noise grew again, Gelhardt played James in beautifully
and although he went round Ederson, his goalbound shot was blocked. The
keeper's fine save then denied Gelhardt a moment he and Elland Road deserved,
before City dished out an undeserved final insult - Fernandinho's long-range
finish.
Ultimately, one very good and expensively assembled side
took their chances and did enough to get the better of a team and a squad who
have been found wanting, for a variety of reasons - many of them not their
fault as players - this season.
The scoreline, the league table and the injury list are
painful to look at and the next two fixtures - Arsenal and Chelsea - offer no
guarantees of a salve, so putting on a brave face, focusing on the positives
and fighting on, through the pain, is the only option for Marsch and Leeds.
They owe as much to their fans and to the likes of Dallas. Limping or even
falling across the finish line will do just fine, as long as they do so ahead
of Everton.