Leeds United look poor at both ends - a losing combination for a team low on confidence at Leciester City - Yorkshire Post 22/10/22

Leicester City 2 Leeds United 0

A DAY when the Prime Minister was booted out of Downing Street after only one day more than Brian Clough lasted at Elland Road and Aston Villa sacking Steven Gerrard after defeat at Fulham it was not a good one to have your leadership questioned.

By Stuart Rayner

When Jesse Marsch decided to take off Luis Sinisterra with 15 minutes to play and a 2-0 deficit to make up at Leicester City, the away fans did just that.

They booed Leeds at half-time but booed the substitution harder still, following it with a chant to ask, in less than polite terms, what was going on.

By stoppage time they were sarcastically celebrating Mateusz Klich's weak shot on target and, more ominously for the American, singing Marcelo Bielsa's name.

When the players came over to applaud them at full-time, they were left in no doubt how unhappy the visiting supporters were.

If Leeds were as good at shooting at goal as they are at shooting themselves in the foot, they might be a serious prospect in the Premier League. They are not ruthless enough at either end of the field.

It does not matter how good you are in between – and Leeds were nothing special – you will not get anywhere with that combination.

The Whites have lost that winning feeling. Victories over Chelsea and Barnsley a matter of days apart in August were the last time they experienced it. To stop this season sliding down the route of last, they desperately need another.

Only goal difference is keeping them out of the relegation zone. They do have a game in hand, at Old Trafford, but they are only much use if you are picking up points.

There were times in the first half, when the ball came Brenden Aaronson's way, when you were genuinely optimistic for the Whites, but it is the hope that kills you. When the ball was with Leeds' defenders, the feeling that a goal was coming was stronger.

Marsch's teamsheet threw a couple of surprises, with Crysencio Summerville handed a full Premier League debut on the right wing and Liam Cooper on the bench.

Summerville brought extra energy to the Leeds press, and when they won the ball high up, Summerville and Luis Sinisterra were threatening runners if the right ball could be threaded too them. Too often it was not.

When Rasmus Kristensen put in a low 14th-minute cross it was probably too far in front of the Colombian, and unfortunately he seemed to think that too.

It was Aaronson who looked the most dangerous, which made it more frustrating when he was pushed deeper to accommodate the half-time introductions of Cooper and Rodrigo.

There was little at the other end at that stage, Kristensen doing well to mop up when Patrick Bamford was caught on the ball and it was heading for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall.

So to concede as poor a goal as they did in the 17th minutes was really disappointing.

Marc Roca's heavy touch got him into trouble and when he tried to get out of it by fouling Jamie Vardy, referee Peter Bankes played a good advantage. Dennis Praet crossed and Robin Koch put through his own net.

Another Leicester goal looked like it might be coming on the half-hour, but in the end it was Leeds ruing their luck.

Cooper's replacement Diego Llorente cut out a Dewsbury-Hall cross but unconvincingly and Thomas Castagne was able to win a corner when heading the ball across goal. When Youri Tielemans' shot from it was blocked, Sinisterra broke away and curled a shot onto the crossbar.Summerville curled wide two minutes later.

Such profligacy was always going to be punished, especially when combined with loose defending.

Leicester played the ball out from the back and down Leeds' left, Castagne rattling into a tackle, Sheffielder Vardy backheeling to Dewsbury-Hall. With Leeds pulled across, he was able to pick out Harvey Barnes.

The former Barnsley loanee has now scored in each of his last six league appearances against Leeds.

It was both a beautiful goal and a poor one, depending which team's perspective you viewed it from.

It was Leicester's only shot on target. Leeds had three, but only if you include Koch's, despite 13 efforts to Leicester's five.Leeds spent a lot more time in Leicester's half after the break, but still without any cutting edge.

When Llorente produced an overhead bicycle kick he hit it at Bamford. Danny Ward thrust out a hand to Cooper's follow-up.

Boubakary Soumare's run deep into Leeds territory was an exception to the rule but all too easy. Cooper blocked from Castagne.

Marsch tried a 4-2-2-2, then his controversial change of strikers and by the end substitute Jack Harrison was a left-back with the emphasis very much on the first half of that description but to no avail.

With confidence low, the problems at the moment are deeper than that.