Leeds United's encounter with disobliging bouncer and what it said about them - Graham Smyth's Verdict - YEP 18/9/23

If a 4-3 win at Ipswich said that Leeds United are fun again then the 3-0 beating of Millwall, at Millwall, says they're good again.

By Graham Smyth

The Den is the kind of ground where promotion credentials are checked thoroughly, with the hosts playing the part of the disobliging bouncer.

Leeds needed to be good if they were to hightail it out of South Bermondsey with anything in the way of a positive result, but they also needed to tick certain boxes or satisfy the dress code, if you will.

You can't defend set-pieces, mate? You're not coming in. Is that aerial weakness? Not tonight, pal.

What made this such an impressive performance and suggested that under Daniel Farke the club will once again exhibit competency on the pitch for the first time since the days of Marcelo Bielsa, was that they did all the hard parts well, not just the pretty stuff.

To win this game Leeds had to fight the physical battle, withstand bombardments and defend their box stoutly. The right to play had to be earned and once it was Farke's men could let their quality make the difference.

The ugly side of the game was as satisfying as the lightning quick breaks that resulted in the only shots on target the Whites could muster all afternoon, all three of which hit the net. The performance was as rugged as it was ruthless on an occasion that had the feel of a new day about it.

The summer transfer window was seen as a two-stage affair by the Leeds hierarchy, knowing just how much they would have to wade through in terms of outgoings before being able to rebuild. And because all of the ins and outs ran right to the very end of the window, and beyond thanks to Jaidon Anthony's deal sheet, the season has had a two-stage start to it as well. Prior to the international break Farke was working with what he had and waiting to discover what he would get.

At The Den he had all of his new boys at least registered and legally eligible to play, even if Djed Spence was unavailable through injury.

Farke's only change from the Wednesday draw at Elland Road was to swap one makeshift left-back with another, admittedly more natural one.

Out came Jamie Shackleton and in came fit-again Sam Byram.

That meant Archie Gray retained his place, keeping both Glen Kamara and Ilia Gruev on the strongest bench Leeds have put together so far this season. It had experience and options. The kind of depth a promotion contender needs.

All the talk at Thorp Arch last week was about how difficult this game would be, in an atmosphere that has to be acknowledged. But even Farke, at his most cautious, would have hoped for a more comfortable start.

Leeds were under the cosh from the off, defending a corner after 10 seconds and repelling long throws and balls into their box. They struggled to get a foothold in possession as Illan Meslier struggled to see a viable passing option to get them playing out from the back.

A rare risky and misplaced pass from Ethan Ampadu called for some sweeper keeper input from Meslier, who was then relieved to hear the whistle go for a free-kick as the ball dropped towards his net after a challenge from Kevin Nisbet.

Ayling making a tackle, on the ground, with his head, was the visual representation of the early chaos. Yet from the chaos emerged order in the form of a picture-perfect counter attack. Archie Gray won the ball just outside his area as Millwall appealed for a foul, the teen played it forward and the trio of Willy Gnonto, Georginio Rutter and Joel Piroe introduced the kind of simplicity that players of real quality can produce. Gnonto's pass into Rutter ignored the third-man run of Piroe, so that Rutter could then find it, and the number 10's finish feathered the ball beyond Bar Bialkowski and into the far corner.

Against Wednesday Piroe had looked like a frustrated spectator, operating too deep to make an impact, but Farke is keen to have the Dutchman arriving late in the area and it worked a treat for the opener.

Taking the sting out of the atmosphere and the hosts' furious start with a 15th-minute goal was an ideal scenario for the Whites, who pressed without success to immediately double their advantage. Crysencio Summerville came closest, his audacious attempt from a tight angle bouncing agonisingly close to the goal line.

The Den has never much been a home for ideal scenarios though and as Meslier parried Ryan Longman's effort, the home side and their supporters rallied, albeit without being allowed to create another good chance prior to the break.

Another Meslier stop, from Tom Bradshaw, opened the second half and for a team who don't tend to enjoy that much possession, Millwall saw plenty of the ball. But they found Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk in bullish form at one end, and when the ball broke the other way Willy Gnonto, Summerville, Rutter and Piroe posed a serious threat. The introduction of Daniel James and Anthony, for Gnonto and Summerville, took nothing away from that counter attacking menace and if anything dialled up the peril for Millwall when they lost the ball.

James' speed in particular looked tailor made for the situation Leeds were in and with 13 minutes remaining he hared through the middle into space, gave it and got it back from Rutter and though he stumbled in the area the ball fell to Piroe, alone at the back post, to make it 2-0.

Another counter, four minutes later, took the game away from Millwall entirely and it perfectly encapsulated Leeds United's path to victory. Struijk headed out a Millwall corner, Ayling fought to win the second ball and then pinged it forward for James to chase. The winger went down the right, crossed to the middle and Rutter took a touch before lashing into the top corner. Rugged and ruthless.

A fanbase with so many bitter memories of The Den were entitled to the glee in their celebrations, and as Rutter and Farke egged them on at full-time it was easy to sense the dawning of a realisation - Leeds are fun again, but more than that, they're good.