Leeds United leave 2023 with too-familiar sensation as Farke is challenged on 2024 - Graham Smyth's Verdict — YEP 30/12/23

Leeds United will exit 2023 with sensations that have been all too familar after a 1-0 defeat at West Bromwich Albion.

By Graham Smyth

It's a good job football is lived in seasons rather than calendar years. 2023 has been, in the overall balance, none too kind to Leeds United, bringing with it a painful and calamitous relegation. What ups there were struggled to match the downs for significance. A new ownership era and new management, in the shape of Daniel Farke, introduced hope for the second half of 2023 and beyond, but it felt depressingly on brand for 2023 that it ended in defeat and frustration.

The manager has been inundated with calls to make changes to his starting XI in recent weeks, having stuck so sturdily to a favoured line-up and after the defeat by Preston North End he acquiesced, partly out of obligation. Illan Meslier's three-match suspension for violent conduct brought Karl Darlow in between the sticks for a first Championship start in Leeds colours. Liam Cooper took the place of the injured Pascal Struijk. Sam Byram replaced Archie Gray and went to left-back, allowing Djed Spence to start in his natural right-back position for the first time, and both Ilia Gruev and Willy Gnonto came in, with Glen Kamara and Daniel James dropping to the bench.

The last time he made so many alterations, the result was a 1-0 defeat at Stoke City and a relatively insipid performance, so it was incumbent upon everyone involved to ensure the same did not occur at The Hawthorns. And Leeds set about their task with relish, hemming West Brom in with early pressure and creating moments, half chances, shooting opportunities for Joel Piroe and Crysencio Summerville and invitations to run at the defence for Gnonto and Georginio Rutter. They had the ball in the net early on, too, Sam Byram beating Alex Palmer from close range but not the offside trap, a flag chalking off his would-be opener.

Though it took West Brom a good 20 minutes to do so, once they settled into their rhythm they looked dangerous, targeting Leeds' left side to win a series of corners. One of those tempted Darlow off his line, he flapped at the cross and Spence had to clear off the line from Cedric Kipre before Okay Yokuslu cleared the bar from the follow up. West Brom's growing confidence was not just seen in their play in possession, but in the way they began to deal with Leeds defensively. Spaces became tighter, the visitors' attacking play became more and more predictable. Only a ball over the top from Ethan Ampadu really threatened to change things, Gnonto bringing it down superbly and going down under the challenge of Kipre. Referee Graham Scott wasn't interested in that challenge, or an earlier one from Semi Ajayi on Rutter, but replays suggested he should have been on both occasions.

There was no one but Leeds to blame for the opening goal though, which came, unsurprisingly, down the West Brom right. Both Byram and Summerville were tucked inside, Jed Wallace was left all alone out wide and when the ball was played through he had time to pick out a dangerous cross, Grady Diangana converting it at the second attempt.

With a goal to their name the hosts ended the half on top and, barring a Joe Rodon header over the top, bossed the opening stages of the second too. A lack of spark from his starting line-up prompted Farke to look to his bench, making a triple swap and changing the formation. Leeds have been here before, with a plethora of attacking options on the pitch, an abundance of possession and a wall in front of them.

Although there was a little more urgency to Leeds' attacking play and a few more visits to the hosts' half, Palmer remained untroubled and once the Baggies adjusted to what they were now facing they appeared comfortable again. Farke used all of his substitutions, ending the game with three centre forwards on the pitch, and yet West Brom were well equipped to deal with the crosses that came into their area.

And so it was that Leeds' 2023 ended with a familiar refrain of angst and disappointment. What sticks in the craw most for fans right now, at the end of a year that has been hard to swallow, is that there appears to be two Leeds Uniteds operating in the Championship. The one at Elland Road is capable of tearing teams apart, scoring goals and playing some really lovely stuff. The one on the road, all too often, has been a pale imitation. This was the side we saw at West Bromwich Albion.

If 2024 is to bear a different, more palatable theme than its predecessor then Leeds have got to decide which of those teams they are going to be on a consistent basis. Farke has got to guide them to the right choice, and the right results, regardless of venue or the compactness of the wall in front of them. Perhaps the transfer market will help him with that. Either way, he’s got to make Leeds better away from home and better equipped to remove any buses parked in their way.

A club who spent the first half of the year looking nervously over their shoulder at the Premier League trapdoor, and spent the second half of it looking up at a runaway Championship front two, have now got to look around them and see the chasing pack and the play-off race that has well and truly engulfed them. 2024 is upon Leeds United. What will they make of it?