Leeds United staff member's gift, Gnonto confusion, fan ejection and off-cam Blackburn moments — YEP 10/12/23
Leeds United are rolling with three straight wins and seven games without a defeat, thanks to their hard-fought 2-0 victory at Blackburn Rovers.
By Graham Smyth
Though Daniel Farke and the Whites did not have things all
their own way at Ewood Park, it was a ruthless performance in front of a huge
swathe of away fans, Daniel James and Crysencio Summerville adding clinical
finishes to counter attacks. The clean sheet was deserved and it delighted
Farke, because there haven't been too many of late. Here's the YEP take and
what you might have missed.
Good day
Pascal Struijk: Came roaring back from a shaky performance
to put in one of his better ones. Looked on it right from the very start and
never really wavered despite the difficulty posed by Rovers' attacking players.
Looked very composed next to Joe Rodon, who also had an excellent game.
Bad day
Northern Rail: Who could have predicted that there would be
hundreds upon hundreds of Leeds fans trying to get on the delayed 8:57 to
Blackburn? Uncomfortable at best, it felt dangerously packed at times. The real
victims were those at stops like New Pudsey who couldn't even get on and had to
hope the next train could accommodate them.
Off-camera
During: Farke's chat with Ampadu midway through the first
half. A fight breaking out in the Riverside Stand, near to the away end, as
stewards and police bundled someone out. Farke barking at Summerville to get
back after he dribbled the ball out of play and then wandered back onto the
pitch but didn't drop in to defend. Rutter taking his time to come off at the
break, trudging off perhaps partly through tiredness and partly through
frustration at not having scored. Gnonto's look of confusion when his number
went up - he was even announced as coming off over the public address system,
but it was Rutter who made way for Mateo Joseph. Spence lagging behind the
play, trotting back towards his position, more than once during his substitute
cameo.
After: Farke's post-match chat with Gray on the pitch at
full-time, before the youngster swapped shirts with Adam Wharton, the pair
being England under-20s teammates. Meslier and Rutter competing for the fans'
attention with their respective fist pumps and waves, the latter cheekily
stealing his compatriot's thunder. Every Leeds player being back down the
tunnel but Farke still having a debrief with Spence in the middle, which ended
with a kiss for the substitute, before doing his wave with the fans. The manager
later referred to situations where Spence could have hastened back to defend
having gone forward to attack, in his press conference, suggesting that formed
part of their chat. Eddie Gray dishing out the festive well wishes to security
staff. Blackburn man Semir Telalović, who was at Borussia Mönchengladbach last
season, presenting Leeds fitness coach Chris Domogalla with a shirt as they
caught up after the game.
