Mighty Leeds Weblog

Leeds United are out of the FA Cup but still in form, if their performance in a 3-2 defeat at Chelsea was anything to go by. By Graham Smyth Rather than look in any way overawed, the Whites took the game to their top-flight opponents and deserved to take the tie to extra-time, at the very least. To lose by the odd goal in the 90th minute is an acceptable outcome, when promotion priority, Daniel Farke's five changes and the level of the opposition are taken into account. Here's the YEP take. Good day Mateo Joseph What a time and what a place in which to score not only your first ever senior goal, but your second too. The first was a fine finish, the second was a really cool header. Both showed the instincts of a poacher. His overall performance was very lively, too. He caused problems, he annoyed defenders, he evidently really enjoyed himself. A promising young talent. Archie Gray Another youngster who did not look out of place at all. There were times in the game,...

It was Leeds United's performance at Chelsea, not their starting line-up, that proved Daniel Farke has his priorities exactly right. By Graham Smyth In the wake of a 3-2 defeat it would be easy to talk about the FA Cup as a distraction or frivolity that needed to be put to one side, in order that Farke and his men could concentrate on the real 2023/24 season business. The way Leeds played, the fact that they led the game early on, dominated the second half and only lost to an expensively-assembled Premier League outfit in the 90th minute, made it even easier to almost patronise this game and this competition. Well done Chelsea, you beat a Championship team in a competition that is entirely secondary to their league ambitions. Well done Leeds, brave, brave Leeds. Now back to your porridge. The way Leeds played, though, not only belied the gulf in quality between the two squads and the injury issues Farke had to contend with, it suggested none of those things really matter to t...

Daniel Farke saw a Leeds United performance worth celebrating at Stamford Bridge despite their 3-2 FA Cup loss to Chelsea. By Graham Smyth The Whites came agonisingly close to producing a shock result, with a display that received an ovation from a sold-out away end. They hit the front early on through Mateo Joseph’s fine finish after Archie Gray forced an error from a Chelsea goal-kick. The Blues were level on 15 minutes, Nicolas Jackson finding the net at the end of a move that exploited Leeds’ left flank. Mykhailo Mudryk put the hosts ahead before half-time as the visitors struggled to cope with the Premier League outfit’s one-touch passing, again on the Chelsea right. But Joseph followed his first ever senior goal with a second, heading home a pinpoint Jaidon Anthony cross just shy of the hour mark. Leeds bossed long periods of the second half and Joseph could have had a hat-trick, but got a second attempt at a close range header all wrong. And in the very final minute Chelse...

Leeds United's newest goalscorer Mateo Joseph shared his disappointment at going out of the FA Cup to Chelsea on Wednesday night but personal delight after scoring his first goals in professional football. By Joe Donnohue The 20-year-old England youth international was named in Daniel Farke's starting XI at Stamford Bridge as Leeds faced up against Premier League opponents Chelsea in the Fifth Round of the FA Cup. United opened the scoring through Joseph who netted confidently after fellow youngster Archie Gray had won a tackle and turned over possession in Chelsea's penalty area. The Blues rallied, scoring twice before the break through Nicolas Jackson and Mykhailo Mudryk but Joseph struck again in the second half, this time with his head. Arriving onto the end of a looping Jaidon Anthony cross at the back post, Joseph guided the ball home before celebrating in front of the scores of Whites fans in the Shed End away section. Conor Gallagher's 90th minute winner...

An FA Cup tie against Premier League opposition is a good opportunity for any young player who is yet to appear at that level to show that they should do... and Archie Gray certainly rose to the occasion. By Stuart Rayner But as the teenager, watched by his great-uncle Eddie, sashayed the ball around in midfield like he owned it and hunted it down when he did not have it, another Leeds youngster made a name for himself. Those who work at Leeds have known for a long time Gray was going to be a star, and that Mateo Jospeh was bursting with talent but the 20-year-old’s first two goals for the club showed he has the temperament to transfer it to the big stage and that, as any Stamford Bridge season-ticket-holders will tell you once their eyes stop rolling, is not a given. Cheslea's ability – and one of the substitutes who really should have started the game – got them through to the quarter-finals by the skin of their teeth, Conor Gallagher scoring a 90th-minute goal that under...

CHELSEA 3-2 LEEDS UNITED: Conor Gallagher came off the bench to score a last minute winner to complete a comeback for the Blues as they struggled against their Championship opponents By Jacob Leeks Conor Gallagher came off the bench to score a last-minute winner as Chelsea were forced to come back from a goal down to beat Championship Leeds and progress to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. The visitors went ahead just eight minutes in when Axel Disasi gave the ball away inside the box as he looked to play out from the back, with Mateo Joseph firing in the opener. The Blues quickly responded, with Nicolas Jackson slotted home and equaliser after a well-worked team move. Just before half-time, the hosts turned the game on its head with Mykhaylo Mudryk sweeping the ball home from a cutback. Though they had chances to increase their lead, the Blues failed to take them, with Leeds instead levelling the game when Joseph headed in at the far post. With the game appearing to head to ...

Leeds United took on historic rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup fifth round. By Lee Sobot Leeds United saw their FA Cup run finally ended despite a youngster's big first amid forced Whites changes in Wednesday night's fifth round clash at Chelsea. Boss Daniel Farke made five changes to his side, several of which were forced as the German revealed pre-match that both Ilia Gruev and Georginio Rutter were forced to miss out after suffering problems in training. Jamie Shackleton had been set to start over Junior Firpo but missed out after feeling unwell whilst Patrick Bamford and Crysencio Summerville could only make the bench having not trained on Monday. Young forward Mateo Joseph was given a start upfront and the 20-year old striker fired Leeds ahead in the seventh minute with his first goal for the club and indeed first in senior football. Chelsea quickly hit back and led 2-1 at the break through strikes from Nicolas Jackson and Mykhailo Mudryk but Jos...

By Phil Dawkes Chelsea v Leeds: Fouls galore in 1970 FA Cup final at Old Trafford A version of this article was first published in April 2020 Eddie Gray collects the ball in the centre circle and immediately sets his sights on Chelsea’s goal. But David Webb has other ideas. Fuelled by fresh memories of his roasting at the hands of the Leeds winger a couple of weeks prior, the defender hits him, both feet off the ground, no prisoners. Bang. It takes all of two minutes for the 1970 FA Cup final replay to live up to its billing as a game best avoided by the faint of heart. It is a match that has gone down in football folklore as a meeting of pure malice between a defeated Leeds United side renowned for having the muscle to match their magnificence and a victorious Chelsea team with flashiness and ferocity in equal measure. Football was a very different game half a century ago, when much greater leniency was shown to crunching, full-bloodied tackles and their aftermath. But eve...

Howard Wilkinson will leave his role as League Managers' Association chairman in the summer as the former Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday boss departs his position after iconic reign The 80-year-old will leave his position at the LMA at the end of the season Howard Wilkinson has been in the chairman role for close to 33 years By MATT BARLOW Howard Wilkinson will step down as chairman of the League Managers’ Association (LMA) at the end of the season, marking the end of an era. The former Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday boss was a driving force behind the creation of the organisation in 1991, which emerged from an idea he hatched with Graham Taylor, then the England manager. Now 80, Wilkinson has been in the chair for close to 33 years, central to its expansion and evolution to represent its managers and coaches in the modern game. In particular, introducing the regular health and wellbeing check-ups and support services. He was awarded an OBE in the latest New Year’s Hono...

DUGOUT Written by: Moxcowhite • Daniel Chapman Consensus is that you’re supposed to play the game, not the occasion, but sometimes, do you get a game worth playing if you don’t have the occasion too? And do you get an occasion like this without Elland Road still standing, like King Canute resisting the modern tide, in its last century pomp? Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca tried to dismiss the stadium’s impact before coming to Leeds on Friday night. He’d been before, as a coach with Manchester City, and watched Pep Guardiola and Erling Haaland hush a crowd who were already speechless at the awfulness of Jesse Marsch’s football without any help from the best team in the world. Maresca went home on Friday amid fresh doubts that his Leicester side are even the best team in the Championship, and nursing a cut to his hand, sustained when he slipped and fell on the little white wall surrounding the dugouts. That little wall was supposed to be broken up and taken away in a wheelbarro...

GEORGINIO Rutter’s natural radiant smile splendidly adorned the front cover of Leeds United’s match programme against Leicester City on Friday evening. By Leon Wobschall An insight into the talismanic forward’s inner self also came in an interview. He revealed that his family always taught him that life was better ‘when you smile than when you cry’ and stressed the importance of never giving up and working hard when describing himself as a player. The above qualities aptly convey his story at Elland Road. Rutter drew strength and certainly didn’t cry or feel sorry for himself after a tough start to life in West Yorkshire. His work rate and attitude has won the hearts of everyone connected with the club, alongside his most precious commodity, intrinsic skill. The qualities already mentioned also told his story against Leicester as well. After a difficult start and not always the best decisions versus Foxes, who looked top of the table for a reason for fair swatches of Frid...

Whites cult hero Gaetano Berardi has revealed his desire to experience the Leeds United away day atmosphere once again. By Graham Smyth Berardi made a name for himself with supporters thanks to a taste for the physical side of the game and an unflinching commitment to win the ball. He spent seven years with Leeds, making 157 appearances, and was called upon 22 times by Marcelo Bielsa during the Championship title win of 2020. A serious knee injury disrupted the final stages of his time at Elland Road, but he did play twice in the Premier League before an emotional departure in the summer of 2021. Berardi, who has since retired from playing and taken his first steps towards a coaching career, now writes a column for The Square Ball fanzine. His latest effort, on sale now, recognises the sacrifice Leeds fans make to follow their team on the road, which is particularly appropriate this week at the end of a mammoth travel schedule. The Whites faced Bristol City away on a Friday nig...

No one does nights under the lights quite like Leeds United and their Friday meeting with Leicester City was right up there. By Graham Smyth Archie Gray, for one, will not forget the events of a madcap evening. The 17-year-old put the ball in the net on 83 minutes to spark mayhem on all four sides of Elland Road, his big moment sandwiched by goals from substitutes Connor Roberts and Patrick Bamford. The win narrowed the gap to the leaders to six points and stretched Leeds' incredible winning run to nine Championship games. Here's the YEP take. Good day Daniel Farke Three goals that all came directly from his changes. Substitutes Connor Roberts and Patrick Bamford both got on the scoresheet, the latter from another replacement's free-kick, and Archie Gray forced an own goal having moved to left-back late in the game. This was not an easy game for Leeds and they could easily have been 2-0 down. They struggled with Leicester's press and defensive shape and look...

Joe Rodon has declared his Leeds United feeling after Friday's thrilling success. By Lee Sobot Tottenham loanee Joe Rodon has made a Leeds United declaration on the back of his side's stunning success against Championship leaders Leicester City. Leeds and Rodon endured a frustrating first half in Friday night's top-of-the-table clash at Elland Road in which Wout Faes headed the Foxes into a 15th-minute advantage. United were then unable to respond and centre-back Rodon found himself booked in first-half stoppage time as Enzo Maresca's visitors took a 1-0 lead into the break. Leicester then had a host of chances to put Leeds to bed after the break but Daniel Farke's hosts sent Elland Road into a frenzy by bagging three late goals to record a remarkable 3-1 success. Rodon, who has continually excelled this term, again stayed on the pitch for the duration of the contest, surviving the tightrope of his yellow card and then declaring his feelings for the Whit...

When Enzo Maresca said the players, not the fans, would settle Leeds United versus Leicester City he wasn't wrong but he wasn't entirely right either. By Graham Smyth Nights like these were, for the longest time, robbed from Leeds fans. First it was the pandemic, stealing football from under the mask-covered noses of fans forced to watch from their homes. Then a litany of bad boardroom decisions took over to keep supporters from the kind of joyous chaos produced during and after a 3-1 win, one that for 80 minutes looked impossible. Elland Road's volatility lends itself to mayhem, to comebacks and the unexpected but the atmosphere has to be tethered to something. The crackling electricity of expectation and belief has to be hooked up to a team that can first of all withstand that pressure and secondly deliver the necessary energy and magic on the pitch. Once the two are in sync, it's difficult, if not impossible to switch them off. Maresca all-but talked down the p...

AZA Our passes are not in the right places to help the player shoot first time   my_ricochet Why’s everyone hate shooting. so many extra touches. yuck   king_radebe This is starting to get funny now. If I don’t laugh I’ll cry. Absolutely shocking performance   rhinooooo That Sideshow Bob arsehole is annoyingly solid   Neon Ray Immediately better with Bamford on the pitch.  Piroe can’t start for us against better sides.  even Joseph might be a better option   Sibb Summerville wanting so much time to shoot   bremner770 Their pressing has absolutely nullified us.   Ersken_90 Somehow they always seem to have 11 players in their box when we're attacking   quinn Summerville wants to cut in every time, defender knows what he's going to do.   garydavid A shot on target :o   Neon Ray Bamford’s running creates so much more space for our other attacking options.  Makes...