Five things that went wrong for Leeds United at Wembley as Southampton revel in play-off triumph — YEP 26/5/24
By Joe Donnohue
Leeds United were beaten 1-0 by Southampton in the
Championship play-off final confirming the Whites will play second tier
football next season.
Leeds missed out on promotion to the Premier League in the
cruellest fashion on Sunday afternoon as Southampton's Adam Armstrong put paid
to United's hopes of returning to the top flight at the first attempt.
The Saints striker's first half effort made all the
difference despite Leeds' push to restore parity during the second half and
take the game to extra-time.
Daniel Farke reflected on the game at full-time, reiterating
the inexperience of his young side, suggesting it may have played a part in
Leeds' inability to secure promotion after an imperious run midway through the
season and 90-point finish.
From Wembley Stadium, here are five factors which
contributed to Leeds falling at the final hurdle.
Key players unavailable
Leeds were unable to call upon Patrick Bamford, Pascal
Struijk and Stuart Dallas at Wembley; all three ruled out due to injury. While
their experience and words of encouragement will have been worth something in
the build-up to kick-off and perhaps at half-time having travelled with the
playing squad, their influence could not extend to the pitch where United
needed it most.
Joel Piroe's performance on the day was insufficient in
firing Leeds to promotion glory and a change up top, perhaps in the form of a
fully fit and available Bamford may have made the difference in what was a
tight encounter. Leeds lacked a focal point in attack, while the hold-up on
display from Leeds' forwards fell short of what was expected.
Failing to control the middle of the pitch
Leeds enjoyed plenty of the ball, spending much of the game
passing sideways and backwards as Southampton's combination of pressing and
marking in central areas funnelled the ball out wide whenever United were in
possession. From these positions, Leeds found it difficult to penetrate the
Saints' box.
Inexperience
While some may interpret Farke's comments on the squad's
relative youth as making excuses for failing to achieve the season's ultimate
goal, his words do hold some weight. The most frequently-utilised Leeds team
was the youngest in the division, except for Sunderland, throughout the entire
2023/24 campaign, and too few of the squad had big-game experience on a stage
such as a Wembley play-off final, compared to Southampton's older, more
seasoned players.
Set-pieces
How Leeds delivered and executed their set-plays at Wembley,
and this season as a whole, left plenty to be desired. The Whites ranked tenth
in the Championship for Expected Goals from set-pieces during 2023/24, but were
joint-22nd when it came to actual goals from dead ball situations, ending the
campaign with a single figure set-piece goals tally.
Too ponderous in possession
This particular critique is more game-specific compared to
the aforementioned reasons for Leeds' failing at Wembley. United's best goals
this season have been scored when the team has attacked with purpose, drive and
speed. Against Southampton, faced with a well-coached defensive setup, Leeds
were too ponderous on the ball, choosing safe passes all too often, which
Russell Martin's men were all too happy to defend.
Dan James' guile and industry following his introduction
from the bench highlighted what Leeds had been missing for the majority of the
contest.
