Leeds United take alternative approach to Farke 'bullet' - Graham Smyth's Norwich City Verdict — YEP 17/5/24

By Graham Smyth

Leeds United took the ‘nuclear option’ rather than Daniel Farke’s ‘second bullet’ to fire themselves past Norwich City into the Championship play-off final.

Thirty-four-thousand scarves were held aloft amid a noise that reached the heavens and perhaps the footballing Gods sat up, looked at one another, nodded and decided this had to be Leeds United's night. Or perhaps this 4-0 win and a place in the play-off final was just a very human achievement.

It would be easy for anyone lucky enough to be inside Elland Road on Thursday night to put everything that transpired between 8pm and 10pm down to fate. In retrospect it felt written, from the moment Leeds and Norwich City walked out into a sea of white and that wall of white noise, for who could deny such a club, such a fanbase and such a display of passion at such a time as this? But nothing on this night was given to Leeds by some higher power. None of it was somehow predestined. All of it was earned.

The focus, when it comes to Elland Road, is so often on what it sounds like but this was a night in the stadium that had to be seen to be believed. A week on from the appearance over Yorkshire of the Northern Lights, Leeds produced their own evening of recently-rare sights. A goal from a set-piece. Georginio Rutter skinning defenders. Joel Piroe oozing class and confidence. Illan Meslier projecting confidence.

From the very outset Leeds were on the front foot and how could they not, in an atmosphere like this one? Elland Road was every inch the bear pit at kick-off, with a few lions and tigers thrown in for good measure. Lions and tigers and bears and early goals, oh my.

Leeds threw off the pragmatic shackles that held together Sunday's important 0-0 draw at Carrow Road and went right after Norwich. Crysencio Summerville's early chance came from a sumptuous Rutter flick. Ethan Ampadu and Joe Rodon came high up the pitch to win the ball. Glen Kamara and Ilia Gruev came to smother. And all over the pitch players in white wanted responsibility for the ball.

It took seven minutes for a goal to arrive and it was as clever as it was welcome. Leeds' analysis of Norwich had picked up a quirk of Angus Gunn's positioning and after a quick conflab Summerville and Gruev decided it was on. So the latter went for it, shaping to curl for the far post but whipping it inside the near one. The disbelief on his face was matched by the relief in the stands. It was on.

Managers of both the old school and the new insist that you have to earn the right to play by first winning your battles and Leeds were ticking those boxes everywhere. Rutter thumped the first Norwich header clear with a big header. Archie Gray, at right-back again to replace the injured Sam Byram, won his tackles. Ampadu won his headers. Rodon read passes to cut them out. Leeds earned the right to play, and play they did. Willy Gnonto accepted the gift of space, Joel Piroe indicated exactly where to put the cross and when the Italian delivered to perfection, the Dutchman nodded in goal two.

Yes, Norwich were poor. But a play-off final is never a gift and when Josh Sargent skipped away from Ampadu to run in on Illan Meslier, Norwich City's sliding doors moment came and went. At 2-1 they were back in it and so too were the nerves, but Meslier stuck out a big paw and said non. It stayed 2-0. Having struggled to get a tune out of his talented bunch in recent weeks, Farke was suddenly getting everything from everyone in a performance so aggressive it begged the question - was the first leg a rope-a-dope job?

Norwich, now, were on the ropes and Leeds set about them, toasting their visitors in transition. For his part, Farke stood in the technical area with his arms out, appealing for calm. Like a lone police officer in the midst of a riot. The game did not calm down and neither did Leeds. Goal number three was a beautiful counter-attack that began with a lovely ball forward from Kamara to Piroe, who turned on the pace and crossed. Summerville forced the ball to the back post and Rutter slammed it home off the crossbar. He was back and Leeds were almost there.

Half-time could not come soon enough for Norwich but nor could it last long enough. A 15-minute period in which they could not get punched in the mouth was ended rudely as Leeds hit them again inside 30 seconds. Ampadu dumped Ashley Barnes, found Rutter and his sliderule pass to Summerville was bounced into Piroe's path. Gunn saved the shot but the tone had been re-established.

A Summerville header, a Summerville shot and another Piroe chance just as good as his last came and went. White scarves whirled over heads and Norwich were begging for a white towel. Even when the visitors looked capable of breaking out of the spell they had their collar felt, quite literally in the case of Rowe who found himself being hauled back by the neck of his shirt by Gruev. When Borja Sainz threatened down the left, Rutter tripped him. Both men took yellows, along with Norwich's momentum.

And then Norwich ran up the white flag. Another smart Kamara pass put Summerville in space, Gnonto got a shot away and Firpo reacted quickest to cut it back for a Summerville finish. Wembley was in sight. Barnes was in the sights of Leeds fans who, just like their heroes, offered no mercy. It was a drubbing, on and off the pitch.

So comprehensive and comfortable was it that Elland Road, with some help from Farke, turned the last 10 minutes of a play-off semi-final into a testimonial. They called for Liam Cooper and Farke obliged, sending on the skipper for one last Elland Road hurrah. A goal to top it off didn't come but the party had started and continued long after the final whistle in scenes that were warranted but stopped short of suggesting the job was done.

This was a demolition job, though. Too strong, too quick, too ruthless and too good. Farke spoke of using the 'second bullet' of the play-offs to get to where Leeds want to go, but this was the nuclear option and Norwich were blown to smithereens in almost perfect style. The play-offs aren't supposed to be fun, are they? Well this was. And it's not over yet.