Leeds United man's unconvincing bad day, Willy Gnonto's Kop gift and off-camera Portsmouth moments — YEP 11/8/24
By Graham Smyth
The YEP’s take and some off-camera moments from the 3-3 draw
against Portsmouth.
Football is back and Leeds United are still Leeds United if
the events of a madcap season opener against Portsmouth are anything to go by.
Nothing is ever simple, is it?
Thrice they rattled the woodwork inside the opening minutes
and when Pascal Struijk opened the scoring soon after it felt like he would
open the floodgates too.
At that point it would have been impossible to conceive a
3-3 draw. Leeds, that. Here's the YEP take.
Good day
Mateo Joseph
He might not have scored when the big chance came his way
but he did enough with his minutes to suggest he's going to be a problem for
Championship defenders this season. His hold up play was good, he linked up
with team-mates and was full of running. A goal really would have capped it all
off and he will be kicking himself for not finishing. It should be noted that
had one or two other individuals in the squad missed that chance they would
have received pelters. He has to be more clinical and his previous body of work
suggests he can be.
Brenden Aaronson
He took that goal really very well. It was a difficult
chance but goals and assists are the route to redemption for the attacker and
one from one, especially as a second half substitute, is a decent return. Had
the game ended there, then few would have grumbled with his contribution.
But...
Bad day
Brenden Aaronson
Oh Brenden. Brenden, Brenden, Brenden. Despite playing on
the left wing he likes to pop up centrally and he took up a great position to
be played clean through on goal by Jayden Bogle. He had three points and a
great big dose of redemption on his boot and maybe it was all just too much
because he snatched at the finish, pulled the shot wide of goal and glory went
begging. He looked devastated, too.
Illan Meslier
With question marks over his shot-stopping ability still
lingering from the last couple of seasons, what he didn't need was a shot going
right through him in the first half of the first game of the season. Leeds need
their goalkeeper to come up big this season and win them points. This was not a
convincing start.
Jayden Bogle
One side of the game looked to come naturally and the other
not so much. His positioning was suspect for the first goal and then he gave
the referee enough of a decision to make that Leeds almost lost the game to a
stoppage time penalty.
Daniel Farke
The German's reputation took a slight bruising last season,
even with 90 points in the bag despite the summer nonsense he walked into and
the subsequent poor start. So this season he will only be able to keep his
critics quiet with a good start. Quite where this game, this performance and
this result fits into that is anyone's guess but it has to be more convincing
over the next few weeks - even if he hasn't yet been given the squad depth he
will need to win automatic promotion. Pre-season was impressive but there are
already natives who have dusted off last season's restlessness. It felt like a
freak game, with the multiple crossbar rattlings, but it was one Leeds ought to
be winning.
Off-camera
Max Wober and Aaronson partnering up to pass a ball back and
forth as the team came out to warm up.
Chris Domogalla sprinting round the edge of the Championship
centre circle banner to greet the match officials as they emerged.
Joe Rodon glaring at Portsmouth substitute goalkeeper Jordan
Archer as his position to receive Will Norris' goal-kicks threatened to
infringe on Leeds' possession game in the warm-up.
Ethan Ampadu whipping up the starting XI as they neared the
end of their preparations.
Meslier getting a clearance kick wrong at the end of the
warm-up and demanding another ball to correct it.
Farke's assistant Christopher John making his way up to the
gantry to get a different vantage point.
John Mousinho unhappy with the officials in the first few
minutes and, seeing his player felled by Mateo Joseph, darting towards fourth
official James Linington only to change course and raise an apologetic hand as
he realised a foul was given. That in turn drew Edmund Riemer out of the Leeds
dugout for a word with Linington.
Bogle asking Junior Firpo if they should swap back after
finding themselves on opposite, unnatural sides of the back four. Firpo was
content to stay where they were for the time being. Ampadu seemed keen for them
to switch as soon as possible though.
Ilia Gruev and Struijk having an in-depth chat ahead of the
start of the second half.
Gnonto asking the Kop for more and trying to get the stadium
noise level up as Leeds pressed following his goal.
Farke and then various Leeds players consoling Aaronson.
Joe Gelhardt running to the corner to give his shirt away.
Willy Gnonto following suit but at the front of the Kop.
Meslier and Struijk trying to digest what had just happened
as they walked around the pitch together in conversation.