West Brom 0 Leeds United 0: Did Leeds miss Rutter? Has it been a tough start for Bogle? — The Athletic 17/8/24
By Nancy Froston
Leeds United were held to a draw away at West Bromwich
Albion in their second Championship game of the season.
Following on from last weekend’s 3-3 thriller at home
against promoted Portsmouth, the stalemate was a steadying of the ship after
the disappointing midweek defeat to Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup.
As life without Georginio Rutter began in the 0-0 draw at
The Hawthorns, The Athletic picks out three big talking points for Leeds.
Is there a Rutter-shaped hole in the team?
Quite simply: yes. Rutter was not the perfect player but he
made Leeds better. Official confirmation of Rutter’s departure is a formality
but his presence was sorely missed in an attritional game against West Brom.
Neither side created gilt-edged chances — they had equal expected goals figure
of 0.7 each — and Leeds were not at their best in attack without their
Brighton-bound No 10.
This was Joel Piroe’s opportunity to show he could fill the
gap left by Rutter but his performance lacked a ‘wow’ factor. The Dutchman was
too easily dispossessed and did not add the same drive in attack. While Rutter
could be frustrating to watch, his link play between the midfielders and the
forwards is what made him a threat.
West Brom set up to stop Leeds from playing. Their extra man
in midfield dropped into the back line to form a back five whenever Farke’s
team were in possession. United did not have the key to unlock the Albion
defence.
“We were thinking about different options (for the No 10
role),” Farke said. “Joe (Rothwell) drops back a bit and gives you more
possession in deeper areas for example. With his mobility he is flexible.
Brenden (Aaronson) is a bit more like the guy who takes players on one against
one and a movement out of this position was a topic. Joel has played several
really good games for us there.
“Joel is more or less in this loose striker role, that is
how he interprets it. Not so much as a No 10 but like a deeper-lying, loose
striker. He is not shining like a mobile No 10 who runs around full of
creativity with pass after pass but he gives something clinical from this
position in finishing. This is what we were missing a bit in the last days and
weeks. We want to reward him for his patience because he is always working hard
and patient. Georginio Rutter was playing ahead of him although Joel is one of
the best goal scorers in the last three years, I wanted to reward him with my
trust and backing.”
Has Jayden Bogle had a tricky start to life at Leeds?
After bright displays in pre-season it has not been plain
sailing for new right-back Jayden Bogle at Leeds. He conceded a penalty late in
the game against Portsmouth to hand them a 3-2 lead before Aaronson’s equaliser
rescued a point. And he had a shaky start against West Brom with a few
misplaced passes, including one that put goalkeeper Illan Meslier under
pressure.
Bogle offers plenty in attack but in defence there is still
more work to do. After first-half wobbles, the 24-year-old settled into the
game and had a better handle on Albion winger Tom Fellows, who was a tricky
opponent to keep quiet. Building confidence on the back of a bruising season in
the Premier League with Sheffield United will be key and as he settles into
Leeds life, Bogle has done the hard work of impressing his manager.
“You could see this in the first half (that he had a
difficult game against Portsmouth),” Farke said. “Normally he is really good in
going forwards. On a few occasions where he could speed up the game, he chose
two or three times a back pass or it was a bit soon. But he came out of a
difficult season last season, he has lost many games and that does something to
the confidence.
“He came here and had a really good pre-season but the start
was not easy for him because he was involved in two goals (conceded) in the
last home game. It was his first experience to have a difficult week with us
and he’s a new player so he is a bit more under the spotlight. I’m pleased with
how he fought his way back during this game more and more into it. In the
second half, he was top in his defending and showed some of his skills going
forward. There’s even more to come but it was an important step for him.”
Are Leeds treading water until signings arrive?
At times it looked like United were playing for a draw
against a well-organised Albion side who also achieved a top-six finish last
season. Bouncing back from Wednesday night was crucial and on the whole, Leeds
looked stronger at the back — reflected in a well-earned clean sheet.
Until new signings arrive it could be a case of Leeds
muddling through with a small squad. As West Brom tested the back line from
corners and long throw-ins courtesy of Darnell Furlong, United limited their
opponents even if they lacked firepower in attack. Farke remained committed to
the formation despite losing key players — getting the right replacements to
fulfil those roles feels vital to continuing with a 4-2-3-1.
Landing targets soon so that Farke is not left treading
water is important with two more league games to go before the end of the
window.
“We have a bit more time in the next days to concentrate on
this topic (signings) but we have really good people who support us and help
behind the scenes,” Farke said. “I can’t just run around with my own wallet and
pay the players so I’m relying on our key people in the club to be there with
the right decisions.
“We have many experienced people for negotiations and
contracts. I can concentrate on football and I am really blessed with having so
many good people.”
What next for Leeds?
United have nearly a full week to recover and reset before a
trip to play Sheffield Wednesday on Friday night at 8pm (3pm ET), which will be
shown on Sky Sports.