Leeds United panto villain's bad day, momentum starter and Wilder joke in Blades off-camera moments — YEP 10/10/24

By Graham Smyth

The YEP’s take and off-camera moments from Friday night’s win against the Blades.

Leeds United's midfield might be the problem area thanks to injuries but it looked in safe hands on Friday night against Sheffield United.

Joe Rothwell and Ao Tanaka put in an accomplished all-round tandem performance to nullify the Blades' threat on the counter and give the visitors headaches a-plenty when the ball was in the Whites' possession. It was as comprehensive a 2-0 win as you will see and only one of these Yorkshire sides lived up to the title of promotion favourites. Here's the YEP take.

Good day

Joe Rothwell

When we spoke to counterparts in Southampton about Rothwell's impact there last season the responses were hardly a ringing endorsement of his arrival as a new signing at Leeds. However, he has been presented with a big opportunity and he's taking it. This was a tour de force and not just on the ball. Some of his passing was excellent, some of his pressing really hindered the Blades. The midfield is obviously an area of concern for Leeds and had this game been allowed to become open and frenetic then the visitors would have enjoyed their night a lot more. Rothwell was a big part of ensuring that was never the case. It has to be said, Ao Tanaka was also very good.

Pascal Struijk

The goal was obviously an incredibly welcome moment, particularly as it ended that rancid set-piece run. But it wasn't his only big momentum moment of the night. That first half header, when he got up above and absolutely dominated Kieffer Moore, got the crowd up and you could see from Struijk's body language that he took a lift from it. The back four were all good but Struijk's performance and contribution were that of a captain.

Largie Ramazani

How good was his first touch? The boy with velcro boots kept taking the ball in his stride or killing it dead. It helped that lots of the passes into his feet were good ones, but he was a serious problem for Sheffield United. What was perhaps more impressive was how much he relished the physical side of it. He was waspish when he didn't have the ball.

Bad day

Chris Wilder

To be fair to the Blades boss, prior to the game he held his hands up for his part in the pantomime relationship between him and the Leeds fans. During the game he took fearsome stick. After the game he was classy and magnanimous in his appraisal of Leeds and there was no hint of mind games. But this one will definitely have hurt. You couldn't even call his side second best, they were that inferior to Leeds.

Gustavo Hamer

The dangerman never got going, he didn't get a sniff. Nor did Callum O'Hare. To see both of the Blades big attacking stars departing as early as they did in the second half said a lot about Leeds' dominance. Hamer appeared to pick up an injury, too.

Off-camera moments

First man off the coach James Debayo going the wrong way as he attempted to enter Elland Road, before being redirected by a helpful YEP correspondent.

Christopher John, Chris Domogalla and Edmund Riemer hyping up the starting outfield players as they began their possession game in the warm-up.

Illan Meslier getting a big reception from the West Stand as he came off at the end of his warm-up with goalkeeping coach Ed Wootten.

Fans in the South Stand holding up their Sheffield Whites flag for the visiting support to see before the game.

Dan James and Manor Solomon heading out to warm up as early as the fourth minute as Willy Gnonto struggled with an early shoulder knock. Solomon then had words with fitness coach Domogalla and went down the tunnel. He returned to continue warming up but was not needed until the second half.

Struijk going to advocate for Ramazani after the winger was caught and no foul was given towards the end of the first half, as referee Lewis Smith explained his decision.

Elland Road hero Lucas Radebe getting a rapturous welcome as he walked out onto the pitch at half-time with his daughter. The little one and his wife were experiencing the stadium for the first time.

Farke making the point to the fourth official that what he perceived as an elbow on Firpo from Moore was not a yellow, but Firpo getting in the way as Blades prepared to take a throw-in was.

Rodon picking up Tanaka after he and Struijk had shared a full-time embrace. Souza going straight to the Leeds bench to congratulate Piroe and a number of others before hugging Aaronson.

Rodon and Ampadu with hugs for Alan Knill who has worked with them in the Wales set-up.

Leeds security chief singing 'we only scored from a corner' as he walked past Pascal Struijk during a post-game interview.

Chris Wilder jokingly accusing BBC Leeds man Adam Pope of singing the song that was aimed at the Blades boss during the second half, after enquiring of the assembled press if he had risen any in the Leeds United popularity stakes.