Leeds United madness will become a collector's item thanks to Farke — Graham Smyth's QPR Verdict — YEP 10/11/24

By Graham Smyth

Champagne football it was not but Leeds United did what Daniel Farke has designed them to do when Queens Park Rangers came to Elland Road.

Oh Leeds United 3-3 Portsmouth, when will we see your like again?

Ever since the madcap instant-classic that was the season opener against Pompey, it has become painfully obvious that there exists a division-wide acknowledgement that playing football against Leeds at Elland Road will bring nothing but pain. Teams are not so much coming to play as coming to avoid suffering too much punishment before they leave again. Even when a goal down, bottom of the table and in desperate need of points, they sit in and hope for moments to counter in order to get shots off or win set-pieces.

Leeds 2-0 Queens Park Rangers was not a classic. It was not particularly entertaining. But ironically the numbers behind that game and a thrilling first home game of the season were not too dissimilar. Leeds enjoyed 69 per cent of the possession in both games. They gave up just five shots in each game, it was just that Pompey scored from three of them while Rangers didn't get a single one on target. Leeds had 21 shots against QPR and 22 against Pompey. They had 45 touches in QPR's box and 39 in Portsmouth's. QPR, with seven, actually had one more touch than Pompey did in Leeds' area.

This is how we rated Leeds United against QPR.

One difference between the two games is that Portsmouth showcased the kind of ruthless finishing or shooting that made a mockery of their expected goals [xG] performance. It was an xG overperformance in the final third that their fans likely will not enjoy again for some time. Whereas QPR simply did not use their few opportunities to even test Illan Meslier, let alone beat him.

Another difference was the absolute lack of jeopardy in Saturday's meeting with QPR. Leeds dominated the opening stage and once they took the lead through Jayden Bogle's scruffy finish that was largely that. Only twice did the visitors ever really threaten a leveller and when a Žan Celar shot went over the bar QPR's hopes of any points went with it. There would be no need for an Elland Road roar or urgency in the stands. Leeds had this game by the scruff and Joel Piroe's stoppage-time insurance strike was superfluous.

So while there have been and will be complaints that Farke and his style are to blame for the lack of thrill in Leeds games, some of the blame surely has to be laid at the feet of opposition managers who refuse to engage in a firefight. And some credit has to be given to Farke for making Leeds so dominant that they instill such fear. He's made them so dominant, in fact, that they are now in the habit of removing jeopardy almost entirely from Elland Road games. Would you rather watch a dominant team win lots of games, concede very few goals and celebrate promotion, or watch an open team go toe-to-toe, thrill you to your very bones but take big risks with the club's big dream? Farke often likes to say that he's not here to win the Nobel Peace prize and keep people happy. He's not here to win style points, either. Just enough real points that Leeds finish top two in the Championship table.

What maybe did impress, on a day when few players besides Bogle really shone, is that the Whites did not let one defeat become two. Coming back home to put the burden of expectation back on weary shoulders after that 1-0 loss at Millwall, Leeds avoided a fate they suffered only twice last season. As Manchester City are currently showing with that four-game streak, losing is an easy habit to form even for the very best. One can become two, can become three.

The familiar story that developed in the first half against QPR said that Farke has drilled other habits into Leeds. Keeping the ball. Controlling the opposition. Setting up to deny counter attacks. Creating chances. Early on they had some nice ideas but no teeth. Then they had some chances but no composure. Then they had the first goal and no matter how aesthetically pleasing that is when it comes, it is a story that rarely ends well for the opposition. Manor Solomon and Mateo Joseph both failed to get strikes on goal before Bogle did with a hefty slice off his left boot.

All the usual control followed but scruffiness put an end to attacks. QPR continued to sit deep in the second half and Martí Cifuentes admitted later that bringing an attacking mentality to Elland Road is 'very difficult' because they are such a good team and so capable of hurting you.

When untidiness was not to blame for Leeds failing to add a second - Willy Gnonto put Solomon in on goal with a pass that was a touch too heavy - the offside flag went up to fill that void. Sam Byram, of all people, was pinged on more than one occasion. And as Elland Road began to sound a little frustrated, scrappiness briefly seeped into Leeds' play at the other end. Pascal Struijk hooked half clear a ball that was destined for Meslier's gloves. Steve Cook crossed and Sam Field curled over the bar. A rare Ao Tanaka error gave QPR a promising position but Celar spurned the chance to take a little pressure off his manager.

Farke rang the changes and the last of those, which brought Isaac Schmidt on as a left winger, led to the second goal. He cut inside and looked to play a one-two with Piroe, but it was the latter the ball fell for and he finished in his usual ice-cool manner. At 2-0 it was job done. Another home win ticked off. Five on the bounce with just one goal conceded. Heading into an international break on a winning note and keeping the pressure on the others at the top end of the table. Narrowing the gap to leaders Sunderland by two points. Now and again it might be nice for Elland Road to descend into the kind of madness we saw on day one. Just don't come to Elland Road expecting it. That six-goal draw will almost certainly become a collector’s item. Wins are king and this is a team built to win at home.