Leeds United bench verbals, attendance dig, Bournemouth reunion and off-camera moments — YEP 23/1/25
By Graham Smyth
Leeds United wingers Daniel James and Manor Solomon
continued to ward off stiff competition and their manager defied expectation in
the win over Norwich City.
Both James and Solomon were on the scoresheet and they set
up one another’s goals too. The end product from the flanks this season has
been vital for Leeds and even if Farke wanted to rotate a bit more in wide
positions, James and Solomon are making that harder and harder to do.
Here’s the YEP take on a 2-0 victory at Elland Road.
Good day: Daniel Farke. The performance might not have been
a sparkling one but he recorded yet another important win over his former club
and his introduction of Junior Firpo felt pivotal to Leeds taking things by the
scruff of the neck. Farke's record at Leeds is excellent, and it should be
given some of the talent he has had at his disposal, but the way he has turned
Elland Road into a fortress has been the bedrock of two promotion bids. There
was also the small matter of the starting XI and his defying expectations. Fans
and pundits alike expected changes, Farke went unchanged and won yet again.
Good day: Junior Firpo. Welcome back, señor. The left-back
added an important dimension to the Leeds attack with his ability to go down
the line and use his left foot. Earlier in the game Sam Byram had been forced
to turn inside or go backwards but Firpo was able to get past players, get
crosses in and take Leeds deeper into the Norwich final third. Farke has a big
decision to make at left-back on Monday night.
Good day: Jayden Bogle. He didn’t stop running all night and
what he did with the ball was excellent. Norwich City really struggled to
handle the Leeds right flank.
Good day: Manor Solomon and Daniel James. Given the talent
on the bench waiting in the wings, so to speak, the starting pair know they
have to keep performing and producing end product. A goal and an assist from
each man was the perfect way to reinforce their importance to the starting
line-up.
Bad day: Willy Gnonto. His performance wasn't bad but when
Solomon and James are adding goals and assists, and Largie Ramazani is shining
in cameos in the way he did against Wednesday and Norwich, Gnonto really has to
answer with something special of his own.
Bad day: Norwich City fans. They travelled to Yorkshire on
Saturday and saw their team play appallingly in a 2-0 defeat by Sheffield
United. They went home and travelled back to Yorkshire on Wednesday and saw
their team do next to nothing in the second half in a 2-0 defeat by Leeds
United. It's a long way to Norwich when your team isn't very good. And the
stadium announcement of their 900-odd attendance number rubbed salt in the
wounds a little. Many in the ground enjoyed that but away days are an expensive
business and two long ones in the space of a few days is commitment.
Off camera moments
Gretar Steinsson, who left his Leeds United role to move
into a similar position with the wider 49ers Enterprises network, arriving at
Elland Road shortly before the squad did. The Icelandic former footballer has
continued to be a regular at Leeds games, home and away, and Daniel Farke
revealed he was at Thorp Arch last week too.
Manor Solomon calling Jayden Bogle over in the warm-up's
possession game and giving him the benefit of some wisdom. Bogle nodded and
indicated he understood the point, copying Solomon's hand signal for what he
wanted done with the ball.
Ethan Ampadu giving Ao Tanaka an encouraging thumbs up as
the Japan international reacted with frustration after passing the ball out of
play in the warm-up.
Alex Cairns waiting patiently on halfway for Tanaka to
finish his individual shooting routine after the warm-up was complete, so he
could accompany the midfielder back to the dressing room.
Farke furiously complaining about elements of his team's
performance in the minutes after the opener. Joel Piroe's quick free-kick,
which sailed straight out of play, left him particularly unamused. That was
nothing compared with his response on the half hour mark when Joe Rothwell
chose the wrong pass, played it poorly and let Norwich off the hook on the edge
of their box after Leeds had finally pressed them into an error.
Joe Rodon remonstrating with his Wales team-mate Daniel
James for giving the ball away and forcing the Whites into some urgent
defending.
Verbals between the technical areas after Tanaka escaped a
second yellow in the second half. Farke was unhappy with the fourth official,
who got it from both sides.
The two benches making up at full-time with lots of hugs and
smiles, while Joe Rothwell had a long chat with fellow ex-Bournemouth man
Emiliano Marcondes