Leeds United change needed to wake up machine - Graham Smyth's Norwich City Verdict — YEP 23/1/25

By Graham Smyth

A well-oiled and functioning Leeds United machine rolled on with yet another Elland Road win and a clean sheet against Norwich City.

Daniel Farke's players are not robots but the longer this season goes on the more mechanical it has felt. From easily-predicted starting line-ups - Brenden Aaronson was an injury doubt for this one yet started for the 26th consecutive time in the Championship and for Joe Rodon it was a 65th consecutive league start - to the way Leeds play, to their inevitability and results at home and to what they face at Elland Road.

Opposition sides turn up and, like clockwork, park their bus. Even Sheffield United made a defensive-minded tactical change for their LS11 visit. Not so Norwich. But they hadn't even had a chance to show their approach before Leeds took the lead with the kind of goal they have made routine.

It was the two injury doubts who started and finished the move for the opener, which came after just 31 seconds. Aaronson picked up an ankle knock on Sunday and for Manor Solomon it was a hamstring issue. There was no sign of anything but complete sharpness as the American twice linked up with Jayden Bogle, took the full-back's clever flick and sent Daniel James away. His cross was perfect and Solomon timed his arrival with just as much precision to slam in his second goal in as many games.

Such an early goal in any game can open floodgates but while Leeds were functional in the minutes after the goal, they were not all that fluid. Yet even when one part of the machine spluttered, another was there to compensate. Ethan Ampadu's heavy touch invited Oscar Schwartau to break right down the middle until Rodon's recovery run cut him off just outside the Leeds area.

Then Norwich showed that unlike so many others they at least came to play a bit. They did not come to be steamrolled. Showing far more than they did on Saturday against Sheffield United, the visitors passed the ball bravely under significant pressure and worked it out of their own half to attack. A nice move led to a not-so-nice Onel Hernandez shot. Ampadu headed away a corner. Illan Meslier had to come into a crowd and grab a looping deflected cross. Kellen Fisher volleyed well over the top from another partially-blocked cross. None of it amounted to what you would call a golden opportunity but the sense of even a little jeopardy brought a response from Elland Road and asked the Leeds machine to prove it could respond to a different stimulus and a new problem.

The atmosphere, like the game, died a death as the first half wore on though. Leeds assumed greater control but did precious little with it. Attacks faltered in and around the edge of the area through a lack of care and with the whistle looming the game badly needed something. Ao Tanaka and Bogle so nearly provided it, the former curling a beautiful ball from one side to the other and the latter meeting it on the volley to draw a save from Angus Gunn.

Very little in the opening 10 minutes of the second half suggested that things were going to change. The visitors resorted to something more closely resembling their dismal display at Bramall Lane. An error as they played out handed Joel Piroe the chance to provide a spark but his shot was deflected and then saved at the near post by Gunn.

That was the last action before Daniel Farke made his first changes, one of which was forced upon him. Tanaka had gone into a risky challenge on a yellow and got away with no more than a talking to so Farke sent on replacement Ilia Gruev. Junior Firpo also entered the game, taking Sam Byram's place. It was this change that changed the game. The left-back was straight into it, combining with Solomon and getting the ball back from Aaronson to charge down the flank and win a corner. It was enough to reignite Elland Road's interest. And the machine finally woke up.

Where, in the first half, Leeds played safe, Firpo played fun. When he looked up and saw black shirts ahead of him he decided to just run at them, past them and took Leeds into the area. His cross was headed by James and hooked high but not out by Aaronson. When the ball was headed as far as Solomon his cross was met by James with a sidefoot finish at the back post to double the lead.

Rothwell liked what Firpo did so much that he gave it a go, pinning back his ears and scampering beyond challenges to take Leeds into space so he could find Bogle, whose strike was well hit and had to be palmed out by Gunn. Rothwell did it again, this time going himself into the area where he flopped to the ground near, but not under, a trailing leg.

On the opposite flank to Firpo, Bogle played fun too. His performance was arguably the best from any individual on the pitch and when he and Firpo are in full flight the machine looks all the more deadly.

There were further changes - Largie Ramazani's cameo was a bright one - and further chances. Ramazani brought another stop from Gunn with a curling shot from distance and Josuha Guilavogui stretched but couldn't quite reach a ball at the back post.

A 2-0 scoreline was enough though and it sent Leeds back to the top of the Championship table. Burnley await next Monday. The machine rolls on.