Leeds United vacate uncomfortable realm but job can be made easier — Graham Smyth's Owls Verdict — YEP 20/1/25
By Graham Smyth
Leeds United reclaimed top spot with a 3-0 win over
Sheffield Wednesday at Elland Road and left their rivals in a far more
uncomfortable realm.
'Sheffield United, we're top of the league,' was the song at
Bramall Lane on Saturday afternoon as they beat a dismal Norwich City to
leapfrog Leeds United.
The Blades were the beneficiaries of gifts from Norwich, who
repeatedly gave the ball away in and around their area. That's how the hosts
got their first goal. The second came from the penalty spot after the clumsiest
of needless challenges. Norwich completed the favour for Chris Wilder and co by
offering next to nothing going forward. As Blades filed out of the ground,
minds were quickly turning to Sunday's game at Elland Road. "All Wednesday
aren't we for tomorrow," said one to his pal at the tram stop. There was
hope that their bitter city rivals could do them a solid and beat Leeds. There
just wasn't any expectation or trust. "Think they'll get beat four or
five,” came the pal’s reply.
When Leeds United went back to the top of the Championship
with their win at Stoke City on Boxing Day they began to breathe rarefied air
and left the uncomfortable realm of requiring favours from others. Simply by
doing their job Leeds can get where they need to go and leave the Blades,
Burnley and the Black Cats battling it out for second, third and fourth, and
looking to others for a bit of help.
The chasing pack were howling in anguish as they watched on
Sky or ITV when with just three minutes played Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper
James Beadle gave Leeds a leg up. He came sliding out to gather a pass intended
for Brenden Aaronson, spilled it to the feet of Manor Solomon and the winger
did not look a gift horse in the mouth.
A 1-0 lead tends to spell the end for opposition sides at
Elland Road but Sheffield Wednesday showed that they had more about them than
most over the course of the next 85 minutes. They would have levelled too, had
it not been for a well-placed Ao Tanaka. A lack of communication as a cross
floated over to the back post gave Jayden Bogle no choice but to head behind
for a corner. That corner led to another and Illan Meslier got nowhere near it
amid claims of an attacking handball, giving Josh Windass a golden chance to
level only for Tanaka to block.
Sam Byram had to do his job at both ends, popping up in the
Owls box to send in a low cross that was deflected just over and making a huge
sliding challenge in the Leeds box that had to be impeccably timed.
The early goal had made for a far more open game than Elland
Road has been accustomed to this season and there was an unusual amount of
space for the Owls to explore. Barry Bannan played Windass right through the
middle until Ampadu appeared with a perfect last-ditch tackle.
With several decisions going against them, including a
blatant and yet unpunished Windass handball, Leeds looked ruffled and the Owls
looked to worsen the mood by having a real go. Yan Valery's shot into the side
netting failed to trouble Meslier and Ampadu headed clear a pair of Shea
Charles deliveries. It might not have amounted to much but it was considerably
more than others have even tried to muster in similar scenarios this season.
Leeds, and in particular Daniel James, responded. His cross
found Joel Piroe for a volley that was deflected over, then the winger twice
went himself with a low effort for the far corner and a drilled shot across the
face of goal. Beadle got down well to both.
After the break James re-engaged Beadle in their own
personal duel with a curling cross-cum-shot from distance that the keeper
palmed wide.
Leeds were more in charge, restricting Wednesday's
possession and chances to do much when they had the ball, but Djeidi Gassama
broke free to test Meslier from distance with a fierce effort.
The slender nature of the lead made Elland Road restless and
reactive. There was audible angst as Aaronson passed the ball backwards into
his own half, even if it allowed Leeds to retain possession, build from the
back again and keep Wednesday under control. Daniel Farke insists that his team
should 'prepare' their attacks in a way that gives them what he feels is the
best chance to exploit the opposition, available space and at the same time
keep their shape in order to smother potential counter attacks. Elland Road
insists on attacking football, urgency and excitement.
Before the end both Farke and Elland Road got what they
wanted. His introduction of Largie Ramazani was particularly pivotal, because
the winger popped up centrally to scrap for the ball, get it under his control
and then swivel to blast it beyond the dive of Beadle. An arm wrestle that
swung Leeds way in the third minute was finally won in the 88th with that goal.
And stoppage time made it all the more convincing. Ramazani shot sweetly again
from just outside the box and Tanaka, back to goal, reacted with instinctive
brilliance, jumping and flicking the ball past Beadle for a 3-0 lead. That was
Leeds doing the job themselves and rendering Beadle's early favour meaningless.
Possessing match-changing quality, on the pitch and on the
bench is one of the things that sets Leeds apart from the vast majority of
their Championship rivals this season. Sheffield United, though, have set out
to sign five in the January transfer window in an attempt to more closely match
the Whites' strength in depth. Leeds have a chance to do the job off the pitch
as well as on it by strengthening Farke's hand even further. This squad needed
no one's help to reach the Championship summit and they might very well stay
there as they are, but adding a player like Emi Buendia to their number would
make the job of saying 'we're Leeds United we're top of the league' that bit
easier, with no favours required from anyone or anywhere else.