Leeds United man applauded by opponent, Ethan Ampadu celebration bullying and off-camera Cardiff City moments — YEP 2/2/25
By Graham Smyth
The YEP’s take and off-camera moments from Saturday’s 7-0
blitz of Cardiff.
Leeds United cut loose and reinforced their reputation as
the Championship's most deadly attacking force with a seven-goal hammering of
Cardiff City. There were so many good individual performances but it was the
complete team display that put the Bluebirds to the sword at a purring Elland
Road. Here is the YEP take.
Good day
Daniel James
Remember when end product was a problem? That's 21 goals and
13 assists in just over one and a half seasons under Daniel Farke for a winger
who is not only staking a genuine claim to the Leeds United Player of the Year
award, but the gong for the division's best player. This was a performance full
of spite. It was almost as if he really wanted to hurt Cardiff City. Hurt them
he did. A goal, two assists, a penalty won and so many moments of danger. So
many shots. This was James at his very best.
Joel Piroe
The recent criticism of his performances was justified. He
was not making himself enough of a factor in games. That all changed against
Cardiff. The through balls and link-up play were good, the finishes were of his
usual calibre. That's 12 for the season now.
Ao Tanaka
Another player who will surely lift an individual award or
two come the summer. He just oozes class and almost every performance is a
reminder of just how scandalous his transfer fee was. It looks worse and worse
for his former club as the season goes on, and better and better for Leeds'
recruitment team and negotiators. Cardiff just couldn't get near him.
Joe Rodon
A performance that should not be overlooked in the attacking
football and goal spree. He looked a cut above against the Cardiff players.
Daniel Farke
No one could find that boring. The fact is that Farke does
want to control games and stifle opponents, but he wants to score goals too. It
felt like everything clicked, defensively and offensively, in this game.
Mateo Joseph
The goal that he wanted for so long. That should lift a
weight off his shoulders and it might prove vital for him and Leeds as the
season takes a turn for the serious stuff.
Bad day
Omer Riza
Managers must feel pretty helpless to impact games at times
even on the sideline, so to be sat up in the stand away from it all and watch
your team get hammered like that would be doubly painful. Everything they could
do badly, they did badly and conversely everything Leeds could do well they did
well. The result was a deserved, one-sided beating of embarrassing proportions.
Off-camera moments
Goalkeeping coach Ed Wootten giving Illan Meslier an
extra-hard, affectionate shove in the back as the stopper made his way back to
the tunnel at the end of their warm-up.
Sam Byram trapping a high pass from Mateo Joseph between his
knees as they kept the ball up between themselves on the way off following the
warm-up.
Tanaka getting a huge ovation for oozing class and keeping
the ball under pressure on the edge of his own box during the first half. It
happened again a few minutes later.
A fan in the West Stand drawing a grin and a thumbs up from
Ilia Gruev by yelling the Bulgarian's name as he wandered back to the bench
after warming up in the first half.
Callum Robinson applauding Tanaka after the midfielder
deceived him completely with the way he received and turned with the ball to
escape pressure.
Ampadu trying to force Darlow and then Ilia Gruev to do the
wave with the South Stand as the team made their way around the pitch at
full-time. The pair managed to withstand the celebration bullying.