Leeds United matter Daniel Farke must now take into his hands after boos — Graham Smyth's Verdict — YEP 30/3/25

By Graham Smyth

Illan Meslier did everything right for 64 minutes and then it all went wrong as Leeds United and Daniel Farke were reminded yet again that it's all about how you finish.

There is no escaping or avoiding the inevitable in any discussion of the 2-2 draw with Swansea City. Meslier was, again, individually at fault in a manner that cost his team. What has happened before happened again, leaving Farke lost for the words required to explain it the inexplicable dropping of a routine catch that gifted the Swans their first, or the inability to save a shot that should be saved far more often than not. That one, in stoppage time, cancelled out what should have been a Willy Gnonto winner and led to boos at the full-time whistle and beyond. Goalkeeping mistakes are punished and scrutinised more ruthlessly because they happen so close to goal but there was no sympathy to be found on the faces of his team-mates or in the stands.

But the blood of two dropped points was not solely on the hands of one man. Just as Leeds have won all those games as a team, they drew this one as a team by allowing a recent trend to continue. Six points from 15 is no indicator of this team's quality but it does speak to their inability to put together two halves of their best football and it can even be tracked back to mid-February. Those mad, joyous, last-gasp victories over Sunderland and Sheffield United have taken on a rather more sobering look in the context of what has followed. A draw at home with West Brom, getting beaten up on the south coast by Portsmouth, an average first 45 in the win over Millwall, the woeful defending in the 2-2 draw at QPR and now this. Leeds United might not be falling apart but they have dropped off.

Brenden Aaronson, who started the game against the Swans so well and nipped in to tackle the ball over the line to give the hosts a 35th-second lead, pointed to his head in celebration and then played for most of the rest of the game without using it. He was baited into needless contact that gave away cheap free-kicks and beyond a chance cleverly created for Joel Piroe, struggled in possession. But the American was far from alone in that regard. Ethan Ampadu returned from injury and played like a man returning from injury. His long-range radar was on the blink and the time he wanted or needed on the ball simply wasn't afforded by the Swans. Joe Rothwell produced some nice stuff, just not anywhere near enough of it. Manor Solomon can be the best player in the division but didn't contribute enough to even find himself in the running for best player on the pitch in this game. Joe Rodon clumsily gave away a penalty and needed Meslier to bail him out with a fine save that kept the score 1-0.

Up top Joel Piroe struggled to get shots away or impose himself on the game and when a big chance was presented to him by Aaronson in the second half he failed to take it. Dan James at least threatened to make something happen but was unable to finish off any of his best work. The cheap free-kicks, aided admittedly by a fussy referee and a Swans team all-too-happy to go to ground, and the lack of care in passing the ball denied Leeds the chance to build momentum or create much in the way of opportunities to pull away from the visitors.

And then came Swansea's equaliser, which was almost entirely down to Meslier and his failure to hold a routine catch. There was a hint of joint-venture however. That corner came because the Frenchman had got down well to make a fine stop from a Ronaldo volley. The first corner came because Ao Tanaka, on for Ampadu, haplessly passed the ball straight out of play.

For all the disappointing elements of the performance, it still should have been enough to take three points because on 86 minutes Leeds had it won. Having better controlled the second half they pushed for a winner and when Pascal Struijk's header was palmed out by Lawrence Vigouroux they thought they had it, Willy Gnonto planting the ball in the back of the net to send Elland Road wild.

There was no small amount of bitter irony in the seven minutes of time added on which stemmed almost exclusively from Swansea time wasting and gave them ample opportunity to press for a second equaliser. When it came it was bitterly disappointing from a Leeds point of view. They had struggled to keep possession from their own throws throughout the game and Mateo Joseph's trampoline touch gave it away from another inside his own half. Tanaka failed to win the subsequent challenge and Struijk allowed himself to be nutmegged by a pass that put Zan Vipotnik in behind. His strike was of a quality and from an angle that should not have beaten the goalkeeper of a side hunting automatic promotion and the stats bear out the suggestion that this kind of shot beats Meslier far more often than it does his top three peers.

Elland Road quickly emptied at full-time and those who remained as Farke and his players trudged round were split between those content to applaud and those keen to boo. The anger was understandable. This was everything Leeds did not need. A win by any means was required to quell the nerves and the fear that it, the it suffered in 2024, is going to happen again. A win the likes of which Sheffield United were grinding out on repeat before the international break. Winning ugly if necessary but just winning to keep a lid on what is always bubbling underneath at this club.

Farke was keen to try and keep hold of the narrative at full-time before it spiralled away from him and reminded everyone that Leeds' fate remains in their own hands. He is right. And he has in his hands a squad with the ability to score all the goals they need to win any game between now and the final outing at Plymouth. When at his sharpest again, Ampadu’s presence will be felt more keenly and painfully by the opposition. Gnonto is clearly having a moment, his confidence is up and Farke could properly unleash him for the run-in. What’s more, defensively this Leeds team know they can stifle and dominate, they’ve just got to do so again.

The question is - where are their heads after this latest blip? And what will Farke do about Meslier, whose head appears to have gone like it did in the relegation season? How many howlers is too many howlers? It could easily be argued that Leeds reached that point long before now but as it stands dressing room confidence must at the least be teetering when it comes to the man between the sticks. What happens when a defence loses all trust in their stopper does not bear thinking about at this stage of a promotion race. Then there’s Meslier’s self confidence to consider, not to mention the feeling of the fanbase and whether or not he can withstand the pressure and nervy moments coming his and Leeds’ way.

This is where Farke finds himself with seven games remaining. Eighty-one points from 39 games is a remarkable and admirable achievement. The Whites are so well placed to go and finish it off to claim what would be a deserved promotion, but finish well they must. Sheffield United and Burnley will almost undoubtedly force them to. Nothing is won and nothing is guaranteed. Blips, slips and juggled crosses can scarcely be afforded from here on in. And if Farke does not take the matter into his own hands then there is an all too clear and present danger that Leeds could drop the ball for the second successive season and make this their manager’s last at Elland Road.