Leeds United's unreasonable demand and back to the future hope — Graham Smyth's Portsmouth Verdict — YEP 10/3/25

By Graham Smyth

Perfection is not a reasonable ask of Leeds United but there's a reason why Daniel Farke strives for it.

It's not just the German's insistence that his Whites have to be 'spot on' in each defensive moment and 'fully concentrated' or 'ruthless' in each goalscoring opportunity that is driving the need for Leeds to be perfect. It's the Championship. Despite travelling to Portsmouth for Sunday's early kick-off on the back of an incredible 17-game unbeaten streak and despite beating both Sunderland and Sheffield United during that spell, Leeds had no breathing room whatsoever. Burnley and Sheffield United have simply refused to go away all season and there's little to suggest they will any time soon. So in order for Leeds to pull clear and stay clear, it might take something a bit more than being very good.

Leeds, though, have flirted with something a bit more than simply being very good this season. They are the darlings of the division's press rooms, where opposition managers purr about the quality of individuals and the coaching that have combined to make them just about every other Championship boss' pick for the division's best side. That's all well and good but if the table does not show it, then all those lovely tributes will mean not a lot come May.

It's also all very well being able to play with the ball like a team good enough to score sufficient goals and win sufficient points to earn a title, but you also have to show you can fight when the need arises. That was partly the tale at Fratton Park, an old school ground where one team proved the old adage that you earn the right to play by first winning the fight.

In a scrappy start, Portsmouth showed very little respect to the league leaders. Or perhaps they showed them exactly the correct level of respect by steaming into challenges, giving Leeds very little time to settle, winning aerial battles in midfield and bringing an urgency and physicality that several in the visiting side appeared uncomfortable with.

Leeds by their own standards started poorly. Ao Tanaka was wayward and sluggish. Jayden Bogle's first touches robbed him of the opportunity to go forward. It was more than just a scrappy start, it was sleepy, giving further rise to the suspicion that this team does not relish an early kick-off.

That said, had the officials been spot on and fully concentrated when Daniel James was kicked in the penalty area then Leeds would have had a potentially rhythm-changing chance to open the scoring from the spot. Play went on and it was Portsmouth getting shots away at the end of their moments. Freddie Potts found enough space outside the box to curl behind, via a deflection, then had another go from the same position and watched it sail harmlessly over Illan Meslier's goal. By the 35th minute it was clear Leeds were in a proper game but not acting accordingly. Pompey's aggression and Leeds' anonymous midfield combined to breed confidence in the hosts, who began to play a bit more.

And yet, again, had a completely unmarked Joel Piroe been fully concentrated, as he has been to deadly effect on so many occasions this season, Leeds would have gone down the tunnel ahead. Manor Solomon tried to surprise Nicolas Schmid with a shot through a crowd but the stopper got down to it, stayed down and kept out Piroe's follow-up effort from close range.

The second half started in similar fashion. If the first miss was a bad one, the second was atrocious. Bogle sent James away with a beautiful pass, the winger eventually got a cross away for a free Solomon and he went round the keeper to set up Piroe for an empty net finish. The Whites' leading goalscorer cleared the bar by a distance.

Having played well to that point and ridden their luck, Pompey duly rolled up their sleeves and took the fight to Leeds with even more aggression. Winning the physical battle and making Leeds' midfield look weak allowed them to play in the visitors' defensive third and eventually it paid off. What was so galling for Leeds was the part they played in their own downfall. A run-of-the-mill ball down the channel by Connor Ogilvie bounced towards the Leeds area, Joe Rodon tracked back but clearly expected his goalkeeper to come and get it but as Meslier hesitated and Pascal Struijk failed to anticipate in time to cover his defensive partner, Colby Bishop nipped in to knock the ball in off the post.

Farke reacted to the goal by sending on Mateo Joseph, Joe Rothwell and Largie Ramazani to try and spark something, though as they initially had to join in a defensive effort it felt a little like the damage had already been done.

When Leeds did break the blue spell they twice came agonisingly close to an equaliser. Both chances fell to Junior Firpo in a matter of seconds. He first burst forward and fought to regain Ramazani's over-hit pass before finding himself one-on-one with Schmid, who once again came out on top. When Ramazani sent the ball back into the box, Firpo got up highest and the crossbar saved Pompey. Down came the ball, up went James and wide went his header.

Farke again turned to his bench, replacing Bogle with Sam Byram and Gruev with Gnonto. That gave Leeds three wingers and two central attackers on the pitch and the way they interchanged and roamed around trying to sniff out a final chance meant shape was largely thrown to the wind. In any case, when the last opportunity came it was the only defensive substitute who got on the end of a Rothwell corner but once again Schmid was brilliantly equal to Byram's flashing header and defeat was confirmed.

Farke has known it all along and said it all along but just as Leeds were in a proper game, they are in a proper title fight. Going unbeaten to the end of the season was never that likely in a division that throws up roadblocks at the most unexpected of junctures but Leeds' response to this set-back has to be spot on. That is where anxious supporters can draw comfort as they look ahead to what is a difficult week for their side. Millwall, who boast two previous wins over Leeds this season, and Queens Park Rangers away, where one of last season's ghosts will need to be laid to rest. As daunting as that look ahead might be, a look back at this season shows that Leeds, after a defeat, have been perfect. Beaten by Burnley, they won two in a row. Beaten by Millwall, they won three in a row. Beaten by Blackburn, they won two in a row and didn't lose for three months. Winning the next two after that Pompey set-back would be just perfect. For a team who could sit third by the time they play on Wednesday night it might not just be an ask but a demand. Welcome to the Championship, no one ever said it was reasonable.