Mighty Leeds Weblog

Leeds United head coach Jesse Marsch expressed his delight for left-back Junior Firpo after the Spanish defender scored his first goal in a Whites shirt against Accrington Stanley Joe Donnohue The 26-year-old netted Leeds’ second goal in a 3-1 win over the League One outfit as the Whites secured passage to the Fifth Round of the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon. Firpo started at left-back, as he did against Cardiff City in United’s 2-2 Third Round draw and subsequent replay. Marsch was unaware Firpo’s well-taken strike was his first for the club, but addressed the difficult period he has endured since joining in the summer of 2021. "I think Junior has been really good,” the head coach said. “I know he's had a tough time here with injuries and with fans sometimes being dissatisfied with him, but his mentality to work for the team and to try to get himself into really good form has been good and I think now he's played in three cup matches, and I think he's been one ...

Two goals in as many second-half minutes from Junior Firpo and Luis Sinisterra killed the tie Mark Walker Leeds avoided another FA Cup upset by winning 3-1 at Accrington to reach the fifth round for just the fourth time in 20 years. Jack Harrison’s stunning strike gave the Premier League side an interval lead and two goals in as many second-half minutes from Junior Firpo and Luis Sinisterra killed the tie. But it was not all plain sailing for Jesse Marsch’s side and Sky Bet League One side Accrington deservedly pulled one back through teenage substitute Leslie Adekoya’s first senior goal. But Leeds, dumped out of the cup by the likes of Hereford, Histon, Rochdale, Sutton, Newport and Crawley in recent years, had too much quality for their hosts and reached the last 16 for the first time in seven years. The opening exchanges were fast and furious. Accrington skipper Sean McConville stung Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier’s palms with a 25-yard drive and Shaun Whalley was denied...

CUP MAGIC, LEEDS STYLE Written by: Moxcowhite • Daniel Chapman Should have known, really! Should have known. There was a bit, a short time before kick-off, perusing Cardiff City’s team news, comparing their new stadium to the old and angry Ninian Park, thinking about the quality that exists in Leeds United’s Premier League squad, when I thought: this might be fine. This game could be simple. Leeds could calmly win 3-0. Our opponents, from the bottom of the Championship, were ill and understrength. Leeds United were also understrength. And it was them who made me sick. There was not much to object to in United’s starting line-up, especially once Jesse Marsch reeled off the list of muscular injuries affecting absent players. But sure, give Junior Firpo a shot, bring Rasmus Kristensen back, try Darko Gyabi in midfield, give Joe Gelhardt some playing time, put Pascal Struijk to centre-back — and captain. All moves with merit. But on top of the changes, Marsch asked them to play like…...

Teenage substitute striker Sonny Perkins bagged a 93rd-minute equaliser to save Leeds United’s skin in the FA Cup third round and seal a 2-2 draw at Cardiff City and Elland Road replay. Lee Sobot Cardiff went ahead with their first real attack in the 24th minute as Jaden Philogene-Bidace fired home after Mark Harris had been played in behind Pascal Struijk and Junior Firpo. The Bluebirds then doubled their lead just seven minutes later as Sheyi Ojo netted from the middle of the box after Andy Rinomhota this time played the ball in behind Diego Llorente. But Leeds finally burst into life following a triple substitution ten minutes into the second half and one of the substitutes in Rodrigo pulled a goal back less than five minutes after coming on when heading home from a short corner after a Sam Greenwood cross. The Whites were then awarded a penalty with ten minutes left as Joel Bagan kept out a Junior Firpo drive with a handball on the line for which he was sent off but Rodrigo...

Leeds United are taking themselves out of matches with mistakes and keeping themselves out with missed chances, which is a sure-fire way to take yourself out of the Premier League. By Graham Smyth Performing as well as they did in the win over Chelsea and Sunday's undeserved defeat by Arsenal is largely meaningless if, against the sides you need to beat, like Leicester City, you don't hit the same heights, or even the net. If a second half battering of the Gunners was exactly what they needed going into a must-win against the Premier League's bottom side, then a 2-0 defeat at the Kingpower was exactly the last thing the season called for. Seven games have now come and gone without a victory but it is this one in particular that has, quite suddenly, put Jesse Marsch's Elland Road future under intense scrutiny. It was the performance against Leicester, a side with just one previous victory to their name, that prompted chants of Marcelo Bielsa's name and genu...

Leeds United's awful recent run took a new turn for the worse as Jesse Marsch's Whites suffered a 2-0 defeat at Leicester City who climbed off the bottom of the Premier League table with just their second win of the campaign. By Lee Sobot Leeds fell behind in the 16th minute after Marc Roca was robbed of possession in his own half and a cross from Dennis Praet was then turned home by Whites defender Robin Koch for an own goal. Luis Sinisterra was denied a fine equaliser when his shot cannoned back off the crossbar but Leicester doubled their advantage in the 35th minute through a calm finish from Harvey Branes after United were cut open behind Junior Firpo down the right flank. The Whites have now lost five of their last seven games, none of which have yielded a victory for a side left fifth-bottom and only above the division's drop zone on goal difference. Whites boss Jesse Marsch made four changes to his side as captain Liam Cooper, Jack Harrison and Rodrigo dropped...

Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch doesn't need Junior Firpo or Luke Ayling to be happy, he needs them to be ready. By Graham Smyth More than once this season the Whites head coach has been asked how he contents the senior players who are not currently in his starting XI and his priority is not so much their happiness, but their understanding that it will take a squad of fully committed players to make this a good season for Leeds. And that commitment will manifest itself in a player's readiness to be called upon, when the time comes. For Ayling, the time might not come just yet because Rasmus Kristensen appears to be hitting his stride after a difficult start to Premier League life and the performances against Crystal Palace and Arsenal should be enough to keep him in situ on the right of the back four. Until Wednesday afternoon the generally accepted wisdom was that Firpo could be looking at an equally challenging task to get into Marsch's line-up, thanks chiefly to the...

Leeds United held Aston Villa to a draw at Elland Road after losing Luis Sinisterra to two yellow cards during the second half By Joe Donnohue Leeds United’s resolve was tested on their return to Premier League action on Sunday as the Whites played out a goalless draw at home to Aston Villa. Summer signing Luis Sinisterra was shown a red card after picking up his second booking of the game shortly following the restart, meaning Leeds were forced to play out the remaining half hour with ten men. Prior to Leeds’ 0-0 draw, though, head coach Jesse Marsch stated the team had been working on ‘man-down’ tactics during their unplanned, month-long break. "We've gotten a little bit healthier,” Marsch said in his pre-match press conference. "We've been able to talk a little bit more. We were able to work on a little bit more man-down tactics. We were able to work through a little bit more with set pieces with some of the things that we want to achieve in all the pha...

By Jamie Kemble Leeds United are finally back in action this weekend when they take on Aston Villa. The Whites will have gone 29 days without action by the time they return from the international break this weekend, and fans will be delighted by the return of club action. It has been a solid start to the season from Jesse Marsch’s men, and it will be interesting to see how they stand up against a Villa side with similar ambitions this season. Leeds have been forced to wait to bounce back from their heavy defeat to Brentford last time out, but they will get their chance here. Meanwhile, Villa won last time out, but they are still one point behind Leeds despite playing a game more. Heading into this weekend’s clash, Leeds have a number of injury issues, but there should be good news over Rodrigo, who is on course to return from a dislocated shoulder. Rasmus Kristensen is back in action, while Liam Cooper and Luke Ayling have both featured for the under-21s as they work towa...

Leeds United head coach Jesse Marsch must choose between Junior Firpo and Pascal Struijk at left-back – decision taken out of JM’s hands By Joe Donnohue Leeds’ summer window came to a close without the club having added a left-back to Jesse Marsch’s squad. After sealing incoming transfers for several first-team players, many supporters believed the club’s business would only be completed upon the arrival of an alternative centre-forward and cover at left-back. Last season, Stuart Dallas and Junior Firpo were United’s two main options on the left-hand side of defence but with both ruled out through injury at the start of 2022/23, Marsch was left to find a solution from within his squad. Recently called up to the Netherlands setup for the first time, Pascal Struijk has emerged as the solution to Leeds’ lack of depth in that position. The 23-year-old has started each of the Whites’ league fixtures there this season and some would like to see him remain outside his natural berth ...

Leeds United head coach Jesse Marsch admitted during the team’s tour of Australia that they were in the market for a left-back By Joe Donnohue Marsch stated during the final leg of the squad’s pre-season tour that Leeds were ‘actively pursuing’ a new left-back. The head coach then selected Jack Harrison in that position for the 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace in Perth, sparing 22-year-old Leif Davis who had all but agreed a permanent transfer to Ipswich Town. It is likely Marsch omitted Davis so not to jeopardise the youngster’s transfer which was confirmed on Monday evening for an undisclosed fee believed to be in the region of £1 million. Leeds’ only recognised, senior left-back at the club is Junior Firpo who is expected to miss the opening weeks of the season through injury. Marsch left the Spaniard at home ahead of the team’s Australia tour after Firpo picked up a knock which the American said would keep him sidelined for ‘eight weeks’. Consequently, the remaining optio...

Leeds United will be back training on English soil this week as the build-up continues to the club's third season back in the Premier League. By Lee Sobot Whites boss Jesse Marsch now has just 12 more days until the season opener at home to Wolves and there will be plenty on the American's agenda over the next week and a half. Here, following the conclusion of the club's tour of Australia, we run through some of the main Whites talking points and issues to be addressed in the run up to the new campaign. Who will play at left back and what next in summer recruitment? The fact that Leeds are looking to sign another striker as competition and cover to Whites no 9 Patrick Bamford is well documented and United might end up landing another left back option too. Marsch and Leeds were assessing their options in that particular position even as it was, let alone before losing first choice Junior Firpo to injury at a time when Stuart Dallas is facing such a long time out....

Jesse Marsch says Leeds United have moved on to fresh striker targets but says Charles De Ketelaere is not a transfer dead end just yet for the Whites. By Graham Smyth The versatile Belgian striker has been top of Victor Orta’s list for a centre forward vacancy in Marsch’s squad, as Leeds attempt to provide competition and back-up for Patrick Bamford. But AC Milan have moved into prime position, with the 21-year-old keen on a move to San Siro to join the Serie A champions. Marsch’s expectation is that De Ketelaere will indeed go elsewhere, so Orta is working on alternative options. "The striker one, I think it’s been well documented that De Ketelaere was a goal of ours and it’s not finished yet with him,” said Marsch. "But we’ve also moved on to some other targets trying to figure out which would be the best fit if in the end, which is what we believe, he will not be available.” As for left-back, Leeds went into the summer window content to stick with Junior Fir...

Jesse Marsch has addressed Leeds United's thinking about their left back options in the absence of Junior Firpo - and admits that Leif Davis is effectively on trial. By Lee Sobot Firpo joined Leeds from Barcelona for 15m euros last summer to become the club's new first choice left back but the defender's first season at Elland Road was continually disrupted by injuries and three cases of Covid-19. The 25-year-old impressed in United's pre-season friendly against Blackpool earlier this month but then suffered a fresh injury setback that is set to keep him out for around eight weeks. Marsch, though, has made a prediction about the importance that Firpo will hold upon his return and in the meantime has laid down the challenge to Davis surrounding what happens next. Davis, 22, spent last season on loan at Championship side Bournemouth but has returned to Leeds and started Sunday's pre-season friendly against Aston Villa in the left back role. The former Cher...

Junior Firpo says the way he expects Leeds United to play this season will help him carry on attacking, but the left-back knows he cannot neglect his defensive duties either. By Stuart Rayner When Jesse Marsch arrived at Elland Road in February, the feeling was he might employ the 4-2-2-2 formation popular in the Red Bull franchises he previously coached in. He used it in his first game at Leicester City, then moved away from it. With the squad better shaped to his requirements this summer, it seemed a possibility it could be back this term, but pre-season started in a 4-2-3-1. It was, however, noticeable how narrow “wide” players Jack Harrison and Rodrigo were against Blackpool, allowing Firpo to get forward, with an assist and a goal, albeit from a corner. “At the start I think he (Marsch) wanted to play a 4-2-2-2 but we still have wingers like Jack, who’s improving a lot, and the guy we’ve signed from Feyenoord (Luis Sinisterra) is a winger as well, so I think we like to...

NO GRAY SKIES Written by: Moxcowhite • Daniel Chapman If you’re looking for optimism in these turbulent and uncertain times, why not consider an opening pre-season friendly at the end of summer in the sun-dappled outskirts of the historic city of York? Leeds United, with a bunch of new signings in the stands, some first team internationals still resting, but enough on the pitch to excite and delight against two elevens’ worth of Sky Bettery from Blackpool, will never look better in your imagination than they do right now. Part of the challenge the Peacocks have this summer is keeping everyone in a good mood through the sales of Kalvin Phillips and (probably) Raphinha. They’re doing alright so far. The night belonged to Archie Gray, who played the most minutes of anyone, into the realms of cramp and getting duffed up by cloggers. Callum Connolly, a 24 year old already on his eighth club, was chief bully of the second half, leaving elbows and shoes all over the young players Richar...

Football fans go to watch pre-season friendlies for a couple of reasons. By Stuart Rayner Many are addicts who have had weeks of cold turkey since last watching their team, others struggle to get into Premier League games. But for all there is the prospect of seeing something different. There were enough novelties to keep Leeds United’s supporters happy as they filed out after a comfortable 4-0 win over Blackpool. For starters, there was the venue, which the Whites visited 12 months ago but for a behind-closed-doors game against Villarreal. The joys of ticking off another ground would have been tempered somewhat as queues bunged up outside the turnstiles, forcing kick-off to be delayed 10 minutes. There were new coaches in the dugout in Jesse Marsch’s assistant Ewan Sharp (Frank Schiemer is becoming a consultant) and fitness coach Pierre Barrieu, once of Sheffield Wednesday but like Sharp also New York Red Bulls. They might not have been expecting in the first post-Kalvin P...

Marc Roca became a Leeds United player during a flying visit on Friday but his move has been in the works for months. By Graham Smyth The midfielder jetted in, passed his medical, completed paperwork that will be ratified on July 1, posed for photos and met the media before jumping in a car to the airport to fly out again. He's spending the weekend in Ibiza with his girlfriend before returning to start their new life with his new club in earnest. The idea of leaving Bayern Munich after two years wasn't overly difficult for the 25-year-old, who has nothing but good things to say about the German club but simply played too few games to consider sticking around. The idea of moving to Yorkshire appealed when it was first broached ahead of the January transfer window. "I heard of some interest in winter," he said. "But some weeks ago they started the conversations and really I was honestly really excited at the beginning. And finally, I'm here. ...