Mighty Leeds Weblog

The Leeds United striker might have let slip his true feelings after yesterday's 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest Patrick Bamford might have already hinted at doubts over Jesse Marsch's tactical set-up in the Leeds United dressing room ahead of the American's sacking on Monday afternoon. Marsch was shown the door after a torrid run of results which have seen the Whites now winless in over three months, with their last victory coming against Bournemouth before the winter break for the World Cup. But despite a promising run into the winter, the Whites have claimed just three points from the 21 on offer since that win over the Cherries which has seen them slip down to 17th in the league despite big investment in the January transfer window. Bamford's post-match interview following the 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest can now be viewed in a different light following the events of today. After what many thought to just be frustrated words towards his own performance, i...

Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch suffered another damaging blow with a 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest, where he heard more chants for his removal. By Graham Smyth The Whites were dominant in the first half but could not find the net, while a defensive error from a set-piece helped the Reds take the lead through Brennan Johnson’s fine strike. Half-time changes by Forest boss Steve Cooper changed the pattern of the game, depriving Leeds of space in which to create and shutting Marsch’s men out almost completely, despite dominance in possession and territory. And the full-time whistle saw a visibly drained Marsch approach the away end, only to be faced with further expressions of anger and frustration. Here’s the YEP take on a game that gave the Elland Road board plenty of food for thought. Good day Willy Gnonto Imagine, for a second, that Leeds did not make the decision to pull the trigger on the Gnonto deal on deadline day last summer. Imagine if the hastily-arranged transf...

Leeds United winger Willy Gnonto created five chances away to Nottingham Forest last weekend, more than any other player outside the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ clubs Joe Donnohue The 19-year-old Italian functioned as Leeds’ primary creator at the City Ground on Sunday afternoon but was ultimately left frustrated by Forest’s tactical change and his teammates’ own profligacy in front of goal. Gnonto’s five key passes surpassed every other player outside the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ during the last round of matches, highlighting Leeds’ concerning dependency and growing reliance on the teenage forward. No other United player created more than one chance against Forest, whilst the bulk of Leeds’ attempts on goal came in the first half, before Steve Cooper introduced Serge Aurier to better combat Gnonto’s threat wide on the left. Without Gnonto’s direct running down his flank, cutting back and presenting opportunities for men in the middle, Leeds’ attacks were paralysed by Forest s...

Leeds United fans chanted for Jesse Marsch’s removal after yet another day of Premier League frustration, this time at Nottingham Forest. YEP chief football writer Graham Smyth gives his verdict. By Graham Smyth Luke Ayling's ashen, crestfallen face told the story of Leeds United's last visit to the City Ground. That 2-0 defeat felt damaging, given the increasingly panicky mood around Marcelo Bielsa's promotion chasers at the time and Ayling's post-match demeanour did little to dispel the notion that the side were feeling it too. Ultimately it was but a bump in the road on the way to the promised land. Three days shy of that game's third anniversary it was Jesse Marsch's face that told you everything you need to know about Leeds right now. Another game from which positives but not points could be plucked was meandering to its conclusion when the head coach, hands on hips, swung a half-hearted kick at an empty bottle. His side, so dominant in a first ha...

MANAGING STRESS Written by: Moxcowhite • Daniel Chapman Clarity. Clarity and stress. They’re two of the words that will haunt us, Jesse Marsch’s ghosts, long after he’s gone. Like Paul Heckingbottom left us ‘Wi’ t’ball, wi’out t’ball’. (Until Marsch gave body to those ethereal breaths and brought them back to life.) Anyway, I’m not sure how you go about forcing clarity onto another person, and neither it seems is Marsch. But if it’s not clear to the Leeds United board that things are just not working out with Marsch in charge of the football team, then perhaps a thought experiment might help them: imagine the feeling of stress released when he’s no longer the problem here. There. Andrea, Angus, Victor, Paraag and Peter too, just picture the day when he’s gone and I bet you fifty pence each that just the thought of it will lift your shoulders, smooth your brows, lighten your moods. There is one clear way to remove the stress from Leeds United and, after eleven months of trying the...

Every word Jesse Marsch said during his post-match press conference as Leeds United are defeated by Nottingham Forest at the City Ground Joe Donnohue Another defeat, talk about the game for us please. Second half, fair to say you ran out of ideas? Jesse Marsch: “Yeah. I would say we had a really good start to the match, created some chances and a really good first half where we limit them almost entirely and then go in nil-one. And then yeah, I think we with our desire to try to get back in the match we lost a little bit of our discipline. And then we didn't have the effect that we wanted to have in the second half and the guys off the bench I don't think we're able to bring enough into the match but you know, I want to just say that I take full responsibility. I have to find a way to turn good performances more into winning, because that's exactly where we are and where we've been for a little while. And that's the last step for the potential of what we n...

Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch says he accepts the frustration of supporters after Nottingham Forest inflicted another damaging result on his side. By Graham Smyth The head coach once again faced chants for his removal and questions over his future following the 1-0 loss at the City Ground, as the Whites extended their winless streak to seven Premier League outings. Leeds currently sit directly above the relegation zone, ahead of 18th-placed Everton only on goal difference, albeit with a game in hand. Three points separate Marsch’s side and Southampton, who prop up the table. “It's my responsibility, and I understand their frustration and I accept it, and I have to find a way to turn a lot of the good things that are happening into results, or we find ourselves in a stressful situation,” he said, after watching his side dominate long spells of the game without scoring. "I understand the frustration and doubts. Internally we have belief here. We do. The players are all ...

Leeds United were better than Nottingham Forest in lots of aspects of Sunday's game at the City Ground. By Stuart Rayner It was irrelevant. Because the usual combination of poor defending and bad finishing – allied, it must be said, to some very good goalkeeping from Keylor Navas – meant Forest scored a goal and their visitors did not. So Leeds remain level on points with Everton, the team the other side of the dotted line who they face the weekend after next. The "tactical clarity" coach Jesse Marsch so often talks about only counts for something when you make it count for something, and Leeds are not doing that at the moment. In fact, they have rarely done it since August. If the Whites, in their tie-died yellow away shirts on Sunday, were all over the shop, as they were this time last year, that would be one thing. You could sack the manager and move on. But Marsch's team is giving enough encouragement to a board which clearly believes in him whilst r...

Leeds United fell to a tenth defeat of the Premier League season as a host of good chances counted for nothing in a 1-0 defeat at Sunday's Premier League hosts Nottingham Forest. Lee Sobot Leeds began brightly but fell behind in the 14th minute as Forest netted with their first attack through Brennan Johnson who volleyed home after latching on to Pascal Struijk's attempt to clear a Morgan Gibbs-White free-kick. A string of fine saves from new Forest keeper Keylor Navas then kept Leeds at bay as the hosts took a 1-0 lead into the interval. New signing Weston McKennie and Crysencio Summerville were then brought on 12 minutes after the restart followed by record signing Georginio Rutter and also Junior Firpo and then Sam Greenwood as the final change. But Forest held firm with Leeds unable to repeat their first-half display as they suffered another defeat which leaves them only outside of the drop zone on goal difference. Leeds began well and went close in the second minut...

Leeds United’s Under-21 side defeated Nottingham Forest’s development squad 5-1 on Monday afternoon By Joe Donnohue Goals from Charlie Allen, Darko Gyabi, Sonny Perkins, Alfie McCalmont and Max Dean capped a five-star display from Michael Skubala’s young Leeds side on Monday as the Whites continued their unbeaten run in Premier League 2 this season. Despite going behind during the first half, Leeds battled well to break down Nottingham Forest’s deep defensive line and went in level at the break following a deserved Charlie Allen strike. Leeds returned for the second forty-five with the bit between their teeth, determined not to be thwarted as they had been in the first half. Spurred on by Skubala and his coaching staff who encouraged and applauded the high press, Leeds forced opportunities, leaving Forest players to bemoan a porous 25 minutes. Gyabi’s 30-yard effort at goal squirmed in under goalkeeper Ryan Hammond to give Leeds the advantage, and the Whites could smell blo...