Mighty Leeds Weblog

Marsch was sacked on Monday after a run of seven games without a win Harry Latham-Coyle Patrick Bamford has been described as “a joke” after appearing to criticise Jesse Marsch’s tactics following Leeds’ 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest. Marsch was sacked as Leeds manager on Monday after defeat at the City Ground extended a winless run to seven games. The American’s tactical set-up had been questioned by his striker Bamford, who suggested that Forest’s centre-backs had enjoyed a straightforward afternoon as they “just had me to concentrate on”. “We needed more runners running past me to drag [Forest’s centre-backs] out of position and create a bit more space,” Bamford further explained. “The whole game was literally two v one, which made it difficult, and unfortunately I couldn’t find the answers to solve that.” Former Norwich, Celtic and Blackburn striker Chris Sutton believes that Bamford was wrong to make his criticisms public. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Sutton sug...

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 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...

The Spanish forward picked up an injury that'll rule him out for six to eight weeks of the campaign Jesse Marsch says he wanted to see Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo play together in Leeds United's FA Cup win at Accrington Stanley. However, it was a decision that had mixed consequences as the Whites made it through to the next round of the competition. It was an easy enough hurdle for Marsch and his men against League One opposition, but Rodrigo picked up a knock that's set to rule him out for six to eight weeks. The Spaniard, who has been the standout performer for the Whites this season, has had an operation on the injury but will miss a large part of the campaign. The 31-year-old has been a key component in Marsch's tactical set-up this season and the game at Accrington gave the Leeds head coach an opportunity to see Bamford, Rodrigo and new boy Georgino Rutter line-up for the first time this season. Rodrigo came off the bench in the 69th minute to replace Luis ...

IN THE MOMENT Written by: Moxcowhite • Daniel Chapman Leeds United went to Accrington and went into the fifth round of the FA Cup, efficiently if not joyfully, and given the fun has usually been at our expense in these situations that’s good. Feels odd, though. When the world’s oldest cup competition meets football’s tiredest joke the results are supposed to be more chaotic than this and part of me feels a little cheated. Jesse Marsch keeps insisting that he’s here to change this about Leeds United: “I’ve heard this a lot … [that] we always think we have to do it the hard way. Honestly, part of the job of being the manager of this club is to change that mentality.” But better coaches than him have demurred to the weight of our history, settling for adding something instead of changing things. It’s brave of him to try but I’ve never been keen on the idea and this game is why. The FA Cup. Live on the BBC on a cold Saturday lunchtime. Lower league opposition, away from home, a club ow...

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...

Leeds United and Jesse Marsch left the Elland Road pitch to applause after a draw with Brentford, because they played well. By Graham Smyth Not well enough to win, as the 0-0 scoreline showed, but well enough to be applauded. Well enough to avoid boos or calls for the manager's head. Those were last heard at Villa Park, where they also played well, but the crucial difference against the Bees was that they did not lose and they did not concede a silly goal, or two. Having controlled large parts of the game against Brentford and drawn the best of goalkeeper David Raya at least a couple of times, Marsch's men were disappointed to take just a point. He, though, saw it as a continuation of the momentum he's been talking about since the 'most complete' performance at Villa. "For me, it's clear, it's very, very clear that we're moving in the right direction," he said. "The group is coming together, there's momentum, and I know it do...

Leeds 0-0 Brentford: David Raya was the busier goalkeeper, but the hosts lacked the quality to seriously test the visitors Mark Walker Leeds’ winless Premier League run was extended to six matches as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Brentford at Elland Road. The point lifted Leeds United above West Ham into 15th place, but they sit just one point above the relegation zone, while Brentford extended their club record unbeaten league run to eight matches. It was a frustrating afternoon for Jesse Marsch’s side, who were in dire need of all three points after winning only two of their previous 15 in the top flight. Brentford’s David Raya was the busier goalkeeper – he produced the game’s decisive save when turning aside Willy Gnonto’s second-half effort – but Leeds lacked the quality in and around the penalty area to seriously test the visitors. Leeds club record signing Georginio Rutter remained on the bench and that only added to the home fans’ irritation. Brentford, who head...

In his latest column for leedsunited.com, lifelong supporter Jon Howe reflects on Wednesday's great win against Cardiff City and the upcoming match with Brentford on Sunday. Howe is the author of two books on the club, ‘The Only Place For Us: An A-Z History of Elland Road’ - which has been updated as a new version for 2021 - and ‘All White: Leeds United’s 100 Greatest Players’ in 2012. In all honesty I can’t say it applies to every aspect of my life, but where Leeds United are concerned, I’m a perfectionist. I’m what you might call a very demanding fan. Of course I’m happy with any form of win, and sometimes even a point, and I will be ecstatic with certain wins in certain circumstances, but in the pursuit of perfection I’m sometimes left a little flat when the score-line doesn’t reflect a utopian vision I’ve constructed in my own mind, and one which, in all fairness, I know Leeds United are capable of producing. Wednesday evening’s Emirates FA Cup third round replay versus ...

SUPERBIKE Written by: Moxcowhite • Daniel Chapman What a blessed relief this game was. Five goals scored, all good, one we can talk about forever and ever, the game so done after half an hour that everybody could relax and just watch the players doing the football and feel fine about things. It was a sweet sidestep away from that heavyweight foe, narrative, through a wardrobe door into football Narnia. Our favourite team playing well, winning, so we could all have fun. It’s been a while. Obviously bliss couldn’t withstand the post-match press conference, when all the talk about Jesse Marsch’s future and his tactics and his personality came back, because he brought it back, raising without being asked to reports about players being against him — “B.S.,” he said — and claiming again that Leeds fans don’t understand his tactics. His presser clocks in over 2,500 words, and all that talk invited the caveats about Cardiff being poor opponents with a shambolic defence — and I’ve seen ou...

Leeds United off-camera moments from the Whites’ FA Cup Third Round Replay victory over Cardiff City on Wednesday evening at Elland Road Joe Donnohue Leeds’ triumph over caretaker boss Dean Whitehead’s Bluebirds breathed renewed energy into the Whites as a Willy Gnonto-inspired victory lifted spirits at Elland Road after seven matches without a win in all competitions. The Italian teen netted inside 30 seconds, setting the tone for the evening as Leeds romped to an eventual 5-2 victory. The YEP have collated a handful of off-camera moments that broadcaster ITV didn’t manage to pick up on the night, including some vintage Mateusz Klich horseplay, Gnonto tomfoolery and Jesse Marsch’s family members poking fun at the head coach long after the final whistle had been blown. Klich’s cheeky salute Former Whites midfielder Mateusz Klich was paraded in front of the Elland Road crowd before kick-off, given the opportunity to bid farewell to the Leeds faithful after mutually terminating...

The way Leeds United danced around a Cardiff City shaped FA Cup banana skin represented a step forward for an off-balance manager. By Graham Smyth Head coaches rarely seem to enjoy long periods on solid footing and when they do it's a fleeting moment to be cherished. The other side of the game's patience-devoid sacking culture was laid bare this week in a poignant video featuring Mark Hudson and his kids. It was Hudson who steered the Bluebirds to a 2-0 first half lead over Marsch's Premier League Whites in Cardiff in the initial FA Cup third round meeting of the sides, before Leeds' second half comeback took the tie to a replay. Cardiff drew again six days later, with Championship bottom side Wigan Athletic, taking his winless run to nine games, and was promptly sacked. Hudson only took charge in November following the sacking of Steve Morison, having spent 10 months as assistant manager. It was his family's reaction to his appointment to that role that fea...

Leeds United did it the easy way in their FA Cup third-round replay. By Stuart Rayner Yes, you read that right. From the moment Willy Gnotno scored a stunning volley after 26 seconds, the only team at Elland Road who looked capable of beating Leeds was Leeds. The pessimist who remembered the first game might not have been sitting comfortably when Rodrigo made it two in the 34th minute, but when Gnonto added his second two minutes later, it really was time to get out the cigars. When Cardiff City had a goal harshly chalked by referee Thomas Bramall's review, they could safely be lit. It was if the Whites forgot they are supposed to be the worst team around when 1-0 up, but in case you doubted it was really them, Luke Ayling clumsily let a Sheyi Ojo cross through his legs for former Sheffield United player Callum Robinson to score a not-in-any-way-consoling consolation goal.. In the second half Patrick Bamford helped himself to his second and third goals in two games as...

Leeds 5-2 Cardiff: A late consolation brace from Callum Robinson came after Willy Gnonto had also scored twice Mark Walker Willy Gnonto and Patrick Bamford both struck twice as Leeds United thumped Cardiff City 5-2 in their FA Cup third-round replay at Elland Road. Gnonto gave Leeds a flying start with a stunning volley inside the opening minute and fired home his second after Rodrigo had struck his 11th goal of the season to put his side 3-0 up before the interval. Substitute Patrick Bamford then bagged a second-half double before Callum Robinson scored two late consolations for Cardiff, the second a penalty, as Leeds reached the fourth round of the competition for the first time in six years. Leeds scored five goals for the first time since beating West Brom 5-0 in December 2020 and now face an away tie at Accrington or Boreham Wood. A stoppage-time equaliser from Leeds teenager Sonny Perkins salvaged a replay at the Cardiff City Stadium 10 days ago, but the managerless S...

BEST YET Written by: Moxcowhite • Daniel Chapman In a pleasant but fruitless reversal of recent trends, Leeds United set up to play very well against Aston Villa, and did. Instead of turning in a forlorn half and having to change, they dominated and should and could have scored more and won. The flip was that, as United’s hopes grew into a goal, the changes for chasing the game eroded all the good stuff they’d been doing. Leeds didn’t play worse all night than in the last ten minutes, when they were trying to clinch a comeback draw. It had been chaotic all night, the good kind of chaotic, but by the end, nobody in a Stilton shirt knew where any of their cheesemates were playing, defenders were panicking about nothing at all, Illan Meslier was miles out of goal and slowly clotheslining Philippe Coutinho round his neck. With his thigh. Which was actually quite impressive. With more and more attackers on the pitch in something like a 2-1-7 formation, Leeds lost sight of their one re...