Leeds United captain Ethan Ampadu has told his Leeds United teammates where they need to improve after their latest Premier League defeat.
The pressure on head coach Daniel Farke is increasing with every defeat as Leeds United remain lodged in the Premier League relegation zone.
A poll of fans suggests a majority want Farke to leave the club following their latest loss against Aston Villa after Leeds surrendered an early lead.
Farke was the subject of angry chants from the Elland Road crowd during and after the game after the Leeds boss failed to react to the changes made by Villa boss Unai Emery, which changed the momentum in the game.
Now, Ethan Ampadu has told his teammates what they need to change as Leeds look to get their survival hunt back on track.
Who was your Leeds United MOTM against Aston Villa?
Ethan Ampadu bemoans Leeds United’s defensive errors
Speaking to Sky Sports immediately after the defeat, Ampadu pointed to Leeds’ inability to keep a clean sheet as the reason for their damaging result.
Leeds conceded another goal to a cut back, which also cost them in the defeat against Nottingham Forest, and Ampadu urged his side to improve defensively.
The Leeds captain said: “We’ve been saying over the last couple of weeks that we needed a reaction from our recent performances. And like I said, the first half we did that. We started quickly, you know, got the stadium going.
“We wanted to take that into the second half again. We just didn’t start well enough. And I think this is sort of the same story over the last couple of weeks, as a team, as a collective, the goals that we conceded and that we can do better with.
He added: “You want to start every half football in a positive manner, in a positive way, and stamp your authority onto that half, and we didn’t. Then obviously it’s hard to get momentum back when you’re playing against a good team.
“I thought we did. We played better than we have in recent weeks, but it’s just the goals that have killed us again today.”
- READ MORE: Jamie Carragher delivers his verdict on Daniel Farke’s future after latest Leeds United loss
Ethan Ampadu impressed in Aston Villa defeat
Leeds endured another frustrating afternoon in their defeat at Elland Road, which left Farke’s side staring into the relegation abyss.
The most frustrating part of the game is that Leeds matched Villa for long stretches, but their new defensive fragility cost them again.
Unai Emery said Leeds looked tired:
Although Ampadu was part of this, failing to prevent the cross which led to Villa’s opening goal, he was generally impressive against Villa, as highlighted by the FotMob stats from the game.
Ethan Ampadu vs Aston Villa:
- Fotmob Rating: 7.7 – the highest of any Leeds player
- Touches – 67
- Accurate Passes (Success Rate) – 46 (91%)
- Defensive Contributions – 18
- Passes into the final third: 8
- Chances Created – 2
The Leeds captain was typically assured in possession and combative off the ball. However, he needs to take his share of the responsibility for Leeds’ defensive woes, having also played a role in one of Nottingham Forest’s goals the week before.
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