Leeds United’s defeat to Burnley had a worrying similarity to many of their losses in the Championship last season.
Eight of their 10 league defeats in the regular season last term were by the odd goal, the majority of which came against sides who were happy to sit back and defend.
Though with considerably more quality on the counter-attack, Burnley were happy to employ similar tactics at Elland Road and never really looked in any trouble.
Mateo Joseph’s early chance, which he should’ve scored, came from an error at the back. It was only really Wilfried Gnonto who had a sight of goal as a result of good play from Leeds.
Manor Solomon will have felt they should have had a penalty in the first half, though it was a decision which could’ve gone either way, with Aidy White suggesting the referee got it right.
Farke makes repeat of past mistakes in Leeds defeat
Aside from the game against West Brom where both sides were extremely cagey, Leeds have played with a much higher tempo so far this season in comparison to last.
On other day against Portsmouth, Leeds could’ve quite easily scored seven had they been a bit more clinical. The win over Sheffield Wednesday also saw some really incisive play.
And although they had to be patient against Hull City, Leeds were able to create a lot more than in today’s defeat to Burnley.
Burnley are the only real side so far who have sat back and asked Leeds to break them down. Unfortunately at the first attempt, Daniel Farke‘s side failed.
Even into the latter stages of added on time, Leeds were found constantly passing the ball backwards and sideways between themselves at the back. Farke can point towards the failure to bring in a number 10, but some of the fault is also at his door.
On so many occasions, particularly in the first half, Junior Firpo would find himself in space on the touchline.
Leeds, though, would either ignore his shouts for the ball, or take three passes to get it over to his side, by which point Burnley were able to easily close him down.
The trio of Ilia Gruev, Pascal Struijk and Joe Rodon all completed over 78 passes each, the majority of which will have been to each other.
Clearly that is an instruction Farke is giving his players in an attempt to draw Burnley out, but they didn’t bite and so they defended everything Leeds threw at them very comfortably.
In matches like that, Farke simply has to encourage his players to take more risks on the ball or there are going to be more frustrating afternoons to come.
One thing he simply has to learn from the defeat is that Gruev and Ethan Ampadu is a partnership that just doesn’t work.
Farke also got it wrong with Leeds subs
Farke did not win too many admirers for his use of substitutions at Leeds last season and again today, they were a little puzzling.
Leeds quite clearly needed an injection of pace in the final third and so to only give Largie Ramazani just over 10 minutes was a poor decision.
Though the end product was not quite there, Ramazani showed very quickly how many problems his pace could’ve caused with a darting run through the middle.
Joel Piroe is a good player to bring off the bench when chasing a goal, too, but it’s no good doing it when there is no space in the final third, without any creativity around him.
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