Another game, another good result for Leeds United against a European Super League team.
fter denting Liverpool’s top-four hopes last week, Marcelo Bielsa’s side earned a draw against Manchester United and made sure the latter’s glimmer of hope in the Premier League title race almost vanished. Defeat next weekend could lead to the champagne being opened at Manchester City.
These ESL teams are discovering how difficult it will be in the weeks and months ahead as pariahs of English football.
Chelsea have also dropped points in the past week, while Tottenham Hotspur and City have fallen behind to pumped-up opponents attempting to upset the so-called ‘Big Six’.
Leeds are a fine example of how everything must be earned in the Premier League. They were playing in the Championship at this stage last season but have four positive results against ESL rebels during their run of six unbeaten matches.
The highlight of this stalemate was hearing Harry Maguire yelling his displeasure at Fred for not running with Leeds players, using industrial language to emphasise his point. “F****** idiot”, was the sign-off from the visitors’ captain.
“We have a group that demands a lot of each other,” said Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the Manchester United manager. “The standard is high both in training and a game, it is not just about being a nice guy and cajoling. We demand maximum effort.”
Solskajer insisted his team would not let the ESL debacle overshadow their season, but that is difficult to see. There is little talk about his team almost going through the entire campaign unbeaten away from home and being crowned ‘kings of the road’. Opponents are doubling their efforts and supporters remain unhappy.
Fans stormed the training ground at Carrington last week to protest against the club’s Glazer family owners but it is not the end of the resentment towards the Americans, with a plane flown over Elland Road trailing a banner reading: “£2bn stolen – Glazers out.”
In the directors’ box, Angus Kinnear, Leeds’ chief executive, wore the white rose of Yorkshire and used his programme notes to denounce the “seditious” move by clubs he branded playground bullies.
Solskjaer said: “I wasn’t aware (of the banner) and I don’t think any of the boys had seen it. We have focused on the game.
“Of course, it was a difficult week, but I am really happy with the boys’ focus. They have such a determination to finish the season strongly,” he added.
With both teams stuck in second gear, some of the best action was away from the pitch. Bielsa was a fascinating figure as his booming voice rang around the empty stadium.
“No foul,” he yelled when opponents approached the penalty area, his manner never anything but stern. “Anticipate,” was the instruction from dead-ball situations.
When the visitors had the only goalmouth action of the first half, Bielsa was telling his players in the defensive wall not to move. Marcus Rashford cleared the Leeds players but Illan Meslier showed his athleticism to palm the ball away.
Gareth Southgate had made the short trip from his home in Harrogate to watch the match and was writing away in his notebook. The England manager saw Rashford start on the left, while Mason Greenwood played at centre-forward.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Ayling have not been in Southgate’s plans this season but showed they are solid options in that well-stocked right-back position.
Southgate would have been impressed with Kalvin Phillips sitting in front of Leeds’ back-four but breaking forward and popping up all over the pitch.
He also seemed to be man-marking Bruno Fernandes to good effect when he did not have the ball.
“To be aggressive and not violent is very difficult and Kalvin managed it very well,” Bielsa said. “He was very important for us.”
Leeds felt they could have been awarded a penalty in the first half, when Jack Harrison led a counter-attack and his cross touched the arm of Luke Shaw as the England full-back leaned into the ball.
“Defensively we were solid but we couldn’t find that cutting edge,” Maguire said.
“The tempo was there and the intensity. Both teams were trying to play the right way but it just lacked that little bit of quality in the final third where it matters, whether it is a set-play or a moment of brilliance from our attackers.”
Solskjaer’s team are now only trips to Aston Villa and Wolves from going through the league campaign unbeaten away from home.
“It is a good achievement no matter if there are fans or not, 23 or 24 games without a defeat,” Solskjaer said. “The players have prepared well for these games, the work by the coaches is really good, it is planned down to a tee and we hope it continues because we have got big games coming up.”