Leeds United: Leeds fall to final day defeat by Southampton
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00:00Well Lee, Leeds United's season has come to a conclusion, well the league campaign that is of course, and it is the playoffs as expected, but it was a final day defeat to of all teams Southampton, who as we discussed in the last episode could be the playoff final opponents for Leeds should they get there.
00:19Now we'll come on to the playoffs themselves in a little bit but we'll start with that final day defeat against Southampton, Leeds again just never, they never looked as if they were quite out it did they, of course Southampton took the lead, Leeds then quickly equalised in fairness to them but then once Adam Armstrong got, you know, once he scored and then forget actually, yeah that was it, he scored Southampton's other goal.
00:45Yeah, I don't know, Leeds they never, as I say, they never quite looked as if they were at it's very sort of similar performance type to the way they've looked in recent weeks, not quite at their level that you know they can be and that's a worry going into the playoffs isn't it?
01:00Most definitely, yeah, it's just not, this is just not the Leeds United that we sort of like, you know, got so much acclaim for the unbeaten run and obviously had everybody sort of, I don't know about expecting automatic promotion but certainly hoping that would be the case and it was, you know, you've got to say with the run they were on it was looking like it would be the case the way they, you know, absolutely sighed through that gap to Leicester and it was in their own hands.
01:20And obviously it wasn't all of a sudden, not just on the one occasion, you know, various slip-ups during the running and as you say, you know, going into the final day of the season they needed, not well, not quite a miracle but I mean the fact is that Ipswich were 1-40 on to go up, you know, I mean that says it all and I mean you never want to be defeatist but I for one was going to Ellen Road at the weekend just like expecting the playoffs as simple as that but not like just expecting them, just like convinced it would be the playoffs.
01:49I just never thought at any point that it would be any different. I didn't think that Ipswich would slip up and sure enough they didn't. I'm surprised they didn't win by a few more goals to be honest but it doesn't really matter because all they had to do was win and in the end because of their victory it wouldn't have mattered if Leeds had got a final day victory anyway but obviously they didn't and yeah, you're right.
02:05I mean, I would say it was, you know, if you're being generous, a slight improvement to the QPR display but I mean obviously the bar is very, very low when you're losing 4-0 so that's not really saying much. You know, when Joel Peru obviously equalised, good finish from him, I think he needed that. Obviously, he's been getting a bit of stick and stuff. People obviously wanting to see Matteo Joseph in the team, it was good for him to get that goal but you know, overall as a performance, like not just him but throughout the team, just nowhere near the high levels that they've set themselves and it's a very, very worrying thing.
02:34And it's a very, very worrying end to the season and we'll touch on it in a bit but I mean in terms of like, you know, their form, the form table, I mean that's four defeats in six, you know, and just four points and it's basically, I mean it sounds like an exaggeration but it's relegation form basically. That's the brutal reality of it and yeah and obviously, you know, something's got to change.
02:55I mean, Daniel Farker said afterwards in terms of the Southampton game itself that, you know, it was sort of like went for like a risky tactic, if you like, you know, in terms of like having to go for it. I think the idea was he said that basically they wanted to, you know, sort of really just go for it and get an early goal and put the pressure on Ipswich because obviously News would filter through and that obviously leaves gaps at the back and against someone like Southampton, as we said before, who've got very, very good players.
03:18It's no surprise they went to Ellen Road and won, even though they came into the game with three straight defeats. We said before and they've got very, very good players and it's, you know, only a matter of time probably before they bounce back and unfortunately they seem to be bouncing back just in time for the playoffs. Obviously, getting players back from injury as well. Ross Stewart is a huge player for them to come back. He came back off the bench so he's back in time for the playoffs.
03:40Shea Adams went off injured, but it sounds like he'll probably be okay. So, look, it's only one win for them, but it almost feels like, you know, that's a big springboard for them, whereas on Leeds it's the flip side, you know, it's another defeat and stuff. And yeah, I mean, I don't know. I mean, sort of, obviously, ideally in this situation, you want the top three to go up, don't you, and stuff because then Leeds will be in the Premier League, but that's not the way it is. Playoffs have been here for ages. As Leeds United know, they've got a dreadful record in it. They've never gone up in them and now that's going to have to change. But yeah, I mean, no real sort of argument.
04:09I mean, 11 shots each, four on target each, Leeds more possession again, slightly 57-43, but it's about putting it in the back of the net and just, you know, problems at both ends in terms of, yes, they are still, you know, creating chances, but nowhere near as many as they were before. As I say, good finish from Peru. But it's at the back, isn't it? I mean, that's the thing.
04:31Daniel Farker said as soon as he came in, you know, that as much as sort of like, you know, he wants to play good attacking football and be a constant threat, that it's very much about having a solid foundation at the back. And they had so many clean sheets. And at the moment, they just haven't been there. I mean, the defending for the two goals was just dreadful, really. I mean, Firpo basically, you know, typically after we singled him out for praise in our last show that we did, was very much at fault for both goals.
04:55It wasn't just him, it was a collective. And I think, you know, the defence don't seem to be getting enough protection from the midfield. The attack's not clicking as much as you want it to be. Routier's totally gone off the boil. He's very much one of these players, I think, that's either on it or not. And you need him to come back ASAP. It's too much reliance on Somerville. I mean, you could go on for ages and ages and ages, but it's a huge job now for Daniel Farker to turn it around. I think maybe the only, not sort of positive out of it, but if you're sort of looking for sort of like, you know, crumbs of comfort, if you like, is that I think there was almost a realised
05:25that Leeds were going to be in the playoffs before that final game, you know, and it's not like they've sort of like chucked it away in the last game, felt like the damage was done at QPR.
05:33And so from that perspective, that maybe softens the blow slightly because it almost makes you can get your head around it like potentially a bit quicker.
05:41But yeah, huge job for Daniel Farker to pick them up. He's done it twice before in terms of winning the league. He hasn't done the playoffs though, and now it's a big challenge for Leeds, for him and the whole team and club.
05:51So, yeah, disappointing end to, you know, up to the last six games, which has been a fantastic season. But, you know, the run in hasn't, that's for sure.