Leeds United ended up losing to Manchester United yesterday despite another spirited display for their temporary management team.
Goals from Marcus Rashford and then Alejandro Garnacho ensured the Red Devils took all three points back to Old Trafford with them. For Leeds, it was another defeat which leaves them in serious trouble. They play Everton next week in what is their biggest game of the season so far.
Of course, there was a lot to like from Leeds. Their first-half showing in particular was good and they just seemed to run out of ideas in the end going forward.
Keeping United’s forward players quiet was quite the task for Leeds. And Luke Ayling appeared to be doing his best to keep right on top of things for the Whites.
Around the 26th minute, Erik ten Hag called Jadon Sancho over for some instructions from the bench. And those eagle-eyed viewers will have seen Ayling was right on hand to earwig into the conversation. Ayling stood as close as he could to Sancho and Ten Hag, with Sky’s Alan Smith even having a laugh at Ayling’s attempts to infiltrate.
In the end, it mattered little. Both goals came down Ayling’s side, so whatever he did hear or bring back onto the pitch didn’t do much use in that second 45 minutes.
TBR’s View: Manchester United simply too good for Leeds in the end
The big difference in this fixture, as is so often the case with the top and bottom teams, was that Man United had the quality to finish off chances.
Leeds were once again wasteful in the final third. They had good chances to score and good half chances to create things and more often than not, blew it.
Patrick Bamford looks short of sharpness, while new signing Georgino Rutter looks way off it as well.