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Leeds United v Brighton and Hove Albion: Seagulls just edged it for me! - Gray
Looking at Saturday’s game, I thought we started quite well and were knocking the ball around and looking confident. We really could have done with scoring a goal in that spell, but we didn’t get it and it gave Brighton more confidence and they came into the game more.
We should definitely have had a penalty kick for Adam El-Abd’s foul on Ross McCormack though, that said, I thought Adam Clayton was a bit lucky when he was only booked for a foul from our side of the coin.The way referees are, on another day it could have been a red with the way he jumped in.
Adam maybe got a bit frustrated for a moment, because he’d played quite well and looked quite solid.
Overall, it was an end-to-end game with not a lot between the teams, but with them being the away side, in terms of what they did, they probably deserved the victory.
Most people would agree with that in terms of how they played. And even at 1-1, they didn’t sit back, they went for the winner and kept playing their way.
They looked quite a strong outfit and one who had taken 13 points from their last 15 and it was never going to be an easy game.
Looking at Brighton, they have had a funny season, they started well and won a few on the trot and then lost a few. Now they are on another good run and haven’t been beaten this year.
I thought Neil Redfearn’s team worked hard for him, but I felt we just fell short with the final ball.
Difficult
Also, after 10 or 15 minutes, Brighton doubled up on Robert Snodgrass, which made it difficult for him to get into the game, although I thought their left-back played Robert well and kept bombing forward himself and worked Robert the other way.
When Robert did pick up the ball, he was very deep, rather than out and about their 18-yard box.
I’ve got to say, I did think Luciano Becchio performed a lot better than he has done recently.
I thought he took his goal well and had a chance with another header in the first few minutes. That was the Luciano we really want to see at the club.
Looking at the goals we conceded, with Brighton’s opener, I thought Craig Mackail-Smith just reacted quickly when the ball came across the face of the goal. And it was a real striker’s goal.
I do think their substitutes did make a big impact when they came on.
Craig Noone, when he came on and especially when he went on the left side, looked lively and put a few crosses in, and he and the left-back were linking up well. Noone caused us problems with his pace.
In terms of their second goal, the winner, I think one of our players should have read the situation better and realised someone was going to pass the ball to Alan Navarro.
We should have got out of the box quicker before he struck the ball and he shouldn’t have been allowed to pick the ball up and turn. We didn’t close him down, which was disappointing.
Overall our defenders coped fairly well and to be fair to Brighton they looked a decent side.
The defence largely did their job, but once or twice just fell down in their concentration levels, while our goalkeeper made a couple of good saves.
Looking at Aidy White, I do think he looks better at left-back. It suits him more.
When you are playing on the left, you have got to read situations quickly and I just think it’s better suited for Aidy when he’s running onto things more, but obviously that’s up to Neil.
It’s now on to Coventry City on Tuesday night and then Doncaster Rovers here next Saturday. Looking at it before the Brighton game, everyone was hoping we were going to pick up nine points out of nine, but it’s not to be now.
There’s no such thing as an easy game for us in this league. Even though we won at Bristol last week, for half an hour to 35 minutes when it was 11 versus 11, Neil admitted they were the better team.
Against most of the teams we’ve played against this season, it’s been a battle.
Look back to the Watford game and the Crystal Palace one against 10 men for instance.
Coventry are struggling, but no doubt they will be battling for their lives and won’t make it easy.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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Comments
There are 9 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
steveoz
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 07:38 AMmmmmm Mick McCarthy could be alot worse try hoddle,ince, bruce redfearn,robinson,clark wise freedman..........after Warnock or Antic mick Mac would be my number 3
OzTyke
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 11:31 PMI assume that Eddie has phoned in his copy and the YEP work experience kid has written the dumb headline... the picture tells a story, row upon row of empty seats inside Elland Road.
Braemar1234
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 10:19 PMMick McCarthy is absolute garbage...no way at Leeds forget it it would be an unmitigated disaster. I think Bates has learnt his lesson and is either going for Warnock or Souness, he needs experience and he knows it.
paz
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 08:57 PMWhen are we ever going to go on a "good run"? Just when you think just maybe Leeds have turned the corner, without fail the team lets us fans down. Inconsistency all the time, and that is the fault of the manager. If we had bad players and a really poor team you could not blame the manager. But we don't. I think the players maybe a little too comfortable with NR. I guess tonight and on Saturday we will really find out!
edgeleywhite
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 07:57 PMNo way do I want Poyet. As an ex Chelsea player, he'd get slaughtered by many fans if we lost 2 or 3 on the bounce. Warnock, McCarthy, Bruce yes. But like I said, would they seriously come to leeds? Surely these people can afford to hang around and wait for better jobs at Blacburn, Bolton, Wigan.
Number1leedsfan
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 06:45 PMEdgeley white, sorry but whatever happens we do not want the Barnsley loser Mick McCarthy at Leeds. Warnock or Poyet yes, McCarthy no way!
mccarthy
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 05:34 PMi dont wish to be rude to a Legend as Eddie is classed as, but he bores the backside off me, i watch lutv and listen to every broadcast, i hasten to add i am 75, supported Leeds since Major buckley over 65 years. now, i can no longer get to the ground as i live 65miles away. But Eddie comes out with so much drivell, he is so dyde in the wool he cant seem to face reality, evey time a man gets sent off, we get now, we will go on to win by such and such a score, his predictions are about as good as scycic Sally, were always going to win, no wonder he isnt a manager anymore, as soon as someone says 3 minutes injury time he thinks were going to score a bagfull. Just to Eddie, get real and say what you really think, i will say what i think and i can see us losing at Coventry But then i heard NR say on radio interveiw we can score enough gols to sink a battleship. i wish someone had said that to Blackpool, Barnsley, Birmingham.
edgeleywhite
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 04:28 PMOne Mick MaCarthy, there's only one Mick MaCarthy, one Mick MaCarthy, there's only one Mick MaCarthy. Question is: would he want to come to Leeds for 3K a week?
Marti
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 03:08 PMHow many sentences is it possible to begin with, 'Looking at'? I know he probably says it down the 'phone to you, but do you employ any kind of writing skills at the YEP?
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