Leeds United Jury: A bit more shooting practice and Whites will be the finished article

DAVID WATKINS

Once again, had this been boxing, Leeds would have secured a unanimous points verdict.

The only reason we didn’t return home with all three points was poor finishing; the one thing we don’t seem to have improved under Marcelo Bielsa. We need to take a leaf out of the Wednesday shooting manual, if it’s there to be hit, give it a go, sometimes it will miraculously fly off a boot and find the perfect spot in the top corner however well or badly it’s hit!

Mateusz Klich got my MOTM award for adopting that philosophy with three other shots apart from his superb equaliser as well as an all-round action man display in midfield.

At the end of the day a point away from home is fine if we can continue to play with such dominance, win the majority of our home games, and throw in just a few victories on the road. Success at Hull on Tuesday will make this point all the more sweet. We wondered how we’d respond to the disappointment of losing to Birmingham and this was an emphatic answer.

Man of the match: Mateusz Klich.

ANDY RHODES

It was always going to be a tough game in South Yorkshire. Trips to Sheffield are never easy and, as Leeds proved on Friday night, you can play out of your skin and still not get what you deserve.

The Whites needed to show that the Birmingham defeat was simply a blip, and by sticking to Marcelo Bielsa’s signature Plan A they did that.

Despite going behind they never strayed from their passing style, and if they keep that up they’ll beat a lot of teams this season.

They might as well close the goal of the season completion now, just ask Bailey Peacock-Farrell, but Mateusz Klich responded in style himself.

That isn’t the first time Klich has done that this season and he was pivotal yet again in midfield. Meanwhile, Jack Harrison continues to improve. Every time he gets the ball he looks dangerous and positive.

With key players missing, Leeds still look like they’re missing that cutting edge. But the encouraging thing is that they continue to play prime Bielsa ball.

Man of the match: Jack Harrison.

KEITH INGHAM

Leeds lost top spot in the Championship after they failed to capitalise on numerous chances they created and had to settle for a 1-1 draw at Hillsborough, West Bromwich Albion beat Preston 3-2 at Deepdale so leapfrogged Leeds to go top.

Marcelo Bielsa gave his charges a vote of confidence as he kept the same side that lost at Elland Road last weekend, the only change in the 18 was Jack Clarke replacing Ryan Edmundson on the bench.

Leeds dominated the majority of the first half and both Barry Douglas and Kalvin Phillips had opportunities to give them the lead their possession deserved and if you don’t take your chances it’s ‘sod’s law’ that the opposition will get a chance against the run of play to go ahead and how! Adam Reach received the ball outside of the area and his ballooned shot went in off a post in the last minute of the half.

Within 10 minutes Leeds were level, Samuel Saiz laid the ball back to Mateusz Klich, the midfielder controlled the ball and his curled effort beautifully flew past Cameron Dawson in the Wednesday goal. From there on Leeds once again dominated proceedings and how they didn’t get a winner is down to poor decisions in the final third of the field and desperate defending by the Wednesday defenders.

Leeds had 28 shots in the game, a record for a game in the Championship this season. They will feel it was two points dropped but will be buoyed by a much better performance that deserved much more than a point. On to another Yorkshire Derby in Humberside on Tuesday and it is hoped the chances that are created are taken. It won’t be easy as Hull battled Middlesborough throughout the 90 minutes on Saturday and deservedly shared the points.

Man of the match: Mateusz Klich.

MIKE GILL

Before this game there was the usual anticipation, excitement and more than a little anxiety.

Leeds had just suffered their first defeat at home to Birmingham City the previous Saturday. Had the bubble burst?

The answer was clearly no! United put on such a dominant performance that it made a mockery of the eventual result.

They were in a different league to Wednesday when it came to energy, commitment and class.

Let us be generous and say that Adam Reach put Sheffield Wednesday ahead against the run of play with a wonder goal.

It would be unkind to say that he lashed a speculative volley which miraculously hit the target!

Mateusz Klich’s goal was a fine effort which was overdue both for him personally and for the Whites.

The ‘glass half empty’ fans will rue the missed chances, the rest of us will feel that even at this early stage, something special is happening.

Man of the match: Mateusz Klich.

MATTHEW EVANS

United’s performance on Friday night more or less hit the heights of our excellent away wins at Derby and Norwich so there was frustration in the away end as the final whistle blew with the game at 1-1.

How we didn’t score a second goal is the million dollar question following a second half where there were plenty of chances to bury one in the back of the Wednesday net.

Our failure to add to Mateusz Klich’s fantastic long range effort meant there was some uneasiness, a fear that Wednesday would sneak a win against the run of play, maybe, just like their first, with another speculative effort that nobody could do anything about.

This was a game where the entire team put in a shift and we carried no passengers. All of the talk after the match was about how well we had reacted to the Birmingham defeat and that if we play like that every week we will be there or thereabouts at the end of the season. All true, but we need to pick up points more quickly as Saturday saw us drop from the top spot and right back into the pack.

Hull City on Tuesday should be a good opportunity.

Man of the match: Barry Douglas.