Leeds United 0 QPR 0: YEP Jury give their verdicts

MIKE GILL


Leeds UNITED set up to attack against a QPR team with wily old boss Ian Holloway in charge but ultimately under-performed and didn’t really threaten the opposing defence.

It was shades of Cardiff again but at least this time United didn’t lose. Rangers came closest when Conor Washington found himself in a one-to-one with Rob Green.

The veteran keeper managed to save the ball with his legs, preventing a certain goal. Luke Ayling and Alfonso Pedraza combined well several times in the first half but the Hoops were not a nut that was going to be cracked.

Unfortunately Ayling picked up another booking and will miss the next two matches but isn’t it great when you can just say that all we have to do is move Gaetano Berardi and bring Charlie Taylor in.

Pablo Hernandez just couldn’t get himself into the game which was largely fought out in midfield with far too many passes going astray.

Kemar Roofe was very quiet and it was no surprise when he was replaced by Hadi Sacko. The other substitutes – Souleymane Doukara and Eunan O’Kane – made little difference.There followed a period of pressure at both ends but it was clear that it wasn’t going to be United’s day.

As the game drew to its inevitable conclusion O’Kane was involved in a scuffle with the petulant Jamie Mackie who was trying to waste time by stealing the ball.

Mackie also went into the referee’s book. So despite the fact that QPR had more chances than Leeds it is clear that they came for the draw and were duly satisfied with it.

Massive performances came from Kyle Bartley, Pontus Jansson and Berardi again in a game dominated by the defences.

What went wrong? Did the Whites drain themselves at Fulham?

Who knows, but Saturday’s results included defeats for Newcastle, Reading and Wednesday so maybe United’s six games without defeat doesn’t look too bad after all. It is imperative that they raise their game against Brighton and keep slogging away until the end of the season.

A play-off place should be a given but it is all about bottle and nerve now.

Man of the match: Pontus Jansson.

KEITH INGHAM

Leeds suffered 90-plus minutes of frustration at Elland Road on Saturday.

The 0-0 draw with QPR coupled with Fulham’s shock 3-1 victory at Newcastle means the gap is now reduced to six points and the Londoners have a game in hand.

They will leapfrog Sheffield Wednesday into sixth if they beat Blackburn in midweek.

The first half was a case of missed opportunities for the away side, Rob Green saving marvellously at the feet of Conor Washington, he also hit a shot wide when well placed and Matt Smith headed a good chance well wide. Leeds’ only real half chance fell to Kemar Roofe but his effort was deflected wide of the goal.

Luke Ayling picked up a harsh booking meaning he will be banned for two games.

It was more of the same in the second half with neither team having the imagination to get past two resolute defences.

Chances were at a minimum and Garry Monk used all three substitutes to try and conjure a winning goal but it wasn’t to be and the match ended goalless.

The absence of a ‘plan B’ was plain for all to see on Saturday and eyes turn to Craven Cottage next Tuesday and the hope is that Blackburn do something not many teams have done...win there.

Man of the match: Luke Ayling.

STEPHEN CLARK

Frustrating is the only word I can use to describe Saturday’s performance against QPR. It was one of those games where the team never really got going but were never really under any pressure.

I can only recall one save in the game, and that came from Rob Green in the first half, blocking an effort with his legs. Unfortunately Leeds never tested Alex Smithies on an afternoon where the team as a whole misfired.

It’s important that we don’t become too anxious. Bar Fulham’s incredible win at Newcastle (and that just highlights what a great point we picked up on Tuesday) results went our way and we are still in a really strong position. The game against Brighton on Saturday should see the team rise to the occasion as they have done so often in recent weeks.

Man of the match: Gaetano Berardi.

GARY NEWBOULD

Only time will tell whether it was a point gained or two points dropped on a thoroughly frustrating afternoon at Elland Road as United registered their first goalless draw of the season.

It was a poor and disjointed performance, matched by that of referee Tim Robinson with Chris Wood being heavily outnumbered by a five man back-line and the midfield especially below par. Let’s hope there is a much-needed positive reaction when Brighton arrive at LS11 next Saturday evening.

Man of the match: Rob Green.

DAVID WATKINS

Leeds are undoubtedly a difficult side to beat and to score against these days and have been since the current defence was assembled and organised in mid-September. But up front we are creating fewer chances than ever, not that we ever created that many. Six attempts with none finding the target against a side 15th in the table on our own patch is not good enough.

It appears to be the wide areas that are letting us down with none of our many so-called wide men actually standing out as any better than the rest.

It still baffles me why we brought in Alfonso Pedraza and Mo Barrow who have proved to be no more penetrative than the likes of Sacko, Doukara, Dallas, Roofe et al. But somehow we need to come up with a pair that can create something or we could still miss out on the play-offs by recording a string of draws. Maybe with Luke Ayling now missing we could switch our main focus from the right wing to the left with Charlie Taylor and Pedraza in tandem. We now have four difficult games coming up and we need a new formula.

Man of the match: Pontus Jansson.

MATTHEW EVANS

A second disappointing draw in the space of a week; this time because of our inability to break through a resolute defence rather than our not being able to cling on until the final whistle.

United huffed and puffed and looked casual, maybe nervy, as they stroked it around under the noses of QPR’s front line. QPR themselves looked dangerous in spells and the Leeds defence had to work hard once again for the clean sheet.

It’s absolutely crucial that we don’t try to coast to May. Garry Monk needs to break the malaise and find a way to get our attack firing again and present much more of a danger to teams, especially those in the lower half of the table.

Man of the match: Gaetano Berardi.