Leeds United 1 Birmingham City 2: Big match analysis
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GOOD DAY FOR
Jacques Maghoma: Scored the opening goal and carried the threat for Birmingham throughout. City’s counter-attacking style was weakened last season by the sale of Demarai Gray to Leicester but Maghoma’s work and trickery allowed Birmingham to keep coming and gain control of the match after half-time.
In the end, they stuck to their plan and deserved their win; the more consistent team over 90 minutes.
BAD DAY FOR
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Hide AdGarry Monk: He talked beforehand about turning Elland Road into a fortress and the first half produced the sort of football that the crowd there would happily embrace. But defensive errors and the sight of his players flagging in the second 45 minutes gave Birmingham encouragement.
And over the years, too many visiting sides have been allowed to think that points are there for the taking. He could not have been more angry afterwards.
KEY MOMENT
Morrison’s winning goal: Leeds could not claim to have started the second half brightly but there was nothing in the match when they came unstuck beneath a free-kick and gave Morrison a chance which even a centre-back couldn’t miss. With the energy levels of Monk’s players dropping, chasing the game was not an ideal scenario – and Tomasz Kuszczak rarely looked like allowing a second goal to slip past him.
WHAT THEY SAID
Garry Monk: “I’ve been told that there’s been a bit of softness here over the years and I saw that today, which I didn’t like. I made it very clear to the players – it’s not acceptable.”
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Hide AdGary Rowett: “We controlled the majority of the game and didn’t look in too much trouble, apart from what we caused ourselves.”
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