Crawley Town 3 Leeds United 0: YEP Jury give their verdicts

DAVID WATKINS

Don’t bother telling me it doesn’t matter; I waited all weekend to watch that hoping, no expecting, to get a tension-free win and experience for a few second-string players.

But that performance was an embarrassment and we know how embarrassing defeats in previous seasons have got into the heads of the players to mean the next few weeks were also downbeat and worrying.

We’ll have to wait to see if this dire display does spill over into the next game, another vital one against a side we need to be getting points from.

The first half was okay, Leeds had a formation and we were neat enough without really hurting a dogged but uninspiring home side.

Then, the half-time substitutions were baffling. If that was an attempt to rest players, thinking this was a stroll, then it backfired.

We suddenly had no shape and the players looked confused if not disinterested. Crawley took on extra belief and played to their strengths and did a number on us.

Man of the match: The Crawley number 10, Nadeson.

MATTHEW EVANS

My 3-0 prediction turned out to be spot on but never in a million years did I think it’d be 3-0 to Crawley.

I wish I’d had some money on it, put it that way.

There’s not much more to be said other than this was a disgusting performance and a disgusting result. There can be no excuses.

We either didn’t want to win it or we did want to win it and we couldn’t.

I’m not sure which is more unforgivable.

Our first-half showing was okay, if a little pedestrian, but the second half was a total disgrace.

Fringe players like Helder Costa and Pascal Struijk did themselves no favours whatsoever and Kiko Casilla should not play for Leeds United ever again.

Crawley deserved the win and will be amazed at how easily they got it.

For Leeds, you have to ask whether it’s worth us even turning up for Cup games any more.

As for Mark Wright’s appearance not being a publicity stunt... Do me a favour.

Man of the match: Ian Poveda.

JACOB STARR

Three nil down to a League Two side and they bring on a reality TV ‘star’ for the last few minutes. The magic of the FA Cup, eh? Only Leeds.

The first half wasn’t great, but that second-half performance was utterly abysmal.

You’ve got to laugh at those calling for Kiko Casilla to replace Illan Meslier in recent league matches, the man couldn’t save a Word document. And he somehow has three Champions League winners’ medals!

We needed to score, and that never looked likely, which isn’t something we often say about this United team. It goes to show how vital Patrick Bamford is.

It’s got to be said, though, the three half-time substitutions made by Marcelo Bielsa seemed strange at the time, and ultimately worked wonders for Crawley. He rarely deserves to be questioned, but on this occasion I’m afraid the Argentine got it wrong.

I’m struggling to decide which Cup exit was worse, Histon, Rochdale, Sutton, Newport or Crawley?

Man of the match: Ian Poveda.

KEITH INGHAM

I’ll make my report short and sweet. This shocking display against Crawley Town will live long in the annals of Leeds United for many years to come. The 3-0 defeat was difficult to understand and fingers must be pointed at some of the players on duty and the head coach.

For much of the first half it looked as though United might have enough, but no clear cut chances were created.

In the second half, strangely, Bielsa took off Rodrigo, Cooper and Struijk and brought on Casey, Harrison and Jenkins. The plan, if there was one, fell to pieces as Crawley seized on three howlers from Kiko Casilla – a former Spanish international and Champions League winner.

It is hoped that this disgraceful performance doesn’t affect the players for the next few games in the Premier League

This result shows me that although the starting XI can mix it with the best, what is below that isn’t good enough and if Leeds lose key players they could drop down the league like a stone.

To the players apart from a few I’d ask them to look in the mirror and realise that they are lucky to be at a club that pays them a lot more than some of them deserve.

This was a shocker!

Crawley Town do deserve credit for doing what Leeds couldn’t do, raising their game and giving the FA Cup another story to remember and Leeds another Cup horror show to forget.

Man of the match: No-one deserves a creditable mention.

ANDY RHODES

This fixture always had the potential to be in the same category as the likes of Histon, Rochdale and Sutton and, unfortunately, you could see the upset coming.

Bielsa’s XI was a strange one. A mix of youth and experience but, crucially, not many natural leaders. With the likes of Ayling and Dallas given a well-deserved rest, Liam Cooper was the natural organiser.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to see Leeds past a street-wise Crawley side. The first half wasn’t bad. Leeds showed flashes of their usual quality but couldn’t break down their compact opponents.

The home side bided their time and, crucially, took their chances. Kiko Casilla didn’t help, while the introduction of youth at half-time didn’t work.

Crawley kept their errors to a minimum and stifled United’s attack.

It was a quality performance and was typical of Leeds’ recent Cup runs.

The early exit does ease Leeds’ fixture list in the months ahead. The focus this season is, and always has been, the league.

Man of the match: Kalvin Phillips.

MIKE GILL

The game started well enough. It was encouraging to see the selection of such a strong side.

By half-time, we had lost out on a legitimate penalty claim and Casilla had made a decent stop. The thought that came to mind was that we would need to be patient and the Whites superior fitness and skill would win the day. Bielsa’s teams play to the famous plan ‘A’ but even plan ‘A’ could not withstand the changes that Marcelo made at half-time.

Off came Cooper, Rodrigo and Struijk. They were replaced by Casey, Harrison as a lone striker and Jenkins.

Disruption was the result. Eight minutes into the second half, United were two goals down. Somehow this seemed almost inevitable. Five minutes after that, Bielsa replaced Ian Poveda and Leif Davis with Raphinha and Sam Greenwood. Crawley completed the humiliation on 70 minutes and that was that.

Crawley then brought on their reality TV star Mark Wright. Leeds had their own – Kiko Casilla. The word ‘clown’ comes to mind but there was nothing funny about this performance.

Man of the match: Kalvin Phillips.

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