Danny Murphy points out major Leeds United flaw in comeback win as Gary Lineker notices ‘great’ Gnonto moment

Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy has claimed that Leeds United have to find ways of managing games better after their dramatic 4-3 comeback victory over Bournemouth at Elland Road on Saturday afternoon.

The Whites took an early lead against the Cherries courtesy of a Rodrigo penalty, but quickly lost control of proceedings, and found themselves 2-1 down at half-time. A stunning second-half display saw goals from Sam Greenwood, Liam Cooper, and Crysencio Summerville that turned the game on its head, with Jesse Marsch’s men finding an eventual winner in the 84th minute.

But while Murphy has hailed Leeds’ tenacity and their entertaining style of play, he has also questioned whether their approach is hamstrung by a certain amount of naivety.

Speaking on Saturday night’s edition of Match of the Day, the former Liverpool midfielder said: “There was so much to admire, so much positivity from them, high tempo football. Great to watch - it was a rollercoaster, but it was fantastic to watch. But I think their philosophy and the way he plays sometimes can be a negative, and Bournemouth took full advantage of that in the first half.

“They’d gone one up from really positive play. You see Leeds with six players in the attacking half, ready to pounce, ready to press. But what Bournemouth did, they said ‘I’ll tell you what, we’ll miss out the six and we’ll have an overload, 5v4’. One pass.

“Sometimes Leeds have got to try and find a balance when they’re winning games to slow it down a bit. You can’t play every minute of a game like a cup tie.

“Five minutes into the second half and all but one Leeds player is up the pitch trying to chase the game. Why, five minutes into the second half? Another counter, they give themselves and absolute mountain to climb. They’re 3-1 down being booed at home, the manager’s job is in question.”

He added: “But what do they do? They show resilience, they carry on with the same mentality. They play like this whether they’re 3-1 up or 3-1 down, and it is a joy to watch. They’re going to have some games where they get beat.

“They deserved the win today, it was a tremendous game, but just going back to Jesse Marsch, what he’s expecting is for them always to get pressure on the ball - you can’t. That’s why I think in the game sometimes, the players have to take responsibility.”

Host Gary Lineker also picked out an amusing moment from the jubilation that ensued in the aftermath of Summerville’s decisive late strike, with substitute Willy Gnonto sent flying as he lost his footing amid the chaos. Lineker pointed out: “Great little celebration there, Gnonto tripping over.”

Back-to-back wins have now moved Leeds up to 12th in the table, with 15 points from 13 matches. The Whites now have just two senior fixtures left to play before their campaign breaks for the World Cup, with a midfweek Carabao Cup clash with Wolves followed by a meeting with Tottenham next Saturday,