YEP Jury: Adam Forshaw and Jack Harrison to the fore as Leeds United dispatch 10-man Wigan Athletic

DAVID WATKINS

A win is a win as they say but I didn’t think we were anywhere near as fluent as we saw at Bristol City or against Forest.

This performance for me came over as a bit stodgy, lacking in inspiration and just not as sharp as we know we can be. It was maybe fortunate Wigan went down to 10 men as early as they did as they’d already shown some decent attacking intent before that crucial 21st-minute, second yellow card.

We dominated as always and amassed 20 attempts but I’m hard pressed to remember many of them other than Pablo Hernandez’s second-half free-kick and the two goals. Kiko Casilla looked solid and I’m sure Paddy Bamford will take confidence from having been in the right place at the right time to poach his brace but too many attacks came to nothing. I guess it was a major improvement over the 10-man scenario we saw against Wigan in April though!

I have a feeling Brentford will be much tougher on Wednesday with a certain Swede no doubt stretching every sinew to make his mark.

Man of the match: Pablo Hernandez.

ANDY RHODES

Another game and another impressive display from the men in white. It’s still hard to forget April’s defeat to Wigan at Elland Road but this is a new season and Leeds are confident once more.

The similarities between the two games were plain to see when the Latics were reduced to 10 men in the first half, but this season United are out to right the wrongs of the previous campaign.

This time, a Patrick Bamford goal went unanswered and Leeds grew into the game. In a change to last season, Jack Harrison now looks like a real threat on the wing, while Adam Forshaw seems to have found his ideal role in Marcelo Bielsa’s machine of a midfield.

Bamford won’t care how the goals come as long as they continue to flow.

Both were proper striker finishes but they will do him a world of good.

Brentford will arguably be a trickier foe on Wednesday, but if they continue in this form not even a familiar face will stop them.

Man of the match: Adam Forshaw.

MATTHEW EVANS

To listen to the folks around me in the away end on Saturday afternoon you would think we were halfway through the season and facing a relegation battle. I don’t know what has come over our support but there is a creeping sense of childish entitlement that just doesn’t suit us.

One gentleman was even laying into Marcelo Bielsa as a ‘stubborn failure’ who shouldn’t be leaving Bamford up front on his own. Lord only knows what he made of the Wise, Warnock or Hockaday tenures.

Moments after this outburst, our lone striker grabbed the first of two goals and shut him up for the rest of the game. In truth, it wasn’t a pretty game, certainly not helped by the woeful Andrew Madley’s whistle-happy display in the middle. Wigan could have done a similar job over us to the one they pulled in April after going down to 10 men but United held on to take the three points and go top of the league. There are plenty of nominations for man of the match but Jack Harrison gets the nod for a display that shows clear improvement on last season’s performances.

Man of the match: Jack Harrison.

KEITH INGHAM

Leeds gained a little revenge for their unexpected defeat by Wigan at the ‘business end’ of last season by beating them 2-0 in their own backyard.

To be honest the scoreline could and should have been at least double what it actually finished. It was as dominant a display as the 5,000 plus away fans could have wished for.

True to his word on Thursday, Marcelo Bielsa kept the same XI that had reaped four points from the opening two Championship games with Patrick Bamford once again leading the line. Helder Costa and Eddie Nketiah were on the bench, Jack Clarke was the one to miss out as Leeds could only have five loanees in the match-day eighteen.

Leeds were so much on top in the early minutes it seemed it would only by a matter of time before they broke the deadlock, the goal, mind you, didn’t arrive until Wigan were down to 10 men – Joe Williams was sent off for two bookable offences just after 20 minutes.

The goal eventually came from Bamford on 34 minutes when he was quickest to react and slammed the ball into the empty net. After that promising Leeds moves were spoiled by poor final balls and Wigan hung on to go in only a goal behind at the break.

The antics of the fans under the stands were to be seen to be believed, a few hanging from the roof whilst the rest sang and threw beer into the air.

A little wasteful but fun to watch if the beer being thrown didn’t land on you! Away support for Leeds is just something to be sampled, it’s special.

Leeds finished the game as a contest just after the hour mark, Bamford doubling his tally by forcing the ball over the line in a goalmouth scramble. The delight of the sometimes criticised striker was clear to see as he celebrated in front of the away section.

Wigan did force Kiko Casilla into a couple of decent saves during the game. Stand-out performances came from Adam Forshaw, Jack Harrison and Bamford for a couple of ‘scruffy’ goals that will do his confidence a power of good.

Brentford is up next on Wednesday when Pontus Jansson returns to Elland Road for the first time since his transfer to the London club. It will be interesting to see if he receives a hero’s welcome, something tells me he won’t.

Man of the match: Jack Harrison.

MIKE GILL

United had a simple task ahead of them and they executed it perfectly.

For the second time in a few months, Wigan were reduced to 10 men when Joe Williams was sent off for a second bookable offence on 20 minutes.

This time, the Whites were in no mood to surrender their advantage and Patrick Bamford put them ahead with a tap in. He pounced on the opportunity after the ball cannoned out off the post from an Adam Forshaw header. Once again, Kalvin Phillips and Adam Forshaw bossed the midfield and Jack Harrison teased and tormented the Wigan defence with an energetic performance.

Wigan came closest with free-kicks but Kiko Casilla was at his acrobatic best to deny all opportunities.

Just 30 minutes after his first goal Patrick Bamford bundled in another close range effort, this time from a corner.

Two scrappy striker goals and may we see many more from him. If I had one small criticism it is that United were sometimes guilty of being too elaborate in their build up.

Having said that they controlled this game from start to finish.

Man of the match: Adam Forshaw.

SHAUN SMITH

Boxing Day falls on a Thursday this year and when it does referee Andrew Madley will blow up, give a foul and book it.

Wigan, bereft of talent but big on height, took any challenge as an excuse to fall over and invite the awarding of a set piece. Leeds meanwhile were weaving a magic carpet of silky threaded passes only to be scissored down by blunt instruments.

There was a sending off [Wigan’s Joe Williams] but for a match peppered by the whistle of referee Madley, this was not a dirty game. Scrappy, yes, dirty no.

Ruined by fussy reffing and gamesmanship, it was illuminated by Adam Forshaw doing everything but scoring, Jack Harrison pulling up small trees and Stuart Dallas who is really quite good, isn’t he?

Two dirty old towns visited in one week and two wins.

We are in pole position in the league, though it is a slippery pole but with six more points to play for this week, let us see if we can establish a theme.

Man of the match: Adam Forshaw.