Leeds United selection switch-up considered for Norwich City play-off semi-final second leg

MIKE GILL

After a season of ifs, buts, mights and maybes, tonight will produce a definitive outcome: Either Leeds will be in the Championship play-off final or their season will be over.For once, fans are not checking tables or looking at other teams' results. It’s down to United now.

These are the occasions when Elland Road comes into its own and this is when Leeds supporters are more important than ever. The noise levels must be maintained whatever is happening on the pitch. There are few clues to be had from the first leg.

A competent performance which produced a goalless draw is no indication of what might happen when the second leg plays out and the team selection and tactics for tonight remain a mystery. At least there’s no room for complacency as I don’t believe that Norwich won’t be throwing caution to the wind!

It’s high time we won at Elland Road and high time that our creators and finishers hit good form again.

Last Sunday, apart from a lively start, the Canaries demonstrated that United have nothing to feel apprehensive about. It’s all in the mind.

Prediction: Leeds United 2 Norwich City 1.

ANDY RHODES

After a classic play-off stalemate in the first leg, we are no closer to knowing what the end of this intense Championship season will hold.

Leeds have it in them to win the second leg and win it well, but we all know the play-offs are a different animal.They have the ability to bring the best of our players as well as the absolute worst. No-one needs reminding of our previous campaigns.

This United squad, though, have proved over the course of the regular season that they are the best of the rest and now is the time to prove it again.

Sunday’s away performance showed better defensive strength and, while Leeds weren’t excellent going forward, they have it in them to blow any side away. We have all seen special atmospheres inside Elland Road over the years and against Norwich tonight, the place will be a cauldron of noise once again.The crowd has broken plenty of visiting sides in the past.

Leeds have to fly out of the traps or the nerves may kick in.

Prediction: Leeds United 2 Norwich City 1.

DAVID WATKINS

A home game against Norwich City is all that stands between Leeds and Wembley, a treat we thought we were getting in 2019.That occasion, five years ago to the day, ended in tears and an unlikely comeback by Derby County.

The first leg at Norwich gave few indications as to what we might see at Elland Road. Leeds went with a midfield three of Gruev, Kamara and Gray, a cunning Daniel Farke plan to create a barrier in front of a defence that had been leaking far too many preventable goals.

The plan worked, Leeds got their first clean sheet in four games, four games that included three defeats that ruined our charge to an automatic promotion place. The big question now though is: ‘What plan does Farke have for the home leg?’.

As good as Leeds were at repelling Norwich, we didn’t create much going forward and hence the stalemate that saw only three shots hit the target throughout the game. Dan James could be the wild card, his return on Sunday added pace to an attack that continued to look pedestrian.

I’m not willing to jeopardise our chances with a win prediction; that’s gone wrong far too often this season!

Prediction: Leeds United 1 Norwich City 1… and the lottery of penalties.

KEITH INGHAM

So after a pretty low key affair in Norfolk where Leeds came away reasonably happy with a clean sheet, the attention now switches to West Yorkshire and a second leg at Elland Road, the theatre of play-off heartbreak or so it seems, history wise.

If memory serves me well you have to go back to 1987 against Charlton Athletic when Leeds won the home leg of a play-off semi-final.

In the other ties we drew with Preston, Millwall and Carlisle. We progressed to the final thanks to wins at Preston and Carlisle but went out to Millwall. So in a season when a few ‘monkeys’ were lifted from shoulders this heavy one would be very welcome.

Daniel Farke played it tight at Norwich but will he decide to unleash Leeds from the start? Opinions are divided but surely they have to create more chances than they did at the weekend and more importantly put them in the net.

I’m expecting him to keep the same starting XI and use Roberts, Piroe, James later in the game as Norwich tire. I’d really love to see Mateo Joseph unleashed for more than a few minutes. 

Let’s make Elland Road a ‘bear pit’ to frighten the Canaries as soon as it starts. If we do and win, what a great way to end the season at our ‘church’.

Prediction: Leeds United 2 Norwich City 1 (maybe after extra-time but hopefully not).

NEIL GREWER

There are plenty of conclusions we can draw from the first leg at Norwich.

1) The defence improved and we never looked like conceding. 2) Norwich offered little by way of threat unless assisted by poor Leeds passing.3) Illan Meslier looked nervous in possession. 4) The attack looked well below its best. 5) Norwich were certainly no better than Leeds.

To win tonight’s game Leeds will need to improve to avoid the dreaded penalties. So, I expect a similar team selection with a tighter three-man midfield than has been employed for the season up to now. This will help defensive solidity and allow protection and distribution options for Meslier who hopefully will be less nervous on the ball.

But to score, our attacking efficiency will need to increase and I would like to see Mateo Joseph unleashed for at least part of the game. Crysencio Summerville and Willy Gnonto will play a big part in setting the tone tonight.

Complacency must be avoided – we need a solid captain’s performance physically and verbally to avoid concentration lapses and settle nerves (think Derby County five years ago).

Prediction: Leeds United 2 Norwich City 0