Weston McKennie issues strong message on Leeds United jobs and considers Crystal Palace help

Javi Gracia’s Whites dominated the early exchanges of Sunday’s Premier League clash at Elland Road but only had a 1-0 lead via a 21st-minute Patrick Bamford header to show for their efforts, largely due to some superb saves from visiting keeper Sam Johnstone.

After twice going close from set pieces, Palace then equalised in first half stoppage time as Marc Guehi beat Illan Meslier to the ball at close range from an Eagles free-kick and Roy Hodgson’s visitors then ran riot in the second half in netting four goals without reply.

McKennie felt Leeds were unfortunate to concede in the first half but pulled absolutely no punches in assessing United’s second half display in which he admitted that his players did not fulfil their jobs of responding to the Palace boost of netting just before the interval.

Asked post match if he could put into words what happened, McKennie declared: "That's pretty self explanatory. That was pretty easy to see. In the first half I think we did very well, everyone was in the challenges, winning the first and second balls, playing together and unlucky with the set pieces because in the first half that was really the only opportunities that they had were the set pieces. Coming out for the second half, I don't know, it just got disorganised and they are very talented on one v ones on the outside of the field. They found a way and we conceded."

Pressed on whether the timing of Palace’s equaliser proved key, McKennie reasoned: “Honestly, I would say it helped them. But at the end of the day it's our jobs as professionals to deal with the consequences and deal with the goals scored against us and come back out second half prepared to score again. But it didn’t work like that and now we just have to recover, analyse and we have eight days until our next big game."