YEP Jury: Same old failings come back to haunt Leeds United again at Cardiff City

DAVID WATKINS

If Leeds United are going to lose a game, any game, this is how they will do it; it’s how we’ve lost every game this season that went against us.

Dominating possession and creating chances, yet missing too many of them and, at the other end, capable of making a sloppy pass here and there or an out and out clanger. Result, Leeds lose.

When we win, it is invariably because we don’t make one or more of those clangers and we manage to put away at least one of our chances away. It’s a simple game.

Everyone had Leeds down to win this, the logic was we’d be fitter and faster than the opposition but, had we thought about it longer, we’d have added “as long as we put our chances away”.

Quite what this defeat will do to the team’s confidence, I’m not sure, we will know when we play Fulham next week. One thing is for sure, if we are not back to our best, that man 
Aleksandar Mitrovic has the potential to hurt us; he will hit the target if we give him the chance.

Man of the match: No-one stood out to claim the award.

JACOB STARR

Well, Leeds United are back. Two shots and two goals for Cardiff pretty much, in a game in which most people (including me) thought the Whites would breeze through.

Nothing is ever easy with Leeds. Jack Harrison’s effort was goal-bound at 1-0, but blocked inadvertently by teammate Patrick Bamford, which largely summed up the day for Marcelo Bielsa’s men.

Both goals were highly avoidable and caused by individual errors. Kalvin Phillips’ misplaced pass led to Junior Hoilett’s opener, with Liam Cooper falling foul to the same mistake for Robert Glatzel’s fine second-half strike.

Ian Poveda made his long awaited first-team debut off the bench but the result was already inevitable by then. The January signing could be pushing for a first start in the coming weeks with Helder Costa and Jack Harrison failing to make an impact in Wales.

Fortunately, next opponents Fulham who occupy third place, lost late on against Brentford, whilst title contenders West Brom were held by Birmingham.

Man of the match: Stuart Dallas.

MATTHEW EVANS

I think I preferred it when there was no football. That very familiar feeling of Sunday night dread has returned as another week at work looms large and no points in the bag for Leeds United.

We’re fortunate that Fulham and West Brom fluffed their opening games as well, meaning we only lost our grip on first place and haven’t slipped any further back towards third.

This was the first game I’d watched on the TV this season and it was particularly painful to watch. United toiled to get any sort of breakthrough while Cardiff took the two chances that were gifted to them with relish.

It’s hard to select a man of the match under the circumstances but Tyler Roberts and Stuart Dallas both played well enough. In the end I’m plumping for Ben White who was the best of our back five and looked assured coming forward from defence as well.

It’s not a disaster just yet but it’s also not going to be the easy ride we were all hoping for. The next game is huge.

Man of the match: Ben White.

KEITH INGHAM

After over 100 days without football, Leeds United’s legions of fans were left with an empty feeling as they left Wales pointless after a 2-0 defeat to Cardiff City.

A goal in each half, one from Junior Hoilett and the second from Robert Glatzel made United’s return to Championship action an unhappy one.

This was another game that Leeds dominated possession but failed to get the all important goal when they were well on top.

To be honest they looked ‘sluggish’ and although they had a couple of decent chances, the Cardiff City goalkeeper Alex Smithies was only really troubled when Patrick Bamford flicked a cross towards the back post but he managed to block Tyler Roberts’ shot brilliantly.

Leeds now will hope that 
Pablo Hernandez will be fit next weekend when they face Fulham at Elland Road on Saturday.

They need to perform a lot better than they did in south Wales if they are to keep up the promotion push.

Man of the match: Stuart Dallas.

ANDY RHODES

It was always going to be difficult to say what effect the lockdown would have on Leeds after so long away.

We’re the players rusty? Yes. We’re they unprepared? Absolutely not. Even after nearly three months away and limited training Marcelo Bielsa would never let that happen. United will be hoping to have the edge over their opponents in terms of fitness, but that alone won’t being home the title.

The lack of sharpness was clear even before the Bluebirds parked the bus.

Leeds never have been good at breaking down tight defences.

After the lead was doubled that was it, the game was gone.

This review might seem overtly negative, and it is. After the positivity of Saturday’s results we were flying high. Less than 24 hours later and the fans are left wondering.

The next week will give the Whites time to regain their sharpness before another huge game against Fulham.

But this fixture was one that left more questions that answers.

Man of the match: Stuart Dallas.

MIKE GILL

Well nobody saw that coming. United started the game a bit slowly but gradually got into their rhythm.

They dominated without throwing any killer punches and then tragedy struck.

The normally composed Kalvin Phillips gave the ball away, passing straight into the path of Junior Hoilett. The former QPR man then ran into the area and buried the ball in the top corner, giving the exposed Meslier no chance of saving it.

This did not put the Whites out of their stride and they continued to keep pressing the Bluebirds back.

In the second half, Tyler Roberts came very close to scoring after a nice flicked header from Patrick Bamford. The reliable Alex Smithies was on hand to thwart the youngster’s effort and you started to wonder whether it was going to be United’s day.

Cardiff substitute Robert Glatzel made it 2-0 on 71 minutes after another gift, this time from Liam Cooper.

Lacking the creative spark of Pablo Hernandez, Leeds never looked capable of coming back.

Work to do!

Man of the match: Stuart Dallas.

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