Leeds United manager Javi Gracia looked distraught after yet another defeat for his team. Photo: Action Images/John Sibley
For Leeds United fans A trip to Fulham is not usually envious. But there were visiting fans, gathered at Craven Cottage in the shade of the magnificent new Riverside Stand, watching as the Fulham team, in pursuit of a club-record Premier League points total, completely dominated the Leeds team on the path to fast fall.
And what's worse for the fans of a club that has just recently set a new benchmark for dashing effort, they seem to be sliding into the Championship without a whimper.
The Yorkshire mob knows who's to blame. As Fulham seized on Leeds goalkeeper Illan Mellier's first error to open the scoring, chants of «clear the board» were loudly heard in the away section. After another yell from Mellier led to the second goal, things got more personal, with an insistent announcement in the stands that it was time for the club's director of football, Victor Horta, to leave. Then, after nine minutes of stoppage time, during which the Leeds team failed to even get a shot on goal in an own-goal attempt that momentarily gave hope for a point, the climactic moment arrived. vocal contributions. They sang «Marcelo Bielsa» in honor of the manager who made the team synonymous with entertainment, but this time last year was fired.
They know the problem was that Bielsa's defenestration did not lead to any coherent strategy. First Jessie Marsh, now Javi Gracia sticky plaster appointments appear. Gracia started his tenure at breakneck speed, but this loss to progressive Fulham's Marco Silva in one of several Premier League derbies with the former Watford manager means that all of his last three games have ended in defeat.
< p>While there are no flaws in his team's efforts, they have not shown the slightest bit of turmoil on Bielsa's part. There was little creativity, no drive to win, worse for the Leeds supporters, the manager kept their strongest striker, Wilfrid Gnonto, on the bench until it was too late to make proper changes. They now face a resurrected Leicester City on Tuesday in a match of increasing importance.
“I feel that the fans, like all of us, are disappointed,” Gracia said when asked about the uprising in the stands. «I'm sure next game they'll be there because they're supporting the team and not just one player or manager.»
It wasn't quite Henry V, as they say. There is growing hope among Leeds fans that there are three worse teams in the division than them. Right now it looks more and more abandoned.
History is in danger of repeating itself for Leeds as Fulham exacerbate their woes. Fulham v Leeds United 2022–23 Results
With this win, Fulham scored a league double over Leeds United for the first time since 1960. it was the year they were relegated from the top flight. 63 years later, history seems to be repeating itself.
Of course, at least in this setback they didn't concede five or six as was their recent habit, and results elsewhere could still keep them out of the bottom three. But this defeat was not a hoax. After three wins and a draw in one of his first six games, new manager Javi Gracia has become a mumbling firecracker.
“Everything worries me,” one of the Leeds bosses said after the game. «This is our third loss in a row and we need to improve in all areas.»
Andreas Pereira (left) earned all three a point for Fulham against Leeds United at Craven Cottage. Photo: Getty Images/Clive Rose
He's right here. He can start with his goalkeeper. Illan Mellier was directly responsible for both Fulham goals, placing crosses in the path of Harry Wilson and then Andreas Pereira, who finished with aplomb. These were unfortunate mistakes: he could throw the first one over the crossbar, the second he could take directly to a nameless opponent. He could have made a great first-half save to keep Tosin Adarabioyo from heading a free-kick, but even that didn't matter: the Fulham defender was offside. The truth is that in a game with little chance, Mellier was the man who made the difference.
«I prefer not to talk about the players individually,» Gracia said when asked about his goalkeeper's mistakes. «They try their best, all the players make mistakes, I prefer to keep the strength of the team, the roster.»
In truth, Fulham spared the Grazia side more humiliation by spending most of the game simply boosting the reputation of Aleksandar Mitrovic, who was still out after the debacle at Old Trafford. They puffed and puffed, but hardly sniffed at the gate, despite the promptings of the excellent Willian. But then who needs a striker when you are confronted by a goalkeeper with gifts?
After such agonizing setbacks, no one could deny Leeds' retaliatory efforts. Impatient and purposeful, they worked tirelessly. But their only reward was consolation from substitute Patrick Bamford. And after he gave hope, despite all their honest efforts, they could not even create another chance in eight minutes of stoppage time. Their lack of threat was summed up in the closing seconds when they won a corner. Mellier approached, the ball passed to the substitute Luis Sinisterre, who missed the target unsuccessfully.
Leeds United's Patrick Bamford celebrates scoring a goal. Photo: Reuters/John Sibley
“We must believe,” Gracia said. “It's time to do it. We can't have any doubts. We did it four games ago, five games ago, we did it very well. We can do it again.”
The difficulty is knowing how to do it. Because this is a team that offered so little creativity. Jack Harrison was easily taken down by Kenny Tete, while Weston McKenny and Mark Roca did nothing but run around in a puddle of midfield rivals. Moreover, much to the annoyance of visiting fans, Wilfrid Gnonto was allowed no more than ten minutes in a cameo role.
«All players deserve a start»" Gracia said on why his most explosive striker was not trusted to start the game. «I have to decide what I think is the best option for the team.»
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The Leeds Legions have a sense of this too. As the players left the field, their chant of «Marcelo Bielsa» was a poignant verbal reminder of less stressful times. They know things are not going well for their side.
Fulham v Leeds United fixture schedule 2022-23
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