‘Brilliant’ – Jamie Carragher explains why Leeds were excellent despite 1-0 loss v Wolves
Leeds United might have lost the game against Wolves on Monday night but they picked up more fans with their attacking football in the first 45 minutes of the game.
And Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher was very impressed as he picked apart the Wolves goal that he said was “unfortunate” for Leeds.
Raul Jimenez worked hard for the goal but his shot was tame and would have been saved easily had it not come off the head of Kalvin Phillips.
Carragher was most impressed by how Leeds got back after pushing so many bodies up the pitch in attack.
Fitness and workrate are two of the qualities of the Leeds side under Bielsa and Carragher called them “brilliant” in his Monday Night Football analysis.
Talking on the live coverage of the game (Sky Sports, Monday, 10pm) Carragher said, “Wolves were much better in the second half and maybe on the second-half performance you could say they deserved it. But I just want to have a look at the goal.
“The setup of Leeds. Going for the game at 70 minutes and you can see how many bodies they have forward.
“You’ve got five across the pitch, another attacking midfielder in Klich, and four in behind with Phillips isolated in midfield.
“When you see that and you lose the ball you think they’re going to get counter-attacked and Philips does get isolated at times.
“But what this Leeds team do is get back. Jimmy did really well but as you see here when he has the shot… look how many players Leeds have got back.
“They put bodies forward but they get back. Brilliant. They’re just very unfortunate. Phillips puts his head on it and that decides the game.
“That’s what Leeds are. Box-to-box, end-to-end.”
Last night’s game will have been familiar to a lot of Leeds fans.
When we dominate for 45 minutes and don’t score the alarm bells start ringing and although Wolves may have shaded it – just – we think a draw would have been a fairer result.
There’s no doubt that Leeds are better against teams that don’t sit back, like Man City, and Wolves are the ultimate sit-back, soak-up and counter-attack team.
Given the match-up of styles it’s fair to say that Wolves will pose one of the sternest tests we’ll come up against in the Premier League – and under Nuno they’re a very good side.
Once again, though, Leeds showed they belong in the top-half of the Premier League and we have to take the positives – Illan Meslier, Robin Koch, Pascal Struijk, Raphinha – and move onto Aston Villa on Friday night now.
We’ll go there with Jamie Carragher’s endorsement ringing in our ears.
In other Leeds United news, ‘Insane’, ‘Best 2 footed player we have’ – These Leeds fans blown away by one man despite loss