Danny Mills rages at ‘shocking’ Bashir Humphreys after what Swansea ace did v Leeds United
Danny Mills was quick to point out the lack of defending shown in the lead-up to Georginio Rutter’s goal at the end of the first half of the 3-1 Leeds United win against Swansea City.
Jamie Paterson and Joel Piroe both scoring inside the first five minutes of the first half was just the beginning of a chaotic 45 minutes as the quality of football dipped exponentially.
Moments before referee Samuel Allison blew the whistle for half-time, Georginio Rutter had the ball in the back of the net and gave the Whites the lead, partly thanks to poor defending by Bashir Humphreys.
“It’s a great finish, a really great touch,” Mills begins saying live on talkSPORT 2 (29 November, 8:36pm). “It’s just a hopeful ball over the top – you didn’t really think anything would come of it.
“But Humphreys is in all sorts of bad positions. I would say that’s young and naive defending, with just a few seconds to go.
“He gets the wrong side and doesn’t know what to do. He can’t make a tackle. It’s shocking defending.”
A much-needed goal before half-time
The first-half performance was a shadow of some of the displays we have seen from Leeds so far this season. Rutter’s goal has only taken the spotlight away from an average half of football, one that Daniel Farke will be disappointed with.
Swansea came to Elland Road with a plan – to frustrate Leeds. Although Leeds have shown quality for both goals, the visitors have done well to break down the communication between Leeds’ defence and midfield, with much of the attack being thwarted by a resolute Swansea backline.
As a 20-year-old, it is expected that Humphreys will make mistakes that he can learn from. But from a Leeds point of view, it should be a weakness that the home side should target and feed Rutter through more.
And if Leeds hold any hope of gaining promotion to the Premier League this season, this is the exact type of game, when they are not firing on all cylinders, that they must win and progress up the table.
In other Leeds United news, a Whites player is surely set for a January exit after the latest Farke snub.