Graham Smyth questions something Daniel Farke did in Leeds United draw vs Bournemouth
Leeds conceded a heartbreaking stoppage-time equaliser against Bournemouth on Saturday to throw away the victory and draw 2-2.
Daniel Farke may still be kicking himself after witnessing his team fall apart so late, especially after all the hard work they put in to earn the lead.
Joe Rodon has publicly accepted the blame for Bournemouth’s equaliser, although there were arguably several Leeds players who could have been positioned better.
Now, Leeds United expert Graham Smyth has questioned whether Daniel Farke could have done more to ensure his team saw the game out.
Graham Smyth questions Daniel Farke substitutions after Leeds draw vs Bournemouth
Leeds outfought and outbattled Bournemouth for most of the game, and arguably created enough chances in the first half to put the game to bed.
Farke should take some credit for how he set up his team to overpower Bournemouth for most of this game, but Smyth has suggested that some late substitutions could have prevented the late equaliser.
Speaking on The Square Ball podcast, he said: “We didn’t really manage to get into the substitutions.
“Do you want Jaka Bijol in the penalty box in the 93rd/94th minute heading everything away? Do you want Daniel James on the pitch so you have an outlet, just someone to hare away?”
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Leeds need to find that final layer of defensive steel
Aside from the 5-0 thumping at Arsenal, Leeds can say that they have competed well in all of their Premier League games this season.
They have eight points from their first six games, and it would be easy to argue that they deserve more.
Certainly, if they’d held firm in defence for a few more moments against Fulham, they would have snatched a draw.
And it was a late lapse in concentration that cost them another two points against Bournemouth.
| Minute | Substitution |
| 67′ | Jack Harrison for Noah Okafor |
| 87′ | Ao Tanaka for Brenden Aaronson |
| 90′ | Lukas Nmecha for Dominic Calvert-Lewin |
Sadly, ‘deserved points’ don’t count for anything in the Premier League, so Leeds will need to find a way to ensure that they maintain their defensive solidarity until the final whistle.
It’s a lesson that needs to be learned by the players and the manager alike. There are few ‘safe’ moments in the Premier League, especially when you’re battling to avoid relegation.
While they’re a safe distance away from the relegation zone at the moment, they don’t want to put themselves in a position where they’re rueing these late goals at the end of the season.
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