Jim White shares ‘madness’ verdict after what happened to Leeds United
Jim White has been left baffled by what he’s seen at Leeds United this week.
The Whites secured an all-important three points against Middlesbrough on Tuesday (8 April) thanks to an early Dan James strike.
Despite two wrongly ruled out efforts from Ao Tanaka and Patrick Bamford, Daniel Farke can be pleased with a win that sends his side back to the top of the Championship.
With that being said, White has still been left confused about one factor in particular from the clash at the Riverside.
White left fuming after Leeds United win v Middlesbrough
The travelling fans were ultimately left delighted by the result in the North East, especially with both Burnley and Sheffield United failing to win.
Even if that is the case, things could have been made so much easier for the Elland Road faithful if decisions were made correctly.
Tanaka was clearly on side before he tapped in for what should have been 2-0, as was Bamford for his strike in what should have become a 3-0 lead at the Riverside.
If the Championship had VAR, the Whites would have secured an easy win, as opposed to scraping past Boro by narrowly keeping a clean sheet.
This certainly left White frustrated live on talkSPORT on 9 April (11:06am) as he believes the addition of a video referee would have aided Leeds greatly.
He said: “Another night to advertise why it remains madness in the Championship, to stick with the VAR-less approach. No VAR available in the Championship and we had moments of controversy for Leeds.
“Leeds had goals wrongly ruled out in each half that should have been more comfortable for them. Would VAR have made the difference? Yes, it probably would.”
Leeds left frustrated by Middlesbrough decisions
The Whites secured all three points in the end at the Riverside, but on another day, things could have been so much different.
Michael Carrick’s side didn’t go without chances and ultimately could have secured a positive result for themselves in their hunt for a playoff spot.
| Stat | Middlesbrough | Leeds United |
| Possession (%) | 53 | 47 |
| Expected goals | 1.32 | 1.01 |
| Big chances | 2 | 2 |
| Accurate passes | 481 | 417 |
That option wouldn’t have been on the table if decisions went the way of Tanaka and Bamford as they both breached the Middlesbrough defence.
Those goals would have put the game well out of the home side’s sights and allowed for Farke to rest some key players with five games remaining of the season.
White wants VAR in the second tier and there’s no doubt that the Whites would have benefitted from its introduction against Boro.