Stuart Dallas was furious with Raphinha as Leeds United conceded penalty
Stuart Dallas was furious with Leeds United teammate Raphinha for his part in the build up to Liverpool’s first penalty, according to Joe Donnohue.
The Whites’ utility man was deployed at right-back at Anfield and conceded a spot kick for the opening goal when Andy Robertson’s cross hit him on the hand.
He was aggrieved that the Brazilian, restored to the starting line-up by Marcelo Bielsa, was not in attendance to provide defensive support in what turned out to be a thrashing on Merseyside.
Writing on his personal Twitter account following the goal, Leeds Live reporter Donnohue said: “Dallas not happy at all with Raphinha. Man over on his side of the pitch who the Brazilian hadn’t tracked all the way back, leaving Dallas 2-on-1.
“Tough one to give away given the start but the arm was raised.”
Floodgates opened
It was bad luck that the cross hit the Northern Irishman’s hand but his argument would be that he would have been able to close it down more effectively if he’d had support.
As the advancing Luis Diaz laid the ball off for the overlapping Scotland captain Dallas can be seen gesturing helplessly at the lack of cover, with Raphinha nowhere to be seen, leaving him out of position to stop the cross.
The Brazilian’s use for the team is far greater in an offensive sense, but he still will not have pleased his manager by not tracking back, having previously been dropped from the starting XI against Manchester United.
It is impossible to say whether the sequence of events that lead to the first of two first-half penalties could have prevented the eventual 6-0 defeat.
But the discord and the bad luck are both emblematic of the difficult circumstances United find themselves in right now.
Three painful defeats in a row, with this the worst of the lot, appear to have mentally worn down a depleted squad.
The only positives that came from the night is that captain Luke Ayling escaped a red card in giving away the second penalty.
While next opponents Tottenham’s shock defeat at Burnley might increase the Whites’ chances of getting something from that game, it also means they are now only three points from the relegation zone and things are starting to get seriously uncomfortable.
In other Leeds United news, Richard Keys went mad at the result and has demanded changes.