49ers have questions to answer as Leeds set horrible unwanted record
Leeds United were on the wrong end of a 1-0 scoreline as they lost to Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
So far, Elland Road has been the only happy hunting ground for Daniel Farke’s side this season, with two defeats from their first two away games.
Karl Darlow’s excellent performance was ultimately overshadowed by an own goal in stoppage time by Gabriel Gudmundsson that can only be described as tragic.
However, with Leeds enjoying a large spell in which they were the better team in the game, fingers are being pointed at United’s forward line, who set an unwanted record after they failed to score against Fulham.
Leeds set unwanted club record for goals scored
Lukas Nmecha’s penalty against Everton seems a lifetime ago now, but it is still the only goal the Whites have scored this season.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin was criticised for his performance after Leeds’ marquee striker signing was handed his first Premier League start for his new club.
According to LUFCData on X on 13 September, the Whites’ one goal after their opening four league matches is their lowest total in the entire club’s history, a damming statistic that will leave even the most optimistic supporter anxious for what the future holds for this Leeds team.
- Across Leeds’ last three Premier League games, they have managed to amass a combined xG of just 1.65
- This suggests that it is not as simple as poor finishing to blame for Leeds’ woes in front of goal
- There is an alarming number of chances being created, reflecting that the attackers Farke has at his disposal are simply not good enough
How Farke mismanages his attackers with his poor team selection is something that should be questioned, but ultimately, the majority of the blame falls on the 49ers for their poor recruitment over the summer.
Robbie Evans’ quotes continue to age like milk
Leeds’ managing director Evans was not kidding anyone when he claimed that “it was a bad day at the end of a good window” when asked about United’s lack of deadline day business.
For as much as he tried to brush off missing out on targets like Harry Wilson, who ironically nearly scored against Leeds on Saturday, or Facundo Buonanotte or Igor Paixao, they are a huge miss for Leeds.
Farke will know that being a defensively sound outfit as their primary objective gives the Whites the best chance of staying up, but if you consistently fail to score, you are relying on a defence to be perfect week in week out.
Gudmundsson’s error was inexcusable, there’s no doubting that, but if Leeds had made their spell in the game count as they should have done, his mistake would not have been as costly.
The 49ers have not equipped Farke with the resources to make the most of these situations where Leeds are in the ascendancy, and sooner or later, they will be wishing they had added that much-needed creative spark to this squad.
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