Righto, Will Unwin’s match report is with us.
And that means we’re done here. Thanks all for your company and comments; peace out.
Thinking about the game in the context of the season, I’m even more certain than I was that Leeds will go up – in order to nullify them, Burnley had to sacrifice almost the entirety of their attacking threat. I do, though. worry for The Clarets – I’m not sure they score enough goals to go up and if they do, I’d fear for them once they were there.
“About Maddison,” begins Robert Fry. “He’s great when a team is based around him and can look a world beater, but I don’t know whether he’s good enough to be in a great team and be afforded the same privilege. I love to watch him on form though. Like a Le Tisser maybe.”
I’d love to have seen Le Tiss play with better players, though I love the fact that he stayed where he wanted to be. And yup, Maddison is a good player, fun to watch when at it, but plays like he’s Zico.
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“Is it too early to offer commiserations to Burnley and Leeds for getting relegated from the PL next season?” chuckles Espen Bommen.
I actually think Leeds wold have a chance of staying up, problem is – assuming it’s the promoted sides who go down – every other Premier League team has very serious players. I’m not at all convinced by the quality at the top of the table, but the sides in the bottom half have never had as much talent.
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The Champo table following the latest round of matches:
FULL TIME: Burnley 0-0 Leeds United
On the plus side, it’s finished. The worst game I’ve seen this season and I’ve seen some stinkers, truss. It’s now seven games since Burnley conceded.
90+2 min Leeds bend on Guilavogui for Gruev, Leeds pushing for the win. But, by the looks of things, all of the top four will be dropping points in this round of matches.
90+1 min “We’ve got an EFL Guardian Football Weekly pod tomorrow, so I pulled a few strings to be here in person,” emails Sanny Rudravajhala. “I’m not saying I’m having an existential crisis but I’m really questioning my life choices right now. To be fair, the rain is diagonal sideways right into the away end and singing Burnley section behind the goal. I can spot some glum faces through my monocular! I think we’ll be talking more on Mowbray at West Brom than the brilliant suggestion of Parker/Farke the bus from Peter!”
Talking of names said in accents as we were, Mowbray is great for a Mackem accent.
90 min We’ll have three additional minutes.
90 min Change for Burnley, Hannibal on for Brownhill.
89 min Gruev’s delivery is decent and the ball makes its way towards James on the far side, who does a really good job of riding the bounce and getting knee over sphere, controlling a powerful shot that Trafford dives to tip over! A regulation save, it’s true, but a save nonetheless – the first of an on-target shot we’ve had tonight, I think.
88 min Bogle has looked the payer most interested in scoring and and when Aaronson holds up, nack to goal, he latches on to the loose ball, powers into the box, right-hand side, and lamps a shot that Cullen blocks behind via midsection.
86 min “Re James Maddison,” says Keegan Hand, “what about the opposite? Surely it’s got to be Mousa Dembélé? The man’s named as the best player by most of his ex-teammates.”
A lovely footballer, and what a touch by Mark Hughes to turn him from striker into midfielder.
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84 min I’m surprised Farke hasn’t tried Firpo or Gnonto, but I guess status quo isn’t bad for him, though on the other hand he still has to watch this tedium.
82 min Ahahahaha, of course someone has!
80 min “How about the John Charles(ton)“ offers David Paradine.
What a ringtone that was in the early Nokia days, on which point why has no one yet remixed Kick?
80 min Humphreys looks to have space, so quickly redresses the cosmic balance, tripping over the ball.
78 min Anthony tries an outswinger, targeting the back post, and Meslier begins to come then brings himself back, Bogle doing enough to run Esteve out of it.
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77 min Brownhill powers away from Gruev so Amapdu powers into a challenge taking all the ball then a fraction of the man. Somehow, the ref appraises a foul, and Burnley have a free-kick on the right, 25 yards out.
75 min Finally, Leeds find James not Bogle in space down the right and he comes inside nicely, coaxing a curling cross to the far post … where Roberts does really well to stand his ground and protect the ball despite Ramazani leaping all over him.
74 min Change for Burnley, Sarmiento replacing Foster.
73 min On the subject of Maddison, is he the footballer whose perceived ability correlates least to his actual ability?
72 min “There is also the Madison, a dance from the 1950s I’ve been told,” returns Fran Burke. “It’s missing James Maddison’s extra D but there you have it.”
71 min A double-change for Leeds: Piroe and Solomon off, Joseph and Ramazani on.
70 min Gruev looks to swing in, but the wind takes the ball into the near-post side-netting. Of course it does.
69 min Ampadu struggles to read the flight of a ball and Anthony brushes him off it but with hands, so by the time Meslier is making a decent save from a shot lashed from the edge, the whistle has gone for a foul. Leeds then go down the other end and win a corner…
68 min “We should include Wales/Charlton’s Kayleigh Barton in the list of dances even though it’s the mangled spelling of céilí, as Gaeilge,” advises Fran Burke.
67 min Bogle attacks Foster, who does a great job to track the run and even greater job to barge him over making no attempt to play the ball, at cost of a goalkick. Bogle is then booked for protesting.
65 min “Does the Piroe-ette count?” returns Peter Oh, who must surely know that under the circumstances, we’ll accept anything that isn’t this game. And, as if to underline the point, Anthony lashes a loose ball across the face, but no one’s mithered to attack it.
63 min At last some imagination, Bogle attacking space in behind and Tanaka looking to feed him. Again, I’d like to see James making that run, but it’s immaterial in this instance as Burnley quickly shut things down.
61 min We’ve played over an hour and been nowhere near a goal. Which manager will act first? Leeds have good options on the bench in Gnonto and Largie Ramazani, whose name is up there with Trevoh Chalobah as one of the best to say in a Manc accent.
59 min Egan-Riley carries through centrefield so James upends him, and there’s a minor hold-me-back before he’s booked.
58 min Byram finds Solomon who checks inside when he might’ve gone on the outside, teasing a cross into the middle, but by the time Bogle, who’s getting a lot of the ball – too much of the ball really – shoots wide, the flag is up for offside against Piroe.
56 min Aside from Jayden Bogle, which footballers share their name with a type of dance or dance move? Carlton Morris is one, Ronald Worm another…
54 min Yeah, this is very, very poor – and I say that as someone who spent last evening at a very Craven Cottage.
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53 min A speculative ball from right to middle, by Byram I think, but with Piroe and Solomon making moves towards it, Egan-Riley interjects and wellies into touch.
52 min “The only way this match could get worse,” threatens Peter Oh, “is if one side benefits from a lucky, scrappy goal and then tries to sit on the lead. Neither ‘Parker the bus’ nor ‘Farke the bus’ sounds particularly appealing.”
I actually think that may help us. Burnley can’t afford to lose so if they go behind they’ll have to go after it, while Leeds will also hurl men forward if they’re in danger of being joined on points at the top.
50 min Leeds allow Burnley to pass out, which is a little surprising for a side that generally forces the pace. I guess a draw is’t bad for them, but a win tonight would put them six points ahead of their hosts, who are third, and well on the way to automatic promotion.
48 min On the plus side, I do like Leeds’ deployment of their 1970s badge.
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47 min Cullen down the line for Roberts, whose cross is blocked, then Leeds get it forward and Piroe is immediately unloaded. So far, so first half.
46 min We go again…
Half-time entertainment:
HALF-TIME: Burnley 0-0 Leeds United
That was extremely ungood. Burnley blocked up the middle and Leeds lacked the wit or tempo to move through or around them.
45+1 min Esteve, or Emilio as I’m sure his mates call him, thunders into a challenge with Bogle, and that should be that for the first half.
45 min Scott E in more enterprising times. We’ll have one additional minute.
44 min This is and has been very poor, er, just as the preamble predicted.
41 min Roberts picks up a loose clearance, barrelling into Ampadu and, from outside the box on the half-turn, Flemming humps the bouncing ball over the bar and somewhere towards Wigan.
39 min Better from Leeds, James sliding cunningly into Byram, picking out a decent run. But just as it looks like something might be about to happen, Anthony, who’s tracked his man all the way, pulls off an excellent tackle. That, right there, is Scott E’s Burnley.
37 min I wonder if Leeds might get Tanaka on the ball a little higher, so if he beats his man he’s in a position to do something definitive. At the moment, his best work is going unrewarded because it’s happening too far from goal.
35 min Better from Leeds, Piroe turning nicely and feeding Solomon, who wins a second corner. Gruev will swing out, and though the ball drops on the right edge, there’s no one there to pick it up. Leeds, though, sustain the attack, James punching a pass into Piroe, but a poor first touch means things soon peter out.
33 min Leeds knock it about, but the movement of their front players isn’t clever or dynamic enough to create space or separation.
31 min The corner goes short and Roberts has a shot from the edge, but it’s blocked at source.
29 min Farke comes to the touchline and I doubt he’s happy with what he’s seen so far. His side need to move the ball far quicker, and he needs more men in the box. Meantime, Anthony wins a corner off Solomon, though I think the ball ricocheted on to the Burnley man after the challenge; Solomon is eventually booked for protesting.
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28 min The corner comes to nowt, then Bogle leathers into touch.
28 min James shifts is and using the lane he’s created, drills a low cross that eventually makes its way behind when Roberts clears.
27 min Tanaka intercepts a poor pass out and finds Solmon, whose first touch is heavy. Leeds, though, sustain the attack, Rodon finding Bogle, whose cross is blocked, so they start again.
26 min This is an even but not very good game. The longer it stays goalless, though, the more the tension will increase.
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24 min …but Solomon’s cross is a poor one and hits a claret head.
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23 min A foul on Bogle means Leeds now have a chance to swing a ball into the box from down the right…
23 min This has been a better few minutes for Burnley, though they’re grateful for a Gruev’s poor pass when an attack breaks down and they’ve a chance to counter.
21 min Allowed time and space down the left, Humphreys curls in a decent cross and Flemming’s up … but he can’t make proper contact and the ball slides wide.
19 min Leeds, you’d think, would have a much better chance of surviving in the Premier League than Burnley, whose defence might not be so impenetrable against a higher level of opposition, while 36 goals in 28 Championship games does not suggest an ability to score their way out of it.
17 min Better from Leeds, James dashing in off the flank and exchanging passes with Bogle, taking a decent touch which sends him into the box. His shot, though, though decent, slips wide – but Solmon was on his heels. Had he been on his toes, he might just’ve been able to slide at it.
16 min Aaronson wins it off Brownhill in midfield, but Burnley close space well and force him backwards. I thought he might perhaps have run forward with it there, though understand why he didn’t. Ultimately, a goalless draw would be a pretty decent result for Leeds
14 min Neither side looks keen to risk anything so far, taking care not to commit too many men forward. I’m not exactly sure what Burnley’s attacking plan is; what kind of goal is Parker hoping his team score?
12 min No doubt we all have tunes with lyrics that fit with the name of a footballer. Well this banger offers us a choice: Piroe or Pires?
10 min But here come Burnley, Roberts shifting it, shifting it again, and playing a little one-two with Humphreys before digging out a cross … that Flemming heads in the wrong direction. Still, though, that’s better from the home side.
8 min Leeds might’ve taken over this game. They’re dominating possession and finding Solomon whenever they can; I wonder if Junior Firpo, who played well off the bench last time out, might give him better assistance than he’s currently getting from Byram. The way Burnley defend, they’ll need to find space out wide of they can, but for now they’re not circulating trhe ball well enough to get the Israeli one on one or attacking a man while in full flow.
6 min Burnley are looking to get the ball forward as quickly as possible and that’s allowing Leeds to counter into space. Again, they spring quickly, but this time can’t pick a killer pass, moving it form side to side before Bogle has a shot that’s blocked, the middle of the pitch blocked by a phalanx of defenders.
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5 min Aaronson curls into the wall but the ref blows up anyroad – for what I’m not sure.
4 min But now Leeds pass it out, Bogle allowed to carry a long way before finding Piroe who can make nothing of it. But Solmon picks up the loose ball and Roberts can’t help himself, gratuitously knocking his man over. Free-kick Leeds, 20 yards out and left of centre…
3 min A frantic start with no shape to it; Leeds haven’t passed it with their usual precision and Burnley are eager to get in among them.
1 min The away end are in good voice, though again, credit where it’s due: Elland Road, when it’s good, is that contemporary rarity: a ground that has people acting like bams in every stand, not just behind the goals.
1 min Away we go
On the other hand, Daniel Farke has gone into the barber and insisted on a 90s mettlar look, then tipexxed “Rancid”, “Biohazard”, “Pantera” and “Therapy?” on to his pencil case.
Credit where due, there are some good heads of hair in this Leeds XI; Seth Johnson could never.
And here they come!
Our teams tunnel. Leeds’ tracky top has an unusual strait-jacket effect.
So where is the game? Burnley will look to absorb pressure then counter, I think, shutting down space in behind and cluttering the middle of the pitch, forcing Leeds to go around them. That makes Daniel James an important player, but he’ll need help from Jayden Bogle behind him, while I’d expect the in-form Manor Solomon to float about seeking pockets.
The more I think about it, the more I fancy Leeds, even though Burnley are unbeaten at home this season; seven games no goals conceded is mighty impressive, but no opponent had attackers or bench options remotely comparable to those they’ll face tonight.
The last time Burnley conceded a goal was nine hours 10 minutes ago, at Watford on 21st December. They may, though, feel pressure to push men forward tonight in search of a win.
Parker tells Sky his side won last time the sides met because of their resilience, but he’s hoping for a bit more quality this time.
Farke, meanwhile, explains that Gruev is back because it’s a big game and he’s fit, but also Rothwell has been forced to play a lot in his absence.
I’m really looking forward to seeing Ao Tanaka. I’ve not seen loads of Leeds this term but like what I’ve seen of him, and am reliably informed by a Leeds-supporting mate that he’s been there best player.
Email! “You drew the long straw then?” asks Jeremy Boyce. “This is as tasty a match up as you suggested. Top scorers v top defenders. Top of the table v third, in a group of four class teams, two of which will have to go through the nightmare of the playoffs, and they all have experience of that. Is the top of the Championship better than the bottom of the Prem? We’ll find out next season. Burnley need a four-goal win to go top tonight, but I’m thinking a regulation Scott Parker 1-0 would do them. Leeds will need all of their 66% possession to break down the Clarets’ defence. Fast start? Solomon four mins? We’ll find out shortly.”
I can’t see Burnley shutting Leeds out a second time – they won 1-0 at Elland Road earlier in the season – nor can I see anyone finishing above Leeds. They just have too many ways of scoring.
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On the other hand, Leeds have weaknesses at either end of the pitch. In net, Illan Meslier has endured a miserable period and isn’t necessarily over it, while up front, Joël Piroe isn’t the class of the players behind him.
Leeds will certainly ask some different questions of them. In particular, the three behind the striker – James, Aaronson and Solomon – are capable of causing problems, able to carry the ball, attack space and shoot. It’s a terrific blend, which is why players as talented as Willy Gnonto and Largie Ramazani are on the bench.
There were signs in midweek that Burnley, owners of the best defensive record in the country, are looking to play more expansively. It may simply be that they were playing Plymouth, the bottom team, but they may also feel that in order to get one of the two automatic promotion places, more goals will be necessary.
And Daniel Farke does likewise, bringing in Gruev, back from injury, for Rothwell in midfield.
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Scott E. Parker makes one change to the side which clobbered Plymouth, Humphreys replacing Pires at left-back.
I’m going to get the car for my wife and write these teams down, then we’ll have a think about what they mean.
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Leeds captain Ethan Ampadu says the players are excited. There’ll be two teams trying to win the game and both teams are good.
More news as I get it.
Teams!
Burnley (4-2-3-1): Trafford; Roberts, Egan-Riley, Esteve, Humphreys; Cullen, Laurent; Anthony, Brownhill, Foster; Flemming. Subs: Worrall, Sarmiento, Rodriguez, Egan, Pires, Mejbri, Koleosho, Hladky, Barnes.
Leeds United (4-2-3-1): Meslier; Bogle, Ampadu, Rodon, Byram; Gruev, Tanaka; James, Aaronson, Solomon; Piroe. Subs: Darlow, Schmidt, Firpo, Wöber, Rothwell, Guilavogui, Ramazani, Gnont, Joseph.
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Preamble
Pre-match, it’s the job of the MBMer to amp up the situation. Generally speaking, this an easy activity, given one of the reasons football keeps us coming back is the prospect that, with no warning, we might see something brilliant, hilarious or disgraceful.
But sometimes there’s a game of such obvious import and interest that is does all the work by itself, and Burnley v Leeds is one such.
The home side, third in the league, are in pretty decent form, having walloped Plymouth 5-0 in midweek and won six of their last 10 games, while the visitors – three points ahead – and one ahead of Sheffield United with a game in hand – have won seven. They, along with Sunderland – four points off the lead in fourth – are well clear of the pack, automatic promotion likely to go to two of the four.
Tonight’s match-up is also fascinating because it features the division’s best attack – Leeds’ 53 goals is five more than Norwich – against its best defence – Burnley’s nine conceded is 10 fewer than tonight’s opponents. And if to all that you add a night game under the lights along with some of the best individuals outside the Premier League, you have a tantalising prospect primed to elevate our evening.
Kick-off: 8pm GMT
