Leeds United’s defensive flaws were exposed once again as they were beaten 4-2 by Manchester United at Elland Road.
The visitors went into half time with a two-goal lead but were soon pegged back thanks to a huge slice of luck for Rodrigo and a well-worked move poked in from a few yards out by Raphinha.
However, the Red Devils were soon back in front and two smart finishes from substitutes Fred and Anthony Elanga ensured Ralf Rangnick’s side would be travelling back across the Pennines with all three points.
Harry Maguire was the man who opened the scoring, incidentally nodding beyond Illan Meslier for his side’s first goal from a corner this season at the 140th attempt.
It was far too easy for the England centre-back to steal a march on his marker, Diego Llorente, and Meslier’s questionable positioning left him a virtually open net to head into.
It means only Leicester have conceded more from set pieces in the Premier League than Leeds this term and in his post-match analysis, Jamie Redknapp looked at why it was so easy for Manchester United.
“You talk about why Leeds are conceding so many goals, you’ve got [Stuart] Dallas with [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Paul] Pogba with [Luke] Ayling but the player I really want to focus on is Llorente,” he explained on Sky Sports’ coverage of the match.
“When the corner’s coming in, you have to be able to see the ball and look at the man but there’s no excuse for what Llorente does. You’ve got to be looking at the ball.
“The corner comes in, he never once looks at the ball, all he’s looking at is Maguire, he’s focused so much on him that he doesn’t know where the ball is, he cannot see it and then the ball just lands on Harry Maguire’s head.
“I don’t know what he’s trying to do, it’s not good enough. He’s petrified, it’s really poor defending.
“When you look at the goals they concede, there’s always a theme: players making mistakes, players not doing their jobs and that’s what’s costing them.”
Llorente wasn’t the only Leeds player who came in for criticism from Redknapp but the Spaniard was still highlighted to have been at fault in some part for the away side’s second goal.
Discussing Bruno Fernandes’ headed finish on the stroke of half time, Junior Firpo was the other Whites man who he was less than impressed with.
“We talk about how so many of the goals that they concede are when they go man-to-man and I don’t want to keep picking on him [Llorente] but he goes in with Ronaldo and it leaves a massive space here for United to really work,” Redknapp added.
“The other player I want to focus on, and I just can’t understand what he’s trying to do, is Firpo. In this team, you’ve got to run with people, you’ve got to show desire.”
The Leeds left-back, a first-half substitution for Robin Koch who had taken a significant blow to the head, was then singled out once again for his part in the goal that made it 3-2.
Redknapp said: “I want to highlight him [Firpo] again, keep your eye on him.
“There’s so many good aspects to Manchester United’s play but Firpo’s reaction again, this is what’s costing his team.
“I can live with [his poor touch] but what I can’t live with is this, look at his reaction to getting back, he’s jogging.”
It isn’t the first time this season that Firpo has been picked out as a weak link by pundits following a Leeds defeat. Although, it is worth remembering that he was probably not fully fit given Marcelo Bielsa’s decision to name him amongst the subs.
Considering his previous setback was a hamstring injury, the 25-year-old might have been anxious about worsening the problem when jogging back in the build-up to Fred’s goal.
That being said, Leeds supporters will see a lack of hard work in a clash against the old enemy as unforgivable and will demand that Firpo is working as hard as his team mates, if not harder, next time out.
