Dallas returns
If there was one positive to pluck from Sunday’s misery it was the reappearance of Stuart Dallas in Leeds’ travelling squad. Dallas wasn’t named in Javi Gracia’s side or on the bench, but just his presence was a welcome one as he edges towards a return to action.
The Northern Irishman hasn’t been seen in a Leeds shirt since fracturing his femur in the loss against Manchester City in April 2022. He has been forced to go under the knife on several occasions during his long and arduous rehabilitation process, however, it seems there is a possibility that he could make an appearance before the end of the season.
Before the game it was clear how much of an important role Dallas plays within the group, too. Watching the warm-ups from the sidelines, he strived to welcome every player back down the tunnel, with a hug and a lengthy chat reserved for Georginio Rutter, who remained an unused substitute for the third game in a row on Sunday.
Read more: Leeds United board face pivotal Javi Gracia call as lack of fight leaves club hanging by thread
Wober’s anger
Wober could only watch on from the bench as United fell 2-0 down in all too familiar circumstances at Dean Court. The Austrian was returning from injury and rather than risk him in the starting line-up, Gracia made the decision to name him on the bench and Jack Harrison and Liam Cooper making up the left-hand edge of a back five.
However, Wober was given the nod in the 34th minute to replace the injured Cooper and he entered the fray in a determined mood. He threw himself into a number of challenges and he could be regularly seen looking to move the ball forward.
On one particular occasion, though, Wober appeared to scream ‘run’ in the direction of Jack Harrison after clipping a heavy ball down the line for the wing-back to run onto. Harrison tried, beating his opposite man for pace but he could do little to prevent the ball from bouncing out for a Bournemouth goalkick, drawing another noise of frustration from the Austrian.
Boos from the away end
Leeds struggled to find any sort of joy in possession at Dean Court and fans started to make their frustrations heard before the half-time whistle. In one instance, a play that was deemed to be negative and uninspired was met with boos from the away end.
Retreating from an attacking position down the right, Leeds worked the ball all the way back to Illan Meslier in the United net. The Whites were behind at the time and supporters seemed to take exception to the notion of playing it safe in such circumstances.
Fan reaction at full-time
After yet another abject Premier League display it’s fair to say the Leeds players were never going to get a warm reception on the final whistle. However, for the first real time this season supporters seemed to turn on those on the field with chants of ‘you’re not fit to wear the shirt’ and ‘what the f-----g hell was that?’.
Supporters took aim at the board, Javi Gracia’s game management and Victor Orta, too, throughout the contest, but it seems patience is starting to wear thin with players as the club took another huge stride towards Premier League relegation.
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