Paul Merson outlines Leeds United Championship promotion 'worry' after Blackburn Rovers draw
Leeds United remain top of the Championship but dropped points on New Year’s Day.
Paul Merson believes Leeds United will have to deviate from their attacking style when facing defensively solid teams like Blackburn Rovers.
Leeds dropped points at Elland Road for the first time in three-and-a-half months on New Year’s Day after failing to hold onto a late lead they gained through Pascal Struijk’s penalty. A lapse in defensive concentration almost instantly after that goal allowed Danny Batth to level from a corner, with the Blackburn defender squeezing his effort beyond Illan Meslier after a weak Max Wober clearance.
The game burst into life late on but for large parts, looked set to end goalless with Leeds unable to find that breakthrough against a stubborn Rovers defence. John Eustace’s side were characteristically compact and took their chance to run down the clock, reducing Leeds to little in the way of clear-cut chances.
Leeds urged to be more direct
The dynamic of Leeds’ attacking unit means they often look to interlink within the width of the penalty box, with wingers like Manor Solomon and Willy Gnonto keen to cut inside. But those efforts were thwarted by a battling Blackburn side and Merson has urged them to mix things up when necessary.
“Leeds have to come up with solutions, and the last two games, I know they got a worldie goal against Derby, but you can’t keep on doing PlayStation football,” Merson told Sky Sports after full-time. “That’s impossible. So they need to come up with something. I think they’ve got to get the ball in the box a bit quicker – I think it’s a bit slow.
“They get the ball out to the wingers, and they want to do a trick and everything. They’ve just got to take a touch and get it in and rely on the forwards. I worry for Leeds a little bit. I hope Leeds come up, but watching the last couple of games, they’re going to have that for the next 20-odd games, people sitting with 10 behind the ball.”
Wober miss criticised
Batth’s 90th-minute equaliser was far from the final act on Wednesday, with Blackburn’s game-management tactics leading to 10 minutes of added-time - something head coach Eustace admitted to being angry about. Wober came close with a rifled effort shortly after, which was well-saved by Aynsley Pears, while Pascal Struijk also had a half-chance.
A second opening fell to Wober deep into added-time, with the Austrian finding himself challenging for a header alongside fellow substitute Patrick Bamford. The former won it but was unable to direct his effort goal bound, with Merson insisting the defender should have tested Pears.
“Yeah, just one right there at the end with Wober at the far post, James floats it in, he gets just above his marker and tries to head it back where it come from, [but] gets too much on it and heads it over the bar,” the former midfielder added. “I thought he probably should have done better if I’m being honest.”