Before we begin today’s semi-rant, I want to address some unsavoury developments on the twitterverse over the weekend. I know full well that you shouldn’t read  too much into what the tiny minority of the keyboard warriors say, but I’ve found it particularly irksome in the wake of the game this week. The comments in question revolved around Jack Clarke, who was rushed to hospital after the game. The gist of them follow that because of spygate and the perception of Leeds being blatant cheats in any way possible, Clarke was simply feigning injury to buy more time to equalize. How  anyone can make that leap is beyond me, and is not only distasteful but plain wrong. People seriously need to find their moral compass, as it was clearly lost a long time ago. Nor does their logic hold up, unsurprisingly. The time he spent being treated simply carries over, that’s the point of adding on time at the end of a game. Some suggested the game should have continued because it was off the pitch. There are some heartless troglodytes around, its best they retire to their cave. As for Bielsa instigating this, his first thought after the game was to rush to the hospital after quickly finishing up media duties. Honestly, some people.
Apologies, back to the game. Last week, I did not bother bashing out a piece. It wasn’t just a serious case of abstaining due to the nature of the result (although it was a factor nonetheless), it was more the fact my brain decided to kick in and systematically wipe the game. I cannot remember the second half, I cannot remember their third goal, I cannot remember us even scoring. I have no intention of watching the game back, nor will I ever do. There is no need to revisit such haunting memories. All I know is that Norwich were better than us, while we offered very little, apart from a period in the first half where we had no cutting edge despite the possession. If people were beginning to feel the crunch before, they certainly were after that showing. So, after a week of how best to dispose of Adam Forshaw, we arrive at the Riverside, home of the mighty Yorkshire team of Middlesbrough. This has become a game that has somehow become more relevant the longer Leeds have lingered in the lower divisions. This probably has something to do with Garry Monk leaving and joining them  2 summers back, and even more to do with the embarrassing ‘boro T.V with its attacks towards the Leeds fan base. Perhaps it needs to shift its concept, as it currently stands as a comedy show that worryingly still tries to offer a nuanced analysis of the game pre and post match, somehow. We saw what happened the last time a team got beat by lower league opposition in the form of Stoke, who subsequently recorded their only win under Nathan Jones so far against us. No doubt then, that after the inquest after ‘boro’s debacle against Newport(something Christensen and Co can relate to), fans feared a classic, and all to common against Leeds, backlash. At least Mo Besic, who kicked our players to the ground at Elland Road earlier in the season, was part of the three players who told the fans where to stick it after their trip to Wales. If ‘boro were to win this game, and the one they had in hand, they would be a point behind Leeds. It was as clear a sign that Leeds had fallen miserably around the turn of the new year, and that this game was a must not lose
Leeds looked more fluid than they had done in the away games in the past month throughout the first half. There was a crispness to their passing, the intricacies on the wings seemed to be getting rewarded, only for poor deliveries into the box to render the moves pointless. Granted, there were still some erroneous balls being tossed into Bamford, who while taller than Roofe, was still not 10’ 5 like Aden Flint. Speaking of the BFG, he (un)fortunately showed that while he may be a good offensive threat for Pulis ball, he still isn’t a striker. He first got in front of Kiko, who must have been dreaming of days like this, and misdirected his header wide. A few minutes later, he contrived to miss a free header when arriving late in the box from an open play cross. Never mind Bielsa ball, Pulis ball was reinventing itself before our eyes. Unfortunately, the latter was the more dominant style in the first half, with them finding particular luck out wide, and exchanging some decent balls with Friend and Shotton on the overlap. Mikel, who must rank as one of the strangest signings ever made at this level, looked too good, unsurprisingly, in the middle of the park. How on earth Pulis cajoled him to rock up on Teeside with the prospect of bypassing him at every opportunity will remain one of those unresolved mysteries for the ages. Â
The second half began in much the same light, with the sole difference being that Hernandez had come on to replace Clarke. With all the talk of wingers, incidentally it was the aptly named Lewis Wing, from a cross delivered by Friend, who put them ahead inside 2 minutes of the restart, a well taken goal from Hernandez napping on his defense duties. Kalvin wanted to take the blame afterwards, and i’ll duly oblige and blame him equally, in the name of fairness. Suddenly, the game reverted to the game we and i’m sure the ‘boro fans expected at the start. A wall of 10 men descended around Darren Randolph, and Leeds had to find the key. Pulis claimed that his team were tired after Newport, but I think that’s simple deflection from his defensive outlook failing to reap the benefits. Sure, on another day they could have eked out the win. One look at Leeds recent form should persuade him otherwise that they were there for the taking, and were second best until the change. I can’t grumble really. Leeds created a fair few opportunities thanks to the shift, the most glaring being Bamford missing from 2 yards after Janssons header had rebounded of the post. It seemed destined not to be, and even more so after Clarkes emergency in the 81st minute. To those who don’t accept it was 12 minutes of added time, Clarke was treated for 8 minutes, there were 6 subs (3 mins), and 1 more for general time wasting throughout the half. That’s 12, right? The drama with an 101 minute equaliser though is something to savour. I had been saying the entire half that Leeds would get a chance from a corner, seeing as though we had had enough of them. Sure enough, Cooper got free from Ayala, who was unsurprisingly trying to drag him down, and headed it back across for Philips, who powered it home. It felt like a winner, but it may well just keep our fragile hearts beating for another week.
If there was one thing this game proved, it was how much we need Forshaw in the middle of the park. There would be no chance of him rising in the last minute to equalise. Instead, he would be lurking on the edge for a longshot to slice wide. We would go home despondent, safe in the knowledge that we, the fans, were right. It was punishment for getting ahead of ourselves, and we had Adam to thank. Instead, we had Pirlo, who with his lack of flowing locks gracefully stooped to head home, and, being a Leeds fan, gave us the cruelest of medicine again, hope. We had been slowly weaned of it, but damn does it taste good. Oh, and the crippling anxiety and stress before and during a game. I might as well give it to Phillips, because feeling something is better than feeling nothing, as has been the case for many a year. Bamford needs to get fit, but his runs in behind are something different and perhaps a sign of things to come, if he can get his eye in before the end of things. Roofe can play in that attacking midfield role due to his dynamism and general workload. He may not score as much, but he isnt going to want to kill someone like he did last week. A quick note on ‘boro’, you will be there abouts come the end, but your lack of adventure may well kill you. You have good attacking players, and a finisher in Assombalonga, use him well, and you may even sneak into the top 2. Lets see what Pulis ball has to say about that. Up next then, Swansea, and the return of Daniel James. If he starts and god forbid score, then let the father help Luke Ayling, and the son help the Leeds board,and let the holy ghost keep us sane.