Leeds United 0-0 Newcastle United: And breathe

It had been one of those weeks at Leeds United. While losing 5-0 at Arsenal could be brushed off as the depressing reality of the Premier League, getting knocked out of the League Cup by a bunch of children at Hillsborough led to justifiable alarm. Signing Facundo Buonanotte would have lifted the mood, yet briefing journalists he was on his way to Elland Road even though he hadn’t boarded a plane and subsequently missing out on a logical target whose skillset is missing from this squad only raised further questions about whether Leeds had really learned from their mistakes of the past or not.

All those things only increased the pressure on Daniel Farke and his team ahead of a difficult game against Newcastle. Walking to the ground hardly helped lift spirits, the rain pouring down earlier than expected, leaving me drenched and ruining plans for a pint outside The Peacock before kick off.

Thankfully, the announcement of the teamsheet proved Farke has learned some lessons at least. Out dropped Joel Piroe from the starting XI against Arsenal and in came Lukas Nmecha, giving Leeds the focal point they sorely lacked in the capital. Nmecha is hardly the most refined forward to play for Leeds and his use of the ball can be frustratingly clumsy, but whereas it’s often easy to forget Piroe is on the pitch, Nmecha at least provides a nuisance factor for opposition defenders to deal with and a target for United goalkeeper Lucas Perri a target to aim towards. That’s something Perri needs to work on, his wayward kicking occasionally launching the ball for shortarses Wilf Gnonto and Dan James to challenge beanpoles like Dan Burn in the air, but he soon realised he can throw it as far and with more accuracy than he can boot it, giving Nmecha something to fight for.

Once again, Leeds only got brief glimpses of chances. Gabi Gudmundsson’s low cross from the left was inches away from giving Dan James or Jayden Bogle a tap-in at the back post. A similar cross by Gnonto from the right narrowly evaded Nmecha making a run to the near post. James benefited from some excellent hold-up play by Nmecha and picked a nice pass back to the striker behind the defence, only for him to fall over his own feet as the ball bounced behind him off his heel.

Despite the vast sums of money spent on their squad, Newcastle were having the same problems. There were a couple of dangerous crosses that went to waste, but Leeds’ defence was for the most part well marshalled by Pascal Struijk and in particular Joe Rodon, who had the brawn to win headers and the brain to buy a few free-kicks while doing so, allowing Leeds to alleviate any pressure. On one of the only occasions Newcastle worked a worrying sight on goal inside the penalty area, Gudmundsson was alert and well positioned to block William Osula’s goal-bound shot. After conceding to all five shots on target he faced at Arsenal, Perri even proved he could make a couple of saves, too.

The early evidence from the Peacocks’ opening home games of the season is that, unlike our last couple of seasons in the top flight, Farke has fashioned a defence and midfield that can give Leeds a platform in games and make them hard to beat. In the absence of Ethan Ampadu and Ao Tanaka, Sean Longstaff was excellent against his former club, snapping into tackles and making sure Leeds won their share of second balls whenever Nmecha made it difficult for Newcastle to settle into possession. Longstaff was well supported by Anton Stach and Ilia Gruev in that respect, and the trio’s workload explains why Farke turned relatively early to Jack Harrison and Brenden Aaronson off the bench. If he couldn’t change his central midfield, then he could at least maintain the energy levels out wide to help them out.

Harrison continued his post-loan clause rehabilitation with another handy cameo off the bench. Whatever you think of him, he’s been a useful asset for Leeds in the Premier League before and can be again. It’s not a coincidence that Harrison was a favourite under Marcelo Bielsa and every other Leeds manager he’s played under. Farke is no different. “This is how you win a crowd back, getting your head down, helping in terms of defending,” he said after the game. “Jack was a role model today and I’m delighted he’s on a good way to win the doubters back.”

Regardless of what happens on deadline day, Leeds might have a new starting striker upon their return from international break as Dominic Calvert-Lewin got more minutes off the bench and came closer than anyone to snatching a winner, forcing a late save after being given a difficult chance by Bogle, who is seemingly Leeds’ most threatening attacker judging by the last few games. It’s no wonder Farke remains desperate to add some creativity to his side. For all he can frustrate supporters, he can see exactly what we can see and has been talking about wanting a playmaker since Georgi Rutter was sold this time last year — and warning the 49ers to prepare for that eventuality since the previous January.

A well-earned point and an encouraging performance afforded everyone in Leeds a much-needed chance to breathe, albeit not for long. The clock is ticking. If Leeds end the transfer window lacking imagination on the pitch, it will be down to a lack of imagination in the boardroom rather than the dugout. ⬢