Leeds United 1-1 Villarreal: New faces

Going to Elland Road on Saturday felt like what I expected most Oasis fans to encounter when they first announced their return: missing faces. I assumed, fairly, that the brothers would fall out and/or there’d be a show where one of them — probably Liam — didn’t turn up. Lucas Perri was Liam Gallagher on Saturday, for me.

I’d been hoping to catch a glimpse of Leeds’ burly Brazilian goalkeeper but injury meant we were treated to the creature comfort that is Karl Darlow in goal. The new faces lining up at Elland Road for the first time were Sean Longstaff, Gabi Gudmundsson, Anton Stach and Lukas Nmecha, with Jaka Bijol on the bench and Sebastiaan Bornauw joining Perri on the injured list.

The sole novelty in the visitors’ teamsheet was seeing 2017 Leeds winger Alfonso Pedraza on the bench, whose appearance in the second half caused a split between the old and ‘new’ Leeds fans, many of whom were confused when Villarreal’s substitute left-back received hearty applause and the odd faint cheer. We’ll always have that goal at Birmingham to remember him by.

Memories of years gone by were about as much as we had to speak about in the first half, as both sides struggled to find the rhythm that will be expected of them this coming season. Half chances were fashioned almost by accident, one which fell to Lukas Nmecha but he couldn’t beat the Villarreal ‘keeper. Darlow made two saves himself but neither side offered enough to entertain the 35,273 in attendance, many of whom appeared to be children making their own debuts. After 45 minutes of tentative passing, perhaps those kids were grateful that they’ve almost no chance of getting hold of a Premier League ticket at Elland Road.

Most of the remarks swirling around the crowd in the first half concerned the four new signings that started the match. Longstaff looked every bit the functional midfielder we’re expecting him to be, offering plenty of energy but little in the way of incision. Stach did his utmost to make up for that, constantly searching for space to run into with the ball and displaying a decent passing range. The lanky midfielder gave Leeds some impetus through the middle and showed glimpses of becoming a potential fan favourite with a couple of clattering challenges and a whipped free-kick that Joe Rodon almost tapped home.

Nmecha was withdrawn at half-time along with Stach and Longstaff, but he put in another respectable cameo, leading the line with a degree of style even if he lacked any real service to cause consistent trouble to the Villarreal defence. He moves like an intriguing blend of Pat Bamford and Georginio Rutter, and could well prove to be a useful squad addition, if he stays fit.

Leeds United’s relationship with left-backs has always been tumultuous and that played out in Gudmundsson’s first Elland Road appearance. He looked bright, linking up well with Willy Gnonto on the left side of Leeds’ attack, then he was laid out after Illan Meslier clumsily clattered into him midway through the second half and most Leeds fans assumed he’d been broken. Thankfully, he wasn’t and managed to carry on until Farke substituted him late on.

The Gabi-Gnonto partnership on the left appears to be one that could bear fruit this season, but that relies on Leeds’ Italian winger being played on his best side, something Farke hasn’t seemed keen to do. Both Gnonto and Gudmundsson took turns to exploit half spaces in Villarreal’s defence, presenting passing options for the other. With a little more creativity in the middle of the pitch, perhaps they might have had more to work with.

Jayden Bogle and Dan James joined Leeds’ new goalkeeper in being injured, so Farke named the unorthodox pairing of Isaac Schmidt and Brenden Aaronson on Leeds’ right flank. Schmidt looked every bit the player who has barely played in the last twelve months in that his positioning often let him down and there was an element of carelessness on the ball. At one point in the second half, he appeared at Rodon’s right shoulder while a Villarreal winger stood twenty yards away in acres of space. Farke described Bogle’s hip flexor injury as “a bit of a concern” and hopes to have him available for Everton, but said he’s likely to miss the Milan match this weekend.

Villarreal’s 62nd-minute goal came when their substitute left-back Sergi Cardona beat Schmidt and crossed for Gerard Moreno to hit the bar, Etta Eyong scoring the rebound. Leeds replied relatively quickly with almost exactly the same goal. Aaronson, who was more lively than most on the right wing, got in behind the Villarreal defence and his cross bounced off a yellow jersey and into the path of Joel Piroe to score for the third match running this pre-season.

Bijol’s first appearance in LS11 brought mixed results. Flashes of stern defensive brilliance were mixed with a misplaced pass deep in his own half and a mistimed interception, but the early signs are positive. Generally, he looked calm on the ball and assured in his defending, and his suspension for the opening match gives him an extra week to get up to speed before what will surely be a baptism of fire at Arsenal.

This first home friendly left us with more questions than answers, but one positive that’s hard to ignore is the performances of some familiar faces that Leeds fans might expect to be dropping down the pecking order in Piroe and Ilia Gruev. The striker’s scoring form continued and he showed some class in his link up play, while Gruev continues to look like the steady midfielder we knew him to be. His qualities on the ball may prove more useful than expected in the Premier League, a bit like Piroe’s finishing. Maybe. Who knows?

Farke spoke to the press after and bemoaned Leeds’ current attacking options. “We have lost our standout player from the second half of last season [Manor Solomon],” he said. “It is clear we need additions in attack.”

Much of the reporting around the attack this summer has focused on Rodrigo Muniz and/or other centre-forwards, while Piroe has continued to bang them in this pre-season. Solomon’s ten goals and twelve assists are yet to be replaced and Leeds’ first-choice right winger hasn’t played competitively since early April (and is injured again). It’s only two weeks until the Premier League season begins with a home match against Everton and everyone at Leeds will be hoping for — if not expecting — a home victory before two tough matches against Arsenal and Newcastle.

As things stand, the only additions to Leeds’ attack this season are Nmecha and Jack Harrison. Assuming we can take from pre-season that Farke intends to play with a midfield three more often than not, Leeds’ front three for the opening day could well be Gnonto, Nmecha and James, if fit. Should they begin with that attacking trident, perhaps Nmecha will be used to stretch and tire opposing defences before Piroe is introduced in the second half. I’m quietly confident that last season’s top scorer has a bright year in the Premier League ahead of him, at least in terms of goals scored, but also fully appreciate that his languid, non-combative style doesn’t exactly match the blueprint that Leeds seem determined to follow.

Leeds believed that Mateo Joseph was their starting striker and Rutter their mercurial number ten this time last year. The latter was out the door by the second match of the season. There’s still almost four weeks until the transfer deadline and Beren Cross did say on Friday’s show that Leeds are looking at another four potential incomings, so it looks like fans will just have to be patient and have faith. The problem is that they’ve heard that before.

Villarreal are a Champions League side and Leeds matched them, for the most part. This weekend sees the Peacocks head to Dublin for the much anticipated friendly against Milan, their final warm up before the big kick off Monday week. The focus going into this match will almost certainly be on the front end of the team, which is looking lighter and more blunt as the summer rolls on.

If Leeds play well in Dublin and Piroe scores for the fourth match in a row, does that solve anything? Probably not. “It’s clear, in all offensive roles, we need reinforcements,” Farke said while talking about Bamford and Joseph, who are surplus to requirements. All the Leeds United recruitment team need to do is find another Raphinha. Simple, really.⬢

(Photograph by News Images LTD, via Alamy)