Where have all the big bastards gone?

At half-time during Leeds United’s 3-0 victory over Watford, the visitors made three substitutions. The score was 0-0, but whoever was Watford manager that day needed to steady the ship. Leeds had been dictating terms and were only left to rue poor finishing for their lack of a lead. On came three big bastards. Who were they? They were the physical embodiment of ‘we’ll take a point, thanks very much.’

The changes hamstrung Watford once Joel Piroe netted Leeds’ first. Tactically, there was nowhere left to go and these lumbering presences, designed to preserve a point, extinguished any hope of a comeback. Watford couldn’t even muster the set-pieces that Leeds have been unable to defend since time immemorial, for which the big bastards would have been useful.

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