IMO Aaronson has Matt Turner's problem: not at all a bad player but not quite up to EPL standard either. As the Guardian's North-East reporter, Louise Taylor, noted recently his "phenomenal workrate and assiduous tracking back helps fortify Leeds defensively" which is essential in a relegation battle "but creatively he has disappointed." If Leeds saw something in him, successive coaches have been unable to unlock that and Leeds' fans are infamously demanding. He has bulked up but there's a point where that becomes counter-productive for his mobility (considerable) and pace (not considerable at all). If he's no longer easily bullied, he can't bully anyone else and he doesn't create chances or convert them. Without becoming above-average in at least one other quality besides stamina and tactical discipline, his problems are going to continue He's likely to return to the continent in June. He did well enough at Union Berlin, notably improving as the team declined and he was undoubtedly well scouted while at Salzburg. With his contract running out in 2027, his wage demands won't be that high and Leeds may cover part of the 2026-27 difference to ease him out. Mid-table BL1 or upper-middle Ligue 1 sides should be interested.
I'd be a little cautious about reading last night's formation change as consigning Brenden to the bench long-term. Playing 3-5-2 against Chelsea at home and winning is one thing. Playing it against West Ham or Forest is another. The likes of Chelsea, Liverpool, City, Arsenal, etc. are expected to beat Leeds so they will attack and leave gaps. The rest will happily bunker and wait to be broken down. Leeds still have to show that they can cut through layered defences
4 / 9 points against 3 of the richest clubs in the league (and it was EXTREMELY close to being 5/9 vs City, IMO) is worth giving him a few more weeks, but it would be ideal to give a replacement the January window so who knows.
Kudos to Brenden and the goal scorer but man what is Liverpool doing? How are they this consistently bad?
All of their star players are old. Trent going to Real also completely changed the way they play, which has exposed their wet paper towel midfield. In the 10 games he didn’t start last season, they conceded 17 goals. In the 28 he did start, they conceded 24. So they’re basically just carrying on at the same clip that they did when he didn’t play last season.
Man, after all the crap games and injury time breakdowns I've sat thru watching Leeds, this is the game I decide to skip to hang Sinterklaas lights... Good on Leeds (and yeah, what the heck Liverpool?!) BA and Gnoto coming through as 66 min subs for sure gives Farke a few things to think about - and makes him suddenly look like a guy who can game manage. West Ham can still keep things "interesting" but those 4 points, at this juncture, are unexpected and much needed. Now Leeds needs to get some points out of the teams in their "neighborhood" in the standings.
Konate has been shocking and Trent’s loss probably is underrated, but there’s precedence of the toll of Championship seasons causing hangovers for teams. Salah is a shadow of his last season self and they play like they don’t know each other at times, which is sorta true. I chalk it up to burnout as much as age - or at least a meaningful factor. And lacking attacking danger makes it harder on the defense.
It's absolutely insane that a FB has that much influence on a side and yet Crystal Palace without Munoz' goals is relegation fodder so I get it. Which makes their decision to cheap out and not buy Guehi even more baffling. All that money up front but VVD and Konate are flat out subpar so far this season.
Fulham with a fully fit Antonee Robinson: challenging for Europa League qualification. Fulham without Antonee Robinson: relegation battlers.
Three points about yesterday's match: 1) Leeds played 3-5-2 again yesterday, with Aaronson on the bench again. 2) first sub off the bench was Aaronson, replacing a CB, Bijol, as they switched to a back 4 3) Leeds were 2-0 down when he came on and it finished 3-3 If he's lost his starting place - which is a bit early to say - he remains an important player
An interesting test of the new formation, up against a team of comparable quality. It worked pretty well against the big guns - if it works today, Leeds will start looking up the table rather than down.
Really good second half for Leeds today. Seems like they’ve turned a corner. In 17th after the weekend, next up is Palace at home on Saturday.