COMMENTARY
Leeds United were stunned in front of their own fans on Saturday night as title rivals Norwich City secured an emphatic 3-1 win at Elland Road to swing the advantage their way at the top of the Championship.
On a bitterly disappointing night for Marcelo Bielsa and his men, the visitors dealt with the pressure thrown their way while finishing clinically to put the home side to the sword, leading 2-0 at half time and wrapping up victory with a third in the second half.
Patrick Bamford’s late header was a case of too little, too late from Leeds and there is plenty for the supporters to learn about their side:
This is Futbol has picked out three things learned from the club’s clash against the Canaries:
Off colour Hernandez = Off colour Leeds
There has been no questioning how important Pablo Hernandez has been to Leeds this season but this performance made it clear how one dimensional the Whites can be.
The Spaniard had a rare off day and that translated to a lack of cutting edge for the rest of Bielsa’s squad, with a lack of real clear cut opportunities before he was hooked at half time.
The second 45 minutes saw the Whites lose the iron grip they had held for much of the first half, suggesting that even a poor Hernandez on the pitch is better than none at all.
Norwich were better in every department
In a clash against the two sides sitting top of the Championship table, nearly everyone expected this to be a tight encounter but obviously we were all proved wrong by Norwich’s expertise.
The problem for Leeds was that the Canaries were not just more impressive in one or two areas of the pitch but every single department from top to bottom.
If the Whites cannot make these big games competitive encounters then they are never going to secure the automatic promotion they crave.
Ayling shocker means it’s time for Shackleton
There were a number of poor performances out on the Elland Road pitch but one of the worst was Luke Ayling at right back.
He was torn to pieces by the Canaries and had no impact up the other end of the pitch – making you wonder exactly why he is starting for Bielsa.
A lack of options in defence might be the reason but with 19-year-old Jamie Shackleton waiting on the bench it is clear that the youngster deserves a shot in the side, the axe falling on the head of the senior star.
If nothing else it should get the more experienced Ayling to buck his ideas up and focus on earning his place back in the side after an abysmal outing.