Key occasions
31 minutes: As if he’s been informed the sport wants a contact of sophistication, Gnonto nutmegs his man on the left and performs a neat one-two with Rodrigo. The return go is a contact too robust although and the assault fizzles out after he’s compelled out large. But a welcome second of high quality from the Leeds teen.
28 minutes: Momentarily fired up, Leeds storm ahead. Harrison whips a pleasant ball into the field, it’s solely half-cleared and breaks to Aaronson, whose shot is desperately blocked by a susceptible Brentford defender. The quantity at Elland Road goes up a notch.
26 minutes: Fight! Adams and Jensen tussle for possession on the sideline and switch it right into a full-on playground shoving match as soon as the ball has gone out of play. The assumes the position of trainer, scolding the each of them and sending them on their means.
23 minutes: Mbeumo whips in an inswinging cross after taking a brief nook and Meslier flies out confidently to punch it away one-fisted. Pinnock retrieves the ball and shapes in a cross from the left that skips throughout on the highest of the crossbar, but it surely had swung out of play.
20 minutes: David Raya takes his candy time over a free-kick halfway contained in the Brentford half. He appears on the image forward of him, identifies his goal, units himself … and bloots it straight out of play for a aim kick.
Joe Pearson solves the thriller: “I seemed to recall that snoods were banned some years ago, so I looked it up. Sure enough FIFA banned the snood in 2011. That’s just one example of the impact Carlos Tevez had on the game.”
13 minutes: Wober takes it left-footed seeking to curl his shot over the wall. He does that a lot, however the ball gained’t drop it time and sails harmlessly over.
12 minutes: Jensen is caught dilly-dallying on the ball on the sting of his personal field and as Aaronson drives into the realm, he’s introduced down by Norgaard. By a matter of inches, it’s a free-kick.
6 minutes: The sport has settled a bit, with each side having fun with prolonged spells of possession. The guests are maybe enjoying a tad deeper, with the view to breaking neatly –which they practically do down the left till Wober intervenes with a sliding problem.
3 minutes: Little sample to the play to this point. After good works from Adams, Harrison breaks ahead and tries to select the darting run of Rodrigo however will get his angles fallacious and the striker, having to halt his run, miscontrols.
1 min: And we’re off. Brentford kick off and loft the ball in the direction of Toney, who challenges properly within the air and will get away a left-foot snapshot from an angle. It flies over, however that’s a robust first six seconds from the guests.
The groups are out and sport faces are on. As are gloves. Whatever occurred to the snood, eh?
@hankbobbym tweets in: “Managerial LinkedIn top dog has to be Brendan Rodgers and his Brentian nonsense. ‘One of my strengths is I learn, and I like to learn from all sorts of people in all walks of life.’”
A very good level properly made. Rodgers is a terrific coach however he doesn’t half love a little bit of management-speak. My personal favorite of his is “You can live without water for many days, but you can’t live for a second without hope”, but it surely’s a matter of non-public style.
And right here’s our man at Elland Road, Will Unwin:
It is chilly and Leeds haven’t gained within the Premier League since early November however Elland Road is full of followers hoping that is the day the group clicks. Jesse Marsch says he can see an enchancment every week and a morale-boosting FA Cup win over Cardiff means there may be motive to be hopeful however Brentford haven’t misplaced in seven and know the best way to open up defences, particularly one as porous as Leeds
“Brentford fan here,” writes Alex Ross. “Despite recent form, I’m Gnonto confident of a result. Hopefully we can Schade it, though.” Oh pricey.
“Really looking forward to this one,” writes Shaun Tooze. “On paper it looks like an end-to-end headcase of a game. Love the spirit and craziness of Leeds, and Brentford have really impressed this season, with some very big names getting turned over. I’m expecting a ding-dong classic. So, 0-0 then eh.”
On that’s observe, who’s the most LinkedIn supervisor? Eddie Howe and Graham Potter stand out most clearly to me – each painfully earnest and never shy of a little bit of meaningless management-speak. Marco Silva too has a robust whiff of LinkedIn. Any extra for any extra?
Some pre-match studying: Louise Taylor on Leeds’ abundance of attacking choices … and their supervisor’s arrival on LinkedIn:
Marsch tells Sky Sports that his aspect must “find ways to not give up goals”. Quite proper.
So Jesse Marsch provides Max Wober his first begin on the coronary heart of Leeds’ beleaguered defence and rewards teen Wilfried Gnonto for his stylish brace towards Cardiff by holding him within the aspect, up prime with Rodrigo. It means there’s loads of firepower on the house bench, within the type of Patrick Bamford, Georginio Rutter and Luis Sinisterra. Thomas Frank brings in Rico Henry and Mads Roerslev, who will possible man the flanks both aspect of a again three.
Team information ahoy
Leeds: Meslier; Ayling, Struijk, Koch, Wober; Adams, Roca, Aaronson, Harrison; Rodrigo, Gnonto. Subs: Robles, Firpo, Llorente, Kristensen, Greenwood, Sinisterra, Bamford, Rutter, Gelhardt.
Brentford: Raya; Roerslev, Ajey, Pinnock, Mee; Henry, Norgaard, Jensen, Dasilva; Mbeumo, Toney. Subs: Strakosha, Hickey, Schade, Wissa, Zanke, Ghoddos, Lewis-Potter, Damsgaard, Janeit.
Preamble
Not-quite-unstoppable pressure, meet not-quite-immovable object. With his group winless within the league since November and tumbling in the direction of the relegation zone, Jesse Marsch is working out of highway. And with a back-to-back double-header towards in-form rivals Manchester United looming, he wants factors shortly. Meanwhile Thomas Frank and his gang are dreaming of Europe, unbeaten since October and enjoying with a carefree fearlessness that has seen off Liverpool and each Manchester golf equipment already this season.
Having spent the season conceding about two objectives a sport, you’d assume any turnaround in fortunes for Marsch would hinge on a tightening up of the defence. In actuality, his biggest hope proper now appears to be on the different finish of the pitch, the place Patrick Bamford has simply returned from harm – with two impishly taken objectives towards Cardiff midweek – and the membership’s file signing, striker Georginio Rutter, has simply arrived on the town from Hoffenheim.
Add into the combo one of many membership’s few dependable performers this time period in Rodrigo, plus teen Wilfried Gnonto, additionally the scorer of a splendid brace midweek, and also you’ve obtained your self a group who might properly maintain themselves up on objectives alone. Will Coach Marsch show himself a cut-price Keegan? He’d certainly take it.
As for Brentford, a win at the moment would take them to the heady heights of sixth, and inside touching distance of Spurs. They have spent the season exhibiting up their moneyed friends and there’s nothing to recommend this run of kind can’t be sustained till the end line. Frank’s group are elegant, organised and boast one of many division’s most reliable goalscorers in Ivan Toney.
Toney registered a wonderful hat-trick (penalty, free-kick, long-range chip) within the reverse fixture in September and the good cash would certainly be on his aspect popping out on prime at the moment. Then once more, their opponents are reaching do-or-die territory, and Elland Road on a Sunday afternoon is a menacing prospect for anybody. Over to you, Leeds.
Kick-off 2pm GMT.
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