Leeds United’s Championship form has drawn an angry response from BBC Sport pundit Noel Whelan, who claims ‘there are no positives’ from losing to Wigan Athletic.
Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites were beaten 1-0 at home to the Latics on Saturday when Joe Williams’ corner flicked off Pablo Hernandez and looped into the net over Kiko Casilla, as the former Real Madrid ‘keeper stood crowded out on his line.
United had dominated the match and were very much made to pay for our spurned opportunities, with Jack Harrison hitting the post in the first half, Patrick Bamford’s header floating wide after the break and the Grantham-born forward later seeing two efforts cleared off the line.
The Whites recorded a total of 19 shots at the weekend to Wigan’s five, but only 26% of our efforts found the target with ten missing the mark and four blocked, per Sofa Score data.
We also fashioned two big chances to beat David Marshall, but Bamford would waste both while Wigan stole a win having only taken two shots on target from five strikes – neither of which were marked as a big chance to score.
Whelan has now implored Leeds to just get the job done after defeat to Wigan allowed West Bromwich Albion to regain the top spot in the table, and our former striker does not care one iota how Bielsa secures results.
“I am taking none [no positives from the performance] because we lost,” Whelan told Football Insider. “We are not in the business of going ‘that was a nice pass’, we are in the business of getting three points and this is the business end of the season now.
What is more important: Style or substance?
Style, we are a joy to watch under Bielsa
Substance, we must secure promotion
“I do not care how they play – scruffy, flowing, bitty – I do not care. There are no positives to be taken out of a game when you have just lost Wigan at home, in front of 35,000 people after dominating possession and creating umpteen chances and then give away a poor goal. No.
“I will take positives if I see a reaction in the game at Nottingham Forest. That is when I will take my positive – if they bounce back.”
Taking a win at the City Ground on Saturday will certainly show a response from United, as Forest are one of the most in-form teams in the Championship at the moment.
Bielsa has only been able to orchestrate wins over Birmingham City and Millwall plus draws with Cardiff and West Brom since December 12, while in that period only Fulham have taken as many points as Sabri Lamouchi’s Forest (17).
Forest are coming off a 2-1 defeat at Birmingham City, too, so will not be a push-over as they also strive to get back to winning ways.
In other Leeds United news, fans have been urging Bielsa to axe a one-time international when we face Nottingham Forest on Saturday.