YEP Fans’ Jury - Gung-ho tactics didn’t work against Manchester United but they will against Burnley

A lack of goals from the visitors, an overrun midfield and a defence left wanting on too many occasions has become familiar food for thought for our jurors. And conceding six at Old Trafford was almost too hard to stomach, the saving grace however coming once again the guise of Frenchman Illan Meslier. The Leeds United goalkeeping was in outstanding form once again and his saves, particularly towards the end of the game saved the Whites even more blushes (most jurors concede that the Reds could have put a dozen goals by the visitors had it not been for Meslier). ANDY RHODES All in all, this has been a poor weekend, hasn’t it? Football has often been billed as a form of escapism this year but this result has done little to spread the cheer. Right from the first whistle, the performance was embarrassing. Three minutes in and two goals down it seemed like the Whites’ entire midfield was still in the dressing room. It was only then that Leeds started to bite back but, after the third, it was all over. The phrase “damage limitation” isn’t in the Leeds vocabulary and, although they did score two on the day, the defence always looked like conceding another. Unfortunately, United’s gung-ho tactics didn’t work here and, while this wasn’t the first time, they will work many more times before the end of the season. It’s clear that Leeds’ defending needs work; 30 goals is far too many to concede in 14 games. But, as long as their attack remains as dazzling as it is, there shouldn’t be a question of relegation. Burnley will pose a different challenge after Christmas. It is imperative to bounce back. Man of the match: Raphinha. MIKE GILL Everybody knew that this game was going to produce goals and nobody was disappointed in this respect. The disappointment was in the result. Two goals down in three minutes said it was going to be a miserable afternoon. Far from it; I can honestly say that although we shipped six goals against our greatest rivals, I have felt far worse when United have been beaten by a much tighter margin. How is this possible? It is hard to find an answer except that when you lose by an odd goal there is often a sense of injustice and when you lose by a hatful you usually creep off the pitch hanging your heads and feeling ashamed. Not so this side. They will improve and will still be respected and feared by at least half of the teams in the Premier League. Raphinha stood out as the player who exemplified everything that Leeds and Marcelo Bielsa stand for. I have to say that the Sky commentary team were excellent and well informed. They gave Leeds due credit without being patronising. Bring on Burnley. Man of the match: Raphinha. KEITH INGHAM You know that day when you really wanted the ‘special present’ but Christmas morning came and you opened up the big box but it wasn’t what you expected and the disappointment lived with you for a long time? That was just what happened as the team we love to hate walloped Leeds 6-2. The match was really over in the first five minutes; McTominay scored two goals in those minutes. Not a game I’ll remember but one that the players should and so should Bielsa. Sometimes it might be an idea to play a little conservative when playing teams in the top six. Leeds may be without another central defender on Boxing Day as Liam Cooper limped off injured. Not a good day if you were a Leeds fan and I expect I’ll be reminded of this scoreline for a number of years. Leeds just didn’t get out of the blocks and were punished ruthlessly by their hosts. I sat with my son in stunned silence as the goals mounted up and Leeds were 4-1 down at the break with further goals from Fernandez and Lindelof. Despite the scoreline, Leeds had opportunities but top scorer Patrick Bamford and others left their scoring boots on the Leeds coach. Liam Cooper did give the white United some hope with a header late in the first half. It was without doubt a painful lesson given out by the Salford Reds. Bielsa ‘hooked’ Kalvin Phillips and Mat Klich who were both on four bookings, but they were probably taken off because neither had a first half they’ll want to remember in a hurry. It was an end-to-end second half in which the hosts put another two goals past Meslier. James, who nearly joined Leeds a couple of transfer windows ago made it five and Fernandez scored the obligatory penalty when Man U play at home. Believe it or not they’ve been awarded over 30 in the last two seasons. Leeds did have opportunities but De Gea saved superbly from Raphinha and Harrison missed an absolute sitter but, by then, the game as a contest was over but Leeds, to their credit, didn’t give up and still pushed forward. At the other end, Meslier made at least four good stops to prevent a humiliation for his team-mates. Man of the match: Illan Meslier. MATTHEW EVANS There were a lot of reminders in the run-up to this game about how important it is to Leeds United fans and, on reflection, that was of no use whatsoever to our players who really just needed to take the field with no pressure. The scoreline suggests a demolition but Leeds weren’t at Old Trafford only to watch the goals fly into their own net. Better finishing could have made this a much closer contest but let’s not forget the relative cost of these squads. This Leeds United team have beaten all expectations to be playing this fixture again in the first place and shouldn’t let this result change a thing about their spirit or style of play. As for our opponents, I’m not an avid follower of theirs and this was the first game I’ve seen them play since their last visit to Elland Road on 2011. But I suspect they were guilty of something Alex Ferguson used to accuse Leeds of back in the day. If they raise their game the same in the rest of their fixtures then they could go on and win the league. Man of the match: Raphinha. DAVID WATKINS Not much we can say about that! It was another very ‘Leedsy’ start to the game; everyone full of expectation, the weight of history on the shoulders of the Leeds players and great hope of beating a great rival, only to as good as give it away within minutes! Leeds were poor in those opening minutes, as poor as Man United were quick witted and clinical. But, having said that, we know that had we of taken a couple of our chances we could easily have gone in at 4-2 and not 4-1 and we might have gone on to get something from the game. The fact is that, once again, the individual quality possessed by some of these hugely paid, hugely expensive Man U players , is just on another planet. When half-chances came they buried them and yet easier chances were missed by Leeds and that has to be down to quality and maybe a little bad luck. Patrick Bamford should have scored, Jack Harrison should have scored, and others should at least have hit the target. We move on and can be safe in the knowledge that Burnley on the 27th are more in our league than Man U! Man of the match: Luke Ayling. JACOB STARR How on earth does one go about summing that up? 16 years of anticipation met with the concession of six goals including a brace from the almighty Scott McTominay in the first three minutes. All week the feeling was that the players were riled up and ready for this huge occasion, although that embarrassing excuse of a first half certainly put those believers to shame, including me. Good job we weren’t there, for our sakes and the players’! We gave Liverpool and Manchester City a good run for their money, and Chelsea to an extent, so why did we have to choose this one against that lot to capitulate in? Remarkably, I have seen some calls for Kiko Casilla to come back in for Illan Meslier. Yep, really! I refuse to entertain that; all I will say is that without the young Frenchman the afternoon would have been even grimmer and Manchester United could have reached double figures. It was another game arguably classed as a ‘free hit’ where a victory was not expected, and we could just hope for the best. Well, even the most pessimistic Leeds fan would likely have predicted something slightly better than what we witnessed. Nevertheless, the Whites could have had six themselves on another day, with Stuart Dallas probably actually netting the pick of the eight goals, curling a superb effort into the top corner. Man of the match: Illan Meslier. Support the YEP and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news and the latest on Leeds United, With a digital subscription, you see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click HERE to subscribe.