Stephen Warnock wasn’t too pleased with Diego Llorente’s defending for Leeds against Southampton over the weekend and claimed that it ‘drove me mad’, as he told the Football Show on Sky Sports.
The former left-back was left baffled by some of the ‘bonkers’ calls made by the Leeds centre-half, as the Saints were hitting them on the counter for the only goal of the game.
Llorente was inside Southampton’s half when Nathan Redmond got on the ball, as the Spaniard opted to press the winger, which proved to be costly because he ended up knocking the ball past him, where there were acres of space.
That then left Liam Cooper on a two v one situation, with Redmond flying down the flank and eventual goalscorer Armando Broja waiting to be fed in the middle of the box.
It was a prime example of a team making full use of the big spaces Leeds provide the opposition given their expansive ways.
But Warnock just couldn’t believe what a man of Llorente’s experience was doing, especially just before Redmond was going to feed the ball for the eventual goalscorer.
“This drove me mad watching this,” said Warnock. “I can’t get my head around it now, even when I am watching it. This is what frustrates me about Leeds and this is why they are going to struggle.
“This is Llorente, an international centre-half. He is in a one v one situation (just inside Southampton’s half) and has Liam Cooper behind him in a one v one situation (inside Leeds’ half), so effectively, it’s two v two.
“I am thinking ‘there is half a pitch to run into’. Just be safe. Just go back and say ‘if he gets it, then he has to run onto it.’. He commits himself. How can you let that happen?
“Now, the next decision is even more bonkers because he tells Liam Cooper (as Llorente is running back) to go for the ball. I am thinking ‘you can’t, you have got Broja at the bottom of the picture.
“You have got to hedge your bets a little as Cooper, you have to cut off the pass as much as you can to Broja, but you have to force Nathan Redmond onto his left foot and take him outside. Completely wrong, both of them.”
Without the likes of Kalvin Phillips, Raphinha and Patrick Bamford, this Leeds team really struggle.
Other players aren’t stepping up, there isn’t enough depth and the bang average start is now having a physiological effect on the players.
Even from an attacking sense, Marcelo Bielsa’s side looked lost against St Mary’s, which would be a really worry.
One thing that hasn’t changed since Leeds were promoted was the vast amount of chances they concede.
So, if if dries up the other end, then they are in real danger of dropping into that bottom three before they know it.
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