Pontus Jansson made an error as Leeds United’s Championship automatic-promotion hopes suffered a major setback.
Michael Brown has criticised Pontus Jansson after the Leeds defender made an error in the build-up to Brentford’s first goal in their 2-0 win against Marcelo Bielsa’s side, in comments made during Sky Sports’ live coverage of the Championship clash (broadcast on 22/4 from 17:00).
Leeds now face a huge uphill battle if they want to finish in the automatic-promotion spots after they suffered their second defeat in as many games, with the Bees teaching the Whites a lesson in how to be clinical at Griffin Park.
The visitors had looked more likely to score for much of the first-half – and certainly should have had a penalty when Patrick Bamford was brought down inside the area – but it was Thomas Frank’s men who led at the break thanks to Neal Maupay.
The striker was able to run onto a through ball played from inside Brentford’s half, and lifted his effort past Kiko Casilla from the edge of the box. But it was thanks to a smart run away from Jansson that Maupay was able to get onto the chance and have so much time to pick his spot.
The centre-back was caught almost in no man’s land as he looked to read where the ball was going, and that presented Maupay with the opening to spin off and get onto the pass. And at half-time, former Leeds midfielder Brown insisted that Jansson needed to do a lot better in that situation.
“A lot’s mentioned about Pontus Jansson for what he does bring, but he’s getting drawn to the ball, he’s looking straight down the barrel and then he decides to turn,” he told Sky Sports. “The ball’s threaded past him. What’s he even going there for? Just stay, stay with your man, Maupay where he is. It’s a well-worked goal from Brentford, but it’s extremely poor defending when Leeds were in control of the game.”
Leeds may not have been at their fluent best, but the goal was clearly a serious blow as it came right on the stroke of half-time after what had arguably been an encouraging 45 minutes given the pressure that the Whites were under to secure a result.
Jansson was by no means the only player who was disappointing on a pivotal evening in the promotion race. But his last two performances will concern Bielsa, who has been able to count on the Swede to step up for so much of the campaign.
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