To say there is excitement surrounding Leeds United’s prospects this season would be wrong.
Daniel Farke’s men should be playing Premier League football. Alas, on the grandest of stages in English football – Wembley – they came unstuck.
Leeds are ready to go one better this term but they will have to do so without star man and Championship Player of the Season Crysencio Summerville. They will also have to do without cult hero Archie Gray.
The Dutchman is now a West Ham United player. Gray is now at Tottenham Hotspur.
That said, as Leeds hit the woodwork three times in the opening ten minutes against Portsmouth through Willy Gnonto, Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev, it looked as though things could finish as a cricket score.
That looked even likelier when Pascal Struijk converted an early penalty after Daniel James had been fouled.
Leeds had all the ball. Leeds had all of the chances but in typical fashion, couldn’t get over the line.
They somehow trailed at the break after Elias Sorensen squirmed the ball through Illan Meslier.
In truth, the Frenchman should have saved it, but what’s new? The goalkeeper continues to look a shadow of the player we saw in the top flight. Callum Lang then struck home a rasping effort from range to silence Elland Road.
Gnonto eventually got his goal but a late penalty from that man Lang looked to have secured the points for newly promoted Pompey.
Leeds love drama, though, and the returning Brendan Aaronson popped up to rescue a late point.
It wasn’t an ideal way for the Whites to start the season and there will be some worries, although perhaps not in attack where it’s thought the biggest hole had been left after Summerville’s exit. Instead, there should be fears over the Leeds defence.
Joe Rodon’s performance in numbers
We’ve already mentioned Meslier but we should also mention debutant Jayden Bogle.
Arriving from Sheffield United earlier this summer, the full-back looked in good order going forward.
Creating an exciting partnership with the speedy James, Bogle succeeded with two of his three dribbles and created two big chances.
Though, as Blades supporters will have been able to tell you, he’s not always the best defender. Debatable penalty or not, he was the man at fault late on.
On top of that, he committed a further three fouls, not ideal as Leeds hope to find their successor to Gray.
Also at fault was Joe Rodon, a man so consistent, a man so reliable and a man so sought-after following his heroic efforts last term.
After an early season suspension, the Welshman went on to start every single game and his outing against Pompey on the opening weekend was his 45th consecutive start for Leeds. There is a reason they fought so hard to bring him back to Elland Road on a permanent basis.
Rodon was a large part of the squad that reached the play-offs in 2023/24. He was magnificent alongside mainly Ampadu at the back.
That partnership was split up this time. Struijk featured at centre-half alongside him while his fellow Welshman played in midfield.
Rodon perhaps saved one of his worst performances in a Leeds shirt for the visit of John Mousinho’s men on Saturday.
Handed a 5/10 match rating by Leeds Live reporter Beren Cross, he described the centre-back’s display as ‘one of his poorest games in memory’.
Minutes played
90
Touches
78
Accurate passes
55/72 (76%)
Clearances
4
Tackles
0
Interceptions
0
Ground duels won
0/2
Aerial duels won
6/10
Possession lost
18x
Long balls
1/5
Dribble attempts
0
Why? Well, he was not his usually composed self. It was Rodon’s poor clearance that led to Lang’s first-half goal and overall, he did not convince.
The defender gave away possession on 18 occasions, an extraordinarily high level for a centre-back, and won just six of his 12 duels.
It was his ability to play from the back that let him down in particular, with the YEP’s Graham Smyth saying that he ‘struggled with his passing’ and made ‘some poor giveaways’. Rodon’s 76% pass completion rate would substantiate that point.
So, we all know Rodon can perform consistently but if Leeds are to challenge for promotion again, he will need to find his level of performance from last season swiftly.
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