Leeds, Newcastle Nursing Regrets

Sam Allardyce was left unsure if his glass was half full or half empty after his introduction to the fevered atmosphere of Elland Road as Leeds United manager. The 2-2 draw against Newcastle United was full of sound and fury, but lacked quality. Leeds had a chance to take the lead when Patrick Bamford stepped up to take a penalty, but his nerves got the better of him and Nick Pope saved with some comfort. Newcastle then went ahead with two Callum Wilson penalties, before Leeds rallied and equalised through Rasmus Kristensen’s shot which deflected off Kieran Trippier’s head. Allardyce was frustrated, saying that if they had gone 2-0 up they would have won the game, but praised the spirit and commitment of his team. He also noted the importance of the game for Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani, who was in the tunnel before kick-off and had a nervous smile on his face. Elland Road was a cauldron of noise before kick-off and Allardyce was warmly applauded as he emerged into the Yorkshire sunshine. The fans were delighted when Luke Ayling put Leeds ahead after seven minutes, but their joy was short-lived as Leeds shot themselves in the foot with mistakes. Maximilian Wober gave away a penalty for a recklessly poor challenge on Alexander Isak, Junior Firpo was lucky to escape with only a yellow card for a wild tackle on Bruno Guimaraes, gave away another penalty for handball and was eventually sent off for hauling back Anthony Gordon. Despite this, Leeds’ supporters were satisfied with both the outcome and the effort at the final whistle and Allardyce knows he has no time to lose in eradicating these moments of self-destruction if they are to stay up.