Graham Smyth oppsummerer denne kampen fint, syns eg. Nervene lå tjukt utenpå både publikum og spillere, alle visste at i realiteten var bare seier godt nok:
That's what the last three games at Middlebrough, Queens Park Rangers and at home to Southampton had to offer - so long as a result or two went their way elsewhere - automatic promotion, a chance to be known as a top flight club once again, an opportunity to be remembered forever as too good for the Championship.
The first of the last, at the Riverside, was a gateway. Win it and Leeds could bounce down to London on Friday night with confidence renewed and momentum back on their side. Lose it and you might as well start preparing for the play-offs now. The nerves were palpable among the players, said Daniel Farke, never mind the fans
https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/leeds-uniteds-early-play-off-insight-and-rutter-argument-graham-smyths-middlesbrough-verdict-4601429Diskusjonen går mht Meslier - han kan sikkert unnskyldes for mye men i sum sitter eg igjen med at vi helst bør stille med noe tryggere mellom stengene når vi etter hvert skal spille PL-fotball igjen...
Det mange av oss ikke var klar over er at Leedsspillerne slet med sykdom i troppen også i går. Vi visste at Ampadu slet med det i forrige uke. I går følte Firpo for å kaste opp underveis:
Leeds United full-back Junior Firpo says he nearly threw up on the pitch during the second half of Leeds' 4-3 win over Middlesbrough on Monday night but completed 90 minutes at the Riverside Stadium despite feeling under the weather.
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The 27-year-old revealed at full-time he had been suffering with a fever over the weekend and was not the only member of the squad not quite feeling 100 per cent.
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"I've been with a fever [for] three days, I've been ill today, a few lads were feeling the same, we have a little bit illness in the squad," Firpo added. "This shows how important it is to be ready, everyone was ready. Everyone was living everything, including myself, including Jaidon [Anthony] who was ill.
"As I say a few lads were ill, including myself, I was about to throw up in the second half. It was tough."
Får håpe de er bedre innen fredag!
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Så, om pausepraten:
"When we came in at half-time we said that we will defend with a low block and we will take advantage of the counter-attack, we are the better team doing the counter-attacks," the defender told reporters at full-time. "We have a lot of pace, we have really good players up front, when you have those guys up front I think it's a really, really good advantage."
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This change in tack represented flexibility on Farke's part given the German’s preference for his side to be protagonists in games, as well as the team's durability to withstand pressure, defend resolutely and 'suffer' as centre-forward Bamford put it in a post-match interview.
"We want to stick to our beliefs and processes but we said at half-time, the way Middlesbrough were playing that it was going to be tough and we've got to suffer a bit and to be patient and kind of enjoy the suffering a bit, make sure we're compact. We know we're a good counter-attacking team, and we'll get chances," the 30-year-old said, having ended a six-match drought in front of goal by scoring against his former employers.
https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-united/enjoy-suffering-leeds-united-man-reveals-half-time-message-and-tactic-change-in-middlesbrough-win-4601214