Lorimer er vel også litt enig med meg i at Norwich ikke ble ranet på ER mandag. Interessant artikkel:
Leeds United: Enterprising Simon got his reward - Lorimer
OF those spectators who watched Leeds United's victory over Norwich City on Monday night, a fair proportion seemed to feel that the better side had lost.
They are, of course, entitled to their opinion but I don't agree with it. What I would ask of anyone who says that United's victory was ill-deserved is which manager made the biggest effort to win the game as it entered the last 15 minutes?
Simon Grayson has many qualities that I admire and one of his finer traits is a reluctance to settle for a point when three are up for grabs.
I can't deny that Leeds were under the cosh at times on Monday, but it was Simon who threw on a fresh striker and a fresh winger in the closing stages, a blatant attempt to turn a 1-1 stalemate into a narrow victory.
In fairness to Norwich, they were the away team and perhaps the onus was on Leeds to force the issue, but I reject all the claims that the visitors were robbed that night – fortune favoured the brave.
Sending on Tresor Kandol and Max Gradel changed the game and gave United the impetus they needed. Even before a bad error from City keeper Fraser Forster gifted Jermaine Beckford his winning effort, Leeds could have been two or three goals to the good.
In the cold light of day, I don't think you can argue that the victory was unmerited. A little fortunate perhaps but certainly not a travesty.
Simon was very brave with his substitutions and I've noticed that he rarely attempts to shut up shop, especially if the game is there to be won.
Many other coaches would have settled for a draw on Monday against a team who are good enough to make an impression on League One's top two.
Whatever your verdict, we can all agree that the win was massive. It's another result which leaves teams trailing in the distance and the 11-point margin between Leeds and Norwich is a huge gap.
These deficits can disappear quickly if players lose form en masse but it will take some effort on Norwich's part to overcome that.
The reality, also, is that the teams in the top six are very likely to do Leeds favours in the coming weeks by taking points off each other.
All of the clubs in prominent positions seem to be of a similar standard and, for as long as United remain in this form, the contenders below them will find the going increasingly tough.
We should not get ahead of ourselves, though. Look through the list of fixtures and you will struggle to find a more difficult period than the eight-day spell that Leeds are in the middle of.
Norwich at home, Millwall away and then another long trip to Bristol Rovers – that is a fiercely demanding schedule and one that Leeds will do very well to come through unscathed.
Having beaten Norwich at the death, I'd be very happy to see four points from two back-to-back away games, both against clubs who might qualify for the play-offs.
Assuming that Leeds can collect a good result at Millwall tomorrow, the visit to Bristol Rovers takes on extra significance.
That is United's game in hand and perhaps the first opportunity to open up a meaningful gap over the rest of the division.
The question then will be who, if anyone, has the quality and the stamina to stay in touch. As Leicester City showed last season, a hot and consistent pace is almost impossible to match.
auren
