Leeds United lost 4-1 to Tottenham in a game they needed to win to avoid relegation. The team has had a season full of mistakes on and off the pitch, including a club record fee squandered on a striker who barely played, conceding nearly 80 goals in a Premier League season, and changing managers multiple times. Owner Andrea Radrizzani is facing pressure from supporters and 49ers Enterprises, which owns 44% of the club, for a full takeover. Sam Allardyce, the current manager, has not ruled out staying but acknowledges that the boardroom situation needs to be sorted before any decisions can be made about the squad.
Leeds United Show No Fight as Premier League Relegation is Sealed with Tottenham Thrashing
Rob Dawson, CorrespondentMay 28, 2023, 03:45 PM ET
LEEDS, England — “Leeds are falling apart again” sang the Tottenham fans in their corner of Elland Road. The Leeds United supporters at the other end of the stadium thought briefly about coming up with their own put down but instead joined in. Their team were falling apart and they couldn’t deny it.
In a game Leeds needed to win to stand any chance of staying up, they lost 4-1 with barely a flicker of fight.
The next time Leeds are here, they will be playing in the Championship, swapping fixtures with Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal for games against Plymouth Argyle and Rotherham United, and they only have themselves to blame.
After circling the drain a year ago and only surviving with a win over Brentford on the final day, this season has been one littered with mistakes on and off the pitch.
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How was Jesse Marsch allowed to continue as manager until February? How was a club record fee squandered on Georginio Rutter in the January transfer window only for the striker to barely play? How do you manage to concede nearly 80 goals in a Premier League season? And how do you move from Marcelo Bielsa to Sam Allardyce — via Marsch and Javi Gracia — in little over a year?
Most of those questions are to be answered by owner Andrea Radrizzani, who has taken the club back to the division he found them in six years ago.
Supporters want him gone, and 49ers Enterprises, which owns 44% of the club, wants a full takeover, but the issue of who will be in charge of the boardroom next season is still up in the air. Allardyce said afterward that “it’s the first thing that needs to be sorted” this summer. Only then, he said, can a decision be made on who the manager will be and what the squad might look like. Allardyce hasn’t ruled out staying, although a record of four games, three defeats and 11 goals conceded hasn’t done him any favours.
Leeds United players are dejected after time is called on their stay in the Premier League. Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
In his postmatch news conference, he apologised to the fans but also pointed the finger of blame at his players, insisting that the biggest difference between Leeds and Tottenham was “unforced errors.” It was 90 minutes of self-inflicted damage. Even before the game, Allardyce wrote in his programme notes that Leeds have been “punished for the errors we have made” and it was no different against Spurs.
Inside the first 30 seconds, Leeds were behind. A sloppy pass from goalkeeper Illan Meslier was seized upon by Tottenham’s Son Heung-min, who rounded the Frenchman and rolled the ball into an empty net. It was the first of many mistakes from the home side.
Leeds looked shell-shocked and it was no surprise when Tottenham doubled their lead on 20 minutes. A cross from the right was missed by both Pascal Struijk and Diego Llorente, allowing Lucas Moura to steal in at the back post and score.
Leeds’ only goal came from a penalty, converted by Raphinha, but it was a brief respite. Tottenham scored two more goals in the second half through Son and Harry Kane, and Leeds never looked like getting back into the game.
The final whistle was greeted with a chorus of boos from the home fans, who had seen enough. Leeds are down and the rebuilding job starts now.
Leeds United have been a yo-yo club in recent years, bouncing between the Premier League and the Championship. This season, they have paid the price for their mistakes on and off the pitch. Owner Andrea Radrizzani will have to make some tough decisions in the summer if Leeds are to have any chance of bouncing back to the top flight. As for the fans, they will have to endure another season in the Championship, but they will always be there to support their team, no matter what.
