Daniel Farke admits Leeds United looked 'tired' in New Year's Day game with hard to beat Blackburn Rovers

The visitors are one of the toughest sides to beat in the Championship and restricted the Whites to their lowest shot count in a home game this season.

Rovers manager John Eustace had won all his previous meetings with Farke sides 1-0 and once again left his opposite number frustrated even if it was not defeat to taste this time.

It was typical sleepy New Year’s Day fare for much of the match, although it did look like United were going to grab a big win when Pascal Struijk put away a late penalty, but they conceded in added time and had to settle for a point this time.

”It was definitely was not our best game,” said manager Farke.

“You could feel the lads looked a bit tired, in the first half we moved the ball a bit too slow, were not strong in our offensive duels and didn't create too many chances.

“They're always well structured in defending, credit to Blackburn. It's obviously always difficult when they just have to concentrate on defending, this is what they did.

“Credit to Blackburn, they defended very well and earlier in the season they went five games without conceding a goal. And when they lose it's 1-0.

“We tried to change the momentum with a few changes, a change of base formation, later on instead of our fluent football we went for crosses, crowding the box, two strikers and a bit more steel.”

Farke saw some positives in his side's display.

He added: “I like that we didn't allow a counter attack and forced the penalty situation to go fully deserved in the lead.

“The rest is just football. One team just concentrating on defending, you open them, score and then one corner kick can change everything again.

"I think we could have defended the channel a bit better, it was unnecessary to give the corner away, then second phase, deflected ball, it goes in. More or less their only chance.

“I feel for my lads. The performance wasn't great, but they kept going, didn't lose the nerve, opened spaces for counters. We're a bit disappointed with just one point but you can't win them all, we take the point and move on.”

Farke lost both his full-backs to injury in the game, but hopes Jayden Bogle and Sam Byram will be available for the next match on Saturday at Hull City.

Bogle suffered a dead leg while Byram had been suffering from a cold and felt exhausted at half-time.

The game will not live on as a spectacle as it was typical New Year's Day fare with Leeds players just a little off the pace and their opponents happy to stifle.

The first was largely bereft of any exciting action apart from several dangerous United crosses well dealt with by Blackburn defenders.

The only effort on target was a tame fifth minute header by Struijk that was easily saved by Aynsley Pears.

Blackburn's only threat came from a Dominic Hyam header that was blocked by Jayden Bogle.

Rovers, by their own manager's admission, set themselves up as being difficult to play against and the Whites did not need telling after they lost to them only a month earlier.

Farke's men stepped up their game in the second half with more pressure exerted, but the game suffered from too many stoppages that led to more than 11 minutes of added time being played.

Leeds lost Byram at half-time and their other full-back Bogle five minutes into the second period.

They further reorganised with Willy Gnonto coming on to play in midfield and two strikers thrown on in Mateo Joseph and Patrick Bamford.

Just before he was one of the players to be taken off Manor Solomon played a superb low cross into the area, but the ball somehow just evaded two home players with the goal gaping and it was shaping up as one of those days.

It could have been worse as Harry Leonard was found unmarked in the home box only to see his header easily saved.

However, the Whites did produce a storming finish as the game finally came alive.

Brenden Aaronson cut into the box before firing over, Dan James saw his 25-yard free-kick comfortably saved and Gnonto flashed a volley narrowly wide.

Another dangerous ball played in by Max Wober led to the ball going loose. Joseph looked to capitalise, but was brought down by the outstretched leg of defender Hyam and a penalty was the result.

It was a pressure spot kick, but Struijk – who had missed his last one – held his nerve to send the keeper the wrong way.

With only two minutes left plus added time it appeared United had got a vital victory. But their opponents struck back straight away, forcing a corner from which Danny Batth forced the ball in after it had been headed back from the far post.

With so much injury-time there was still time for Leeds to win it and they pushed forward in search of a winner. They almost got it as Wober's powerful shot had to be turned away by Pears and with the last touch of the game Wober headed over.

Leeds United 1

(Struijk 88, pen)

Blackburn Rovers 1

(Batth 90+1)

Wednesday, January 1, 2025

Championship

Attendance: 36,645

Leeds: Meslier; Bogle (Ampadu 50), Rodon, Struijk, Byram (Wober 45); Tanaka, Rothwell (Gnonto 69); James, Aaronson, Solomon (Joseph 69); Piroe (Bamford 69).

Blackburn: Pears; Brittain, Hyam, Batth, Beck; Baker, Tronstad; Dolan (Cozier-Duberry 81), Weimann (Rankin-Costello 81), Hedges; Ohashi (Leonard 38, Gueye 81).

Referee: Oliver Langford