Leeds United take on Oxford United this evening looking to edge closer to automatic promotion, but have a tough task at hand, already proven by Sheffield United losing at the Kassam Stadium earlier in April.
Leeds have been given a glorious chance to secure automatic promotion now within the next few couple of days thanks to Sheffield United’s recent capitulation of three successive defeats.
Daniel Farke won’t be getting complacent though, with the Easter weekend notorious for massive promotion twists, and relegation strugglers Oxford United have already thrown a spanner in the works this month for another side in the top three.
Why did Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United lose to Oxford United?
Anyone expecting an easy fixture tonight for Leeds away at Gary Rowett’s Oxford United haven’t been paying attention to the EFL journeyman’s progress at the Kassam Stadium since being appointing following their 4-0 loss at Elland Road.
One of their biggest results under Rowett came earlier this month when they beat Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United 1-0 thanks to Siriki Dembele’s first-half goal.
What did the Blades do wrong in their defeat? Wilder spoke after the game to assess his side’s performance, which should serve as timely advice for Farke’s men.
“We played too slow, we were too ponderous, the ball speed wasn’t quick enough from us and allowed them to sit into their shape,” Wilder said, via the Yorkshire Post.
“Then I thought, from a technical point of view, the quality of our players… we made so many poor decisions in terms of what to do with the ball, and technically poor decisions with loose passing, crosses behind the goal and not playing well as individuals.”
Sheffield United’s Chris Wilder warns Leeds United of Oxford United’s threat.
Heading into this evening’s clash, the U’s have scored three of their last four goals through the long throw-ins of midfielder Will Vaulks, including their winner against the Blades.
That aerial threat from the home side is something that Wilder believed his side didn’t deal with, subsequently giving warning to Leeds about what to expect, on top of what to do when they have possession:
“We were up against a team fighting for their life and they stuck it on us with long throws which were massive, and quality at the top of the pitch, and we never really dealt with that,” Wilder continued.
“We had one or two opportunities before they scored which we should possibly have taken. But that’s what happens when you’re up against an opponent you’re expected to beat and the crowd’s vociferous and right behind their team. When they get a goal in front in that situation it becomes a difficult afternoon.
“Gary [Rowett]’s an extremely talented manager and a good operator, and one [goal] was always going to be enough. They sat in, the pitch was dry, it was windy, so it wasn’t a fast game from our point of view and we tried to slow it down, which I didn’t enjoy.”
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