In Leeds United’s 1-0 victory over Norwich City on Wednesday, January 24, Phil Hay was left perplexed by what he described as a “weird” occurrence.
With a victory, the Whites hope to reduce the distance between themselves and the automatic promotion slot to two points ahead of their Championship match at Elland Road on Wednesday night.
And Dan James’ excellent cross set up the in-form Bamford for his fourth goal in five games for Leeds United with a superb header inside the six-yard box, giving Daniel Farke’s team the perfect start.
Leeds dominated much of the first half, but when the Whites were oddly forced to camp inside their own half by a determined Norwich, maybe as a tactical manoeuvre, the second half almost saw a total 180-degree change in performance.
On January 24, Hay responded on his personal Twitter account, saying, “I’m really risking an equalizer for Norwich here. The press has become much more passive, with low block. Strange.
For much of the year, the Whites have been known to completely shut out opponents at Elland Road, sometimes finishing games long before the 80th minute. However, in the second half, when they were in control, they let Norwich back into the game.
Whether it was a tactical strategy by Farke or his team was forced to take such a dangerous approach in the second half, Leeds supporters will never know, but it is not something the German is known for.
Leeds put themselves in a great position early in the first half when Bamford scored with a beautiful header, and they could have easily scored two more if they had been more potent.
Because of the rigorous nature of the Championship, clubs as large as Leeds simply cannot become complacent or they will be punished, and the Whites came close to that fate.
The Canaries have been impressive in recent weeks, with a significant improvement in performances and results, while the Whites nearly lost a key three points midway through the second half.
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