Leeds United are undoubtedly going through their toughest patch of the season with no wins in their last eight Premier League outings. That run of form has seen the Whites plummet down the table and into the relegation zone, after a bright start to the season.
The 3-0 win over Chelsea at Elland Road would be their most recent win to date - a stark reminder of how quick things change in football. There was plenty of optimism among the Leeds United fanbase following the emphatic win over the Blues.
Although Jesse Marsch's side were impressive against Arsenal and good value in the opening 45 minutes against Crystal Palace, the Whites have been unable to find three points, losing four of their last five games. With that in mind, we've taken a look at what the opposition managers have said about Leeds United so far this season and whether there's any hope for the rest of the season.
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Bruno Lage - Wolves
Leeds kick started the Premier League campaign in the best possible fashion with three points against Bruno Lage's Wolves. A touchline spat between the Portuguese boss and Marsch dominated the headlines after the game, he said: "I don't think we were unlucky.
"We were the better team and created better chances so it's not about being unlucky. We didn't score and Leeds scored two goals, we got punished for that. They scored and it was hard to take that goal to be honest because we were in control.
“Nothing against the manager, they won, but there was a point in the first half I heard something I didn’t like. There are some things in my opinion that you cannot say,” Lage said on the aftermath at full-time.
“Most important thing is Leeds win, and congratulations to the manager and the team and the fans.”
Ralph Hassenhuttl - Southampton
Southampton boss Ralph Hassenhuttl said Leeds United had tactically and mentally demanding effect on the Saints in their 2-2 draw at St. Mary's.
He told Hampshire Live: "I wasn’t running and sprinting around so you’ll have to ask the players as they can give you a better answer. For me, it was a demanding game tactically and mentally for sure. But this is what we want to see.
"This is what we get paid for and this is what the fans want to see when they're sitting on the stands. They want to see a team that is fighting for everything and that is fighting to come back and to maybe turn the table. This is what creates an atmosphere and what creates identity and what creates, in the end, that togetherness that we need to stay in the league again."
Thomas Tuchel - Chelsea
Then Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel refused to be drawn into praise for Leeds United's style of play. “We scored an own goal and gave an awfully cheap set-piece away and conceded from a set-piece,” said Tuchel. “This has simply nothing to do with pressing, simply nothing to do with running less kilometres and nothing to do with the style of Leeds.
“We should not confuse these things. We were able to cope [with] that style, we were able to be the better team, we were able to be one [or] 2-0 ahead.
“We give an own goal away and the set-piece has nothing to do with anything. From there, of course then it's 2-0 and the belief is on top level and our body language from there, even in the 10 minutes before, was not like it was in the last match and that's how I felt.
“It’s surprising because you cannot be frustrated and if you play Leeds, mistakes happen. I don't see the connection we lost due to the style of Leeds. We knew what was coming, but the two goals that cost us the match have nothing to do with the style.”
Graham Potter - Brighton
Speaking to the media after the win, Graham Potter was full of praise for the Leeds boss, saying: “Jesse's done a really good job and they're [Leeds] hard to play against. So we had to suffer a little bit but, overall I think deserved the win.
“Leeds defend really well, they're a really well organised team. You can see from the game against Chelsea, fantastic. Their press, they're so hard to play against, not easy to play through.
“So I think it was important for us to be able to have courage to be able to play when we could and then use the width to try to stretch out their block laterally a little bit because it functions really well. So I thought Purvis [Estupinan] and Leo [Trossard] did it well, and Joel [Veltman] and Solly [March] did really well.
“Like I said, the only thing that missing from the first half was was a goal, but the performance level was really good against a really good team.
“Sometimes you make the mistake of looking at the game, you know, as Leeds’ pressure was ineffective, but actually there's always two teams on. Newcastle apparently didn't do very well when they played here as well but they were quite a good team.
“So it's about our performance and you saw that, how effective they were against Chelsea. Really strong and deservedly winning, I think. So I don't think it was necessarily about them being ineffective, I think it was us playing well and and causing them a problem and trying to bring our game to them.”
Frank Lampard - Everton
Leeds had to come from behind to salvage a point against Everton at Elland Road, but Frank Lampard thought the hosts were obsessed with timewasting. Speaking in his post-match press conference, Lampard said: "No, to be honest, I think they became obsessed with the time-wasting. There were a couple of times when we went one-nil up and the ball was in the crowd, and the bench are talking about time. I don’t know whether they want Jordan (Pickford) to sprint into the crowd and get the ball back, I didn’t get it.
"It became an obsession and then the crowd get on it and they try to manage the game and put pressure on the referee, but I get it.
"Goodison Park can be a tough place to come with those things but it became a talking point and maybe a little bit of a side issue because there were a lot of times when they wanted us to go and get the ball, but what do you want us to do?"
Thomas Frank - Brentford
Bees boss Thomas Frank was full of praise for Leeds United despite their heavy defeat against Brentford. Speaking in his post-match press conference, he said: "“Today, we managed to score five goals, that’s the first time in the Premier League, which is crazy. We were such a threat going forward.
“I think we started the game fantastic, front-footed, energy, pressing, creating chances. We go in front, it was well deserved and, after that, I think between the boxes Leeds were a bit better than us.
“They were on the ball more and their four front four are really good between the lines, I must say. But they didn't create anything in the first half. I know they scored the goal, but it was a bouncing ball that dropped. We need to do better in that situation.
“Second half, we were so dangerous on counter-attacks and created so many opportunities, and we also scored some goals there. That killed the game off.
“I think that Leeds did well, I must say that. Our lower defending needs to be better and we gave too many chances away compared to what we normally do in those situations, so that's the thing we need to improve.
“I also said that with counter-attacks and set-pieces, if we did those well today, we win the game.”
Steven Gerrard - Aston Villa
Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard was left frustrated by his sides inability to come away with three points after Luis Sinisterra was sent off at Elland Road. “We’re frustrated because we should be heading down the motorway with three points rather than one,” he told VillaTV post-match.
“I think large parts of our performance were very good, we came here to frustrate Leeds, we came here to be competitive and stand up, and for large parts of the game we were much better. Even 11 v 11 we had the better moments, we should have scored at least one or two goals, and then obviously a big moment with the red card.
“We should be going to take three points from that moment, we’ve created 19 shots on goal and 12 inside the area – so that tells the story of the game. And if we were a little bit more ruthless and clinical then it would be our first away win, but unfortunately it’s not.
“So we take the clean sheet, we take the point and we move on, but we’re frustrated going away, for sure.”
Patrick Vieira - Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira said Leeds United were the better side at Selhurst Park in the opening 45 minutes with the Eagles going on to win the tie 2-1. “In the first half, they were the better team,” admitted Vieira. “They play with a lot of intensity, and it was really difficult for us to build up from the back.
“We didn’t make some good decisions. We made it very difficult for ourselves with the decisions that we made. In the second half, we went a little bit more direct.
“We managed to win more second balls, and we managed to build momentum. Physically, they dropped as well a little bit more, so that allowed us to have more time on the ball to make better decisions.”
Mikel Arteta - Arsenal
Credit has been paid to Leeds United for their second-half performance and Elland Road atmosphere by Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta. “We made it very difficult for ourselves because we didn't close the game in the first half and we should have done,” he said.
“In the second half, we made too many mistakes that just gave opportunities and belief to Leeds. Credit to them. [In] the second half, they were really, really good, incredible atmosphere, and deserves credit for that as well.”
Arteta said he fully expected the atmosphere he saw at Elland Road on Sunday. He said: “It’s always intense here. We expected periods where it became really chaotic, the game and we have to handle that situation. [In] the first half we had some really, really good moments [in which] we should outplay them and then score two or three and we didn't.
“We left the game open and from the beginning, from the first whistle in the second half we started not at the rhythm and not making the right decisions time after time and we put ourselves in big trouble. Even when you get in those moments, I love the resilience, the fight, the character and the courage the team showed to win the game.”
Brendan Rodgers - Leicester City
The Leicester City boss believes his side put in a confident performance as they ran out 2-0 winners over Leeds United, but praised the Whites performance.
“I thought it was a very good performance" Rodgers told Leicester Live. We should have won here at the weekend but didn’t and it was a continuation of that. I thought the intensity in our defending was very good.
"We were playing against a Leeds team that have shown how good they are at pressing, but we played through that really well with the ball. We broke their lines well. And then when we had to defend, the players never stopped running.
"You play against Leeds, there are a lot of second balls, third balls, fourth balls you have to win, and the players showed the mentality and desire to defend. It was a confident performance, and it was another clean sheet. We’ve got to keep taking small steps.”
Marco Silva - Fulham
Fulham boss Marco Silva believes the Elland Road crowd gave Leeds United an extra man but his side were the better side throughout the game.
"A great win for us and well deserved in my opinion,” Silva said in his post-match press conference. “The 95 minutes, we are the best team on the pitch.”
"We knew before the match what it means to play at Elland Road. It is difficult for all the teams to come here to get points from the game. It’s a place that you really feel that in some moments they can play with that extra man - an extra man is the crowd.
"They are really supportive and they can push the team forward in certain moments of the game. Last week they did a fantastic game here against Arsenal.
"Some weeks ago they did the same against Chelsea as well. We knew that in the beginning of the match the pressure will be really tough to beat in some moments, but you knew as well that the moment that you can show the quality to beat that pressure, the spaces will appear for us.”
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