Ayling draws first blood in Saint-Maximin battle
Anyone with remote knowledge of Newcastle United this season will know their French winger, Allan Saint-Maximin, is their chief threat.
The wide man tormented Leeds United at St James’ Park earlier in the season and proved to be the only reason why they drew that game on Tyneside.
Stationed on the left from the start, Saint-Maximin would be faced with Luke Ayling for the match and their first real tussle came inside the opening five minutes in front of the Jack Charlton Stand.
Ayling slid in early and got the ball out for a throw-in before Saint-Maximin could even get a touch and dribble away.
Ayling’s slide took him to the advertising hoardings and as he climbed to his feet he let out a satisfied roar to the Leeds fans in the first few rows.
Anyone who follows Saint-Maximin on social media will know he’s always game for a laugh. He and Ayling are natural bedfellows and enjoyed an embrace and chuckle after that opening encounter.
Klich rages at Harrison
In the 10th minute, after one of the many attacks Leeds were crafting through the first half, Mateusz Klich proved far from happy with Jack Harrison.
Harrison was picking up where he had left off in the capital with a very encouraging start to the match. His link-up play was working and he consistently got in behind England’s Kieran Trippier.
After one such attack down the left flank, Harrison broke free and chose to shoot at goal, what with his tail up after a hat-trick after all, when others were open.
Klich, three or four times, shouted at Harrison for not passing to him in the immediate aftermath of the attack. He wasn’t acknowledged amid the noise of Elland Road.
Back so soon, Chris?
After waiting four-and-a-half years for Chris Wood to return to Elland Road in front of supporters, he was back for the second time inside three weeks on Saturday.
The former Burnley striker was a £25m addition in this transfer window for the Tyneside outfit looking to stave off relegation with their Saudi millions.
Given Wood is hardly an exotic signing and a former Leeds player, he combines everything the home support needs for a good goading.
“All that money and you signed Chris Wood” was the choice ringing out from the Norman Hunter Stand throughout the first half.
James shows why Bielsa wanted him
Newcastle’s opening half an hour provided very little spark or threat, with Saint-Maximin largely nullified until a decent countering opportunity off a Leeds corner.
In the 36th minute, United misjudged how many players to leave back and a couple of awkward bounces of the ball left Stuart Dallas almost on his own in a two vs one.
However, road-runner Daniel James was on a mission to sprint back from the Newcastle box to virtually the edge of his own to recover the ball as one of the few men able to keep up with Saint-Maximin.
The roar of applause as home fans got to their feet around the stadium was possibly the loudest cheer of the game from the Elland Road faithful.
Tindall’s time-wasting
Many managers and coaches will play dumb when asked about their side’s perpetual time-wasting at Elland Road.
Throughout the match, the Magpies were looking to break up the flow of the game, take an age with set-pieces and stay down with injuries at every opportunity.
Naturally, as they were ahead, with the match ticking away, the wastage grew and grew in the closing minutes.
Eddie Howe’s assistant, Jason Tindall, would have had no place to hide if he were put up for post-match press duties.
As a loose ball cannoned into the away dugout, Tindall could be seen turning and telling the players down there to hold onto the ball as long as possible.
Diego Llorente had to drop down into the dugout to retrieve it.
Reyes’s guests get moved off
Coach Diego Reyes was out on the Elland Road pitch with some guests we assume were his family long after everyone had gone home.
While some children ran around with a ball, Reyes watched on until an ominous voice came onto the speaker system at the ground and politely asked them to leave the field.
Even one of Bielsa’s key lieutenants cannot pull rank when it comes to the sanctity of that playing surface. Leeds don’t play at Elland Road again until February 20 when Manchester United are in town.
