A trip to Bournemouth on bank holiday weekend – what could possibly go wrong? For Leeds an awful lot, it turns out. Unlike 1990, there was no torching of beach huts or post-match punch-ups, and anything but a prolonged promotion party. This visit only deepened relegation concerns and culminated in the Leeds players standing hands on hips, feeling the white heat of the away support who made their anger plain. What on earth is going on, was the gist of their animated line of questioning. “You’re not fit to wear the shirt,” they sang after this latest alarming collapse.
En route to a humiliating 4-1 defeat Andrea Radrizzani, Leeds’s majority shareholder, seemingly could not resist the temptation to respond to criticism. “I am responsible for this shit,” he said mid-game, in response to a direct message on social media. At least there was no dressing it up.
By the end Jefferson Lerma, a defensive midfielder, was eyeing his first career hat-trick. Lerma scored twice in four first-half minutes before Patrick Bamford replied with his fourth league goal of the season, a free header. But Dominic Solanke prodded in after Robin Koch failed to clear and the substitute Antoine Semenyo added a fourth late on as Leeds registered another hollow performance.
The outlook looks increasingly ominous for Javi Gracia’s flailing side. They have taken one point from the last available 15 and conceded 23 goals in their past seven matches. Their alarming form predates Gracia’s arrival in February, though. Since Leeds won the reverse fixture 4-3 at Elland Road in November Leeds have picked up only three wins in the Premier League. Worse still, they have three of the top five left to play, starting with a trip to Manchester City on Saturday. Only Nottingham Forest have recorded fewer points on their travels this season.
Before kick-off a montage featuring Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa appeared on the big screens in the corners of this stadium and in the coming weeks Leeds may look back on defeat here as the knockout blow in their fight for survival. With a tricky run-in to navigate this game was widely viewed as win-or-bust in Leeds’s battle to retain their top‑flight status. Instead a rejuvenated Bournemouth feasted on some slack defending to effectively secure survival and widen the visitors’ wounds.
“We have to be more consistent, more aggressive,” Gracia said. “If we don’t do that, it will be difficult to get the points we need. We have to change the dynamic and we have four games to do it.”
Gracia acknowledged actions speak louder than words. Just ask Gary O’Neil, whose side have won five of their past seven matches to clamber clear of trouble. Another brilliant Bournemouth performance will likely get lost in the rubble of this latest Leeds mess. O’Neil said he might toast a season‑defining victory with a beer or some leftover Easter eggs, but certainly with his family.
“They have seen some dark evenings in the O’Neil house, so let’s enjoy this one,” O’Neil said. “Not many people outside of Bournemouth would have given us a prayer. I’m very proud.”
- Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for 'The Guardian'.
- If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version.
- In the Guardian app, tap the Menu button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications.
- Turn on sport notifications.
Leeds supporters again repeatedly called for the dismissal of Victor Orta, the club’s director of football. They also sang the name of Marcelo Bielsa. Leeds have become the first top-flight side to concede more than 20 goals in a single month since Newcastle in April 1986 and the reality is the margin would have been even heavier had the substitute Kieffer Moore, who was later withdrawn with concussion, buried a free header. Before then Neto made a fine double save to deny Koch and Wilfried Gnonto, restored to the Leeds lineup amid great clamour from fans, but a familiar fragility put paid to any designs of departing with points.
Leeds continue to hover a point above the relegation zone but their position appears increasingly delicate. Illan Meslier flapped at a Ryan Christie corner to allow Lerma to smack in his second goal after opening the scoring with a fine first‑time strike and the Leeds goalkeeper, who has wilted in recent weeks, was also at fault for Bournemouth’s fourth. Meslier could only get a weak left hand to the ball as Semenyo struck his first Premier League goal. As Bill Foley, the Bournemouth owner, stood frantically waving a red flag, Leeds raised a white one.
