Leeds United suffered a 1-0 defeat at Goodison Park against relegation rivals Everton this afternoon, and Michael Skubala will surely be feeling hugely frustrated after a wasteful performance.
The Whites are now 19th in the Premier League table, dropping two places today behind West Ham United and Bournemouth, with 15 matches remaining.
Despite having 50% possession, Leeds lost the ball 172 times, failed to have a single shot on target, missed one big chance and completed fewer passes (266 v 290) than the hosts during their visit to Merseyside.
The first half was relatively quiet, with the visitors taking nothing more than two yellow cards for Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie from the initial 45 minutes of action.
It didn’t get any better after the interval and the travelling fans’ worst nightmare came true when Seamus Coleman finally broke the deadlock to give Everton the lead in the 64th minute, and that was enough for the home side to claim all three points against a lacklustre Leeds.
Skubala could point fingers at a number of players who failed to deliver in terms of attacking threat, but it was Jack Harrison who arguably let his team down the most with his display at Goodison Park.
How did Harrison play against Everton?
There is no doubt that the performance against Sean Dyche’s side is one that Harrison will be desperate to forget, but it could turn out to be hugely damaging for Leeds’ chances of Premier League survival this season.
During his 86 minutes on the pitch, the 26-year-old – whose set-piece deliveries were dubbed “dreadful” by journalist Leon Wobschall – lost possession 24 times, completed just 13 of his 28 passes, lost five ground duels and both of his aerial duels, and also failed to complete any of his six long balls.
Should Jack Harrison be dropped?
Yes
No
Amid all of that, Harrison was the joint-second worst rated player on the pitch (6.2) according to Sofascore, further highlighting his insipid performance today as he let his boss down. Indeed, Beren Cross saw fit to label it ‘wretched’ in his player ratings for Leeds Live, in which he gave the winger a 4/10.
With that in mind, Skubala and the Leeds hierarchy will be feeling the pressure heading into the game against Southampton next weekend, where another loss could see them drop to the foot of the Premier League table and push them further towards a return to the Championship.
