Leeds Banter 3

27 Apr 2026 10:36:08
And Adonis Storr has it spot on imo.

Adonis Storr wrote: The club that has spent £2.233 billion the last 3 seasons; and spent a large chunk of this Wembley semi-final theatrically throwing themselves to the floor won.

Chelsea were resurgent after their 'supply teacher' was relieved of his job. Turned out it was the worst time to play Chelsea who showed none of the quality their riches deserved.

Leeds changed tactics at HT and switched to a back four and caused the London club massive problems. To combat this, Robert Sanchez got an "injury" and the whole Chelsea team went over for a team talk.

The Blues were suddenly much more composed after that.

Leeds didn't do enough to earn a place in the Final despite being hampered by a referee who fell for Chelsea's theatrics at every turn and allowed them to snuff any momentum Leeds had started to build up over the match.

Another visit to Wembley, still not seen Leeds score.

27 Apr 2026 11:14:14
I couldn't care less how much Chelsea have spent, it's nothing to do with Leeds.
I care about results and performances, and I'm afraid to say, yesterday there was a lack of character from this team. Slow, pedestrian football, everyone too scared to make a mistake.
We have to show on Friday that yesterday was an anomaly.

27 Apr 2026 10:34:11
🗞️ Henry Winter on Leeds: a balanced viewpoint.

Leeds United can take pride in their season. Leaving Wembley disappointed and frustrated actually shows what they have achieved this season. They under-performed compared to some of their more vibrant, assertive form on that seven-game unbeaten run. Leeds lost (deservedly) to a newly-motivated Chelsea side whose starting XI cost £551m. Leeds’ starting XI cost £103m. It's not a level playing field for starters.

Leeds went out with a whimper, too meek in the first half, but have over-achieved this season. Plenty of reasons for positivity. Close to confirming they’re staying up, against gloomy pre-season predictions of many rivals. Six points clear of the drop zone with four games remaining and Burnley at home on Friday. Showing a togetherness in the team and between players and supporters that others covet. Generating atmospheres in stadia that few can match.

Guided by a likeable head coach in Daniel Farke who made the right decision when the pressure was on most, changing the tactics and mood (Etihad, Nov 29) .

Good players like Gudmundsson and Ampadu stepping up, Calvert-Lewin getting back in England contention, Stach class.

A fully fit Stach would have helped against Wembley (arrived at the break) . An earlier tweak to 3-4-2-1 to combat Chelsea’s control and give DCL some support might have helped (Farke did go to a back-four at half-time but Chelsea closed down the game, including time-wasting and tactical time-outs) .

Leeds can still take pride in reaching the semi-final of the Cup, taking 34,000 to Wembley, and could easily have sold out the stadium on their own. That river of white and yellow flowing from all parts towards football's HQ confirmed the size of the club and the passion it stirs. Need to strengthen further in the summer, keep key players, and continue building. A bad day at Wembley, a missed opportunity, a sense of dismay, cannot slow Leeds United's revival.

27 Apr 2026 09:48:47
Ah well, it was what most expected.

More importantly, we must now put down a marker against Burnley.

Up n at'em from the get go.
Hit them hard and fast for 90 mins.

Win at all costs.
Got to get Stach back starting so at least someone can shoot from range or even hit a dead ball.

Ampadu back launching in the throw ins.

It's a must win game.

27 Apr 2026 01:33:10
Fans fantastic as always!

BA through on goal, wasn’t that excited as I expected him to miss.

DCL hundred grand plus a week, free header at good height for him and he plonks it straight at keeper.

AO - pick you effort.

Just not our day, getting completely disillusioned with refs. How can a side be allowed to stop a game when it suits them and get way with all the mock rolling around injured. That lot of pansies would of s*** bricks if they had to face “bites yer legs”.



Anyway now we need three points v Burnley, any less and I think there will be trouble down the line. We do not perform well in London and if spuds and sham have to win against us, with home advantage they probably will. (likely with a goal after the 85th minute) . Our boys are fighters so let’s start with a big 3 points on Friday and put some pressure on the others.

27 Apr 2026 07:11:35
Farke and his team, including players such as DCL, BA, AO, had to do much better than they actually did yesterday. They were woeful in the first half, and a bit better in the second.

Regrettably, Leeds United now have the unwanted record of being the first club to get to 4 Wembley finals, lose them all, and fail to score a goal in any of them.



Farkey was the manager for 2 of these insipid match performances. Hmmm.

27 Apr 2026 07:17:40
We need an early goal on Friday vs Burnley.

43 points needed.

27 Apr 2026 10:06:42
Agree, Baz, we must go for the jugular from the off on Friday. Regarding that unwanted record, take the Charity Shield win against Liverpool out of it, and it is 5 games without a goal, as we didn't score against Sunderland either.

27 Apr 2026 10:13:40
Never used the width of the pitch, and looked, for most of the game, like we had no wingers, and, in the first half, no midfield.

Credit to Chelsea for taking their chances. I must say that Fernandez comes across as a very dislikable individual.

That sprint to the touchline when Sanchez went down, feigning injury, was an absolute disgrace. That s*** needs to stop next season, though I'm sure, instead, we'll all be doing it.

27 Apr 2026 10:39:50
How does yesterday create that record, Baz? It wasn't a final.

27 Apr 2026 11:29:58
Good point, Canada.

27 Apr 2026 12:01:46
Yes indeed, LUFCfeath..

To balance it out, though.

Leeds United did score in the other Wembley Charity Shield match vs Liverpool in 74.

And all four other Wembley (FA and League Cup) Finals they were in 65, 68, 70 and 72.

27 Apr 2026 12:12:20
Correct, Baz, and a fair point from Canada as well. We also failed to score in the Play Off Final against Watford at Cardiff.

27 Apr 2026 13:03:04
Even if it wasn't a final, it's still frustrating!

26 Apr 2026 19:44:30.
Been touched upon briefly in other threads, but how awesome were our fans today!?
How did it feel to be in the thick of it, for those who were there? Had the hairs on my neck up at times!
#TheBest.

26 Apr 2026 20:09:20
Absolutely Brighty!

Pity it's over, but fun while it lasted.

All focus on Burnley on Friday from now on.

26 Apr 2026 21:24:37
Very noisy. I also noticed several empty seats in the Chelsea side before the match had finished! We were off it, first half. Much better second - but their play acting ruined it as a spectacle.

But it also allowed them to break our rhythm. Them & City are welcome to each other. They'll both be at it. Haaland (who didn't react when he was headbutted) needs to come home!

26 Apr 2026 21:32:02
The fans were fantastic today. And, as said above, a fair few empty seats in the Cheski end. Will the final be known as, "the time waiting final" with two of the finest exponents competing?

26 Apr 2026 21:39:20
I didn't manage to get tickets, which is frustrating as I live so close - I can see Wembley in the distance with a view about 30 seconds from my house!

I bumped into a friend on Friday evening who's a Chelsea fan, and he said at that point they had not come close to selling their full allocation and had he remembered he would have got me one in the Chelsea end. It's sad; I would have taken it. I've sat carefully in away ends in London many, many times and been careful not to antagonise home fans.

Unfortunately it's the only way I've managed to get to many games in London. Our Wembley curse continues, but I think Farke did a nice job of adjusting at halftime for more threat.

I do wish Stach had been fit enough to start, or at least come on for Ao earlier, who had one of his weakest games for a while. Let's beat Burnley and confirm survival!

27 Apr 2026 07:17:38
Fantastic day out. Amazing atmosphere at The Green Man. 🍻 Leeds fans were amazing on the walk to the ground and in the stadium. Leeds sadly continued their Wembley drought, but I would not have missed it for the world.

Now, let's beat Burnley.

26 Apr 2026 19:18:21
Anyone else getting frustrated with DCL? I get he's isolated, but apart from the penalties recently he's been poor.
We either change our system to accommodate or we upgrade in the summer.

26 Apr 2026 19:30:26
Think he's excelled in my expectations, Dougie, but he's definitely out of form, so I would support all three options: flex our systems, rotate, and definitely add to the forward line in the summer.

26 Apr 2026 19:35:54
DCL wasn't good today (but then no one was) ..

However, overall this season he has played well, but yes, if we stay up we need to recruit another better striker also.

Allan Clarke, Mark Viduka, Tony Yeboah quality.. If only.

26 Apr 2026 19:40:09
Just my opinion. Nmecha has shown that little bit more when he's come on, he can get a decent shot away.
I felt today we never showed up. Usually, when we go a goal down, we up the tempo, and that wasn't there today; maybe the occasion got the better of us.
Great to see Stach back. 🤍💛💙

26 Apr 2026 19:42:20
Agreed across the board! Far too isolated.

26 Apr 2026 19:42:32
I was at the game today, fortunately, and, as most have said, it was a game of 2 halves. On a positive, our fans were amazing, unlike our opponents who only made a noise once they scored. How did it seem on TV?

26 Apr 2026 20:00:58
I would stick with DCL for the last 4 games, but I agree, he has been off form for a while now. If we stay up, an upgrade is required.

26 Apr 2026 20:03:35
He was piss poor today, and his goal-scoring has been the same for a long while. However, he's still integral to the way we play.

26 Apr 2026 21:44:10
DCL is still an asset, and we've got more out of him this season than many expected in terms of goals and leading the line. It's been obvious for a while that we do need another top class striker at the Club, but for financial reasons that's not been a possible option.
If we stay up, and we should, then a new striker should be top of the list.

He might be first on the team sheet, but DCL is a very good backup. Add a decent winger, a good AM, a left-footed defender who can play either at FB or CB, and we've got a good group. I'm more relaxed about the keeper situation.

26 Apr 2026 21:51:20
I would totally try to cash in on DCL in the summer if someone was silly enough to offer £50m for him. He's been good. But I think we caught some form, lucky. Based on his last four or five years.

I would expect him to get injured a lot next season, and this summer would be the best value time to cash in. No disrespect, just max the value and sell to West Ham or Spurs, whoever doesn't go down.

26 Apr 2026 22:15:13
50 million? I'd take 15.

26 Apr 2026 18:18:12
Well at least I am not faced with the dilemma of getting to Wembley in a few weeks.

Wonder how many will watch the FA Cup outside the finalist?

It will be known as the F**+ all Cares match.

26 Apr 2026 18:49:32
Citeh vs Chelsea deja vu type final. Ho hum.

A Leeds United vs Southampton final would have been refreshingly different, and more interesting, I guess, for many neutrals.

Shame.

26 Apr 2026 18:50:14
A game with 2 horrible clubs.

26 Apr 2026 21:52:15
I guess my only interest in the final is a loose interest in Erling doing well as a Leeds lad. Hopefully he can bang a few past them that would be very satisfying.

26 Apr 2026 22:56:54
Agree with Vid, Leeds United v Southampton would have been a much greater spectacle for the neutral.
Sat in the pub watching it with a load of Forest fans, even an Arsenal and Man Utd fan, and they were all for Leeds winning, so now we have a final between two of the most corrupt teams in the world of football.
This says to me that most of the football fans out there want football to prevail.


Now I know it may sound like sour grapes, but we didn't do ourselves justice today. but overall we won Wembley with the fans that showed up today travelling down there when their lot can't be arsed. Proud of my football club, the best in the world by a country mile. MOT.

26 Apr 2026 18:14:53
The usual performance at Wembley. Disappointing but not shattering. The issue is our usual run in nerves. We managed last season but now given the form of the other relegation candidates it could be tight. DCL has been great for us this season even lately when he hasn't been scoring. Now he's not scoring and his all round game has gone/fatigue. But, if he plays like he did today and he is selected we will struggle to get the ball forward and hold on to it.

Injuries could also play a part. Goodmanson? It is possible that West Ham, Sours and Forest could win two more games than us during the run. It's in our hands so we can't afford to play like we did today. It's possible but unlikely we will go down. We have to win at least two games. It's not a done deal.

26 Apr 2026 18:52:18
I feel like I should be more disappointed than I actually am of this FA Cup semi defeat..

26 Apr 2026 19:14:15
Another disappointing goalless Wembley performance from Leeds. What's annoying is that Chelsea were poor as well. Farke must get the players up for Friday now, which is, for me, a must win game.

26 Apr 2026 19:22:57
Yes, LUFCfeath, agreed. A must win.

26 Apr 2026 17:58:35
It’s funny but despite Chelsea just about deserving the win, we had the better chances.
I don’t know the stats but I’d say our ExG was far higher than theirs?
Up to DF now to lift the players for the last 4 games, especially after the results yesterday.

26 Apr 2026 18:23:48
Think that's a fair assessment, Corkey. Chelsea are a very average side, as frustrating as our Devon away performance level. We easily win that game. On the plus side, no injuries, and the Burnley game is far and away the highest priority now.

26 Apr 2026 18:52:04
Chelski did just about deserve to win, not because they were that good, but because Leeds collectively had a bad day at the races. After a couple of good performances, Tanaka had a mare today, and BA and DCL were not much better. The best attacker was Okafor, but he went off at half time. We woke up a bit in the 2nd half, but, throughout, it was the old story of creating chances but not capitalising on them.

Chelsea were there for the taking, but we weren't able to do it. The cup run was good whilst it lasted, but now it's done, it's back to the league, starting with 3 points on Friday against Burnley (hopefully) .

26 Apr 2026 18:54:08
BTW, did anyone else think Cucurella should've got a card for his "hair pull" simulation?

26 Apr 2026 19:24:49
Pretty much spot on, JR. We never got to grips in midfield, and Ao was dropping very deep. No outlets for the defence, so we ended up playing ourselves into trouble. BA was pretty ineffective after his good early run, and DCL should have done better with his header. We looked tired and off the pace. Hopefully a win Friday and put this season to bed.

26 Apr 2026 19:50:20
I'm feeling a big, big "bounce" performance on Friday, and an overdue gubbing for Burnley! I think we will see a great reaction from the players!

26 Apr 2026 20:16:27
Not only C***arella, but I think it was Joao Pedro who got Struijk booked when TV showed zero contact whatsoever.
Should be a retrospective one coming for successful deception of a referee, although I wouldn't call him that haha.