Leeds United 0 Blackburn Rovers 1: All in the mind as Whites go jelly-legged at the wrong time

Leeds United, Leicester City and Ipswich Town have suddenly and unexpectedly all gone jelly-legged at once.

That is the comfort for Leeds after a horrendously-timed first home defeat this season, 1-0 to Blackburn Rovers, extended their recent sequence to two defeats and a 0-0 draw in three matches – at least everyone else is struggling too.

Everyone bar Southampton, taken away from the heat by a wobbly run of their own but now six points behind Leeds with an extra six to play for, plus a final-weekend trip to Elland Road.

The permutations – at the bottom too, where Blackburn are five points ahead of Huddersfield Town and next opponents Sheffield Wednesday – are for the likes of us to worry about not, as Leeds manager Daniel Farke stressed, those in the camp.

His team just have to get back to looking more like their own selves.

They have been a pale imitation since an international break that disrupted them with injuries in a way they were immune to before.

Elland Road is the fortress on which everything has been founded but at squeaky bum time, home advantage can be the opposite.

Every English football fan knows what a powerful force Leeds' home can be but its passion can become nervousness. The next few weeks should all be about football but what happens ideally between now and May 4, perhaps the 26th, will have a huge bearing on the future of a club with £190m of transfer instalments to pay in the next few years.

Blackburn, who should have been in a mental spin after a midweek 5-0 hammering, played the role of away team brilliantly and Sheffield referee James Bell made it easier for them.

Rovers knew not to try to play. They added an extra centre-back and even the strikers in their 3-4-1-2, Tyrhys Dolan and Sam Gallagher, had to get close to the Leeds full-backs when the hosts had the ball.

They almost always did but were unable to build rhythm or pepper Aynsley Pears with shots.

Part of it was down to Blackburn's shameless timewasting, noticeable when ex-Middlesbrough goalkeeper Pears lingered over an eighth-minute goalkick and almost every restart after. At times the crowd counted the seconds Pears clung onto the ball for but football's six-second rule is the most laughable waste of ink in its rulebook.

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That timewasting is a bookable offence is taking seriously, though. Not on Saturday, when Bell waited 85 minutes to caution Pears. He added just one first-half minute and even six in the second felt inadequate.

But the point was, Leeds did not help themselves, passes too often astray, final balls not incisive enough, only five shots on target with Junior Firpo hitting a post.

Whilst the Whites did not make the most of what they could control Blackburn did.

They scored with only their second shot on target. Gallagher flicked on a goalkick and Dolan threaded a lovely pass to Sammie Szmodics, a midfielder whose 30th goal this season had been delayed by Illan Meslier’s low first-half save.

As he rises to the challenge some of those in what had looked a mentally-resilient Leeds have shrunk.

Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter have not shone as they did before Easter. The recalled Joel Piroe's touch was so heavy, his play so poor, it was surprising he was not substituted. Patrick Bamford came on but headed Willy Gnonto’s cross over, put one from Firpo wide and another at Pears.

Right-siders Connor Roberts and Gnonto looked sharp and bright but neither had a full game in their legs.

These are all good players, just as Leicester's and Ipswich's are, so the shortfall must be mental.

Their rivals’ lack of ruthlessness means that in the promotion race, Leeds' has not been fully punished but time is running out to make one of the two automatic places.

A longer-than-usual wait for the next game, at Middlesbrough on April 22, could refresh tired minds. On the other hand, wins for Southampton (twice) and Leicester will crank up the heat.

The two mentally strongest teams will persevere. It is anybody's guess who they are.

Leeds United: Meslier; Roberts (Byram 68), Rodon, Ampadu, Firpo (Anthony 89); Gruev (Bamford 68), Gray; Gnonto (Joseph 80), Rutter (James 68); Summerville; Piroe. Unused substitutes: Darlow, Cooper, Kamara, Gelhardt.

Blackburn Rovers: Pears; Carter, Hyam, Wharton (McFadzean HT); Brittain, Tronstad, Rankin-Costello, Pickering; Szmodics (Telalovic 90+5); Dolan (Chrisene 85), Gallagher. Unused substitutes: Wahlstedt, Koumetio, Markanday, Buckley, Gilsenan, Garrett.

Referee: J Bell (Sheffield).