Leeds United, Barnsley, Sheffield Wednesday, Doncaster Rovers, Sheffield United: Lessons to be learned

In West Yorkshire, the Monday morning rain will not have felt so bad for Bradford City fans after a Roses victory at Rochdale, while it was doom and gloom for Leeds United and Huddersfield Town following comprehensive defeats to the West Midlands duo of Birmingham City and Wolverhampton Wanderers - leaving the pair with food for thought in the international break.

For Hull, there was a fine win at the City Ground to make up for the previous weekend disappointment at being pegged back by Blackburn, while for Boro, there was a reality check after a September to remember, delivered 11 seconds in by Reading en route to a 2-0 win.

Wednesdayites in the work place will have been crowing after their fourth successive victory in all competitions following a 3-1 win over Preston, with their mood even more cheerful given a third defeat in six matches across the city for Sheffield United.

For Doncaster Rovers - and Rob Jones - there was relief following a late 2-1 victory over derby rivals Barnsley, but for the Reds, there was a sense of frustration at taking nothing from a game in which they dominated for large parts at the Keepmoat Stadium.

That sense of angst was also felt at York, who relinquished a 2-0 lead in a 2-2 draw at home to Cambridge, that will have irked Russ Wilcox and Minstermen followers for sure.

Here’s five things we have learned from the weekend:

1: Leeds United’s awful home form is now wholly debilitating. An Elland Road drama is lurching into a crisis.

For a club who prided themselves on turning Elland Road into a fortress during a number of years, the fact that Leeds have not won in ten matches since Ipswich Town were beaten on March 4 is a source of acute embarrassment and alarm.

It is as if the Championship have got wind of that fact that Leeds are mentally weak when it comes to negotiating home matches and a trip to United no longer comes laden with worries, quite the opposite in fact.

Soak up any vestiges of pressure, graft hard in midfield and pick your time to strike on the break is proving a successful template for visitors, who have also been aided and abetted by some fitful Leeds defending in the bargain.

For Uwe Rosler, it’s another bout of homesickness, which afflicted his time latterly at Wigan and ultimately proved a big factor in his dismissal.

United’s next game? At home to leaders Brighton on October 17...

2: The international break has probably come at a bad time for Sheffield Wednesday.

The mood of the Owls heading into this international break is in marked contrast to the last one when they were licking their wounds after a poor home display against Boro.

How things have changed since, with a number of late summer signings settling in nicely, so much so that the Owls have won their last four matches in all competitions and are scoring goals and developing a winning mentality, which all fans welcome. Some choice entertainment too is being provided.

Wednesday are nicely positioned not too far away from the top six. It is clear that Carlos Carvalhal is getting his message across in training and that the Owls’ quality resources are much improved upon last year. Just a shame they have to cool their heels until the home game with Hull City on the resumption after the international break.

3: Sheffield United are showing signs of being a soft touch.

Three defeats in six matches constitutes poor form. And for a club with such high aspirations this season in the Blades, who know that only promotion will do, it is simply not acceptable in a third tier which is certainly not as strong as it has been in recent years.

Nigel Adkins was not in charitable mood after the weekend reverse at Port Vale and fired a broadside by stating that he is ready to make changes and be ruthless unless his players buck up their ideas fast.

Adkins questioned the Blades’ physical and mental strength after a disappointing defeat in the Potteries - with ‘manning up’ the order of the day.

The Blades now have back-to-back home games with Notts County and Rochdale and you sense that Adkins will not accept more meekness at Bramall Lane after back-to-back defeats to Bury and Colchester last month.

It seems clear as day that Adkins’ patience is wearing very thin with some players. The honeymoon, if there was one following his move to the Lane, is over. More especially for his players.

4: Is Rob Jones truly back in the game for the full-time Doncaster Rovers post?

The Rovers board have now short-listed candidates for the permanent managerial position and interviews will commence shortly.

While sticking to the mantra that he is concentrating on the here and now, Rob Jones covets the Rovers position and clearly believes he can do it. Someone who is not backwards in coming forwards and who describes himself as a leader, Jones says its a case of when not if he becomes a manager somewhere one day and he believes he has made progress in his interim reign at the club.

Jones didn’t admit it before or another Saturday’s victory over Barnsley, but he will have been under no illusions that he needed a win to boost his claims at the weekend.

Next comes another derby at York in the JPT tomorrow - another win and preferably a confident one at that and performance - could go a long way and tip the scales in his favour.

5: Barnsley need to provide some attacking sting and be more clinical.

Between both boxes, there was plenty to be admired in Barnsley’s weekend display at the Keepmoat and how they came away with nothing was a minor mystery.

But it had to be said, for all the chances they created, they lacked potency in front of goal and more especially getting bodies in the box to finish off their strong approach play - they remain a work in progress in that area for sure.

The main positive was the vibrant display of Kadeem Harris, with the winger scaring Doncaster witless at times, but failed to deliver an end product.

After heading into the game three unbeaten, Barnsley should have at least extended their run without defeats. But their game management let them down in the final juncture.

Barnsley need to start learning the lessons.