Leeds United 0 Wigan Athletic 1: Beaten Leeds United can ill-afford to give new duo lengthy bedding in period

OUR time has come, gushed one national newspaper on Saturday.

For Leeds United, the journey to their own cherished destination continues to be a choppy one. Twas ever thus.

While some continue to celebrate – or bemoan – Brexit Day, Leeds must sweat it out and anxiously await promotion day and episodes like this will not help the collective mindset.

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After their absorbing 3-2 midweek victory over Millwall, emulating last season’s similarly dramatic win, there was another more brutal episode of deja vu.

Patrick Bamford clashes with Wigan keeper David Marshall.Patrick Bamford clashes with Wigan keeper David Marshall.
Patrick Bamford clashes with Wigan keeper David Marshall.

Paul Cook’s Wigan inexplicably won for the second successive season at Elland Road after donning their party-pooping frocks to win by a single-goal margin. Once again, Leeds had only themselves to blame.

Leeds’ reputation for glorious, beguiling football under Marcelo Bielsa may precede them. Unfortunately, so does their maddening inability to convert dominance into end product.

Approaching the final third of the season and the home straight, pragmatism prevails above idealism for most in Championship circles. Playing well has its merits, but above all else, win.

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It is why the absence of loan striker Jean-Kevin Augustin in Leeds’ match-day squad – a centre-forward with mobility and one of the most well-known players in the world in his academy days, according to head coach Bielsa – was startling. Some would say bizarre.

Given that his side had won just twice in their previous eight league matches, Bielsa’s decision looked open to rebuke. Even more so after events on Saturday.

Before the game, Bielsa spoke of the Leipzig forward’s adaption period in terms of getting up to speed with Leeds’ style of play potentially lasting over a month.

This being a player who is ‘well trained’ and physically ‘in very good condition’, according to the Argentine.

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With back-to-back trips to two top-two rivals in Nottingham Forest and Brentford on the February agenda followed by a home game against another side with promotion designs in Bristol City in a key triple-header, a lengthy acclimatisation period is surely a luxury that Leeds can ill afford.

On a day when West Bromwich’s marquee forward signing in Callum Robinson found the net on debut – he joined the leaders two days after Augustin’s move – Leeds’ latest arrival was sat in the stands rather than on the bench.

That was the preserve of another recent Leeds recruit in Ian Poveda, who also puzzlingly remained an unused substitute.

It was Tyler Roberts whom Bielsa turned to, but he and his colleagues could not breach Wigan’s wall.

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The visitors’ game-plan worked a treat, aided by some charity in front of goal from Leeds when a first-half breakthrough would have ripped up the Latics’ tactics.

Instead, a five-man backline – led admirably by Cedric Kipre – dug in further and adopted a bunker mentality, while showing streetwise tactics to halt Leeds’ momentum with several players going down at regular intervals.

Space was smothered and every cross or final pass seemed to gravitate to a Wigan player as the clock ticked down, with no Poveda to worry about from the sidelines, let alone Augustin.

It was a performance that was straight out of the textbook of the high-priest of pragmatism in Jose Mourinho. How to win with 24 per cent possession; ask not only ‘The Special One’, but also Cook.

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That is the way the cookie crumbles, not helped by Leeds coughing up a soft concession when Joe Williams’s set-piece deflected off Pablo Hernandez and looped over Kiko Casilla, whose attempts to clear were flimsy – another unwelcome rewind.

Roberts rued: “We deserved the three points. I don’t think anyone can argue that. Wigan have come and had their game-plan, but we still dominated possession and created more chances.

“I don’t think it is fair for them to get three points. That’s football.

“Obviously, with last season it is not a nice feeling for them to come here and get another three points. But I would love to play them again and prove to everyone we are better than them and we can beat them...”

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Rest assured, Leeds fans do not want to see Wigan next season.

As for what newcomers Poveda and Augustin can bring to the party, Roberts was unequivocal.

“They will bring quality and are both very talented,” he continued. “They have been signed for a reason. Ian is very tricky and Kev is obviously powerful. It will be good to get them on the pitch.”

Following his midweek highs, this was a day that Patrick Bamford would prefer to gloss over.

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After a couple of half-chances in the first period, he tamely glanced a header wide.

A sign of things to come, yet he was not alone in his profligacy.

Later on in the half, he bundled an effort wide and was then denied by a clearance close to his own goalline by Kipre late on.

It was that sort of day for Leeds, whose best early moment saw Jack Harrison hit the post before just failing to convert with a backheel from a smart Bamford cross.

All the while, Wigan hung in. It had to be Wigan.