‘It won’t matter’: Leeds United fans on Norwich romp, Wembley play-off final and £10 million boost

Leeds United and its supporters are both bursting with excitement as they prepare to compete in the Championship play-off final.
Here are the comments made by our YEP Jury about Thursday night’s spectacular second leg thrashing of Norwich City:

including their early opinions on the impending trip to Wembley next weekend and a timely £10 million boost.

GREWER, Neil

Almost flawless performance, making the night ideal for the fans.

Crysencio Summerville gave Leeds a good start with a blast over the bar.

but Ilia Gruev scored the first goal for Leeds just after seven minutes—yes, straight from a free kick.

Then, on minute twenty, Joel Piroe, another player in need of a goal,

headed a long, deep cross from Willy Gnonto beyond a reluctant keeper.

Everything was falling into place. The performance peaked when Josh Sargant broke free to face Illan Meslier one-on-one.

but the Frenchman made an incredible stop that effectively turned Meslier into a spectator.

Georginio Rutter’s close-range blast with his weaker foot fulfilled another dream of the audience.

After halftime, the score was 3-0. However, halfway through the second half,

Summerville made Wembley a reality by putting Junior Firpo’s short pass into the net.

Actually, there ought to have been a bigger victory margin. What a night, with incredible post-game celebrations and amazing audience support.

Men of the match: Daniel Farke, the fans, the referee, and all 11 starters.

Who could have anticipated such an outcome following the collapse at the end of the regular season?

Leeds, who comfortably defeated Norwich City, were nothing like the team that hobbled through April.

As a matter of fact, it appeared as though the Whites had goals beyond winning the playoffs.

The first half included it all: Joel Piroe looks every bit like the £10 million striker we signed.

Georginio Rutter scored, and Ilia Gruev’s first goal was a rare goal straight from a free kick.

Everything came together to create a memorable night spent beneath the lights of Elland Road.

When it mattered most, a few players found their form again, especially Rutter.

who appeared to be his former self. Daniel Farke’s team now has to repeat the entire process at Wembley.

The last few months’ controversy will soon be forgotten if they can continue

to perform at that caliber beneath the renowned arch.

Joel Piroe was the man of the match.

WATKINS, DAVID

Whoa! After that, my sole query is, “Where have we been hiding that performance for the past few weeks?”

For the first three months of 2024, this was the Leeds United we could watch; they had a quick, high-pressure,

and aggressive press, were clinical in front of goal, and had a defense that was constantly alert.

Just like we had blown away our neighbors in East Anglia back in December, we simply blasted Norwich away,

with every player giving it their all every minute on the field. We finally found our groove again after faltering for weeks.

and with Elland Road shaking, it was a memorable night that will last a lifetime.

After one more performance like this at Wembley, no team could possibly compete with us. The early objective set the tone.

and the fact that Ilia Gruev used a set piece to achieve it almost gave the impression that we had found the reset button.

Joel Piroe’s excellent strike goal sealed the victory a moment later. We did cut each other off once, but Illan Meslier saved the day.

so we were only going one way after that.

In all honesty, if it weren’t for Angus Gunn’s heroics, this might have easily been a seven- or eight-goal blitz. Men of the Game: The entire starting eleven!

KEITH INGHAM

Leeds defeated Norwich City 4-0 to get to the play-off final at Wembley.

To claim that Leeds did a fantastic job would be to take credit where credit is due.

Leeds was on the attack from the start, and Ilia Gruev’s first goal came from a free kick, beating Angus Gunn.

Joel Piroe was then fed by Willy Gnonto to make it 2-0 and send Leeds supporters into oblivion.

Josh Sargent had a clear opportunity to score, but Illan Meslier made a fantastic save.

Then, Leeds put the game out of Norwich’s grasp when Junior Firpo’s cross into the box found Crysencio Summerville.

whose touch found Georginio Rutter, who finished brilliantly.

In the second half, Leeds had the opportunity to extend their lead.

but Gunn saved two goals from Piroe and one from Summerville.

Rutter then went inside the Norwich defense, and Summerville closed out the match.

It’s difficult to express how excellent this performance was.

They played as if their lives depended on it, from Meslier to Piroe.

A trip back to the Premier League could not be too far off if we can put on another show like we did on Thursday night.

Thank you, guys. A fantastic evening at Elland Road.

All of the players wearing white shirts are the men of the match.

Mike Gill

Change was being called for by a growing chorus of supporters, the media, and other “experts.”

“Start Mateo Joseph, rest Georginio Rutter, rest Joel Piroe, rest Willy Gnonto,” the voices instructed.

Some bright sparks even questioned Ilan Meslier’s status on the side. Daniel Farke refused to accept it.

He began with his first-choice attacking squad, adhering to his moral convictions.

His choices made sense in front of the boisterous Elland Road audience.

After seven minutes, Ilia Gruev’s unexpected first goal from a well-executed free-kick ignited the celebration.

After lunging after the ball for thirteen minutes, Joel Piroe headed home Willy Gnonto’s cross to put United ahead 2-0.

With only Meslier to beat, Josh Sargent found himself loose, but the Frenchman sized up and stopped the threat.

This appeared to demoralize Norwich, as the Canaries were unable to get off the cage’s floor and stopped posing a threat to United.

Just before halftime, Georginio Rutter banged one in off the crossbar, sending Elland Road into disbelief.

Another round of close calls occurred in the second half, but midway through the second frame,

Crysencio Summerville put an end to it in a fitting piece of poetry.

Archie Gray was the man of the match.

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