Wherever that huge purple button labelled ‘panic’ is at Elland Street, it is time to begin hitting it. Frantically.
Within the seconds after Jefferson Lerma unerringly fired Bournemouth forward, Marc Roca gesticulated to his Leeds team-mates to stay calm.
4 minutes later he made an an identical gesture as Lerma doubled his facet’s deficit. Calm? Critically?
This is not a time for calm. It is a time for horrified hysteria. They need to be terrified.
Leeds are in dire straits. In dire type. Simply dire.
Bournemouth thrashed Leeds 4-1 with Dominic Solanke (pictured) getting onto the scoresheet
It ends a depressing month for Leeds who drastically want an enchancment in type if they’re to remain within the Premier League
Javi Gracia’s facet have set the Premier League file for many targets conceded in a month
This was their fourth loss in 5 matches. They’ve gained only one level from a potential 15.
They’ve conceded 23 targets in April, breaking their very own file of 20 set final season.
Relegation type. In some way, they continue to be one level above the drop zone, however Everton and Leicester – at the moment within the drop zone – each have a sport in hand.
By the tip of their newest aberration right here on the south coast, livid Leeds followers had been confronting supervisor Javi Gracia and had been restrained by stewards.
The gamers did not escape their wrath. ‘You are not match to put on the shirt,’ the struggling away contingent roared emotionally within the path of the gamers on the last whistle. In a phrase: poisonous.
Bournemouth may simply have discovered themselves on this state of affairs.
Up till only some weeks in the past they had been within the thick of the relegation shake-up.
However the place Leeds have crumbled, Bournemouth have risen with a run of 5 wins in eight matches.
On the flip of 2023, Bournemouth proprietor Invoice Foley known as a gathering.
Again then the Cherries had been on a dreadful run that ultimately reached 9 matches with out victory.
On that day, Foley is alleged to have defined that relegation merely wasn’t an choice.
He hadn’t forked out £150million to be within the Championship.
Behind the scenes, it was interpreted as a warning to supervisor Gary O’Neil.
Quick-forward 4 months and O’Neil is creating a popularity as one of many brightest younger soccer managers within the nation and Bournemouth are staying up.
Typically it pays to be devoted. Simply ask Foley.
Simply ask O’Neil, who is definitely a contender for supervisor of the yr.
The query of religion is one Leeds are going through. Stick or twist? Certainly Gracia will not have a job for much longer if he cannot arrest this slide.
Jefferson Lerma fires house to offer Bournemouth the lead on the Vitality Stadium on Sunday
Lerma made it two targets in 4 minutes to double the Cherries’ benefit over Leeds
Striker Patrick Bamford (proper) headed in for Leeds to offer them hope of mounting a comeback
For the opening quarter-hour Leeds had been truly the higher facet.
Marc Roca pressured Neto in a superb save from a free-kick on the sting of the Bournemouth space that was initially awarded as penalty for handball by Adam Smith earlier than VAR intervened.
Six minutes later Cherries right-back Smith was bravely blocking Jack Harrison’s effort that appeared to be a heading in direction of the again of the online. Gracia would have been quietly happy with what he was seeing. Leeds had been shiny and harmful.
Bournemouth, in distinction, had been struggling to the maintain the guests at arm’s size. That path of journey did not final lengthy.
Within the twentieth minute, O’Neil’s facet had been forward. The end from Lerma was scientific, the Colombian ruthlessly stroking past Illan Meslier into the highest right-hand nook after Cooper initially blocked Philip Billing’s unique strike on purpose.
4 minutes later Lerma doubled Bournemouth’s benefit, hammering house Ryan Christie’s nook following Meslier’s newest goalkeeping abomination.
Regardless of which division Leeds are in subsequent season, Meslier’s place because the membership’s No 1 must be reviewed.
He has value them too many occasions. Honest play to the Yorkshiremen; they mustered a response – one that might have heartened Gracia.
Solanke although grabbed a 3rd for Bournemouth with Leeds keeper Illan Meslier watching on
Solanke celebrates with Dango Ouattara after restoring Bournemouth’s two-goal lead
They halved the deficit by half time, Patrick Bamford clinically nodding Willy Gnonto’s cross previous Neto after Lloyd Kelly misjudged the flight of the cross after two-goal hero Lerma foolishly conceded possession.
Had Luke Ayling proven extra composure with the ultimate kick of the half, Leeds could have discovered themselves stage on the break.
Their begin to the second interval mirrored the positivity of the primary.
Ayling went inside inches of creating a decisive connection onto Gnonto’s cross simply seconds after the restart.
Leeds’ supporters had been sufficiently inspired by their workforce at this level – although that did not final lengthy.
It is a cliche, but when the Leeds gamers had proven the identical ardour their followers have, they’d have been protected a very long time in the past.
As an alternative they’re battling for his or her lives, being pressured to endure each gut-wrenching second of a Premier League struggle for survival.
Gracia’s coronary heart was in his mouth within the 59th minute when Billing failed to attach with an acrobatic overhead effort after Christie’s luxurious chipped supply into his path.
Antoine Semenyo grabbed a late fourth – all however making certain Bournemouth will play Premier League soccer subsequent season
Leeds have gotten an enormous job to do of their last 4 video games to make sure their Premier League survival
4 minutes later, although, Gracia and Leeds had been in turmoil as Dominic Solanke latched on to Ouattara’s cross to revive Bournemouth’s two-goal lead. The house supporters had been pressured to endure a VAR examine for offside however that was a formality.
As affirmation of Solanke’s purpose arrived, the cameras panned to Foley in his plush suite right here on the Vitality. Arms aloft, with a smile as large because the close by English Channel, his response wanted little clarification.
Bournemouth had been staying up; what he demanded throughout that tackle earlier this yr was turning into a actuality.
Likewise, the message emanating out of the Leeds finish was simply as emphatic. Cries of ‘sack the board’ had been swiftly adopted by chants of ‘what the f*** is happening’.
Substitue Antoine Semenyo added a fourth in damage time. By then, although, Leeds followers did not care a jot. ‘We’re happening,’ they chanted as if to have fun the ignominy. It is arduous to argue with their evaluation.
