Noah Okafor helped set up Leeds United's early goal against Nottingham Forest, but struggled to make an impact after that.placeholder image
Noah Okafor helped set up Leeds United's early goal against Nottingham Forest, but struggled to make an impact after that.
Manager Daniel Farke answered Leeds United supporters' criticism of him and his team after another poor away performance left them ruing a big missed opportunity at Nottingham Forest.
The Whites' fifth defeat from their six away matches back in the Premier League left them just one point above the relegation zone with the very real prospect of dropping into the bottom three in the next few weeks.
United now face a daunting run of games until the end of the year when they will face the biggest clubs in the league as well as all of the in-form sides, like Aston Villa, who are their next opponents at Elland Road after an international break.
They could have gone eight points clear of second from bottom Forest with a victory at the City Ground and made a great start with Lucas Nmecha opening the scoring after 13 minutes.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on as a substitute late on for Leeds United and came close to scoring at Nottingham Forest.placeholder image
Dominic Calvert-Lewin came on as a substitute late on for Leeds United and came close to scoring at Nottingham Forest.
But they threw it away by conceding almost straight away and failing to create anything else of note in attack until late substitutions gave them hope.
Forest were not much better in what felt like a relegation scrap and benefited from some poor defending with Leeds letting in three goals for the second successive week.
The result and performance led to scathing criticism of Farke on social media and has certainly heaped pressure on him, but he addressed the comments after the game.
He said: "It's quite normal that the fanbase of Leeds United is emotional.
"Everyone was doubting after each loss last season and we finished with 100 points. Everyone has the right to be a bit critical, we've conceded three goals in the last two away games.
“We could have made our life more easy with some points, that's for sure.
“We have to return back to our best behaviour in terms of defending like the start of the season when we were really good.
“I didn't expect before the season started and with how the transfer window turned out that it would be an easy smooth ride this season, never in danger.
“We have 11 games, 11 points, the points average we need to stay in this league, we've never been in the relegation zone.
“Could have been better but if I'm honest, in my dream version we cruise easily and right now it's all a bit tighter but it's nothing making us panic. The outside world, we can't influence it much. We're quite calm.
“We had a difficult run of games with three away games in the last four games. We know we're a bit more likely to win our home games.”
Farke understood the anger of some of the supporters and was unhappy himself with referee Jarred Gillett.
He added: "It's quite normal you're disappointed and angry after a loss, as we all are.
“After a really good start we should do more than to give this away so cheaply, we should have been more on it, more pressure on the ball, in the duel, gave it too cheap away.
“The second decisive moment of the game was the 2-1. Big mistake of the referee, the only one in the stadium who saw the foul on Stach as a foul against him. They put the ball long, score a goal out of this.
“But self critical, second ball when the ball comes in, we should have marked the striker better."
It looked so promising when Nmecha justified the decision to bring him in up front with a superb finish early on after Noah Okafor won the ball high up the pitch and Brenden Aaronson then found his striker.
But the celebrations had barely died down before Ibrahim Sangaré was in the right place to have an easy finish after keeper Lucas Perri had only been able to palm away a low Dan Ndoye cross.
After the lively start there was little sign of another goal in the first half and Leeds certainly did not threaten.
The second period followed in the same vein and it was something of a surprise when Forest went in front 20 minutes from time as Omari Hutchinson was allowed to get a cross in and Morgan Gibbs-White was left unmarked to glance a header into the net.
Farke responded with a triple substitution and one of those coming on, Dan James, almost made an immediate impact with a curling shot that was well saved by Matz Sels.
Gabriel Gudmundsson drilled the ball back in, but Jayden Bogle deflected it wide from close range.
Finally United had an attacking presence in the game and another of the subs Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed narrowly wide.
However, Farke's gamble by putting Jack Harrison on for Gudmundsson at left-back backfired in added time as he ran into the back of Hutchinson and a penalty was the result, put away by England midfielder Elliot Anderson.
Leeds had once again failed to win on a ground where they have not tasted success for 54 years.
(Sangare 15, Gibbs-White 68, Anderson 90+1, pen)
Leeds United 1
(Nmecha 13)
Sunday, November 9, 2025
Premier League
Attendance: 30,708
Forest: Sels (GK); Savona, Murillo, Milenkovic, Williams; Sangaré (Yates 59), Anderson; Ndoye, Gibbs-White (Morato 88), Domínguez (Hutchinson 59); Jesus (Awoniyi 59).
Leeds: Perri (GK); Bogle, Rodon, Bijol (Struijk 82), Gudmundsson (Harrison 82); Ampadu, Longstaff (Piroe 74), Stach; Aaronson (James 74), Okafor, Nmecha (Calvert-Lewin 74).
Referee: Jarred Gillett
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