Good Morning. It's Thursday 26th February, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road...
Leeds are the most vulnerable side after 85 minutes
According to the latest number from The Athletic, the Whites are officially the Premier League’s most vulnerable side when the clock hits the 85-minute mark. The Whites have been on the receiving end of 12 late goals, a full two more than anyone else, with Burnley trailing behind on ten and both Newcastle and West Ham conceding nine.
What’s driving those embarrassingly late concessions? Leeds win only 46 % of duels after the 85th minute, the second‑worst figure in the Premier League, edging out only Bournemouth (44 %). They sit at the very bottom for late penalties conceded (four) and surrender 25 % of efforts on target in the dying minutes (also a league worst).
Six of those late blows came when Leeds were actually ahead, the most recent being Tammy Abraham’s equaliser for Villa, though what will hurt the most are the two goals conceded deep into stoppage time at St James Park when Leeds were winning 3-2 last month. Goalkeeping hasn’t helped either. Both Lucas Perri and Karl Darlow have been way over their expected goals‑on‑target (xGOT), conceding 12 goals from a mere 15.3 xGOT in the final ten minutes, roughly three more than the models predict they should have let in.
Leeds have only managed to flip the script once in that window, a 94th‑minute strike by Lukas Nmecha that overturned a Gabriel Gudmundsson own‑goal against Fulham in the reverse fixture. All in all, the numbers paint a frustrating picture for the Elland Road faithful, a mix of missed opportunities to climb their way into the top half of the table.
No way back for Mateo Joseph
Mateo Joseph’s grand plan to reinvent himself back in Spain is officially hitting the buffers. When the 22-year-old Spain U21 international forced a move to Mallorca last summer, he did it with a massive chip on his shoulder. He famously refused to join Leeds pre-season tour of Germany and slapped in a transfer request, essentially burning every bridge back to Elland Road before the season even started.
Leeds eventually agreed to a loan deal without even asking for a fee, purely to give him the game time he craved. Fast forward to today, and that dream is looking a lot like a nightmare. Joseph has found himself glued to the substitutes' bench for the last four matches, struggling to make any tangible impact for the La Liga minnows. The stats tell a pretty bleak story: in 1,348 minutes of action, he’s managed a measly two goals and two assists. With a WhoScored rating of just 6.38, ranking him 13th in the squad, he’s hardly setting the world on fire.
The real kicker, though, is the "what happens next" factor. Joseph still has over two years left on his Leeds contract, but a return looks virtually impossible. Not only did he clash with manager Daniel Farke, but he also didn’t do himself any favours by taking shots at the city of Leeds itself, publicly commenting that it’s "not the prettiest of places."
If the goal was to prove Leeds wrong, Joseph is failing spectacularly. He is currently stuck in a limbo of his own making: not good enough for Mallorca’s starting XI and definitely not welcome back in West Yorkshire. For a player who arrived with such high expectations, this loan spell is rapidly turning into a cautionary tale of being careful what you wish for.
Rotherham receiving 60 scout requests a week since Harry joined
It has been a difficult campaign for Rotherham United, to say the least. Currently sitting 23rd in the League One standings and three points adrift of safety, the Millers are facing the very real prospect of dropping into the fourth tier for the first time since 2013. However, amidst the gloom of a relegation scrap, a teenage spark from Leeds United has turned the New York Stadium into a must-visit destination for talent spotters.
Since arriving on loan in January, 17-year-old Harry Gray has become the talk of the town. Despite the team's struggles, Gray’s individual performances have triggered a staggering 20-fold increase in professional interest. Manager Matt Hanshaw recently revealed to The Athletic that the club is now swamped with attention, receiving roughly 60 scout requests every single week.
“There were a few eyebrows raised when a 17-year-old kid came here. Leeds fans think a lot of him,” Hanshaw explained. “I know there’s a lot of media hype around him and we must get 60 scout requests every week. He’s a big talent with a big future.”
Gray has been thrown straight into the deep end, starting all eight matches since his arrival and netting his first goal in a vital 2-1 victory over Northampton Town. While he only has two goals so far, his willingness to fight for a struggling side has impressed his manager. “I won’t say it’s a difficult position,” Hanshaw added. “But the fact he’s come in at this point speaks volumes about the kid. He could well have gone somewhere else, sat on the bench and not come on.”
Hanshaw is clearly focused on refining the youngster's raw potential, noting that Gray still has a few behavioural habits to iron out, such as collapsing to the turf in exhaustion or frustration at the final whistle. “They’re the little bits he just needs to learn, but that’s why Leeds have obviously entrusted us with his development.” For Rotherham fans, Gray’s emergence is a rare silver lining in a testing season.