By Daily Sports on August 12, 2018

If Stoke was the acid test then this stylish and ruthless assault of Derby should serve notice to the rest of the Championship that Leeds have got something pretty special going on.

Another contender for promotion pressed, bullied and beaten. Frank Lampard had his first winning feeling as a manager last week - now he knows what it is like to lose heavily and must find a way of regrouping his players.

'We can't get too down because we're two games in, and we've lost one and we've won one, and there is a long, long way to go, but lots of lessons that we must improve on,' said Lampard.

Unfortunately for Lampard this was another example of how Marcelo Bielsa has somehow managed to get his players so devastatingly on message so soon after taking over in mid-June.

Kemar Roofe was lethal in attack. A brace to his name here was supplemented with goals by Mateusz Klich and Ezgjan Alioski to give Leeds their first consecutive league wins at the start of campaign since 2009 - the same season they were promoted from League One. Samuel Saiz and Kalvin Phillips did their jobs of hassling and hurrying to perfection.

Lampard may have looked the part in his black suit but he and his players had no idea how to stop Leeds and their high press. It was a reminder that the Championship isn't easy.

'When things get tough you've got to stick to your guns and that's what we didn't do, but if anything it is a good reminder for us because it hurts and it should hurt,' he added.

This wasn't a perfect showing from Leeds. Bielsa was his most animated after a mistake by goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell from Tom Lawrence's free-kick let Derby back in the game at 1-1. Flailing his arms about wildly before squatting on his haunches. He never stops demanding.

'In each game we will have to prove our quality again,' Bielsa said. 'This is a competition where you have to show regularity and efficiency so it is very important to bear this in mind.'

Well before kick-off this game seemed like a pivotal one. We are only into the second week of the campaign but this felt pivotal. So much so one local newspaper billed it as 'the showdown of the season'.

Bielsa was satisfied enough with the 3-1 win over Stoke to name an unchanged team. Lampard made two changes from the side that beat Reading 2-1. Fikayo Tomori and new signing Martyn Waghorn both starting.

Leeds needed just five minutes to catch Derby out. Full back Max Lowe lost possession, Klich took control after Pablo Hernandez's interception and bent a right-foot effort from outside the Derby penalty area and past Scott Carson. Then came Peacock-Farrell's error, Lawrence's free-kick slipping through his arms.

He watched the goal back on the big the screen and he'll no doubt be made to view it a few more times.

Bielsa didn't wait to offer more instructions to his players. Waving them forward, not backwards, and at breakneck speed. They listened. It was from another high tempo breakaway that Leeds retook the lead.

Barry Douglas set Alioski free down the left and he found Roofe who headed past Carson.

Twice Derby had chances to get back into the game through Waghorn and Craig Bryson before Roofe and Alioski applied the killer blows.

Roofe with a high finish into the roof of the Derby net and then Alioski's header that wrong-footed Carson. (Daily Mail)

•Photo shows Leeds two-goal hero Kemar Roofe

Source Daily Sports

Posted August 12, 2018

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