Leeds United boss Daniel Farke: It's my task to lift everyone up for three possible finals

The Whites boss said it had been tough to get his players back up after their QPR defeat for one last push in case the Tractor Boys did somehow lose their last game against already relegated opponents.

And it looked that way as they delivered perhaps their most flat performance of the season at Elland Road and rarely looked like adding to what was a proud unbeaten home record until the last two matches.

It mostly felt like an end of season affair with little at stake, but Southampton will be pleased with the way they gave United defensive problems in the first half then successfully defended with a back eight in the second period. They will start as big favourites should the teams go on to meet in the play-off final after doing the double over Farke's men.

Simply reaching the final looks a long way off, however, for a Leeds team that has lacked sharpness in recent weeks and suddenly struggled defensively, although they now face a Norwich City team they beat twice in the regular season – same scenario as they had last time against Derby in the play-off semis.

But the manager remains defiant and had an explanation for the display in the final league game.

He said: “I wouldn't label this performance with our normal standards. We chose a really risky approach because there was no option but to win.

"We pressed man on man, opened the centre against one of the best counter attacking sides. It was wild a bit like a basketball game but there was no other option. We wanted an early goal to perhaps send some pressure to Portman Road.

"When you go for it you have to reward yourself with a goal and can then adapt your approach a bit. The problem was we gave two goals away pretty cheap.”

Farke continued: “In general you have to say this season is over and this means you have to congratulate Leicester and Ipswich, they fully deserve to be promoted, the two best sides. We are the third best team on 90 points. And that's it.

"We draw a line under this season and go into a new competition. In the last weeks we had some problems, key players not available. I hope we can use the upcoming days to make them available for what I hope is three finals.

"We have a really young side, some of my young players have lost their momentum, their confidence. It's important to prepare, give them good moments on the training pitch, to find their rhythm back.”

Farke added: “I have many players in key roles who are there with their first season in the Championship. We don't have the 30-year-old leaders with four or five promotions. It's a side where the manager, I have to do even a bit more leadership.

"Take our more experienced players a bit more into the boat. Stuart Dallas is fantastic, Liam Cooper who has to wait for games, is also doing a fantastic job. It's a bit more difficult if you don't have experienced leaders.

"We know we're lacking experience, we're not the finished product. It's not a perfectly balanced group, we had to allow some experienced players leave in the summer. We couldn't afford to buy just experience.

"We have lots of potential, individual quality and players who will one day play at a really good Premier League level. This is the big advantage of this group. Yes there is not that much natural born leadership but it's also not to feel sorry for it, it's even more my task to lift everyone up.”

Leeds initially looked bright going forward as Joe Rodon sent an early header over and they were getting in behind the visitors' backline.

But defensively they looked all over the place with Southampton revelling in yards of space offered to them in midfield and no-one seemed to want to do the hard stuff.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis fired a warning shot wide then Will Smallbone – who the home team failed to pick up several times on his runs from midfield – was played through only for Illan Meslier to save as he raced off his line.

It was no real surprise when Saints went ahead in the 18th minute, Che Adams' low cross turned in by strike partner Adam Armstrong who was one of three visiting players to be unmarked in the area.

Leeds' response was quick as Willy Gnonto's low shot was saved by Alex McCarthy's feet and within seconds he sent in a low cross that was cleared by Harwood-Bellis straight to Joel Piroe who struck for his 13th goal of the season.

It was not the cue for the Whites to take charge and they only stayed level because of a goal-line block to deny Adams in a goalmouth scramble.

Southampton did go ahead when Smallbone was given a tap-in from Kyle Walker-Peters' cross after Junior Firpo had hesitated thinking the ball was going out of play.

It was the sort of goal that summed up the Whites' day and last few weeks and although they had a chance to hit back swiftly again Gnonto dragged his shot wide after being played in by Crysencio Summerville.

The flow of the game was not helped by frequent professional fouls by the visiting players that were avoiding being punished by cards and it was a thoroughly frustrated home crowd that vented their anger at referee Matthew Donohue as he and the players walked in at half-time.

The mood did not get better with news that Ipswich were winning and United's performance in the second half was flat as if they did not believe in their chances any more. They had more of the ball, but did little with it aside from a Summerville cross-shot saved by McCarthy and a Jaidon Anthony shot late on after Summerville's free-kick had been blocked by the defensive wall.

Just one goal and one point from the last three home games was a poor way to end a previously excellent season and the play-offs look like being hard work now.

Leeds United 1

(Piroe 21)

Southampton 2

(Armstrong 18, Smallbone 35)

Saturday, May 4, 2024

Championship

Attendance: 36,766

Leeds: Meslier; Byram (Roberts 78), Rodon, Ampadu, Firpo; Gruev (Gelhardt 82), Kamara (Gray 61); Gnonto (Anthony 61), Rutter (Joseph 61), Summerville; Piroe.

Southampton: McCarthy; Walker-Peters (Bree 83), Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Manning (Fraser 45); Smallbone, Stephens, Downes (Rothwell 68), Aribo; Armstrong (Stewart 83), Adams (Sulemana 61).

Referee: Matthew Donohue