Lets take a step back to this past weeks Carling Cup match. While the pubs were full with everyone busy patting each other on the back, making plans for the Championship next campaign, I warned if you don't pay greater attention to movement and distribution as well as marking, a better club will make you pay dearly.
Fast forward to Elland Road today where John Sheridan was more than aware of this and made Leeds pay with a 2-0 defeat in-front of 25,000+ home fans. With all of Leeds tremendous offensive power, they are going to have to use more than a predictable vanilla attack. The smash and grab approach just won't do and there are changes to be made. All credit goes to Oldham who excluding a few situations, didn't allow the Leeds offense to get untracked. They played intelligent Football, marked well, read into the very common Leeds plan and deserving of the victory.
After a scoreless first-half, Chris Taylor scored a brace within a six minute period and pretty much sealed Leeds fate. The first goal came off a Lee Hughes strike that rang off the post and a unmarked Chris Taylor neatly slotted in the back of the net. Leeds quivered with the challenge and nearly saw the disadvantage double a minute late however it wasn't long will Chris Taylor hit again, this time a curling shot to the far corner from the edge of the box. The pace of Fabian Delph that was so needed from the start and intelligent play of Luciano Becchio were only then called-upon but by that time Oldham had set up an impressive and unyielding defensive net.
The club will need to pick itself up, learn from the mistake and adjust for Yeovil next week. Maybe then Fabian, Luciano and Paul Telfer will become mysteriously unglued for the bench as they are needed in the starting grid.
Latics: Crossley, Eardley, Lomax, Gregan, Hazell, Taylor, Liddell (Smalley, 79), Allott, Whitaker, Hughes (O'Grady, 68), Alessandra (Maher, 89).
Subs Not Used: Stam, Fleming.
Booked: Eardley (61), O'Grady (90).
Scorers: Chris Taylor (50, 65)
Leeds: Ankergren, Richardson, Huntington, Marques, Prutton, Beckford, Sheehan, Howson (Delph, 65), Robinson, Showunmi (Becchio, 65), Snodgrass.
Subs Not Used: Douglas, Telfer, Lucas.
Booked: Prutton (80).