Leeds suffered a 2-0 defeat in the FA Cup on Tuesday night to end their hopes of reaching the Quarter-Final stage.
Javi Gracia watched his side go 1-0 up thanks to Georginio Rutter, although the opener was controversially ruled out as Weston McKennie was deemed to have pushed Harry Wilson in the buildup.
Eventually, a 2-0 defeat was harsh on Leeds, who played well against a strong Fulham side, although Micah Richards felt they could have done better with one incident in the 21st minute at Craven Cottage.
What’s the story?
Well, the 34-year-old felt Leeds were “naive” with their defending for Joao Palhinha’s goal.
Speaking about the Portugal international’s strike on BBC One, Richards said: “It’s a wonderful strike. It starts wider than the post. He guides it, it’s a controlled finish.
“We’ve got to mention the defending. It was naive to back off and let him take the shot but it’s a wonderful goal.”
Clearly, the popular pundit felt Leeds allowed Palhinha far too much space to get his shot away.
In fairness to Leeds, there wasn’t actually much time to close the Fulham No.26 down.
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After Tyler Adams put Marc Roca under pressure with a poor pass, allowing Palhinha to nip in, there was little time for a response before the 27-year-old curled the ball beyond Illan Meslier.
Of course, Richards would be correct in saying Leeds were “naive” in their defending if Palhinha had been allowed to stroll forward with the ball for ages unchallenged, but the situation happened far too quickly.
FA Cup exit may be a blessing in disguise for Leeds
Leeds fans will have been dreaming of a trip to Wembley as they found themselves just two wins away from a Semi-Final clash at the national stadium ahead of kick-off against Fulham.
While many will be upset to crash out of the FA Cup, it may be a blessing in disguise given the fact Leeds are still firmly in a relegation battle.
Gracia’s side currently sit 17th – just one point above the bottom three – so there is still a lot of work to be done despite Saturday’s 1-0 win over Southampton.
Now, with FA Cup football no longer on their fixture list, Leeds can concentrate on Premier League survival.
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