The game had already started for twenty minutes, but the score was still zero to zero.
Before the game, Gao Bo had already anticipated Leeds United's style of play. They were no longer the passionate young guards of the past. Under the leadership of Simon Grayson, Leeds United had become a team that relied on defensive counterattacks.
They parked the bus very solidly, with a 442 formation, the three lines were very tight, giving Luton a feeling of not knowing where to start. Luton, playing at home, was not very good at attacking a solid defense, and now they encountered Simon Grayson, an experienced bus driver, it was even more difficult to penetrate the penalty area.
Luton's attack ended with Griezmann taking a long shot from outside the box, but the players did not retreat, but stood directly in front of Leeds United's thirty-meter area, conducting a suffocating high press.
Leeds United did not intend to control the ball in the backcourt either. They were very straightforward, kicking the ball directly to the front, letting the striker Beckford compete for the header.
In this game, Sol Campbell was rested, and George Parker started in his place. Parker had some difficulty facing Beckford, but although Beckford headed the ball, the second point was controlled by Kante.
Simon Grayson looked very regretful. He kept clapping his hands on the sidelines, which made Gao Bo couldn't help but glance at him.
It's just a ball like that, what's there to regret.
Gao Bo curled his lips, but he looked at this Simon Grayson and felt a little familiar. In fact, when he heard this name, he felt a little familiar, and with this sudden glance, Gao Bo finally remembered why he felt familiar with this Simon Grayson.
Isn't this the future coach of Huddersfield....
Gao Bo thought of the first three games of the 2017-2018 Premier League season, Simon Grayson's Huddersfield's performance was impressive. Their defense was quite solid, and they did not concede a goal in three consecutive league rounds. At that time, Gao Bo even specially pulled out their game videos to watch.
No wonder, this Simon Grayson is now keen on parking the bus.
Is this guy a fan of Mourinho? What a utilitarian guy.
Gao Bo thought.
In fact, in England, Gao Bo was regarded as the representative of utilitarian football....
The first half of the game was almost Luton's half-court attack and defense drill, and Leeds United also had sporadic counterattack opportunities, but in general, the first half of the game was really not exciting.
Under such circumstances, it was natural that neither side scored a goal.
With the referee's three whistles, the first half of the game ended, and the players entered the player tunnel expressionlessly.
Fifteen minutes later, the two sides will reappear on the field to decide the outcome.
...
"We must pay special attention to these two people in the second half!"
On the tactical board, Gao Bo circled two Leeds United players, number nine and number ten.
Number nine, striker Beckford, and number ten, Becchio.
Although Leeds United did not have many counterattack opportunities in the first half, the threat of these two players was still noticed by Gao Bo.
If he was slightly careless, these two players might create unexpected threats.
Beckford is very fast. This player came from Chelsea's youth academy and is a Jamaican - Jamaicans are not necessarily sprinters, but Jamaicans on the sports field will not be slow, just like in the eyes of Europeans, Chinese people are all table tennis masters, but in fact, these are stereotypes, just like in Luton, the number one table tennis player is not Gao Bo, who doesn't play table tennis at all, but the team's doctor, Haruko Sakuragi.
And Becchio also has a big background. This Argentine comes from Barcelona.... B team!
Although it is the B team, it does not mean that Becchio is weak. In fact, he left because the competition for Barcelona's first team was too strong. This midfielder from Barcelona has excellent foot skills, and his timing and technique for passing the ball are also quite good.
The combination of these two, one passing and one running, complements each other on the front line. Leeds United's ability to achieve their current results this season is inseparable from the performance of these two.
"N'Golo, pay more attention to Becchio's position in the second half, don't let him get the ball and pass it comfortably!" Gao Bo assigned Kante a new task.
"They will definitely continue to park the bus in the second half. Our passing in the frontcourt should be more flexible and the speed should be increased to disrupt their defensive rhythm. Shoot whenever there is a chance!!!" Gao Bo said.
"If they want to counterattack defensively, they have to see if they can defend first!"
...
Gao Bo did not make any substitutions in the second half, because he did not think that substitutions would have much impact on the situation on the field. Instead, he asked the team to speed up the passing after getting the ball in the frontcourt.
The quick passing and cutting cooperation in the thirty-meter area of the frontcourt is the focus of the team's training these days, but for the players, if they want to speed up the passing, mistakes will inevitably occur.
In the 58th minute of the game, after Luton intercepted the ball in the frontcourt, Adam's cross pass was intercepted, and then Leeds United immediately launched a quick counterattack.
Becchio chested the ball down, but just as the ball landed, Kante stretched out a foot and poked the ball away.
Becchio had no time to be annoyed, he immediately counter-pressed, but Kante had already passed the ball.
Leeds United had just prepared to push their formation forward for a while, but Luton immediately snatched the ball back.
Drinkwater delivered a direct through ball to the edge of the penalty area. Griezmann, with his back to the goal, let the ball pass through, and Vardy, inside the penalty area, turned and fired a shot as he met the ball!!!
The football was parried away by the goalkeeper.
The Leeds United players were startled, and Simon Grayson on the sidelines was also quite frightened.
Luton's ability to seize these moments of offensive and defensive transition is too strong! Leeds United had just prepared to launch a counter-attack, but Luton intercepted the ball and immediately exploited the time difference, catching Leeds United off guard.
...
On the field, Luton's passes in the attacking third frequently resulted in errors, but Gao Bo didn't mind.
This was within his expectations. Luton deliberately sped up the game's tempo, luring Leeds United into this fast-paced trap.
Because once Luton lost possession due to a misplaced pass, Leeds United would definitely want to counter-attack. But for Gao Bo, the biggest role of having Kanté on the field was that Kanté could guarantee winning back possession at the first opportunity!
In this way, both sides exchanged blows, and the pace quickened considerably without anyone realizing it.
By the sixtieth minute of the match, Simon Grayson was already feeling uneasy. Although Luton's attacks didn't seem to pose much of a threat, Leeds United's defense had become somewhat chaotic due to the frequent changes in possession.
Should he make adjustments now?
Simon Grayson hesitated, while also harboring a bit of wishful thinking.
Perhaps in this chaotic rhythm, Leeds United could also seize a chance to counter-attack?
The attacking partnership of Becchio and Beckford is quite formidable!!
Simon Grayson remained patient, but the rhythm on the field was already tending towards a loss of control.
In the sixty-fifth minute of the match, Leeds United successfully launched a counter-attack. This time, Becchio managed to pass the ball to Beckford before Kanté could arrive.
Beckford was incredibly fast. He completed his shot before Luton's two center-backs could close him down, but his shot was caught by Schmeichel, posing little threat.
However, for Simon Grayson, this was a good sign, indicating that in this situation, Leeds United had a chance to fish in troubled waters.
Like Gao Bo, Simon Grayson had absolute confidence in his players.
However, just as Leeds United were cheering for their attack, Schmeichel launched an attack with a quick throw!
Leeds United had just finished a round of counter-attacks and hadn't caught their breath when Luton's attack came again!
"The moment of offensive and defensive transition is the easiest time to create a goal!"
Gao Bo said this based on statistical data. Seizing the opportunity when the opponent's defense is chaotic during the transition between offense and defense often makes it easy to create a goal.
This time was no different.
When Griezmann lofted the ball into the penalty area, and then Vardy headed it across, and Adam White's figure appeared in the camera, the Leeds United fans knew they were going to concede a goal.
Adam White used his chest to knock the ball into the empty net!
This goal completely ignited the atmosphere at the Vauxhall Road stadium, with Luton fans jumping and cheering in the stands.
Leeds United had defended for most of the game, but their goal was still breached.
Gao Bo relaxed after seeing this goal. For a team that relies on defensive counter-attacks, it would be very difficult if they conceded the first goal.
This was also the case for Leeds United. After scoring, Luton didn't press too high but retreated to the midfield, waiting for Leeds United to come up and attack.
Simon Grayson had no choice. He successively brought on attacking players, trying to go all-out on the road in the final moments.
As a result, Luton let Leeds United see their counter-attacking prowess.
In the eighty-first minute of the match, Drinkwater received a pass from Kanté and directly launched a long pass behind the defense. Behind Leeds United, who needed to press forward to attack, was a vast, open grassland. Vardy successfully beat the offside trap, got the ball, and then calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner when facing the goalkeeper, scoring the second goal!
Two to zero!!
At this stage of the match, Leeds United were completely unable to turn the tide.
The Leeds United players did launch a desperate counter-attack in the final stage, trying to score a goal to save face, but they were unable to do so.
When the three minutes of stoppage time passed, the referee blew the whistle to end the match.
Gao Bo stood up from the coaching bench, adjusted his collar, and then walked to Simon Grayson. Gao Bo, after the victory, appeared very gentlemanly, while Simon, who lost the game, looked helpless and frustrated.
After this match, Leeds United's undefeated record was broken. Now, the only teams in the league that remain undefeated are Charlton and Luton.
However, the situation in the standings remains unchanged. Even after winning against Leeds United, Luton only has eighteen points, still one point behind Leeds United's nineteen points.
"They are one of the strongest teams in League One. To some extent, Luton is the most impressive promoted team in League One in the last dozen or so seasons," Simon Grayson said after the match.