Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch sees red after 'lack of respect' on frustrating day at Brentford

A highly promising start to the campaign is beginning to slide into medicrity again for the Whites, but they were hard done to by a number of decisions at the Gtech Community Stadium as Ivan Toney was given a helping hand for his match winning hat-trick – and Marsch was as unhappy as the travelling Leeds fans.

He said: "I thought before it went 1-0 that the game was in control and I don't think it's a penalty for the first goal.

"It wasn't explained to me (the sending off), but more baffling is why they didn't look at the penalty incident (when Crysencio Summerville went down).

"I was calm even when Brentford were given the penalty. Normally when the phrasing and verbage is clear and obvious and it takes that long to watch it and look at it and it's not clear then normally for me it's not clear and obvious.

"When I see it at half-time I don't believe it was a penalty. If it is it is an incredibly soft one and I was told by the referee committee and the league in our management meeting before the season that the threshold for penalties was going to go up. So that for me was not represented by that decision

"Then in an action where I think Crysencio Summerville is actually more of an egregious foul it doesn't even get looked at for VAR I was clearly dissatisfied.

"That lack of a VAR visit was in the end to me a lack of respect."

"I've got to figure out how to have discussions with the league or referees or something to help understand how some decisions get made."

While obviously feeling hard done to, Marsch was also unhappy with the cheap way Leeds conceded some of their goals.

He added: “We gave away too many easy goals and made mistakes which led to chances and Brentford set-pieces, even on a day when I thought the start was not bad and the start of the second half was really good.

“We have to learn from making these mistakes, especially when we are away from home and then find a way to get better.

“What's a shame is that we really pushed to get ourselves back in the game at 3-2 and that's when you really felt like the game fell apart a little bit.

“We have to get better defensively, the tough part is we have given up five in five and now we gave up five in one game.

“Overall we've actually been fairly stable but this game was a little wild and we weren't able to do well enough.

“We’ve got to find ways to get better, keep learning and keep growing.

"Not enough from us, but not all terrible either. I have been saying I like our team and I'm still there.

"Even with some of the frustrations with the decisions that were made on the day our guys tied to stay focus, just a couple too many mistakes at the back."

Leeds soon knew they were in for a testing afternoon with Brentford having their first opportunity in the third minute, Mathias Jensen taking advantage of the first of many defensive mistakes only to curl his shot wide.

Illan Meslier was forced to save a Mathias Jensen free-kick before Joe Gelhardt - starting up front - had the Whites' first effort with a long range shot that was deflected just wide.

Keane Lewis-Potter then had yards of empty space ahead down United's right, but took a little too much time and saw his shot blocked by Robin Koch.

The controversial penalty for the opening goal saw Toney break the deadlock from the spot.

Referee Rob Jones did not award a foul as Luis Sinisterra challenged Toney in the area, but VAR intervened and after a long hard look on the screen Jones pointed to the spot.

Leeds looked to respond with Marc Roca forcing David Raya into his first save with a shot from outside the box. Gelhardt then played a one-two with Jack Harrison, but fired wide from inside the area.

But it was the home team who scored again with Leeds players once again angry at the referee's decision to give a foul on Shandon Baptiste on the edge of the box. Up stepped Toney once more to score this time from 20 yards with a well struck shot.

United hit back before half-time, however, as Sinisterra cleverly made space with a flick over Rico Henry and fired the ball low into the corner of the net for a fine goal - his third in three starts for the club.

Irywah Gooden's late winner sees Emley move up table with victory at Albion Sports

Lewis-Potter shot wide for the hosts early in the second period, but Leeds were playing their best football of the game now with substitute Patrick Bamford doing well to go through on goal only to fire wide from a narrow angle.

Roca hit a shot just over while Meslier saved well to deny Lewis-Potter as he went through one-on-one.

Sinisterra burst into the box only to send his shot too close to Raya, who then started a counter attack from which Brentford made it 3-1.

After two defenders seemed to get in each other's ways a gaping hole was presented to Lewis-Potter who raced through it. Although Meslier charged out of his area to win a challenge for the ball he could only direct it to Toney who calmly went round the keeper before chipping the ball into the net past covering defenders.

When substitute Summerville went down for what looked a nailed on penalty, not given by a referee who had a good view of it, nor VAR, Marsch was red carded after showing his frustrations.

It was not even a free-kick although the United winger had his shirt clearly pulled outside the box before he was tripped. And to add further to the feeling of injustice just moments after Jones gave a much softer free-kick to Brentford.

Still Marsch's team kept battling on the pitch and Bamford should have pulled a goal back when he somehow missed from three yards out with the goal open.

WIth the ball still in play it was moved onto Roca who then saw his shot well saved by Raya.

It was third time lucky, however, as from the resulting corner the ball was not cleared and another of the subs, Luke Ayling, got round the side to mark his return from injury with an assist as Roca scored from close range from the full-back's low cross.

Leeds cheers soon turned to groans, though, as within a minute Bryan Mbuemo raced through on goal to score. His effort was initially disallowed for offside. but VAR again came to the assistance of Brentford, ruling that the ball came off the head of Whites defender Koch. This time the decision looked correct.

Brentford rubbed salt into the wound with a fifth goal late on as Yoane Wissa took the ball off Diego Llorente and went to score.After their great start to the season Leeds have now picked up only one point from their three games in a week.

Brentford 5

(Toney pen 30, 43, 58, Mbuemo 80, Wissa 90+1)

Leeds United 2

(Sinisterra 45+1, Roca 79)

Saturday, September 3, 2022

Premier League

Brentford: Raya; Hickey, Jansson, Mee, Henry; Jensen (Damsgaard 83), Baptiste (Onyenka 59), Janelt (Zanka 67); Mbeumo (Wissa 83), Lewis-Potter (DaSilva 59), Toney.

Leeds: Meslier; Drameh (Ayling 70), Koch, Llorente, Struijk; Adams, Roca (Greenwood 86); Sinisterra (Summerville 59), Aaronson, Harrison (Bamford 45); Gelhardt (Klich 59).

Referee: Robert Jones