Over the last few weeks, we have been somewhat fortunate to win the games we have; since the win at QPR, the performances have been below standard. You can’t expect to play poorly and continually win games. At some point, it will catch up to you, and that is exactly what happened against Birmingham.

But you can learn a lot from an early season defeat: you analyse the players and tactics in more depth and become more grounded in your expectations.

The Birmingham defeat did just that and gave us a lot to contemplate as we head into 2018.

Here are our talking points from the final game of 2017.

1) We allowed Birmingham the impetus

When you face a team in the form that Birmingham found themselves in prior to the game, the first 10–15 minutes can make all the difference to whether you have an easy result.

Leeds failed to exploit this crucial time in the game and allowed a bad Birmingham side to gain confidence and put Leeds on the back foot.

Regardless of their standing in the table, we all know the quality this Birmingham side have at their disposal. The last thing you should give them is the chance to play their football.

Over the last few wins, we have allowed poor teams the chance to feel more comfortable, and it has become a struggle to break them down. Against manager-less Nottingham Forest tomorrow, we’ll need to utilise this period in the game, otherwise it might be another long afternoon.

2) The loss highlights the importance of a good window

The Christmas schedule can be a demanding time. With such a short turn around of games, teams need to rely on their squads to carry the burden.

At this point, Leeds do not have the pleasure of having a squad strong enough to make the interchanges needed. Therefore, the team has to rely on those it has for the whole season… and they have become tired.

Alioski is an example of this. We have all seen how effective the Macedonian can be, but in the last few games he has started to struggle with the physicality of the league and has resorted to a direct approach and some unsporting tactics.

Throughout the team, the players look tired and the options on the bench do not fill me with confidence. Hopefully, the result will be a indicator for the board to strengthen during the window.

3) We lost and played poorly… but I am still happy

Yesterday was dreadful, not only from a Leeds point of view, but also from a footballing one. Like I mentioned, the players looked jaded and the game felt like it lasted three days.

However, I want the last talking point of 2017 to be one of positivity, because after the disappointment of failing to reach the playoffs last season, the club has been able to refocus, grow and become an all-around stronger and more-together club.

In my adult life, I can’t remember a time when the future has looked so good for Leeds United. We sit fifth in the league, a position of real potential at this stage of the season. The fanbase and club have the same vision going forward, and it is a very exciting time to be a Leeds fan once again.

From us all at Nowt For Second, Happy New Year and thank you for the support over the last 7 months. Here’s to a successful 2018.

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