Pascal Struijk fumes in disappointment while BLASTING wasteful Leeds United revealing the team couldn’t take most of the chances despite Joseph stinker.
Pascal Struijk pointed to poor finishing as the main reason behind Leeds United’s 1-0 defeat at home to Burnley on Saturday. Leeds suffered their first loss of the season against fellow promotion contenders, with Luca Koleosho’s first-half counter-attack goal proving the difference at Elland Road. Despite dominating possession and territory, Daniel Farke’s side struggled to consistently create chances and were thwarted by Burnley’s solid defensive setup.
Although opportunities were limited, Leeds did have some, with Mateo Joseph and Wilfried Gnonto missing key early chances, while Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford made crucial saves in the second half. Leeds faded towards the end of the game, and Struijk believes those missed opportunities earlier on were pivotal to the outcome.
“Of course, we’re disappointed,” Struijk told LUTV. “We go into every game aiming to win, so when we dominate and still come away with no points, it’s frustrating. Burnley had a solid defensive block, and it was hard to break them down. When we did, we weren’t clinical enough. We had plenty of set-pieces, and sometimes you score from those, but today they didn’t go in, so it’s something we need to work on.”
The game’s frantic opening saw chances for both teams, with Leeds’ best falling to Joseph, who intercepted a loose pass from Koleosho and raced through on goal. Despite having time to make a decision, the 20-year-old poked his effort wide after closing in on Trafford.
Leeds have remained unbeaten in the league under Farke when scoring first, and Struijk acknowledged that an early goal could have changed the game. However, he defended his teammate, explaining that such chances aren’t always as simple as they seem.
“As a striker, you don’t get many one-on-one chances like that,” Struijk said of Joseph’s opportunity. “It’s not as easy as it looks, and unfortunately, it didn’t go in. But we need to be more clinical in these moments. If we score early, the game could be very different.”
Leeds, like Burnley, are still integrating several new signings, and Struijk noted that the international break disrupted the team’s rhythm, with Farke mentioning earlier in the week that he had as few as eight players to work with during that period. Many of those who left for international duty were recent arrivals, and Struijk emphasized that it will take time for them to fully settle into the squad.
“For the new players, it takes time to adjust to the team and our style of play,” Struijk added. “But the lads who have been here know what we want to do. The new guys will take time to settle in, but I’m confident they’ll adapt quickly.”