Leeds were held to a 0-0 draw by resilient Brentford in a lively game at Elland Road as neither side were able to make major inroads in their contrasting Premier League bids
 Jesse Marsch's Leeds team were hoping to put distance between themselves and the bottom three, while the Bees, on a run of eight games unbeaten, missed the opportunity to climb into the league's coveted top six
"Points are crucial for us at the moment," Leeds forward Jack Harrison told 
 "They [Brentford] are a tough team to break down
 They play a deep block and make it difficult for teams to penetrate
"The stalemate will suit Brentford better having now reached the 30-point mark in record time (the quickest in their top-flight history), while Leeds continue to sit precariously above the relegation zone - one point ahead of Bournemouth in 18th
Bees goalkeeper David Raya was tested by Rodrigo on a couple of occasions and he also denied Wilfried Gnonto and Brenden Aaronson - with Leeds notching up six efforts on target to the visitors' zero - but Brentford's backline proved too stubborn and resolute to be breached
It was a frustrating afternoon for the home side, who were in desperate need of all three points after winning only two of their previous 16 matches in the top flight - the fewest of any side in the division
"We lacked the last-action quality but it will come," Marsch insisted post-match
There had been 14 goals shared in the three Premier League games between Leeds and Brentford before this meeting, making it logical to assume this latest encounter would be packed with goalmouth action
 Unfortunately, the reality was somewhat different
The visitors probed in the first period, while Leeds responded in the second, but neither side did enough to warrant a winning outcome in a scrappy and disjointed contest, with Brentford unable to land a single shot on target
Brentford's Raya was by far the busier goalkeeper - he produced the afternoon's decisive save when turning aside Gnonto's second-half effort - but the quality and cutting edge in the final third underwhelmed throughout
Leeds' club-record signing Georginio Rutter was an option from the bench that Marsch chose to overlook, instead introducing Patrick Bamford late on, who offered more of a focal point
 The striker provided Luis Sinisterra with a sight of goal a few minutes from time, but the substitute got the ball caught under his feet before being crowded out
Leeds fans then held their breath as Brentford right-back Mads Roerslev stole in at the far post in the closing stages only to fire disappointingly into the side-netting
"We're disappointed not to get more out of it but the performance was really strong - we were stable
 Even on set-pieces against a good team we looked in control
"We lacked the last-action quality but it will come
 A strong tactical performance, clean in so many ways
 There is momentum
 It doesn't necessarily reflect in the result but we can tell we're playing better and better
"Brentford are very stable defensively
 They defend very deep, so breaking them down is not so easy
 We know we can score goals
"It's not been easy for us [to get clean sheets]
 Really strong in the back
 We're in a good way - points in this league come at a premium
 It's not easy but we're going to keep getting better
""It was a 0-0 game
 Neither side managed to create a big chance or a big moment
 We defended very well, giving very little away
 We showed great mentality and attitude
"On the day, we didn't show enough coolness
 Second half we have five or six opportunities to create a big chance but we didn't do that
 It was the final quality we lacked today
"Leeds play with great intensity and pressure, they are difficult to play against
 Today a very difficult away ground - I always want more but I like the foundation and the solidness and the way we defended
"We are unbeaten in eight and that's very difficult in the Premier League
 Usually only the top six can do that
 When you can't win, for whatever reason, get a point
"Jesse Marsch is insistent his team are close to clicking, it's just the 'final action' that needs refinement
 Problem is, getting the final action correct is not only the most difficult thing to do in football, it's the most crucial
 Leeds were not as close to achieving success in the final third as their optimistic manager suggested after the game, albeit they were much improved defensively
An encounter that was once rich in goals, and goalmouth action, failed to deliver either
 Leeds had plenty of cut and thrust, and they worked the ball well in second-half spells, but all of David Raya's six saves were routine - he was never at full tilt
Perhaps this is the start of pragmatic Leeds
 Perhaps we, as onlookers, need to temper our expectations
 Under Marcelo Bielsa the Yorkshire side thrilled week in, week out, but that proved to be unsustainable in the world's most competitive league
 It was landing Leeds in trouble
Marsch's side do not entertain in the same way but they are building a solid foundation
 Centre-half Max Wober looked decent on his first Premier League start
 Maybe record-signing Georginio Rutter - a forward - should have been afforded the same opportunity to impress
 turn their attention to the FA Cup next weekend, as they travel to either or  for their fourth-round clash on January 28
Marsch's side return to Premier League action with a trip to , live on  on February 5, kick-off 2pm
The Whites then host  on  on the following weekend, with matches against relegation rivalsand  ending their schedule for the month
's elimination from the FA Cup means they have next weekend off
 The Bees return to Premier League action with a home match against on February 4, kick-off 3pm
Frank's side then have London derbies against  and  later in the month, before travelling to  on February 26
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