The final was criticised by the media, with both teams receiving flak. Ken Jones of "The Mirror" wrote, "Discipline was destroyed by tiredness, determination blunted by the pain of having to run some more. Behind the boredom was the failure of individuals like Leeds left winger Albert Johanneson and Liverpool left winger Peter Thompson, men who could and should have lifted the game with their talent." "The Times" was slightly less critical of the match: "In spite of much lateral 'method' play it was a tense battle of human qualities. The opening half, in particular, was a quiet prelude. This was the careful shadow boxing that led up to a pulsating finish. Indeed, there was a certain hypnotic element about the whole thing. The fascination lay in trying to assess which side would first break the stalemate."