You are of course quite correct, there is always a place for Viera, O'Kane will have to be benched and earn his place back from Bridcutt. Trust me, Viera is going to be better than Cook, never mind Byram or Howson etc - real player!!
Million % get what you are saying but, for some reason, think Grimes might make it (not necessarily with us) but think Antonsson just won't.
I now agree about a striker, I originally felt Antonsson, Roofe, Doukara were adequate cover but doubts have been creeping in, tonight those doubts have turned to big concerns. I still rate Cooper as good cover, Berardi can cover both LB and RB, Ayling can cover CB and it's only a concern when your first choice CB picks up a suspension, your first reserve is injured, your LB and RB has an injury concern and LB is injured. Fully fit we would have Ayling Bartley Jansson Taylor Berardi, Denton, Coyle, Cooper My argument would be, who would we get, they would need to be better than Cooper but would they be happy being reserve to Bartley and Jansson. I do get where you're coming from though but it's excessive injuries that are causing the concern this season.
Say something LeedsLover I do love how you log in but remain quiet after Silvestre, Doukara and Antonsson have had stinkers
We really learnt something tonight, more than you normally do in a League game. 1) Green is the better goalkeeper. Many earlier in the season were asking for Silvestri to be recalled. 2) We are welll covered at full back. Ayling, Taylor, Beradi, Denton and Coyle. 3) We need to sign another centre half in the next 48 hours. 4) The midfield must be a combination of Bridcutt, Vieira, O'Kane and Hernandez. Sorry but Phillips is a liability, not only could he have been sent off he just gives stupid fouls away inviting pressure. Mowatt played well and found his level so hopefully we get a few quid for him. Grimes can consider his season over. 5) Doukara and Dallas have to be replaced. Not now but as soon as we can find better. 6) Antonnson ? Sorry but not for me…but happy for him to prove me wrong. 7) Monk, more selection and tactical mistakes as proven by his post match interview. Still love him but it's your job to tell the players to play it longer from the start, turn the opposition and play in their half…why wait until HT ??? 8) Shows we are vulnerable to a possible down turn in form if we don't strengthen. But we won despite all those negative aspects which means so much more !!!
Thanks for the update, chaps. Very close to Phil Hay's ratings, although he thought Mowatt had a really good game. Looking at it logically, when your team scores 2 goals & one guys scores one & assists the other, you've got to recognise it. Personally, I'm hoping someone at another club recognises it & offers to take him off our hands. I'm very, very disappointed to hear that Grimes had such a bad match, as I expected. Again. What is he doing in training that we don't see? Every time he plays there's a chorus of 'that should be his last game in a Leeds shirt', and it's a fair assessment. Why is he still getting game time? I'm going to stand up for Silvestri here. Green had howlers at the beginning of the season, and took a long time to settle down. Still has a howler now & again. But, and it's a huge but, Silvestri has never had the opportunity to iron out his game this season, nor has he ever played behind our 1st choice CBs (well, apart from a few mins tonight). So how can we really compare the two? Now that Jansson's out for 2 matches, we'll be able to see how Green deals with change. Should be relatively easy for him now, as he's been given the time to build up his confidence, but I worry that if one of his big howlers come along, he might fall to pieces. I don't see Green as being better than Silvestri. I see him as having had more opportunity than Silvestri. Who knows what would have happened if it had been the other way around? As it happens, I'm not convinced that either of them is our future at this time, and the thought of either of them in the PL is very worrying.
I read an article the other day that Green trigures a one year extension if he reaches thirty something games. Then I read another article that said he is free to enter pre contract agreements with non English clubs as he hasn't been offered an extension past June Mowatt goal btw... I need to see it again, first impression was he stole it from Jansson that it was goal bound anyway, second impression was maybe a vital flick, angle wasn't great. Yes one of his better games but again, it was Cambridge
You know better than that Ristac. Seeing as you've decided to make false accusations, which they are, you're obviously gunning for a duel at 20 paces, or didn't anyone other than Barber jump on your bandwagon. For the record, I quite often log in during day, and evening to have a read without posting, you obviously miss'em. Hope you can handle my reply after opening your gob like that......
Phillips is such an enigma. I think 3 is fair in the first half but I would give his second half performance an 8. He was doing absolutely all of the dirty work in the midfield and he just kept on going.
Not looking for a duel but do feel you would have had plenty to say on the match thread had that been Green in goal and Wood up front, just my opinion though
I really want to like him and can never fault his effort. He is young and maybe needs to learn to be a bit smarter. Hard but fair, win the ball, pass to a team mate. One sending off this season and could easily have had his second last night. Tries to force passes for the sake of it sometimes causing us to lose possession in key areas. Don't think he is good enough to be afforded those luxuries. Just my opinion but I think Viera is already the player Phillips should aspire to be.
You're right Ristac, I would've had plenty to say about 2 players I obviously don't rate as high as some, however, if Green had committed one of his many howlers, and Wood had one of his roam around games, they'd still be heroes to some, can you see the hypocrisy some of us have to read. I've yet to give my opinions on game yet......
I do agree that Phillips needs to work on his game when he has the ball. I think he is a lot better off the ball then Vieira. Both good prospects mind you. Denton looked poor last night when you compare him to Coyle who looks like he's ready to play first team football.
All lone strikers have games where it appears they just roam around. I thought Antonson did alright last night, it was hard for him. However, Silvestri is not good enough yet. He does have a lot of potential don't get me wrong and compared to Green solely on keeping ability there isn't too much difference. But Green seems to actually organise things where as Silvestri doesn't. That's what sets them apart massively.
Agree with Rev on the keeping matters, in my opinion we need better than both. Antonsson however, I thought he had a poor game, Wood is a different kind of player and even when Wood is isolated he attracts defenders to him, he can cause opposition a head ache just being on the pitch. I gave Wood a hard time when he first joined but I think for the money we paid for him and how he has worked hard and took the stick he has done magnificent. I wouldn't have thought 18 months or so ago I would prefer him over Nugent I was excited by the signings of Roofe and Antonsson but I have seen enough of them both to form an opinion we need better, both are average players which would have been okay in previous seasons but not a promotion chasing team. Handy to have around but not game changers. My biggest concern yesterday was how poor Doukara was, add to this the opposition and it was dreadful. His attitude stank, he looked uninterested, never tried, turned his back on play, trudged back when loosing the ball... is this why so many coaches keep dropping him and he then struggles to get back into the team?
I actually thought Antonsson did okay, considering he hasn't had much game time. Useful player to have in the squad, seems happy to bide his time and not kick up a fuss if he's not being picked much. Wouldn't write him off just yet.
I have seen a few feel he did okay, maybe it was just me expecting too much although Marcus actually scored him lower than me. I agree about the not being picked kicking up a fuss comment and this is where I see the problem. If we sign someone as good as Wood he would be a £10m+ player? For that kind of money he isn't going to sit on the bench. Monk does what, Drop Wood or try and fit them both in and unsettle the balance, all this assuming anyone is stupid enough to sell such a striker. We brought the best lower divisions had to offer and he is struggling a little to find his goal scoring touch. On the other hand if Wood gets injured or dropped Antonsson isn't the right replacement. Eight of yesterday's starting 11 had a chance to showcase why they should be included in the first team 11 I don't think a single one of them took that opportunity
