From the camera angle behind the goals, when kiko advances to challenge the lad who headed the goal, he barely raises his arms and is basically stuck to the ground. A six ft plus keeper should have a much greater physical presence in a situation like that imo
I agree it would be good but I felt Nketiah was a bit of a passenger today, he never defended from the front when we never had the ball and he made no impact today. I’d like him to stay but he isn’t going to dislodge a fit Bamford too many times from here to the end of the season. It depends if Arsenal and Nketiah want more game time than he is probably going to get. Post match Bielsa said he thinks Bamford will be back for New Year’s Day, we can’t play Eddie against Arsenal so today was all about resting Bamford for the next consecutive games. Yes it sounds like I’m knocking Eddie, it’s more a case of I think it’s perfectly clear why Bielsa picks Bamford over Eddie. In an ideal world I’d like Eddie to stay but I think he believes he should be starting. If I’m wrong and he’s happy to be number 2 then great.
Agree with a latter post, Dallas at LB for me, I’d fear what Douglas would be like after so many games out. I like Alioski on the bench, he offers so many options to come on and change a game. When Alioski is on the bench he nearly always comes on for Harrison yet when Alioski starts it’s rare to see Harrison subbed.
I’d have to agree, I had Kiko down for two of the goals, their 4th I’d have hoped he would save it, he never and I agree a tricky one but still saveable IMHO Jammy I need to watch the replays again, none on red button and just the once on Sky
Was Bielsa saying Eddie contributed less in defence than attack, hence his lack of starts? Initially I thought so, how do you read this? “we have to say that he’s a player who is prepared to put all his energy in the offensive play, not just in the defensive play of the team. We are a team who attack with all of us and a team who defend with all of us. He’s a specialist and he made a big effort to mix with the team and add to the dynamic of the play.”
Our best defence is, Ayling, White, Cooper, Dallas...don't know why but it just works better as a unit. Dallas only went into midfield to cover the injuries to Shackleton and Forshaw and it's clearly not his best position. He's been doing a job for the team and he's such a wholehearted player you have to love him wherever he plays. That's a big turn around for me, previously I've felt that I never wanted to see him in a Leeds shirt again so well done Stuey.
I wasn’t sure myself when he said it. I think in context with the interviewers question of how well did Eddie play today, I took it as Bielsa feels Eddie made a big “effort” he could have said “he played really well” it was a diplomatic answer. I also thought that it was a bit lost in translation, Bielsa feels Eddie came to us as an out and out attacker, when we haven’t got the ball he is used to someone else winning it back, he saves his energy for lightening runs in attack only. Since joining us he’s been making an effort to play the Bielsa way.
Good footage of the game on Quest if you get chance to watch it. Well, the goals at least with some different angles for the replays.
I agree, I’d also still pick Kiko but if we get promoted he’d be one of those to replace, he can cost us a goal, he can win us a game, his weakness is coming for crosses and missing. Towards the end of the game he came out and actually caught a corner kick, he looked up and launched a missile of a kick just over the half way line to the left touchline, it landed right at the feet of our player and we were on the attack. He does some magical stuff at times but I’m always on the edge of my seat with him
Also on the subject of Nketiah, in another interview Bielsa said he’d like to work with him next season, he believes he’d turn him into a great player. I thought it was strange on two accounts, firstly does he mean permanent signing if we were promoted, secondly does that mean Bielsa would like tostay another season
Yep, my son was waxing lyrical about that particular piece of distribution. There are plenty who will need replacing if we do make it up... a bit premature for me to be seriously thinking along those lines, but yes you're probably right about Casilla.
Maybe it's better if we don't get promoted...it's just going to cost far too much money to replace all the dross we have in the team at the moment. That's the team that's top of the league by the way
IMO, Nketia & Hilda are two of a kind, and robust, consistent defensive work is alien to them. Neither seems to be able to tackle with any conviction. In a Bielsa team, they are a luxury. As I've said before - Eddie didn't get in the team because we were carrying Hilda (defensively). Our 'defend from the front' way of playing fell apart today as we had 2 units failing defensively. Sure, they may both run about in an apparent effort to defend, but both are completely ineffective (defensively). I also noted that once again in attack, they got in each others way, especially on the wing. I honestly believe that we can only play with one of them. Today, I'd have dropped Hilda. Not sure who to drop for the Baggies.
the third goal is a cast iron keeper mistake. If he’s going to come he has to get to the ball before the guy who heads it... or stay on his line. If he stays on his line it’s a simple save. If the guy makes a great header he might score... by coming out he made it not need to be a great header... because he neither deals with the cross or is in position to make a save. From the angle behind the goal he had a clear view. He made a bad error of judgement. Having had chance to review, I’m now putting the fourth on him too. My instincts at the time were he should have dealt with the cross. The guy scores with his feet at the back post from about 3 yards out, from a cross by the touch line. When the cross comes, casilla looks like he half moves forwards rather than out or back... and I don’t think his starting position was great. Did other players failings contribute to these goals? Of course they did, but he should have saved 3 of them in my opinion. Bad day at the office for him and we’re lucky it didn’t cost us. He’s cost us a few points and saved us a few this season. But there have been goal-costing errors in a few games recently... he needs to get the early season form back.
Worth noting too in defence of Kiko that we have now conceded 20 as opposed to WBA’s 27, and of those the 7 against Brum and Baaardiff cost us just one point. He must be doing something right. His close range shot stopping has saved us dropping important points, it’s the 18 yarders that he seems to have problems with - his distribution is generally excellent. In the end he’s a Championship keeper and will make mistakes.
I defended him last week Davy... the only ‘fair’ Stat for keepers is expected goals against. Our actuals v expected is good defensively... it’s very poor at the other end of the pitch, which is where our troubles have been. And I agree his distribution is good. Today though kiko was dire.
Those balls played into the corridor of uncertainty between defence and goalkeeper are always difficult to deal with. You say keeper error, I say defensive line dropped too deep, too early and is more culpable on this occasion. The last goal conceded I've judged from the height of the cross as it passes the centre of the goal, plus the fact there's another forward available and unmarked for a shorter lower cross which requires Casilla to make allowances for positionally.
Dallas has done great for us but he’s not a midfielder. Klich is consistently good and in my opinion consistently under-rated by a lot of fans. He looks knackered though, and has been off the pace recently. Phillips has been trying to make it look like like LL has a point recently too.
That was the observation and hence the concern on Klich and Dallas being in midfield along with 2 luxury players higher up...agreed on Phillips, add in Cooper being Cooper, Ben White losing some of his lustre, Kiko being a liability, Alioski always on his arse and Ayling being consistently out of position then it's amazing we're not down with the dead men. That Bielsa must be some coach ?
