Can't disagree with you. I honestly don't know the answers either. But a lot of other people haven't even considered the possibility, or refuse to. It's easier to simply criticise than look at the bigger picture. Must confess, I read the expected goals stuff & tried to contribute, but I do struggle to understand it fully. Is there actually a table somewhere that I can have a look at our players' numbers? Link, please (if it's simple enough to follow! I'm better with numbers than words. Spreadsheets rool! ).
I genuinely get what you, ELM, Jammy etc. are saying but we're not robots and football provokes emotional responses, it's why it the most popular sport in the world. Some people call it minute to minute as we play well or when we play badly, isn't that the point of the match day thread? And each of us react differently, I can't help being a pessimist, it's in my nature, telling me to change form being that is like me telling you to be tall (allegedly) or to be teetotal
I am tall..........for an Irishman and I'm not drinking at the moment.............because I'm sick TBH London you can call me or tell me anything you want to, but in most part I'm a messer. Oh by the way I never named names.
No dig intended to any I named, I wish I had that faith. I try not to dig players out but I was honestly confused (which admittedly turned to pissed off when 2-0 down) that Bielsa had shuffled the whole defence to get White in at DM. Maybe it just took the team a little while to adapt. I'm so glad the chosen one literally told me to **** off with the 2nd half performance when he got a hold of them at half time Like some I just wish we'd do it easy sometimes, I've barely got any hair left as it is!!
That is really the biggest irony of getting older. I can literally grow hair on or from any part of my body other than the top of my ****ing head
Nope, that's what Bielsa said was going to happen. He was a naughty little tyke! Standard back 4 to start. Ayling stepped back into a 3 second half. Like you say, it can be confusing. 1st half I think it was Klich as CDM, but it could have been Dallas. Or no-one! 2nd half - haven't a clue. Total football almost. Other people have said White was CDM, but i didn't see any evidence of this. I threw it out earlier for people to give their view, but no-one has responded. Interested to see if the spectator view differed from the tv view.
True..but they didn't have Phillips as a pivot in the middle. No one played the Phillips position (Klich dropped in there occasionally) until after we went 3-2 and then Bielsa did move Ben White forward, tucked Ayling across and moved Dallas to a sort of right full back. That said the first 5 minutes was just piss poor passing across the back, Cooper disappointed me greatly as I feel he was the first to misplace his pass and just set the wrong tone. You probably think differently and that I'm being harsh but on a night when we were without Phillips I was looking for him as Captain to show leadership and transmit confidence to the team. To his credit he did recover after that shaky start and improved before reverting to panic mode in stoppage time. How can a top professional football take an air shot at a football that he's watched for 30 yards onto his good foot ? Good player though he is I'd much rather have two Ben's than two Liam's.
Don't know if anyone else noticed but last night our interplay was slightly different. Normally we play in little triangles in the wide areas and pass the ball to feet but still with movement. That was tweaked a little and the most advanced of the three would play it round the corner of his defender for an onrushing Leeds player to pick up...in other words utilizing the spaces rather than just to feet. The beauty of it though was that it beat any press and left the player in possesion driving onto the oppositions back 4. Worked an absolute treat on 2 or 3 occasions.
I agree that negativity can be annoying.. especially knee jerk out of proportion negativity. only a few things annoy me more... mindless puke inducing optimism... and being told what to do by those without authority thankfully that’ll never happen round here - which is why I just can’t get enough of this place
That's the problem in a nutshell isn't it really ? Don't know why people get so worked up at a bit of criticism
Little bit of extra info from last night... Most of the 2nd half Poveda was sprinting up and down the touchline like a mad man, desperate to get on. At the end of the match he was on the pitch and really engaging with his new team mates...lots and I mean lots of positive energy. Jean-Kev was much more of a cool dude squelching around the hallowed turf in his flip flops. Both looked fit and raring to go.
I just hope Jammy that we all give them a chance. It's going to be great to have fresh faces and legs to come on or even start the games. Good times I hope.......
Yes I've read this thread and my confidence is sky high, take more than some of the bollox on here to dampen it
