Well today and tonight and probably all day Sunday the media tranny stories around Leeds revolve around the Big Croat who may not want to come. His club need the money but apparently he wants to stay? Maybe thats why a replacement from Man City has raised its head again. Tosin Adarabioyo Is 6’5” 22yo CB and a monster. He is running his contract down because he believes he will not get into City’s first team. Pep is a huge fan and has used him once in the FA Cup and once in the Champions League. Bielsa spoke to Pep about him last season when he was on loan at Blackburn playing every match. He was on loan the season before at WBA playing 30 odd games scoring 3 goals too. I mention this story because its been around for a while but getting legs. This kid joined City as a 5yo and captained almost every year group. Played for England at every age group up to U19s and played for City U18s at 14 and captained the U18s at 16yo. The other story doing the rounds in around a dozen papers is Dan James on loan from Man Utd. They are waiting to see if they can get a right winger in like Jaydon Sancho or Leon Bailey and then offload young Dan Nothing more of any use on Rodrigo De Paul so hoping thats still going on in the background. If not hope we have an option ready to go because we need one now
I'm hoping some of these rumours will be turning into reality soon, 16 days left. De Paul, Adarabioyo if the Croatian doesn't fancy Leeds and Dan on a Lease/Buy option would work for me.
This was the keeper on the bench against Fulham - I have to admit I don't know anything about him but not too sad that he displaced Kiko
Kiko going to be out for a long while with a foot injury, so will Bielsa go for Man Utd’s Romero available for £6m. if he doesnt we will be relying on young Elia Caprile because we released Kamal Miazek a couple of weeks ago. Caprile is 18 and one for the future, we also have the young Dutch kid again 18 yo and then we go younger. If anything happens to Meslier?......... loved this from Merson yesterday, and still not seen one pundit say it was a penalty. Merson believed that Bryan dived, and instead should have been sent off after his deliberate attempt to win the spot-kick. “Bryan goes through, and he dives,” he said on Soccer Saturday. “He dives a week before Koch comes across, unbelievable – he should be sent off. It’s a reverse ball to Bryan, he goes into the box and Koch’s coming across, and as he’s coming across, Bryan’s having a look. “He goes over, I can’t believe he’s give it. What am I watching? If it’s not, I’m definitely having these glasses changed cause I didn’t think it was a penalty.”
I guess we love Bielsa for who he is, a huge chunk of that is his loyalty to the players. A lesser coach would have got rid of Kiko on the racist charges, ruthless as that may seem, at a club level who cares if he was guilty or not, use the excuse because he is not worth the amount we’re paying and we need better. On an honourable level, Bielsa stuck by him. It now seems we are stuck with an extremely expensive number two who nobody else really wants. I don’t blame Bielsa and I admire Rads as he must have been itching to get shot of Kiko and now that he is injured there will be some big decisions to make. We know new signings never walk straight into the team, what would it take for a new keeper to dislodge Meslier?
Lots of reports are saying we have had a £10m bid turned down for Erick Pulgar as we search for a De Paul alternative. De Paul being a proper number 10 an attacking midfielder and Pulgar being a defensive midfield player who can play CB so I don’t see it myself.
Getting a bit pissed off with this de Paul transfer saga tbh. Get it done or tell Udinese we’re walking away.
I thought we were weak in this position before a ball was kicked. We’re all on cloud 9 because we’re in the PL and scoring goals but imagine we’d missed those chances and had conceded 7 in two or that was Kiko in goal, he’d be crucified. Against Liverpool there was a shot straight at him towards his knees he virtually carried it over the line, penalty yesterday under his body and the third he should have done better he started to come for it and got caught off his line. I don’t want to crucify him but he really should be number two still (not to Kiko though)
They are just a bunch of key board warriors. Kiko got it for some of his performances and now the poor kid is getting it. Maybe if the defense supported him better he wouldn't be getting this IMO unwarranted grief.
In regards to Meslier maybe it is a season for him to develop, we don’t want or expect relegation, we don’t expect top 6. Costa has come alive this season, I guess as long as we play decent football it’s a year of gaining experience and for everyone to get just a little bit better. I need to stop looking too much into individual performances and just enjoy the no pressure football at the moment. As long as we always remain out of the danger zone this season should just be about building
He does look vulnerable on the floor, perhaps something to do with his height, but for me yesterday the third was more worrying, his indecision to come found him in no mans land. Those sort of decisions effect players confidence, hopefully he will learn from it but that's where his inexperience may be his undoing at present. Not a great display yesterday, there was another time when he punched it when he had all the time in the world to catch it. Biggest worry though is if he gets a knock we have no experienced cover
Think it's worth pointing out again the effect Alioski had once he came on... We conceded in the 62nd & 67th minutes, Bielsa reacted and brought Alioski on to beef up the midfield in the 70th min...no further concessions and we saw the game out relatively comfortably.
