Good Morning. It's Friday 20th November, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road Unconfirmed report states Leeds Utd quartet to miss Gunners clash Unformed reports on social media are claiming that Leeds may be without four key players for the visit of Arsenal on Sunday. Kalvin Phillips is recovering from a shoulder injury while Diego Llorente, Rodrigo and Ezgjan Alioski are battling groin injury, illness, and a hamstring injury respectively. Rodrigo has been self isolating having caught the covid 19 virus, but there are doubts that he is 100 percent fit. How much fitness can a professional footballer lose in two weeks? I can't think of another club that wouldn't or hasn't thrown one of their most influential players straight back into the starting line up! There's only so much fitness a player is going to recoup in training. Surely the best way for Rodrigo to get fit is to play 70 minutes on Sunday. Diego Llorente has now been sidelined since 11th October (40 days). This is his longest injury absence in the 27yo's entire career (source: www.transfermarkt.co.uk/diego-llorente/verletzungen/spieler/246291). According to Phil Hay, Llorente has been training at Thorp Arch this week, so perhaps he'll make the bench please log in to view this image Cresswell rewarded with new contract Charlie Cresswell has been rewarded with a new two and a half year contract, keeping him at Elland Road until 2023, when he'll be the grand old age of 20! By this time, it is expected that the central defender will be major part of the first team. The U19 England International has recently been promoted to the U23's where he has played seven times this season so far. Talking to LUTV after signing his deal he said, “I’m over the moon to sign a new contract. This is a club very close to my heart, so I’m delighted to be staying here. “I want to impress the manager and hopefully I can get on the bench for a couple of games and make the FA Cup squad.” please log in to view this image Warnock slams Northern Ireland boss for over usage of players Boro Manager Neil Warnock has slammed the demands placed on Leeds United's Stuart Dallas and Boro's Paddy McNair durings their recent outings for Northern Ireland Warnock told talkSPORT: “I didn’t watch England last night because I watched Northern Ireland as we had Paddy McNair playing. “He’s played three of the toughest games you could wish for. The play-off final and then two bloody friendlies in this Nations League. “I don’t understand when you’ve got nothing to play for how him and Dallas can play every minute of every game. “There’s something wrong somewhere where you can’t bring a young lad in to the side when you’ve got nothing to play for. “You’ve got to think of the players. We helped them by keeping him (Paddy) off training ahead of the first game and they were unlucky as they should have got through to the Euro’s. “After that though, yeah okay play him in one of the games but not two of them. “I can’t accept that, not when there’s nothing to play for, although they’ve probably got no-one else who can take free-kicks!” please log in to view this image
I hope this is a joke & we're not going to gift more points to the opposition by not playing our best players. Only Llorente should be exempt from the lack of fitness scenario These players should be as fit as a butchers dog The likes of Billy, Norm, Paul & Big Jack would be turning in their grave if they were aware of such nonsense!
Morning all Phil Hay saying Rodrigo, Phillips and Llorente all available, just depends on how Bielsa feels about starting them. The next players to take over from Koch, Cooper and Llorente have both signed new deals. Young Cresswell until 2023 yesterday and today Struijk until 2024 https://www.leedsunited.com/news/team-news/27332/pascal-struijk-signs-new-deal
Morning all, Social media rumours say........ lost all interest after that. I take my news from Phil Hay or the official site. I can see Llorente & Alioski missing the game but I can see Phillips & Rodrigo starting. It seems to me, from what we have seen, is that Dallas is capable of playing 90 minutes every game. Some players have that ability and amazing levels of fitness. I suspect that McNair is another of those players. However, just because they can play every minute of every game does not mean they should and this was reckless of the international manager.
Morning Shaks, All joking aside, both Klich and Raphinha take better corners (and Hernandez, if playing) Would prefer to see Phillips hanging back covering the counter attack.
Good news is Arsenal's new signing Thomas Partley is out injured with a thigh strain Sead Kolasinac and Mohamed Eleneny, who both tested positive for coronavirus during the international break, will also be absent
Happy birthday Boss, better notify the fire brigade if we are having candles, going to be some blaze.
FAI probe sectarian video ‘nasty’ shown to Irish players pre-England friendly 20th November 2020 November 20 – The Football Association of Ireland has launched an internal investigation into a controversial video message shown to the Ireland squad before last week’s friendly against England at Wembley. The visitors lost 3-0 but the Daily Mail reported a video was shown to the squad on the day of the game as a motivational tool. Irish reports say it included famous goals scored against England followed by 30 seconds of “historical context” of the relationship between the two nations but that there was also sensitive political content. “The Football Association of Ireland is aware of issues surrounding content shared with our senior men’s team ahead of the recent friendly against England at Wembley Stadium,” a statement read. “The FAI already looking into this internally as a matter of urgency, in order to establish the facts.”
Something has been lurking in my mind since the summer that I've not seen anyone pick up on. Remember we were in for Rangers' Ryan Kent? The bit that seemed to elude most was the mystery of who revealed that he had a £20m buyout clause. A mystery indeed. Very few would know about this, so who would want to encourage another bid that they couldn't resist? I had no idea, other than to assume it was his agent. Then I read this article today. Doesn't tell you the answer, but perhaps if you read between the lines .... https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-announce-159m-loss-ibrox-23044368 Btw, do the FFP rules apply in Scotland? I thought they did.
