The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Monday 30th August)

Good Morning. It's Monday 30th August, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road

Leeds scrap for a draw

Patrick Bamford's equaliser four minutes from time spared Leeds blushes, in front of a packed out Turf Moor audience! As has been their tradition, Burnley defended in numbers, looked dangerous from set-pieces, and wanted to kick lumps out of the visitors!

Leeds enjoyed two-thirds of the possession and over two more touches of the ball yet all other statistics were surprisingly similar!

In most, both teams cancelled themselves out until the hour mark when Leeds were unable to clear a Burnley corner. Liam Cooper's attempted headed clearing fell nicely for Chris Wood. The former Leeds forward struck the ball through a sea of players leaving Meslier unsighted.

The visitors launched a late offensive and were duly rewarded when Raphinha's darting run finally unlocked Burley's stubborn defence. He fired the ball into the Burnley penalty area, only for Ben Mee's half clearance to land at Shackleton's feet. The substitute fired the ball goalward, only for Mee to divert the ball into Bamford's path. His instinctive touch was enough to open his 2021-22 account!

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Post match comments

Were Leeds lucky?

If Sean Dyche's comments are to be believed, Leeds were lucky to get anything out of the game! Although we have come to expect such comments from the Burnley Manager, I can't help thinking it wasn't going to be our day when Chris Wood fired the Clarets into the lead! Last season, Leeds were 4-0 victors at Turf Moor; this time around we were poor by comparison!

It is still very early in the season, but does anyone think we will be able to top last years performance? If not, will it make it difficult to keep hold of Bamford, Raphinha, Meslier and Phillips! Who isn't performing to the same degree as last term? Will we be able to keep hold of Bielsa for another season?

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Transfer news

Leeds have plenty of investors lined up should they wish to invest in the transfer market in the next 48 hours, but in doing so, Radrizzani will have to part with a small percentage of the club! Since the arrival of Ronaldo, Daniel James has become surplus to requirements at Old Trafford. Ryan Kent is not firing on all cylinders at Ibrox, and with the Scottish giants needing to sell, to balance the books, Leeds could pick up a bargain. Talking about bargains, media reports suggest Nketiah is available for 12m!

Do Leeds NEED to invest in more players before the transfer windows slams shut tomorrow?

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Morning all..

Dyche comments - In my opinion both teams were lucky to score, it was the most unattractive game of football possible. What about it being pointed out he was lucky to finish the game with 11 players still on the pitch.

When we play three at the back, the need for the full backs to bomb forward becomes even more important. Dallas is a loss in midfield when he covers LB we just had too little in the middle.

We are woefully short of players, not a single creative spark in the middle, Harrison and Raphinha can’t go an entire season without a niggle or injury, our bench has several unknown threats in Gelhardt and Summerville (as Bielsa refuses to use them) which leaves Roberts who’s PL career is one goal zero assists, I don’t know why the opposition would even bother marking him.

Make no excuses, this is an abysmal start to the season, we haven’t lead a league game, we haven’t played an attractive 45 minutes not alone 90 I think it’s the worst three back to back games we have had under Bielsa

 

Who is the man at the back?...... Morning everyone. We had enough of the ball first half to be two goals up. But once again the final balls were poor and wasted. Raphinha needs to look more and not just kick and hope. The formation we played left us with no support in midfield ie klich who was absent with something covid related as was firpo.Burnley kicked lumps out of us and the ref was dire. But we fought back and the looks on the Burnley supporters after we scored was great to see. You can see why they have not won at home for a long time.

 

Was the description of the Burnley goal penned with poetic licence Ell.

 

I said this regarding pre season and I got lashed out of it. There is some spark missing. Handy game next. The only bonus out of the game was getting a point.

 

We were both wrist slashers if I remember right

I see maybe 5 teams worse than us, Burnley being one of those. We haven’t strengthened, Rodrigo is a waste of £28m and we have invested in the U23s for the third consecutive season yet we don’t like playing them when the opportunity is there

 

The very thing we didn't want to become(and it's early days I know) was a team who made up the numbers in the League.

 

Next six league games:

Liverpool H 1 point
Newcastle A 1 point
West Ham H 3 points
Southampton A 1 point
Wolves H 3 points
Norwich A 3 points

Too optimistic

 

A bit... I would say no points against the scousers and west ham, draws against saints, wolves and newcastle and three from Norwich.

 

I’d say 12 was a fantasy, 9-10 was optimistic, 8 possible, 6-7 realistic anything less a disaster

 

So I'm a fantasist I've been called worse and it gets me through the day

 

That would be no wins from the opening 8 games ffs

 

We were decent first half against Scum. We dealt with them pretty well and looked dangerous on the counter. 2nd half was atrocious.

I only saw highlights of the Everton game. We played much better from what I saw and created quite a few chances and half chances in quite an even game.

I watched yesterday and first half I thought we were OK. Probably could have scored a couple and defended set pieces well. 2nd half Burnley had their good spell resulting in a goal on a third phase. After that we dominated the game, got a goal and might have gone on and won it.

2points is disappointing. Liverpool will beat us next. My main gripe is that we haven't taken chances or made the most out of good positions going forward. That will come though. We are light in midfield and I think we need someone to have that creative spark from the middle.

I have high hopes for Rodrigo, I think his form at the back end of last season showed he can do it. I think (and hope) its just a case of him needing a run of games to get him in form. He never really got a run of games last year until the end. Hopefully in a couple of games time he can start dictating things like he did last season when I thought he finished very strongly.

 

Morning all

3 games in and we still havent put out our first choice team and we have not had everyone available as yet. So I am saying we dont have enough players. I heard OGS say something yesterday that makes sense. He said we will need more players this year because players are going to be out with covid….. we are also going to have injuries and suspensions too and being 3 first teamers out yesterday left us with Costa and Roberts as the only players left besides U23s.

I cannot wait for the team to click, because it hasn't yet. We are still dominating possession but no final ball means no shots on goal and no shots on target. Pathetic and all because of sloppy passing and losing possession easily in midfield.

We need game-changers on the bench and without trying Bate, Summerville or Gelhardt we dont have them

 

What do I know Essex. We are Leeds Utd after all and we could do the pool and the wet hammers

 

I’d swap that for being called a wrist slasher

 

You're right, its almost going back to Wiko's / DOL days when we played 5-3-2 with Zico or Kelly on the right and Dorigo / Harte on the left, all bombing forward.

What is everyone's opinion of Ayling this season?

 

He has lovely hair

 

If we want decisions to go our way, the players need to react better when assaulted. Its all caught on VAR and as long as its not just slight contact their could have been 3 Burnley early baths

 

Always pal!