Good Morning. It's Tuesday 5th October, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road Is Spaniard being lined up for ER hot seat next Summer Adam Leventhal, the Athletic correspondent for Watford football club has dropped a major hint that Granada head Coach Diego Martinez could take over from Marcelo Bielsa at the end of the season. He spent his younger years playing lower league football before turning his attention to coaching at just 24 (with Arenas Armilla). He spent seven years at Saville in various capacities before taking over at Osasuna. He left in 2018 to further his career with current club Granada. Up until the weekend, (when Claudio Ranieri joined Watford) Marcelo Bielsa was the oldest Manager in the top flight. At 66, Leeds will be wondering how many more seasons the veteran Argentine has in him! According to Laventhal: "Diego Martinez, the former Granada head coach who has spent time in the UK working on his English and watching Premier League football, was linked (to the Watford Managerial role) but a source close to the Spaniard says Watford didn’t approach him. The highly regarded 40-year-old also has links with Leeds director of football Victor Orta, who may need a replacement for Marcelo Bielsa at the end of this season. Working in England is certainly on his radar". please log in to view this image Hay lifts the lid on O'Brien deal Leeds Utd journalist has rubbished reports that the Whites were willing to part with 13m to land Huddersfield Town midfielder Lewis O'Brien. The 22yo has become an integral part of Carlos Corberán's team, and has caught the eye of many Premiership scouts with his silky skills and combative nature, including Victor Orta. Various reports over the Summer suggested Leeds and Huddersfield could not come to an agreement, even though the player himself came out in support of a move to Elland Road, yet the more time that passed, the less likely the deal was to happen. Terrier's chairman Phil Hodgkinson went public over the story, strongly insinuating that he had spurned a 13m offer from the Whites for his star player, but according to Hay, this did not happen: "Just to say, at no stage did Leeds bid £13m for O'Brien. Nothing like it. They weren't willing to go much over £4m and the deal stalled on that basis. They'd already decided not to both going higher when James became available so the two weren't linked in any way. Willock at £25m? If you have a look at our agents survey from last week, one of them put that down as the worst deal of the window. I know what he means". please log in to view this image Cooper and Llorente - the best partnership for now Phil Hay believes that the Cooper / Llorente partnership can flourish in the Premiership, but accepts there will be a time when Pascal Struijk challenges the Captain for the No 6 shirt. Hay went on to say that he believes Cooper is sometimes treated unfairly by the Elland Road faithful. Many fans (and pundits) took to social media at the weekend to lay into the Leeds skipper for his challenge on Watford defender Christian Kabasele inside the Leeds penalty area. Fortunately for Bielsa's team, the referee misjudged the situation, and awarded Cooper a free kick instead. This is not the first time, nor will it be his last that Cooper's clumsy tackling has cost (or nearly cost) his team points! Where does this leave Koch and Cresswell in the pecking order? Hay was quoted as saying: "I thought Cooper and Llorente had a very good game on Saturday. That might well be the best partnership for now (and I feel a bit like Cooper is always first in line for a hammering when things go wrong, sometimes unfairly). But Struijk is going to put more and more pressure on him. Will become an increasingly hard call I think". please log in to view this image
Morning all. Not a tough call at all regarding Cooper, he stays in the team until injured or suspended. Have I mentioned how well Dan James played at the weekend ? Maybe @Whitejock can give his expert opinion as James was switched to play right in front of him for the last half an hour and seemed to form a very solid partnership with Shackleton.
Morning all, I never did believe the Huddersfield chairman when he said they turned down £13 million. Was just a good sound bite for his gullible fans. At the moment the best centre back pairing is without a doubt llorente and Cooper. But as I have said before this season will be a transition for Cooper and Struijk. Cooper is reaching the end of his time of being able to play regularly at this level. Struijk will get more minutes in the prem and hopefully plenty of chances in cup to improve ready for the step up to next season as first choice. The same argument can be made for Ayling and Shack at RB. We are at a point where the squad will be transitioning from those who got us up and kept us here to the next generation who can take us to the next level. Do not be surprised to see replacements lined up for Klich and Dallas next summer even if it's Bate from the u23's.
Morning all Will Raphinha be available to play in our next game if he is fit or will he be in Quarantine returning from a red flag country? I’m not surprised we’re starting to look at possible Bielsa replacements but surely it’s a little pointless? If they’re available now and are half decent they’re not going to sit around until next June?
Morning all. Bielsa might be replaced at the end of the season I know the day will come eventually but it's too soon. Hopefully the reports of Bielsa helping to find his successor are true and whoever takes over is the right fit, whenever that might be. I came away from the game on Saturday saying to my son that I thought Cooper had had a good, solid game. I didn't see exactly what happened with the foul for Watford's goal and was just relieved the ref disallowed it, but it shows again he has a tendency to give away penalties with his holding of players and I think we got away with it on Saturday. But I agree, I think Coops and Llorente will be the first choice pairing until something occurs to force Bielsa's hand.
I read somewhere that he would be available. I think they've changed the quarantine rules so that players would essentially quarantine, but be allowed out specifically to train and play football but I'm not 100% on that.
Morning all O’Brian isnt good enough therefore we wouldnt oay more than £4m because he would need coaching and whilst being coached would be U23 player. We only spend on players who will improve the first team. My view on the defence is that we will see by the end of the season a Llorente and Koch partnership blossoming for the first time due to to prolonged illness and injury. Cooper as Jammy has said will gradually lose out due to injury and suspension. I fully expect Cooper to be transferred next season to prolong his career and I also expect Struijk to move to Holland or Belgium. Cresswell will be No3 at CB and dont discount Leo Hjelde. There will be a huge money midfield signing next Summer with either Klich or Dallas moving aside. Next summer I see as a transition again
Diego Martines is a mate of Orta but no way will he fill the boots of Bielsa and his style of play isnt anywhere near Bielsaball. He has never coached at the top level in Spain or anywhere so the best I see for him is as a No2 learning his trade not given a peach job in a peach league And yes there is a list compiled by Bielsa and agreed by Orta and sits in Kinnears safe. Those names would carry on the work set out by Bielsa using his academy and foundations for growth. The new coach would be an independent minded coach not a follower, but yes someone who reveers Bielsa’s ethos. Simeoni says Bielsa is the greatest coach ever but he does it his own way attacking and defending using low block. He wins La Liga and has just whacked Barcelona again. Jorge Samaoli is a follower but watch his team kick the shyt out of all comers in the French league now he is in charge at Marseille. Dont discount the work Diego Flores is doing on his own in Argentina
Raphinha will be available to play, the only issue is the Southampton game is only 36 hours after the Brazil game so would he have recovered in time ? Latest on Raphinha’s involvement for Leeds United game at Southampton 36 hours after Brazil’s Uruguay clash Leeds United expect Raphinha to feature against Southampton on Saturday October 16, despite kicking off at St Mary’s less than 36 hours after Brazil’s game against Uruguay. Raphinha has been named in the Brazil squad for their World Cup qualifying fixtures against Venezuela, Colombia and Uruguay this month. The winger, who was once again one of Marcelo Bielsa’s star men at Elland Road at the weekend during the club’s first Premier League win of the season, is yet to make his international debut. He was called up for the trio of Brazil games that took place in September, but a Premier League pact to stop players from travelling to countries on the UK government’s Covid-19 red list prevented him from joining up with Tite’s squad. The government has since agreed a compromise with FIFA that will allow fully vaccinated players returning from red list countries and their national team bubbles to play and train with their clubs, albeit while quarantining at ‘bespoke’ facilities. Arrivals from red list countries, even those who have had both jabs, normally have to quarantine in a government-chosen hotel for 10 days. Raphinha will instead quarantine at either a club facility or a hotel chosen by Leeds, while being allowed out for games or training sessions. A government spokesperson said: “We have worked closely with football authorities to achieve an outcome that balances the interests of both club and country while maintaining the highest levels of public health and safety. “Our best defence against the virus is vaccination and these new measures will allow fully vaccinated players to fulfil their international duties in the safest, most practical way possible, while allowing them to train and play with their clubs as early as possible upon their return.” Despite the solution, which was criticised by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, Raphinha’s involvement in Leeds’ next outing appeared in doubt due to the short gap between Brazil’s Arena da Amazônia clash with Uruguay in Manaus at 1.30am on Friday October 15 and Leeds’ trip to St Mary’s, which kicks off the following day at 3pm. But the YEP understands the Whites expect Raphinha to be present and available for selection, which will come as good news for Bielsa. His 24-year-old winger has quickly become a firm fan favourite at Elland Road and came in for praise from Bielsa after the 1-0 win over Watford on Saturday. The head coach believes the player Leeds signed for just £17m from Rennes a year ago is a rare find, because he marries a huge amount of ability with a willingness to run himself into the ground. “He’s a player that stands out and due to standing out he doesn’t demand privileges, the opposite, he takes on even more obligations,” said Bielsa. “That’s why he’s a player valued so much by all of us. Due to his humility and his capacity of effort, that is not common when you accompany it with so much talent.” His first season in the Premier League brought six goals and nine assists and he has already scored three times in seven league games in the current campaign. Earlier this year he spoke of his desire to wear the famous yellow shirt of his nation. “As a Brazilian, like any other Brazilian player, I dream of representing the Selecao, I dream of putting the shirt on and representing my country,” he said. “If the chance to play [for] the Selecao does come along, I would embrace that opportunity and make the most of it. But if it doesn’t, the focus would still be Leeds and the results. “If it does come about, it would be that dream come true, [like] for any Brazilian player.”
According to Phil Hay I did think that was a penalty. Very strong shout. And you're right about James. Leeds thrive on energy and he's got loads of it. As has Raphinha. Raphinha reminds me of those annoying people who run the Yorkshire Three Peaks. The rest of you are about to die going up Ingleborough while he comes spriting past you. Is that a dig at Gessa?
Bielsa will go with Llorente and Cooper. Personally I think Llorente and Struijk are better due to Struijks prowess in the air on set pieces where we are exposed.
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.com/sport/football/58753489.amp Found it you’re right, quarantine for 10 days but allowed to leave once a day to train or play, must have had both jabs
I’d like to see Struijk given more time this season with Llorente and sometimes mix it up with Koch so they gain more understanding together in preparation for next season
He must've had both or I guess he wouldn't be playing at all. The final Brazil game is in Manaus just 36 hours before the Southampton game kicks off, I doubt there's direct flights to Leeds/Bradford so it will be a superhuman effort to be starting against the Saints !
Isnt Manuas right at the other end if Brazil in the rain forrest and a place too remote for normal traffic. Think England had a game there in the last WC and we were put there to keep our fans away. Cannot see him getting back in time unless the European based Brazil lads and players like Nahitan Nandez and Edinson Cavani all chip together to hire a jet
Correct, it's in the middle of nowhere. Surely the only way he'll be back in time is if he's allowed home early.
Nobody much talks about it now because of the outcome, but when Struijk made that recovery tackle against Liverpool I was on my feet applauding the telly, I thought that wqs the tackle if the season, brilliant…. Then we saw what happened. But my point is that Struijk is going to be a baller
Llorente/Struijk would be my call for the future. Im also gagging to see Llorente/Koch together can't believe we are still waiting to see this. I also think Struijk will oust Cooper out gradually. he's a tank of a player and still improving with Coops being the wrong side of 30 he's at his peak or peaked.
Me too, thought it was a fantastic tackle. Just unfortunate the way the Liverpool lad fell. Hope Struijk stays.