Factually correct mate because he started the season on fire and won goal of the week 3 times in the first 4 games and the tv pundits were already lining him up for player of the season.
well that wouldn't be a nomination - but no worries fella... get your drift - he played well at the start of the season. Not sure any of the guys on loan are kicking down the door to be recalled for first team duty. There's a few who might be sent back.
Yeah and if Bogusz had kept it up he wouldnt have been sat on the bench last weekend and brought on late in a 2-0 defeat. I dont see anyone now who should be recalled. Bogusz I thought maight but that was a few weeks ago and hes been quiet since then, so nowhere near good enough for the Prem. Lewis Bate would be more suited and hes only 18yo and Bielsa loves him, but think for next season?
£130m spent on players according to Bielsa. Rodrigo Raphinha Llorente Koch Firpo Harrison Costa Drameh MCGurk Bate Greenwood Gelhardt Summerville Miller Klaesson Hjelde I estimate around £113m for the first teamers and another £9m for the U23s making circa £122m and then loan fees for 3 seasons for Harrison and again for Costa, so possible? If Mateo Joseph Fernandez has indeed also been done there will be half a million in there too?
I think he must be because we paid 3 loan fees for Harrison which started off at £1m then rose to £2m for another two years so a total of £5m for Harrison making his transfer actually £16mm then we had 2 loan fees for Costa plus a £17m fee so around £20m so total including kids is around £130m
One worrying stat I just noticed is that Leeds are now third worst goal difference behind Norwich and Newcastle. Leeds are 5 goals worse off than the next poor team, we are minus 15
Sorry I look at that list, I can dig out a couple of hopeful future bargains but I think to myself that is not money well spent. Admittedly some teams can blow that on one or two players. Ironically our value for money comes from those we’ve spent less on. The list is a lot worse when you throw in wasted loan money on the likes of Nketiah and the money we’ve spent already on the Augustin saga and the wages Kiko drained. Good source for who spent what on who and in which season https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/premier-league/einnahmenausgaben/wettbewerb/GB1
We are 5 points clear of relegation zone. It's a reason to be concerned but not a reason to panic. My concern is with the players. They are not coping with the pressure that the media and fans are putting on them. We know they have the quality to succeed at this level playing this system. They just allow the pressure to dictate how they play and they need to get some confidence back. Bielsa has to find a way to do it again like he did in the Championship after the Forest game. I'll give you an example of a player who nobody is attaching any blame to. Raphinha. Watch him next game. He is our most dangerous attacking threat at the moment. Last year he would run when he had space and pick out a pass when he was at a dead end. This year, with injuries and results going against our team, opponents are double marking him (sometimes triple). Instead of passing it back inside to switch the play, where there ultimately has to be more space, he tries to take the three of them on by himself. We usually lose the ball and teams break on us which is Bielsaballs achieves heel. Yes Raphinha is one of our worst culprits. However, this is happening all over the park. An example of a player who has stood up is Forshaw. Works his arse off trying to make himself available at all times to receive the ball even though he is often outnumbered in the middle. He makes mistakes but guess what, he's available again 30 seconds later for that same ball. The likes of Rodrigo, Klich, James, Shackleton, Roberts and at times Rapha do not make themselves available for a pass. They turn their back to play and pretend they are running in behind. This is why the likes of Llorente keep making mistakes. How the hell can you play out from the back when you look up and see everyone running away from you and poor Forshaw wanting it to feet surrounded by 3 players. It's cowardly and gutless. Harrison gets mullered but he is another who keeps showing for the ball. It's hasn't really happened for him this season but at least he is brave by sticking to what he is told to do and playing the system. Bielsaball demands all 11 to be on the same page. We are lucky if we have 5 at the moment. The rest are weak but yeah, if Rapha puts in a few good corners and scores a few penalties I suppose people will say he is our only hope. I see it quite differently.
Also can we stop with the 'wasted' money on Nketiah and Costa. They were brought in as players who would get us out of the Championship and both players had their impact. Eddie secured important points off the bench and Costa had a significant impact throughout. Ultimately we got out and their objective was achieved and we earn so much more money than they cost.
Raphinha 2-3 players around him, Forshaw 3 players, that leaves us plenty of extra bodies unmarked that we could pass to
I’ll concede Costa but not Eddie he was definitely a waste of funds. He turned a 0-0 against Brentford into a 1-0 win, who’s to say the money spent on him would not have been better spent on someone different who’d have won more than two points?
Who’s to say they would have cost anything? Nketiah occupied a position that someone else would have filled. He left in December, we didn’t miss him, we didn’t replace him
This why I think midfield is the problem - its the glue that joins the defence and the forwards. If it doesn't work then the through balls aren't there, the overlaps don't happen and the transition doesn't happen. For me, the 2021 season is characterised by poor transition - misplaced passes, KP marked or his passes cut out or midfield overrun by the opposition. Everyone else ends up out of position and can't then show for a pass as they're not where they're expected to be.
Exactly but the extra bodies are all charging up the field instead of facing up. We need the little triangles and make the ball move. Currently there are too many players not taking that responsibility. It's called hiding. It's basically players afraid to be the one who makes the mistake. Ironically players like Harrison, Forshaw, Ayling, Firpo (yes Firpo!), Llorente who all try and shoulder that responsibility are left shy of options and ultimately give the ball away or make mistakes despite trying to play to the system.
Absolutely. With Phillips out, Koch out, Klich looking like a shadow of his former self, Rodrigo and Roberts lacking defensive duties that come with the job we desperately need at least one new midfield option. McCallmont has no experience at this level but he is great at maintaining possession and is currently having another impressive season at lower league level. If there is no money to spend we could at least drag him back and have a look at him in training.
Came off the bench at Barnsley to open the scoring and then win a penalty. That's a few more points there.
