Good Morning. It's Wednesday 4th May, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road Leeds haven’t done enough During his latest podcast, Elland Road journalist Phil Hay laid into Leeds Utd for their lack of investment last Summer, and further criticised them for not adding to the squad in January. The former Chief Football Writer for the YEP also laid blame at Bielsa's door, insinuating that the squad was too small, and his tactics just hadn't worked this season. “A very small squad which has been badly affected by injuries, tactically hasn’t worked and didn’t work for Bielsa as it did in his first three seasons,” “Transfer wise, in my view, Leeds haven’t done enough to the squad and didn’t sign anyone in January when they needed to." "With hindsight, they did less than they needed to last Summer as well. “That has all accumulated into a massive pressure which is right on them now, more severely than at any stage this season.” please log in to view this image Everton ace to escape punishment this season Everton have received a massive boost in their bid for survival, after it was revealed that the FA have paused their investigation into the flare throwing incident at the weekend. Richarlison was seen by millions worldwide, picking up a flare and throwing it into a highly condensed area of the crowd. Merseyside police have asked the Toffee's for their observations of the incident, indicating that any police involvement needs to be concluded before the FA get involved. With 18 days of the season left, it will be next season before he faces a potential three game ban for endangering fans. According to the stats on 'Whoscored', the 24yo is not only Everton's best player, but also leading goal-scorer this season, netting eight times. please log in to view this image Leeds are just not good enough for this level - Collymore Former wife-beater, dogger and occasional footballer Stan Collymore would like to see Leeds relegated this season. The 51yo wrote a piece in yesterday's Mirror (where he is a columnist) stating he admired the earthiness and honesty of what Burnley bring to the table, and compared Everton's concurrent 71 years in the top flight with Leeds less than impressive record. He also insinuated that most of the Leeds players are 'just not good enough for this level'. "I want Burnley and Everton to stay up this season," "I like the honesty and earthiness of what Burnley have done. And, while some think it would reflect badly on the recently sacked Sean Dyche if they do retain their Premier League status, it would actually be the opposite because every player at Turf Moor is a Dyche player. "Everton have had 119 seasons in the top division, they haven't been relegated for 71 years, and the top flight just wouldn't be the same without them. People say Leeds, on the other hand, are a big club but they have spent half of their years out of the top flight and they have too many players who are game and honest as you like but who are perhaps just not good enough for this level. "Going down would be the overegging of the Marcelo Bielsa pudding coming back to haunt them." please log in to view this image Cooper - Stay or Go I've just read an interesting article about which players are expected to stay at Elland Road should the worst happen, and we find ourselves playing Championship football next season. The article insinuated that Liam Cooper isn't good enough for a Premier League move at his age, and they'd fully expect him to Captain the Whites with a big Promotion push next season. Would you agree with that, or would you like to see Charlie Cresswell take over? The article named Meslier, Rodrigo, Raphinha, Harrison and Phillips as the players expected to depart, which if relegated would be likely to collectively fetch in the region of 100 m. please log in to view this image
Go down or stay up Cooper needs to stay, as shown in the games he’s missed this season is that we need him in CB for organisation as without him we concede shed loads. Cresswell is the future, Struijk could be too but had a massive dip in form, Llorente/Koch would both leave if we went down, both inconsistent and injury prone. Klassen Drameh - Ayling - Cooper - Struijk Forshaw - Klich Summerville - James Gelhardt - Greenwood Would be our likely first team next season if we went down as I can’t see Meslier, Koch, Llorente, Phillips, Harrison, Raphinha, Rodrigo or Bamford staying if we go down.
1 Hay is right 2 Collymores is only an opinion just like anyone else and I don't care what he thinks anyway 3 Cooper is seriously injury prone which is my big worry for him. Has he been out maybe four times this season injured?
Morning all When in the Championship didn’t we turn down £40m for Phillips and that was prior to his England call ups. We know Raphinha has a £25m clause, even if we accepted a daylight robbery offer of £60m for Phillips surely we’d get more than £15m for the other three Stan Collymore is just click bait aimed at getting a reaction for his rag top, they know Leeds fans will react We do need depth but it’s probably not as easy as it sounds, you have £30m and Bielsa said get me James. Do you back him or ignore him and buy 2 x £15m players? I know I’m in the minority but I think we’d see 5 departures max. We might sell Meslier and loan him back, Rodrigo and Llorente wouldn’t be missed, we know Phillips and Raphinha would be off. Harrison isn’t that great, he played two seasons for us in the Championship, I don’t see why he’d leave
Morning all What a huge let off for Everton, thought it was a fore gone conclusion Richarlison would receive an automatic ban starting immediately & police investigation to boot, this decision could very well just save Evertons season, condemning us or Burnley for the drop. Incredible decision for which i am totally gobsmacked, and it's not just my Leeds head thinking this either, what if it burned a child or started a serious fire the results could have been catastrophic.
If the worst happens we have to keep the nucleus of the squad together. Meslier Ayling AN Other Cooper Firpo Forshaw Dallas Klich James Bamford Harrison Bench Joffy Greenwood Summerville Cresswell Hejde Bate Struijk Drameh That's a strong squad and I'd like to see one of Koch/Llorente stay as well. Think Firpo would potentially be the best left back in the Championship as the quality of winger he'd be up against is just a tiny bit less don't you think ?
Regardless where we are next season, the squad needs a total overall. Just because the release clause is £25m, doesn't mean that's what we'll get, it's the minimum that will be accepted. I would think £150m for those listed is a truer figure. Shows what a **** show football is, with all the ex pros around the media instead hire a woman beater as a pundit, not a very bright one either. If we go down Cooper has to stay as club captain imo. With his injury this season, can't see many beating down the door to sign Bamford tbh
Phil Hay says what we have ll said on here for ages. Small squad, no real action in the summer window and no action at all in the winter. Whole board at fault not just Bielsa When other clubs are doing deals getting ready for next season we cant do fk all because we dont know which division we will be in. This season has been shyte on every front.
A Agree with most things but we can still do deals to sell players. Top players and u23s will not wait till season end. One i would cash in on is Drameh simply because he would fetch a decent fee.
Co Cooper and bamford will still be here like you say. The thing that bothers me is where are our prospects in midfield?. Three seasons without a proper midfield just sick notes.
I think you're right on the leavers. They probably won't all leave, there's always someone who doesn't have a release clause or one that get's triggered, Norwich kept much of their side, Fulham too, but you'd imagine most would go. Has to be a chance that Klich and Summerville would go too.
We Wee jimmy with a season ending injury so who would sign a player returning from injury.... Well there is us
Possibly Bamford due to the injuries he’s had this season but I think the rest would go. I think Klich will probably go if we stay up as we’ll bring in Aaronson and another CM (I hope) but Klich would be more than capable at CM in the championship and a good player to have around in that division. If Harrison and Raphinha went I see no reason why Summerville wouldn’t get first team football with us so could see him staying. People keep mentioning Harrison and I agree he is inconsistent but his stats tell a different story of 15 goals and 9 assists in the PL which is a goal contribution every 2.7 games, rumours of Tottenham coming in for him before we were in this much trouble as well. Wouldn’t be surprised to sell him for 25-30 million if we went.
Lewis Bate has been MoM in his last few 23 games. Marsch has him training with the first team. He and Sean McGurk are the stand out midfielders. Nohan Kenneh again with the first team models himself on Kalvin Phillips who is mentoring him and the other DM seen on the first team bench is Jack Jenkins, but for me Bate and Kenneh are defensive and box to box, and Bate is going to be huge.
I was talking to a Rangers fan whilst on holiday recently and he was adamant they had done a deal to sign Summerville for an initial fee of£1.7m. No idea if it's true but he was certainly convincing
Maybe there's a silver lining to relegation if it happened. Give a lot of these u23's a proper go and find out for once and for all if they're gonna make it. As long as were in PL they'll continue to make cameo appearances for the most part
You don’t think that with the sale of players plus parachute payment we won’t sign anyone? Wouldn’t want Ayling at CB.
Just my personal view but if we had mainly U23's in our first eleven next season we'd struggle whatever division we're in. Unless I've missed something somewhere and they're all absolutely fecking brilliant. Joffy's done ok coming on a couple of times but he's nowhere near Bamford's level for example.
Ayling is not a centre back. Struijk and Cresswell all day long assuming Koch and Llrente go as well.
Got to agree with this post, regardless of which division we are in good recruitment is most important. We’ll be going back down with quite a few of the squad that wasn’t good enough to get promoted until Bielsa arrived.
