Well let’s hope for a great weekend which means a good win with a good performance. Hoping to see Georginio have a big impact plus Sinisterra getting match sharp again. Also be good to see another clean sheet. Looks like we dodged a bullet as there were stories that we were going back in for Bemba Dieng again, but he signed for Lorient thank fook. Strange goings on at Everton this week and topped off with Bielsa rejecting Moshiri’s offer and from what we understand Bielsa’s vision and the way to proceed with the project wasn’t accepted, even though in principle it was agreed otherwise Bielsa wouldn’t have flown to London. Sources in Argentina have hinted that maybe Bielsa was in London for meetings with some clubs other than just Everton. Suggestion of Spurs as Conte may well leave and go back to Juventus but if UEFA stand by the Italian ruling that means Paritici his mate who is now DoF at Spurs has a 2.5yr ban. Ajax have just sacked their manager could Bielsa be in the frame? Is Potter at Chelsea going to survive? Moyes and Rodgers are under pressure too and Bielsa was a fan of the Leicester model? Remember Heathrow is a hub for all points in France, Germany, Holland, Spain and Italy? If Leeds pull off the Weston McKennie transfer you have to hold your hand up and say well done, at long last because it’s going to be circa £70m spent in a January transfer window. You can also say forget the Marsch out stories, because he has been given full support to sort it out. On top of the players they bought for him he has also been allowed to employ someone from the States as his assistant coach and applying for a work permit for him. If he was at risk they surely wouldn’t have brought in Armis at this stage. So Ristac is going to be unhappy about it but …….. Drameh gone to Luton and now looking like Joffy to Sunderland not Wigan. Joffy will have a penalty clause in his contract which states Sunderland will pay Leeds £X if Gelhardt doesn’t play X number of minutes.
At the risk of getting pelters, I don't think Bielsa will ever manage clubs of the size of Spurs for example. I never have done. Im not saying he's not a coaching genius but I believe so much more is required to manage players like those at Spurs, scum etc. So many enormous egos to contend with and that's not Bielsas strong point. How manage of that spurs team would buy into twice a day training, murderball, rigid diets etc, I suspect few if any. It was different when he arrived at us. A load of average players, earning average money with the riches of promotion to the pl as a carrot. How do you motivate Harry Kane for example. I suspect his idea at Everton was to write off this season and build a squad from the youth to win promotion next season. Probably something the owner didn't want to hear
Good move for Gelhardt. There's a starting place there for him as their top scorer (name escapes me) has been recalled to their parent club so Gelhardt should just slot straight in. He's got to let his feet do the talking now.
Although Spurs probably got nothing to lose now, will likely drop out of the top 4 and never win anything anyway. Give him a go lads, football should be good and might have a run in the Conference League
Eire you may just be a bit wrong mate…. Veron Crespo Batistuta Adriano Zanetti Ayala Heinze Tevez Delgado Collocini Maschereno Simeone just some of the players he coached who had massive reputations/egos
I could well be but pl egos are a different level to other countries. He got rid of jansen and saiz and didn’t handle pablo so well either. Just an opinion door and I could be miles off the mark
Totally agree mate - was so excited when Gelhardt first broke through but think, if anything, he has gone backwards - certainly doesn't have anywhere near the same influence on games as Willy that is for sure.
How many of those did he manage at league level and at what stage of their careers. I'm guessing at international level MB would have to change his approach somewhat, given the lack of time that he would have with players. I'm not disagreeing with you Doc about whether top quality players would be welcoming and thrive under MB on a regular basis, its just that there is little evidence to either support or disprove either stance, given the relatively short time MB has spent managing clubs with established top players at a league level and for most on here, the benchmark would be how he dealt with players at our club
These were just members of his Olympic gold medal team mate. Lost of other big players he had control of for the national team. Probably the best way to talk about him is the reverence all these players have for him, which is similar to the way Revies players talk about him
Football is 80% mentality and 20% talent. I always bang on about confidence. Joffy just looks lost. Hopefully he can get an early goal at Sunderland and kick on. I've banged the drum on Summerville for 18 months saying he needs a run in the side to get going as he looked like he didn't believe he belonged at 1st team level. Once he was picked and scored he was our best player before injury. His confidence was sky high. That's why I'm so strong on dropping Struijk at the moment. He looks absolutely shot and even the simple things look super difficult for him. Get him out of there for the teams sake but also for the players sake. Firpo has never looked comfortable here and he looks completely shot of any confidence when defending. Joffy needs to play, needs to score, needs a defining moment and then watch him go. Unfortunately sometimes those moments don't happen and you can end up on a downward spiral never to return. Let's hope Joffy can turn it around.
Not doubting you Doc but the Olympic thing was at end of pleats time. I don’t think the modern player compares to one’s back then. They have their own management teams endless sponsors and temptations. Just saying it’s a far more difficult job in present era. Just look at the recent failures at scum despite fortunes being paid to players
Everton are a basket case. In the summer Chelsea offered £60m for young Gordon and it was refused. Gordon has been pants since and just gone to Newcastle for £40m so Moshiri/Lampard cost the club £20m and now desperate to sign someone with their reduced cash
Im not disputing that Doc, just saying that management of international players is different to the management of league players, which is what I believe Eire was referring to. I agree that MB has had some top quality players under his tenure as an international manager. I've no idea if he would do well or not managing top quality players for a sustained period in a league situation, as it is not a situation that MB has found himself in very often. You could well be right in that it would make very little difference, but none of us rightly know, and as I said earlier, for most on here, the only evidence they do have is how he dealt with players at our club, who did not 100% buy into his philosophy. The only other club that we would be able to compare with would be Bilbao, and even for me that's too much research to do
The two clubs probably can agree a fee but not how to pay it. So if Leeds pay a loan fee of say 5 million and then pay the remaining 25 million (guessing the figures btw) in the summer then Juve get the full fee and Leeds get to defer payments for 6 months. Could it be FFP loophole stuff from us or are we dipping in to the summer budget early. Sounds like the work around needed to make it happen though. Hopefully we get it done.
Amazing that Ounahi was for sale at £20m to Leeds and we said no too steep all English clubs quoted the same and now he gets sold for €8m plus €2m in add ons. Scandalous prices we pay compared to other European leagues
Could also be that yes we agree to doing the loan but maybe not agreeing the buy if we get relegated? One less to offload in that chaotic event
