First off I want to wish you all a happy New Year and from a footy point of view a better 24 than 23 was. I would also on behalf of the board say a big thanks to Elland for the work he does on here. Nice one Matt have a drink on Shaks. Comedy gold on the transfer rumour scene again with Ryan Kent touted as a loan move from Fenerbache. Why do these journos carry on with this trash. Luke Baartman tipped again but can you see FARKE signing a 17yo and play him in the first team? More news out of Bournemouth with Leeds apparently wanting David Brookes on loan. Yet another winger, why? Now I like Brookes and you may remember he was Eddies Howes best player for ages. He then went down with cancer and has since had another fight with it but now fully fit again and not getting much game time under Iraola. £11.5m they paid for him in 2018 Make or break time in a couple of days when the window opens. Does the club go for it, because if they do we need to go on a long run unbeaten and mainly winning games. Is the present squad good enough for automatic promotion? I would say FARKE has been out-coached by 2 unknowns. In Farkes defence you can say the summer was dictated by rats jumping ship and not knowing who was left to coach, we got off to a slow start but since then Leeds have been very good, but in recent games have squandered opportunities to reduce the deficit to the other 2 coaches. On paper the Leeds squad is better than that of Ipswich by a good margin and on a par or just behind Leicesters. Rumours are starting about player unrest again, not helped by Phil Hay who last weekend mentioned Anthony wanting to go back to Bournemouth as he believes he is 4th choice, Gnonto changing agents too can only mean he either wants a better contract or a move. Gelhardt and Cresswell not getting football, Poveda out of contract in the summer, Bate and Hjelde being shown the door, a nightmare loan for Perkins, Drameh out of contract in the summer and looking like Greenwood also moving on. Gruev not happy, Firpo not wanted by fans and a bunch of U21s wanting to know the plans for their future. Charlie Allen, McGurk, Joseph, Klaessen, Van Den Heuval, Montiero to name a couple. Half the season gone and only half the first team squad used which can only mean that FARKE doesnt fancy the rest? FARKE has beaten Ipswich twice and Leicester this season but has dropped too many silly points to dross teams Farke has made one change in total to his starting line-up across the last six he has named. In that time, they have taken 10 points from an available 18. More recently, they have taken just four from the last 12 available. The German had promised, even before the Ipswich win, this set of 11 players could not start all four matches in the subsequent nine days. After no changes between yesterday and last Saturday, the switches surely have to come in the West Midlands tonight. Farke brought in a new keeper coach and also bought Darlow yet rumours that Darlow not fancied, seems weird and a bit strange to me. Worst case scenario for the 49ers we dont go up this season and all the problems that brings for next season under FFFP rules. Makes me think that to counter this we do end up selling Struijk, Meslier, Gnonto, Gelhardt, Cresswell types, as the cash generated from sales of players who cost little means big profits towards sustainability rules
So the window opens in a couple of days and besides the bollox of Ryan Kent, there are however some rumours with more substance but still not making much sense unless there are things happening in the background we are not aware of. A couple of LBs are in the list but also a couple of wingers? David Brooks Jack Hastings Archie Brown Bright Osayi-Samuel Connor Bradley Trai Hume
You can’t make sweeping changes in January otherwise you have to bed too many players in the coaches style of play so you’ll lose ground, continuity is needed. Personally let anyone of the backup players go, if they can’t force their way into the first team by now then Farke clearly doesn’t rate them highly enough. Bring in better players to push those currently getting picked.
Quotes from Talk Sport Sam Matterface started with this as host: “He (Brooks) is wanted by two different teams in the Championship looking to get back to the Premier League.” Crook then responded with this insight: “Yeah, two of the high-flyers in that division, Southampton and Leeds United. I’m told that Leeds are planning quite a busy January in order to ensure that they can get back into the Premier League at the first time of asking. “Brooks hasn’t played much football this season, certainly not as much as he would’ve expected to, so I think he’ll be looking to go out and try and get some game time under his belt because, of course, Wales have got these crucial playoff games for a place at the European Championships coming up.” All I will say on this is that if it’s true we are trying to get another winger then it’s bye bye for one of our existing wingers. Sheer stupidity of having Gnonto Poveda, Anthony James and Summerville and then bring in another player who will not get a game. Brooks would be better staying where he is and going on loan next door to Southampton unless he gets promised plenty of game time at Leeds and he wants to join our Welsh squad
Well yet again Farke is being outcoached. Yes some changes but it’s tactics that’s leaving our back 4 inviting them on. Byram too narrow. Ref is shyt Gnonto had a nailed on penalty but Rutter getting nothing as well. But so far we are a mile behind Southampton now and the season turning to shyt
As always when we find ourselves in a difficult spell results wise it's 100% time to get behind the team and the manager. Southampton had a similar run of form earlier in the season and now they're virtually unbeatable, plus at the end of the day we need to make sure we qualify for the play offs and then give it our best shot to get to Wembley and beyond.
Taken 4 points from the last possible 15 which is almost relegation form right now. The wheels have come off and FARKE needs to do something because everyone has our number right now. Just crowd out our forwards and they will lose the ball then counter attack. Corberan made FARKE look stupid
Don’t panic Doc ffs, we’ve signed a 17 year old from northern Irish league and there was a bunch of. Clubs after him too
Still just ahead of Saints in the betting for top 2. They have to go away to Leicester, Ipswich, us and WBA. Leeds v Southampton last game of season. Wonder if either of us celebrating??
All this nonsense that we suddenly have rubbish players that Farke inherited, even Carlos said we have possibly the best team in the division and certainly an abundance of attacking options. A team that beats Ipswich twice, Leicester away and unbeaten at home is not a bad team. That’s not to say we’re not playing as a team at the moment, something is wrong and it needs fixing quick. It’s easy to forget how a Bielsa team could look like world beaters one day then struggle when a couple of key figures were missing. Farke hasn’t quite got something right, Bielsa was guilty of square pegs but mainly forced by injury, Farke seems to be doing it as he prefers a quality player out of position rather than on the bench. Not including Darlow we made 4 changes to the starting 11 so those wanting rotation should feel happier We’re entering the January transfer window, we have 3 home league games in January and just the one away. We’re not getting stuffed even in defeat, only Southampton have beaten us by more than one goal. We don’t need to turn around a massive leaky defence, we only need minor tweaks to get the big wheel turning again. I’m still behind Farke but this blip has come at a crucial time, too early to replace him, but screw up January and the transfer window closes and it’s too late to replace him. Normally I’d never entertain the thought of sacking a coach based on the season so far, however I truly believe (apart from possibly Leicester) we definitely have the best team of players in the Championship, we should be higher than we are.
Byram/ Firpo: if Firpo had started last night and did what Byram did he would have got slaughtered by the fans for being out of position all night and not picking up his man. Yet as it was Byram silence……… Spence never got going on the other side because Gnonto went rogue and wasn’t linking with Spence. Not sure what was said at half time but whatever it was the team got worse, in fact there wasn’t a team, just a disjointed mess playing sideways, backwards or tippy tapping on the edge of the box. Rubbish and the subs? What the hell
Was Gnonto wandering out of position or following instructions. If he wasn’t following instructions he should have been hauled off, Bielsa was well known for subbing the subs or even subs before half time if team instructions were not being followed. IF this was not part of the plan, then it’s a prime example of one piece not doing as they were supposed to and having a knock on effect. I’d sell Gnonto if Farke’s future is safe as he isn’t fitting in
Can anyone name our quality midfielders.. Apart from ampadu who has stood out?. Too many wingers and piroe and rutter is the wrong formation.
