Good Morning. It's Friday 26th September, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road Farke faces midfield dilemma Daniel Farke will be staring at a genuine selection conundrum when Bournemouth swing by Elland Road this weekend. The loss of AO Tanaka’s silky skills and Dan James’s electrifying burst of pace has forced Leeds into a pragmatic 4‑1‑4‑1, a shape that has frustrated opponents with its compactness and disciplined pressing. In the middle of the park, Sean Longstaff and Brenden Aaronson have worked tirelessly, breaking down attacks, recycling possession and even drifting into the final third to supplement Calvert-Lewin. Yet the absence of Tanaka’s creativity and James’s ability to stretch defences has left a conspicuous void that Farke cannot ignore. Whilst fellow midfielders Ethan Ampadu and Anton Stach are expected to be the first names to go on the team sheet, Farke must choose between Longstaff or Tanaka. Does he then sacrifice a midfielder (Aaronson) to introduce a natural winger (James) to regain width, or double‑down on central dominance by flooding the middle, hoping to control the tempo of the game? please log in to view this image Fans groan as Michael Oliver announced as match referee The Premier League has confirmed that Michael Oliver will be the man in the middle for Leeds United’s pivotal clash with Bournemouth at Elland Road this weekend. He will be assisted by Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring, with Jarred Gillett serving as the fourth official. The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) duties will be handled by Tim Wood, with Wade Smith acting as the Assistant VAR. Oliver is widely respected as one of the most experienced and capable officials in the game, with a resume boasting over 400 matches; however, the Elland Road faithful won't see it that way given results rarely go their way under Oliver's watch. Statistics reveal a concerning trend for the Whites. In the nine Premier League matches where Oliver has been the referee, Leeds have managed just two victories, one draw, and six defeats. This means they have lost more than two-thirds of their top-flight games under his watch. Their record at Elland Road is particularly troubling, with just one win from three visits—a memorable 3-1 victory over Tottenham in 2021. Their only other win with Oliver in charge was a stunning 2-1 away victory at Liverpool in 2022. As they prepare for a crucial fixture, Leeds will be hoping to rewrite this unfavorable history and secure at least a point. please log in to view this image
I'm never bothered by results under a particular ref. If the ratio of fouls and cards given is significant then that's a concern.
Morning I rather us be facing the dilemma of who to pick than the dilemma of who can we pick. Great to see Bogle back was expecting a month out sooper dooper news hes fine. Still wanting tonsee Biyol That 1 match ban has deffo hindered him. cant see him starting again until some shyte hits the fan. So its good and bad news as if he cant get in we are doing well enough on the pitch. His time will come
Think Id be leaving James as a possible sub to bring on for last half hour. I was a big fan of his last season but he's shown little this season. Hope its a fitness thing
Morning all, All refs are ****s tbf but seeing as we’ve beaten Spurs 3-1 and Liverpool 2-1 away with Michael Oliver reffing both times he’s hardly more of a jinx than the others.
Refs are now looked in every match and a report done on their performance, so not really worried. The worst stat I remember around 3 seasons ago where went the longest without getting a penalty, even though there was some blatant incidents. I think the average team is awarded a penalty every 2.3 games, we went 14 if I remember right. Conspiracy.
