The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Thursday 6th November)

Good Morning. It's Thursday 6th November, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road

Ramazani nightmare to end - ER return unlikely

During a recent Q&A, Athletic journalist Beren Cross revealed that Largie Ramazani’s season-long loan to Valencia has a recall clause. Many of the ER faithful still haven't forgiven Daniel Farke for allowing the 24yo to leave in the first place. After lighting up Elland Road last season with his raw pace, flair, and eye for goal, Ramazani was inexplicably deemed surplus to requirements and shipped off to Spain.

At first, it looked like Leeds might regret it - he came off the bench on his debut and set up a goal within minutes. But since then? It’s been a nightmare. Just 85 minutes of football across five substitute appearances, languishing 20th out of 21 in Valencia’s Whoscored ratings with a 6.17. Hardly the platform for a young talent to grow.

Cross explained that if Leeds feel Carlos Corberán isn’t giving Ramazani the development he needs, they could recall him in January - not necessarily to bring him back to Elland Road, but to ship him somewhere he’ll actually play. That last bit will sting for fans who’d love nothing more than to see him tearing down the wing in white again.

Here’s the thing: a player like Ramazani doesn’t just lose talent overnight. He needs minutes, confidence, and belief from his manager. If Valencia can’t provide that, Leeds should surely bring him back to Elland Road, stick him on the wing, and watch him terrorise defences again – for Leeds, not someone else.

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Struggling on the road

Leeds travels this season have been anything but fruitful, with goals proving hard to come by once they step away from Elland Road. While their 3-1 victory at Molineux offered a rare burst of attacking prowess, which puts them ahead of Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, and Wolves in terms of away goals scored, the bigger picture is far less encouraging.

That win at Wolves remains the lone bright spot in an otherwise barren away campaign, with Leeds failing to score at Arsenal, Fulham, Burnley, or Brighton. The lack of cutting edge in the final third has prompted growing doubts about both the tactical approach and the overall quality of their attacking play.

A glance at the numbers paints a clearer picture of the disparity between home and away form. At Elland Road, Leeds have averaged 1.6 points per game, compared to just 0.6 on their travels. Curiously, they’ve enjoyed marginally more possession away from home, but it’s how they use, or in Leeds case failing to make it count!

Away matches see Leeds pressing less aggressively, allowing opponents 15.9 passes before attempting to win back the ball, compared to 12.9 at home. This shift inevitably impacts their ability to disrupt opposition play in dangerous areas, with final-third ball recoveries dropping from four per 90 minutes at Elland Road to just 2.8 per 90 on the road.

Leeds need to improve their away form if they are to survive. Nottingham Forest and West Ham possess the quality and depth to claw their way out of trouble, while Burnley are built for a gritty relegation scrap. Leeds, right now lack that fight, and unless they rediscover it soon their struggles on the road will prove costly.

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Morning all. Can some of our staticians tell me how many hours of football played with us last season. Probably a failing memory on my part but I don't remember seeing that much of him

 

Saw more of farke ....clash of personalities methinks

 

A quick google says 636 minutes.

 

Supposedly the big bods above Farke brought Largie and Schmidt in and he didn't want them so he barely played them. Farke is petty me thinks.

 

Of course

 

Not bad. Didn’t think it was that

 

More Tosh on Ramazani. Firtly he's not in their squad because he's injured. Prior to that he was getting minutes off the bench. Not sure he would expect to go to a new team and be an instant starter.

As for his time here? Rose tinted spectacles based on a few cameos. He has undoubted talent, but wasn't fit enough (maybe injuries) or professional enough to do the job asked of him. The idea of him terrorising premier league defences when his manager didn't think he was good enough to start in the championship, says it all really. I actually quite like him and would have been ok with him offering something a bit different off the bench - he's a good finisher. But it was hardly 'inexplicable' that we sent him out on loan.

 

IIRC Farke thought he had an attitude problem (Luton game?) and publicly berated him; “We wanted a player on the pitch a bit more solid in the duels, I was not 100 per cent happy with last performances in terms of the maturity in duels of Largie. He has to step up a bit if he wants game time,”

 

Sounds about right, think he also dicked about when asked to warm up before coming on as sub. In the Swansea game when we were managing a 2-1 lead he dicked about on the ball, wrong time and place, and lost possession. Tanaka got booked covering for him. A few minutes later tanaka made a half arsed challenge (because he was on a yellow? Dunno if true but that's what Farke thought) and Swansea scored an equaliser. That whole sequence is a 'stretch' and a bit harsh in my view but it was Farke's way of saying, being unprofessional has repercussions.

Most of us on here are old enough to love the mavericks of yesterday, and personally i like a bit of personality in footballers, but you don't get away with being unprofessional in modern sport, and it sends a terrible message to others if you don't clamp down on it. Farke was right to ship him out if he had a problem with his attitude and fans should respect that. In my humble opinion.

 

I’m like an old record but FARKE says he is in charge of any transfers in or out, so the likes of Connor Robers, Djed Spence, Jadon Anthony, Schmidt, Ramazani are all his choices but all were overlooked. DF doesn’t rotate the squad so sticks with his first 11 and that pees off a lot of players understandably so bound to be some friction. My personal view is that Danny boy is an arrogant git who will blame anything or anyone for his failings. His statement on a set piece coach sums him up…

 

It’s not up to Farke to give players game time, it’s for them to earn it, train professionally and take their chance when the opportunity presents itself. Do you think Ramazani did enough to displace the wingers we have?

 

The sooner Farkes is gone the better and we get the world class coach waiting in the wings in. Might be a great second half to the season yet

 

Yeah, it’s Klopp I’ve heard, bet he can’t wait to get embroiled in a relegation battle

 

Some great coaches in the national league system.

 

The question is who was our least productive winger last season?. Taxi for Largie.

 

Didn’t we try that under Cellino

 

Yes and he was just getting going and then......