Morning Folks, It was the result that we all expected, but it could have been so so different if we hadn't have conceded in injury time. The difference had we held on was going to be 3 points behind 6th place Brighton with a game in hand, and as the games tick away, the unlikely realism of a promotion place becomes less likely; however everybody still seems to be beating everybody, so, you never do know!!!! I'm confused why Warnock did not use all three substitutions to waste a bit of time. Had he bought Diouff on, we would, as he has done all season, would have frustated the opposition, and recieved free kicks which would have wasted a bit more time. He couild have bought Brown on for the last two minutes. His experience again may have helped the younger ones tighten up, and as a defensive midfielder, I was amazed he didn't. I would have bought McCormack (which he did), Morison and Varney off. They hadn'd scored for 90 minutes, what made Warnock think they were going to do anything in injury time. Injury time, when you're one nil up is for consolidation. Did you know that the last time we scored in the first half of a game was on Boxing day, when we lost to Forest 4-2.
Morning Elland. So near yet so far. Saturday will decide whether or not our season ends x no. of weeks early or continues apace. I'm going to the game, so hopefully we'll see a win. I'm also not sure why Warnock didn't bring anyone off to help pack the midfield. C'est La Vie. Judging by what happened in the theatre of dreams... er sorry, make that nightmares, maybe Turks aren't quite so bad afterall!! Oh dear, 'ow sad, nevermind!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Morning all - We haven't the quality in the squad to be anything more than we are at the moment, a slightly above average team in a slightly above average position. The sooner promotion is out of our reach the better, it will mean Warnock can clear off and we can get a new manager in assessing what needs to be done pre-season for an all out attempt next. Gradually more and more of us are accepting promotion isn't going to happen this time around
We're not out of it yet Ristac. A loss on Saturday will take us out of the equation. A draw, & we're hanging on by our fingernails. A win & we're really back in the game. Personally, I think we'll get a draw on Saturday. So I'll be going down to the local beautician's for some nail extensions!!!
Morning all. Far too many points being dropped early on. But lets be realistic. We are in no way good enough to go up. Next season we should be aiming for top spot, not a playoff scramble. At the moment, were over 20 points behind Cardiff, so thats the gap that needs bridging next season. A paltry two additions to the squad, as suggested by Warnock, wont come close to bridging that gap. It will take far more but of course gfh cant afford any more so the spin begins. Frustrating is, had they spent even a million in January on Bourke and someone who can score goals like Becchio, we would already be in the playoff places. wouldnt expect any of that to happen as financially we're still skint and a bunch of owners who are clueless regarding running a football club. What might Warnock have achieved with backing? We'll never know, just look back on this season as another glorious chance missed. Id go as far as to say, the three teams promoted this year will be straight back down. Crap, the whole lot of them. Now I like Ronaldo
The post after this one sums it up Boggers - I don't believe we are good enough to make the top 6 and if we did I certainly do not believe we would beat any currently in there over two legs. I agree the real test will come on Saturday as to how good we currently are, Leicester were poor by all accounts yesterday, they have managed 5 points out of a possible 18, that shows what a downwards spiral they are on, our other performances of late have come against teams outside the top 12. This season has once again proved to be shambolic for Leeds supporters, right from the start of the season when the takeover talk was in full swing and who we might sign and when the marquee signings would start to arrive. We watched Clayton sold and more joe average brought in. Snoddy left and we watched a string of Portsmouth players arrive, we watched our leading scorer treated poorly and swapped for a blank firing nobody. Just check the stats of Morison, less than 1 in 2 for Millwall and only performed at lower level with Bishop's Stortford and Stevenage Borough - He is NOT going to fire us into the Premiership. During all this the TOMA saga followed by rumours of zero funds and so far no evidence to suggest those rumours were false, yes this season has been slightly better than last, a little more optimism but nowhere near what any of us truly expected when all this first started. Add to that Warnocks early tactics, the signing of players that were not used and not being used: Dury prior to being injured, Hall and Habbibou Warnocks comments that he wished he had this team from the start of the season, Tonge who we had on loan, we signed him and then it was a month before we finally played him again, substitution tactics (or lack of), Barkley being sent back, honestly week after week there are more questions to be answered.
Palace will hammer us on Saturday, their incentive is to take us out of the play off equation. We have played teams bang out of form - Boro, Leics, Wolves, Rovers - all should have been wins, add those nine points to our total and its game on. However, our inability to put these teams away, and others this season, has finished us. We are now in a must win situation, we can't afford draws now. Eire is right - we need to look at fixing that twenty points gap to the top. Next season will probably mirror this one, because unless Leeds pull out at least £20m and rebuild the team we will continue to tread water.
Cheers Bucks. Who's coming down to Palace on Saturday? Not sure I see Palace hammering us on Saturday Billy. But much will depend on how we handle their winger whose name I've just forgotton. If he's allowed to run & cross or shoot, it could be a cricket score. If we can stop him playing & make use of the space behind him that he leaves, it could be an entirely different matter. All fair points Ristac. Losing Becchio & neither Morison or Ross taking up the slack are hurting us. The defence seems to have been sorted out, & a 3 man midfield is doing okay. But until we can replace Becchio's goals, we won't make the play offs. Not sure it will take £20m to re-build the side Billy. If money was the answer, Leicester would be running away with the league. That they aren't suggests it has more to do with the style of play & the players you have fitting into that style than anything else. What would I do? I'd get myself a decent winger & bring back Beckford. That would give us the goals & a natural outlet for our attacks. If Hall & Habibou aren't going to figure once its clear that we really aren't going to make the playoffs, I'd sell/palm off/let go both players.
Happy Birthday mate Our midfield baffles me, we concede goals for fun with 4 men protecting the back four and now it is just three we look a far tighter unit. Once again Warnock has to be questioned, Peltier far too often played at LB, was this the main cause of why we conceded so many or are we just playing a string of games against teams clearly out of form. My point though, we signed Hall after having what should have been a good look at him on loan, if he isn't good enough why sign him? Same with Habbibou, loan with a view to a permanent, if we are not going to take a close look send him back now.
The difference had we held on was going to be 3 points behind 6th place Brighton with a game in hand How the **** did you work that one out Remind me never to buy a house from this fella Elland if there are 3 apples on a table and you take 2 how many apples have you got ?
Cheers Ristac. The reason Peltier spent way too long at LB was that he had to play somewhere given that he is club captain. He was bought as a RB, but Byram was never going to be dropped. Drury was injured and Warnock didn't like White, or both were injured. We all knew it was silly. But even allowing for White now being available, Warnock's finally found the right place to play Peltier. Not sure what's happening with Hall & Habibou. As I've said elsewhere, if we don't make the playoffs, Hall & Habibou need to get games to show whether or not they should be retained. If they're not going to be retained for next season, they should be farmed out to save wages for someone who will get games, preferably a pacey winger.
Happy Birthday Boggers Ristac thats what I meant, poor decisions by Warnock to A)sign Hall permanently and B)loan Habibou at all
Cheers one and all. Apart from Mighty who will clearly be going elsewhere, anyone coming down to the Palace match on Saturday?
