The Breakfast Debate

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ellandback

Well-Known Member
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Mar 30, 2011
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Southampton
Good Morning Everyone,

This time last year we were staring defeat in the face after watching the likes of Hunt, Pearce, Tonge and Warnock lose to a poor Millwall team.

A year on, all our dead Wood has virtually gone, and with an average age of just 24, the team has time to improve.

If I were to be critical, I thought our finishing was poor, and we were lucky that Burnley kept attacking down the wings, not down the middle.

Wood is returning from injury, so we have to give him a bit of time to find his sharpness, but what a strike by Antenucci, and on his non dominant foot.

I think the Italian tried his luck at goal at every opportunity, even when it might have been better for the team to pass it to someone in a better position.

Is that being selfish, or just having belief in one's own ability?

Did the 30,000 crowd have an impact on the atmosphere?

Were they as loud as they used to be?

Fair play to the Burnley gaffer. Dyche walks into the press room to find himself on the telly, being interviewed by Sky. "He's talking s**t," he says. Good sport.



It seems Tottenham defender Milos Veljkovic is on his way to Elland Road on a season long loan.

The 19-year-old Serbia Under-21 international centre back enjoyed loan spells at Charlton Athletic and Middlesbrough last season, and also featured seven times for Tottenham’s Under-21 squad last term.
 
Some good, some bad and some things to improve, but a tough test as Burnley will be up there next April. Lets just say I was expecting better but first game and I'm sure we will have easier games but not for a few weeks
 
Morning all. Before playing Saturday I felt about an eight place finish might be achievable this season. Still feeling positive about that and who knows what a little team strengthening either in loan window or January might achieve. Interesting to see do we rest players for Thursday nights game.
 
Morning all. Before playing Saturday I felt about an eight place finish might be achievable this season. Still feeling positive about that and who knows what a little team strengthening either in loan window or January might achieve. Interesting to see do we rest players for Thursday nights game.

Morning Eire, I'd like to see what the Duke can do. Also Antenucci, Sloth and the young right back we have whose name escapes me.
 
Good morning Matt and co from a sunny Bardsey.Glad they are bringing in a centre back as Bellusci was the weakest link once the new boys get match fit we will more than hold our own
I looked at your photo re petrol well it is the price of diesel compared with unleaded that gives it away it should be cheapernot dearer.Lets hope prices like this are going to reflect on the price we pay for gas and electricity
When did you hear about the loanee but it figures to me that Bellusci needs replacing this new manager works out his problems very quickly
All in all I was pleased with Sat performance
 
Good morning Matt and co from a sunny Bardsey.Glad they are bringing in a centre back as Bellusci was the weakest link once the new boys get match fit we will more than hold our own
I looked at your photo re petrol well it is the price of diesel compared with unleaded that gives it away it should be cheapernot dearer.Lets hope prices like this are going to reflect on the price we pay for gas and electricity
When did you hear about the loanee but it figures to me that Bellusci needs replacing this new manager works out his problems very quickly
All in all I was pleased with Sat performance
Morning Mike, I think Bellusci gets a hard time. Certainly not a weak link from my point of view.

The loanee came about yesterday...
 
I don't understand how a 19-year old kid is going to be better than the existing centre backs ffs, makes no sense. We have sent some of our own kids out on loan and would have preffered to blood one of them. We don't need more Centre halves we need creativity and guile, and Wood to punce
 
Morning all, was disappointed in the result in the end but massive improvement from last season, the players working as a unit, thought we could of compressed abit more in midfield, but Mowatt and Cook got through mountain of work, this month is going to be a tough one, get through this unbeaten and i think we shall take off and do well this season.
 
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Morning all - I felt Bellusci played well and I totally agree with Doc in regards to what this 19 year old can bring to the table, Bellusci and Bamba together give us the experience we need. Where would it leave Cooper if he is going to be behind Bellusci and a 19 year old loanee?

I was quite pleased with the performance, I am sure we will play better but saying that we didn't play badly against a fancied team. Weakest player by a mile for us was Wood, I hope it was just lack of match sharpness, it was a worry that he couldn't head a ball despite his height.

I thought before a ball was kicked we were good enough for around an 8th place and my own personal opinion on that hasn't changed. In all a big improvement on the first game of last season and still an improvement on the last day of last season.

I see Sam Byram got the official man of the match award from the sponsors.
 
I don't understand how a 19-year old kid is going to be better than the existing centre backs ffs, makes no sense. We have sent some of our own kids out on loan and would have preffered to blood one of them. We don't need more Centre halves we need creativity and guile, and Wood to punce

a 16 year old kid played the Arsenal midfield worth £100M off the park yesterday!!
 
Bellusci needs to learn how to jump, or at least try.

May well not have made any difference, but would be nice to see the effort <ok>
 
Morning all

Very Happy with Saturday's result and it just shows what you can do when you've got a coach who knows what he's doing unlike Hockawally.

Yup let's the the Spurs Kid on loan for the season. In the end he'll be a giant success and we sign him or he another Andros Townsend and he will never darken our door again. It really is 50/50.

Also we need a LB
 
Morning all

Very Happy with Saturday's result and it just shows what you can do when you've got a coach who knows what he's doing unlike Hockawally.

Yup let's the the Spurs Kid on loan for the season. In the end he'll be a giant success and we sign him or he another Andros Townsend and he will never darken our door again. It really is 50/50.

Also we need a LB
Totally disagree Taylor will be our left back for a long timeit was because Dallas left that they began to make inroads down the left
 
Morning Mike, I think Bellusci gets a hard time. Certainly not a weak link from my point of view.

The loanee came about yesterday...

Afternoon Elland

I think Bellusci gets a hard time for very good reason. Used to play Centre Half myself to a reasonable standard and I will tell you three things he did (or didn't do) that I would have got murdered for at Under 18 level never mind adults. First half Boyd runs straight across our area running through half hearted tackles and ends in Kightly narrowly missing - that is Bellusci and Bamba territory to rule. Shortly before the goal, he wins a tackle on the edge of our area and turns to bring the ball away with the man behind him. If he pushes the ball to the right and steps across the man only two things can happen - the striker gives up or fouls him. Instead he ran back towards the centre letting the striker come back at him, pull and tug resulting in a free kick to them on the angle of our box - that is schoolboy and the goal? Well sorry, you cannot possibly have had a good game if you allow a striker a free header 6 yards from goal. Minimum he has to jump with him and use body strength to sap the power and direction that Vokes can get - to crouch down and raise your arm in protection is just awful - personally would never pick him again.

Berardi did ok if you like a full back to jocky and offer the winger the outside all the time but he invites pressure by doing this and plays on the back foot. Compare him with Darikwa who I thought was a beast (reminded me of a young Micah Richards) - he pressed Dallas and Taylor as far up the pitch as possible constantly, I think he would have been a terrific signing for us and would have made Byram even better being pushed up the pitch from the player behind him.

Antennuci, terrific goal but would be twice the player if he varied his decisions a bit - would never offer him a goal target bonus because he plays for himself. Ok, he got a great goal but won't every game and if he opts to shoot or hold the ball instead of passing all the time, he also gives back possession an awful lot.

Doukarra - just don't get what he is supposed to have about him?

Thought we played well overall - lots of neat and tidy stuff and creating 15 chances in a game hopefully bodes well.

Think Dallas will be immense for us. Adeyemi will also be very good. Would like to judge Wood after 10 games - has a really good touch for such a big guy but a bit of a pussy in the air and either lacks confidence, fitness or both.

Finally, if I could have one player from Burnley (apart from Darikwa) I really liked Jones in the centre of their midfield. Quietly efficient and kept things ticking all the time - probably exactly what we need to go with some of our young guns!!