Good Morning Everyone Bielsa has put a stop on Shaughnessy joining Hearts on loan until the end of the season. The decision was made following Phillips red card against Forest which will rule him out of contention until the end of January. Reading between the lines, if Bielsa is unwilling to loan out a player who cannot even get a place on the bench, it enforces his statement that he is unwilling to bring new defenders on board during the January transfer window. According to press reports Leeds are interested in signing Hoffenheim winger Steven Zuber. The highly rated 27yo Swiss International has 20 International caps to his name since 2017 and would certainly be a major coup if Orta could pull this one off. How many changes would you make to Sundays game at Loftus Road? Given the option, would you have preferred not be in the FA Cup this season, or does it give the youngsters an opportunity to show what they can do?
Good morning Matt Shaughnessy Can't understand why Bielsa has blocked his loan move even though CS can't make the bench when we've had injury problems in CB position. Marcelo has Halme at his disposal but has refused to use our Finnish CB in our last two games. Also both Cooper & Phillips will be back soon. Rest Peacock-Farrell, Ayling, Pontus, Douglas, Forshaw, Hernandez, Klich, Alioski & Roofe
I'm with 64 on this Nessy never made the grade and this non-move shows we are not looking at a new defender. At least half dozen need resting and game time given to people like Clarke, Shackelton, Davies, Halme, Harrison, Baker, Huffer/Miazek, Dalby, Edmondson and Gotts. Would hate a first team regular getting injured in this game as we are down to bare bones already. Dead on the transfer front and still very quiet although some are still pushing the Lowe kid from Pompey our way. Sorry but how is he better than what we have in Clarke, Alioski and Harrison and Bielsa said if anyone comes in they have to be better than what we have?
Morning all. Rest them all, even the squad players. Put out under 18's or whatever. FA Cup is utter bullshit unless you win it and we certainly wont
Morning all... If Shaughnessy is picked to start against QPR then I fully understand the decision to keep him here a bit longer. Maybe he will go out on loan at the end of the month. It would only take Pontus or Halme getting a knock against QPR then we’d be screwed against Derby, I think it’s a good decision. It would seem Bielsa has set his targets on a Keeper and wide player to replace Saiz as Pablo is filling the #10 no idea what sort of fees we’d be looking at but you have to spend what you do have wisely. In an ideal world we’d all love a quality CB to join but would you blow £6m on one when you have Cooper, Phillips, Halme and Berardi.
I would even think about having Pontus and Ayling in tandem with Douglas and Shaks on either side whilst Phillips is out. Other options are Halme and put Klich or Forshaw as the quarter back in front of them. We need attacking momentum/flair so Pablo and Clarke, Alioski or Harrison have got to step up and take some of Pablo's workload
Morning all.....Totally agree Eire..The fa cup has lost its appeal for me & is now just an unwelcome distraction from the real aim of trying to get out of this division...
It may be slow on the tranny front, sorry I'll qualify that for some on here It may be slow on the transfer front but its the same everywhere so far. Only Boro have brought anyone in yet with Van la Parra. Villa have brought in Kalinic, PNE have brought in 3 from lower leagues and Blades have brought in 1 from Everton. Looks like Villa will lose 2 of their best players are recalled and sold on. TOUGH SHYTE
Good Morning to matt and co from a dull Bardsey I cannot for the life in me understand why we have not got a keeper and atreplacement for Saiz A keeper so hecould play tomorrow Villa will struggle without Abrahams I don't know who the other player is that they will lose
Keepers available right now Darlow Pope or Hart or Heaton from Burnley. All 3 England keepers Fabri Forster Get one done please
Morning all. I don't think Nessi's loan has been kibosh'd because of the CB situation. I think it's for DM cover. He'll make the bench at best imo. Reason I say that is that DM was always his natural position, and he was only ever used as an emergency CB. He impressed at the time as he was a 'Row Z' type of a CB, and that was refreshing - and urgently required - at the time. This season has been a disaster for him. Think he's only managed 45 mins before being hooked. Could be wrong, but when you consider we've got Pontus & Ayling as experienced CBs, Halme breaking through, and Klich who stunned me at the back in pre-season, then we should get through January OK, especially as Cooper should be available by mid-month. DM is another kettle of fish. Forshaw is not exactly setting the heather alight at the moment. Who would you replace him with? Answer: I have no clue. I've heard Shakers mentioned, but always though of him more as an attacking player. Similarly with Klich, and I think he could be the answer, if pushed, but that would leave another gap to be filled further forward. Deffo a bit bare bones, isn't it. Possible dark horse is Callum Nicell. Let me have a stab at the team for QPR for a bit of fun. Chances of calling it right are about 1 in a million. One thing though - if we play Huffer in goal & kids as FB, then I don't think we have any option but to put in experience at CB alongside Halme (who I think will be 1st pick). Question is whether it's Ayling or Pontus, and I think Pontus may be on the bench to protect him from injury (and possibly himself! ). ................... Huffer Shackleton Halme Ayling Davis ................... Klick Clarke Baker Roberts Harrison .................. Roofe Bench: Maizek, Douglas, Pontus, Forshaw, Alioski, Stevens, Edmonson (if not injured, otherwise Dalby).
Morning all Bit controversial but I don't think we need to bring in another GK. Looking at the list of 'possibles' they're just as error prone/suspect as Peacock-Farrell, if not more so. One of them, Hart, is at least five years past his best. Stick with Peacock-Farrell, with Huffer and Miazek as back-up. All three are well versed in the Bielsa system already, so I wouldn't bother with bringing in another keeper who will himself make the inevitable error from time to time. Just my opinion, but at the end of the day whatever Bielsa decides to do is all that matters.
I'm happy with that as we need to build around the kids. Don't want to pay silly money to anyone anymore as it would affect the whole team again and I don't ever want to go down that route again. I also don't want anyone throwing the towel in on the FA Cup as we saw what the defeats at both Sutton and Newport did in the long run.
I agree with you up to a point. For me, & I suspect Bielsa, the key to it all is what happens if BPF is out for a while with injury? Does Bielsa have enough confidence in Huffer to play him for a protracted period, and is Bielsa confident enough in Maizek to have him as Huffer's backup in this situation? That to me is the worrying aspect for Bielsa. If it was the beginning of the season when the pressure isn't so bad, it might be an easier call. Now easing towards the business end of the season, the pressure is growing, and will continue to do so until the end. And there are 2 main categories that feel the pressure most - goalkeepers & goal scorers.
I think Bielsa will go all out for the win against QPR. The further we go in the competition the more chance there'll be of eventually playing against a side managed by the likes of Guardiola, Pochettino etc. I reckon Bielsa would love to pit his wits against them, he'd relish the challenge.
Can you not ask him next time you see him in Morrisons? Have the question pre translated and record his answer ready for google translate
