The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Wednesday 26th February)

Good Morning. It's Wednesday 26th February, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road.


Whelan - It was the right decision for Nketiah to return to Arsenal

Soccer pundit Noel Whelan believes it was the right decision for Eddie Nketiah to return to the Emirates in January. The England U21 International has become a regular in the Gunners starting XI starting the last four games, and netting twice.

Shame he wasn't good enough for Bielsa!

When asked if the England under-21 international was right to leave Elland Road, Whelan replied: “He has just proved he was right in going back.

“When a new manager comes in it give you a different perspective of a chance at a football club. I like the fact Arteta is giving Eddie a chance. He will improve playing next to Aubameyang, Pepe and Ozil.

“This kid is a natural goalscorer and we have now seen on Sunday he can do the horrible side as well.

“We would have loved to have kept him but when he has an opportunity at his proper club in the Premier League I cannot fault him for going to do that. He backed himself and he is right – he has the ability.

“It was an excellent finish. He is a natural finisher. That is something you cannot put into Patrick Bamford.”

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Bielsa's Pre Match Press Conference

The Maestro discusses injuries to two key first team members and hope they can rise above the pain barrier.

Decision time!

After tonight's games, there will be only 11 more until the season comes to an end, and whilst it seems a long away off, we are only talking just over two months.

There are a lot of unanswered questions from the powers that be that will effect millions of fans!

Why Casilla get banned, and if so is it fair if the ban stretches to next season?

Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County have both been charged under FFP rules back in January.

Both teams are on 45 points currently, 11 points from the drop zone!

Do the FA / EFL need to decide on their fate this season?

Should it be the same at Birmingham City (9 points) or should the Rams / Wendies have learnt from their predecessors; therefor a bigger punishment is due?

When should the decision be made by?

Is it already too late? Surely both Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County deserve time to try and pull away from the drop zone after knowing what there punishment will be?

How would that make you feel if you were a fan of one of the bottom three?

 

Morning all...

Nketiah - Bielsa and Leeds United prepared Nketiah for January yet we paid Arsenal £4m for the privilege I’d be absolutely fuming if I were Radz.

Injuries - Great news we have both available for selection, I’d still personally play Meslier but we have to trust Bielsa

Cassila Charges - What a strange one, obviously no evidence or he’d be banned

Derby - Part of me wants to gloat about Derby and see them punished so hard it means first division football, the other part of me doesn’t really care, I’d rather focus on us picking up points and contenders dropping them.

 

Talking to a Sheff Wed fan on Monday and he said the rumour mill down there is a 12 point penalty. He said he wants to start on -12 next season as if they get 12 took off them now, with the way they are playing, they'll go down.

He also said Monk locked the entire squad in the changing rooms on Saturday after the game and told them that none of them will be getting a new contract for next year.

 

Morning all. Another big night tonight. Forest looking increasingly like our main threat. I seldom do it, but after all Id read about our supposed easy run in, I checked out Forests and theirs is certainly not difficult either on paper. Hopefully were still 5 or 6 clear after weekend. Not bothered about Wendies or Derby and if Im honest, Im glad they are being made wait for a decision. As for Monk and the players contracts, he's very sure he'll have one himself

 

Good Morning to Matt an d co from a sunny Bardsey
Well luton did us a favour as I fancied Brentford as a rival to us.Forest are still only 3 points away so we need to win against a side that has not won there last 8 games .How many times I have said this and then we crash
If Kiko has injured his hand surely Messlier should be given a chance
Boro are without Roberts Ayala Frey and so lets do it to them Bamford will probably score against his old club
Derby and Wed maybe in a relegation tussle and no doubt Monk will bemoan his present .He will blame everybody but himself

 

From way Nikita's been playing in prem, I'd say it's Bielsa not good enough for Nikita.

Another example of Bielsa's stubbornness.

In all honesty, I hope he's not here next season, it'll just be same old same old just like the last 2 seasons.

 

Monk screws up every where he goes.

 

Personally, I don';t think the EFL have any, or enough evidence to find Kiko guilty.

Finding Kiko guilty based on "all probability" is illegal in a court of law, so why should the EFL be allowed to get away with it. However, I got a sneaky suspicion the EFL are going to try and stay away from "based on all probability". Last time they did that to a player the club took the case to court and the EFL decision was overturned, if it happens again, which it should if the EFL use probability, the legal system may well be asking some serious questions of the EFL, not to mention the rights of all clubs.

I said back in December they don't seem to have enough evidence cos it was taking so long, but, the EFL being the EFL, anything can happen.

Beluschi won his case cos there wasn't enough evidence.

 

Yep nearly promoted last season, but will be this season & on to the premiership, top six first season top four next,so yes please more of this same old same old mr Bielsa.

Good morning everyone
& here's to a good result tonight cheers

 

Are you saying being in top 2 of the prem is not good enough ?

 

First let me explain what same old same old means in this instance,

basically it means same players, same way of doing things, same way of not really playing players brought in, same Bielsa attitude.

If you can predict where we'll finish first season in prem, if we get promoted, maybe you should predict where we'll finish this season, 1st, 2nd or playoffs?

I'll counter your prediction in advance southern, if it's pretty much same team in prem (unless we buy 5 or 6 top players) we'll finish bottom half, may just struggle to avoid relegation. We'll also get hammered by quite a few teams cos the prem is a whole different ball game.

Personally, I hope you're right, it would be fantastic, but I don't think you will be, and neither do you......

 

Work it out tuppence.

 

That’s no answer

 

I actually agree to an extent!

First of all I wouldn't swap our manager for anyone else in the world. Genuinely.

However, I do worry about his reliance on loyalty to his players. IF, big IF, we managed to get up, my main worry would be that he decides that Kiko and Bamford are good enough to do a job for us in the Premier league. You could throw in Costa and Harrison as a front three with Bamford. For two seasons we have missed chance after chance. It needs addressing wether we go up or not but it WILL be magnified more so in the top division. If Bielsa remains stubbornly loyal to this squad, I fear we may be in for a rough ride IF we go up.

Now, the system we play is more than good enough to finish top half of Premier League if we improved the quality. Bielsa might just want to see if he can coach this lot in the PL. That would be a mistake.

Anyway.... we got to get there first!

 

Tonight has bananskin written all over it. Fans seem to be giving us the win. Not how this league or this club works.

Wasn’t shocked at brentford... Luton’s performances have been in the up for a while... but Brentford are like us... they lose games they are on top in.

forest on the other hand keep winning games they should draw and drawing games they should lose. Great habit to have, but seriously they will be the worst side I can recall in recent times to get promoted if they do. A view shared by my forest fan neighbour. They are workmanlike and efficient... their manager has done a really good job, but man it’s a mediocre league this year. If we can’t finish above them...

 

Excellent. My thoughts too

 

Augh let me dream, but seriously the big task will be getting out of this league, we have every chance this year.
Once in the Premier i really do think we will surprise a lot of people with the vast majority of this side, (Arsenal game case in point) yes we lost but with the money that comes with promotion i am sure Bielsa/Radz will be looking at tweeking the side for a high as position as possible,top four i admit might not happen first season, but it will come. If we can get out of this league i can only see Leeds once again becoming a force to be reckoned with.
Also season two radz will sell to some company or individual who are worth billions
Bookmark the above everyone, you will see.
Everything i am predicting depends on getting out of this league this year,or we will lose Bielsa/best players & will start slipping to just a mid table championship club,
Hope that parts bloody wrong though,now you can see why this season is so important, We cannot afford to screw up again.

 

This season WBA will be tough to catch,we would have to do it on points as their goal difference is far superior, and we do not win by big margins to make up that goal difference, however other than Brentford our goal difference is supperior to anyone elses,so they will have to do us on points,that was why to me that Brentford loss against Luton was so important. so my prediction taking the above into account, will be a second place finish, but as long as it's top two that's all that matters.

 

Sheffield Wednesday striker Fernando Forestieri has seen his appeal against a six-match ban by the Football Association’s independent regulatory commission for using racist language dismissed.

The incident happened during a pre-season friendly last July between Wednesday and Mansfield, with Forestieri’s comments made towards Stags defender Krystian Pearce sparking a brawl on the pitch.

Forestieri was acquitted in March at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court of racially abusing Pearce, but was then subsequently charged by the Football Association in June.

The commission deemed the case against Forestieri proven on a lower burden of proof than the criminal proceedings. The 29-year-old was also given a £25,000 fine, warned as to his future conduct and ordered to attend face-to-face education.

 

As everyone has been saying. Beyond reasonable doubt is for criminal proceedings only. Difference in cases for me is that forestiri’s “actions” sparked a brawl suggesting something may have been heard. No one heard anything in Kiko’s case.