The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Wednesday 23rd December)

Good Morning. It's Wednesday 23rd December, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road


Cooper ruled out of Sundays clash

It was the news that everyone expected but nobody wanted to hear. Leeds Captain Liam Cooper will miss Sunday's local derby against Burnley this Sunday.

This means Leeds only fit recognised fit defenders are Luke Ayling and Pascal Struijk. Obviously, Bielsa could call upon Leif Davies, Oliver Casey or Charlie Cresswell from the U23's but in all likehood they would have to play alongside an almost equally inexperienced Struijk.

We reported yesterday that Diego Llorente has returned to first team training, but having spent so much time on the treatment table this season, is it wise to throw the Spanish International in at the deep end.

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Have Leeds suffered with Ayling playing centre back?

Surely Luke Ayling must return to right wing back on Sunday for the visit of Burnley? His surging runs down the right wing have given the Whites an extra dimention, not to mention width when attacking opponents.

Leeds defensive crisis has caused the gaffer to play round pegs in square holes, including switching Ayling to centre back, and replacing him with Dallas. Unfortunately, the Northern Ireland International has not been able to replicate Aylings success!

Whatever happens, does Ayling need to return to right back? Was it a mistake playing him at centre back?

Are Cresswell , Casey ready to start a Premiership game?

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German keeper drops cryptic clue for Leeds fans

German goalkeeper Jan-Ole Sievers could be on his way to Elland Road shortly after the shot stopper sent a message to Whites fans via Robin Koch's Instagram account.

Koch and Sievers were team mates at Kaiserslautern, but having now dropped down to the third tier of German football, have to offload their assets! Sievers is a free agent.

He has recently returned from a season long long with Japanese club FC Gifu, helping them to a sixth place finish in the J - league.

The 25yo has got Leeds fans talking by sending a cryptic message on Robin Koch's social media account saying 'See you soon Leeds fans'.

Do Leeds need another goalkeeper, with just Illan Meslier and Kiko Casilla as their only senior options, or is it a sign that Casilla is on his way out of Elland Road?

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Morning all...

Desperately need a cheaper option than Kiko that’s a lot of wages for a not very good number two.

We miss Ayling on the right but with Coopers injury I see little option but to play him at CB. Even is Struijk plays at CB I don’t think we can throw Casey or Cresswell into such a make shift back line.

Saying all of that, Ben White was good enough and he slotted straight in so who knows

 

Morning all,

Definitely need Ayling back at right back asap but unless Llorente is fit enough to play we need him alongside Struijk, he is the experienced player who will help organise Struijk and the defence.

 

How impressed have people been with Struijk and Shackleton in the last couple of games? I think they have been excellent when called upon.

Would happily see Shack start at right back on Sunday if it meant Dallas could go back to lb.

 

We miss Ayling at RB but he has been our best centre half in Koch and Llorente's absence eclipsing Coopers efforts by quite a way. Unfortunately Ayling will probably have to remain at CB with either Struijk or Llorente.

Personally I would have liked to see 6ft 1 Llorente paired with 6ft 3 Struijk with 6ft Ayling at RB and 6ft Dallas at LB vs Burnley as the only way I see them scoring is from a set piece or high balls in to the box. He won't go with that though and who am I to argue.

 

Burnley will be a rough and tumble scrap between whoever we have playing CB against Wood and Barnes who like to bully defenders.

More stories about how close Leeds came to signing Julian Draxler from PSG. Bielsa is a big fan and still wants him?

Story I dont like is that Sam Greenwood may be loaned out to Cardiff, Bournemouth or Wednesday. Why would we try and ruin the kid fighting in the Championship especially at Wendies with Pulis. We should give him minutes when we can here at Leeds unless he gets guaranteed minutes elsewhere. The kid scores goals as a striker or as a No10

 

So this is a local derby Elland.....

 

A local derby for Burnley is when they entertain FC Islamabad in a pre season friendly

 

I'm from Skipton which is between Burnley and Leeds. I work with a few lads from over that way. They carry a real hatred towards us. I keep telling them that Leeds fans pretty much don't even realise that they exist that much. Seems to really wind them up.

The game is a big thing for them, probablytheir biggest fixture this season. It's pretty much just another game to us. I don't see it as a local derby but they certainly do.

 

Good morning,

I was one of those at the start of the season saying we needed an extra CB (Llorente) to avoid having to play Ayling there. I stick by that because we miss him on the right and he's very average at CB but with three CB's now out injured, Ayling isn't bad as far as 4th/5th choices go.

On the one hand it might not be a bad time to have these injuries (if we have to at all) because on our day we're more than capable of dominating Burnley and West Brom so much that it doesn't matter who plays in defence. On the other hand, we might scuff all our chances and Chris Wood scores from a 92nd minute corner.

 

If we were ranking the teams I care about least in the league i'd say only Brighton are more insignificant. Burnley, Fulham and West Brom are probably the other three i'd swap out of the Prem if I wanted to get rid of the deadwood from the fixture list.

 

I offer another alternative defensive formation:
Dramah Ayling, Struijk, Dallas

Young Cody Dramah has been magnificent as a RB for the 23sand I would say a lot better and a lot more accomplished than Leif Davies at LB. davies has gone backwards in recent months, but he did play well at LB against Fulham the other day and was swapped at half time. Niall Huggins is a mile ahead of Davies at LB now in my opinion. Dramah is solid and gets forward and is the only way to cover for Ayling and get Dallas back at LB

 

He won't be coming to us - you need to be 6' 5" to even be considered.

 

I thought Burnley was in Lancashire and that Blackburn were their biggest rivals. I just see them as a boring team that play boring football and will be hard to break down, a bit similar to Sheff Utd.

 

Good mormimg everyone from a wet and cold Bardsey
Must say I feel much better today as I have for a long time fingers crossed
Adama Traore has been mentyionedbut at 40m no thanks
A very good player when he fees likeit a bit like Costa
Lorente most play and Ayling at LB this is a 6 pointer for both clubs make no mistake

 

Wind clubs for Costa Kiko and get a LB and yet another CB

 

I know a Burnley fan and Blackburn are known as Bastard Rovers.

Definitely the biggest rivals to each other.