The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Wednesday 27th January)

Good Morning. Its Wednesday 27th January, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road.

Much needed win creates safety cushion

Leeds survived a second half comeback at the hands of Newcastle Utd, to move back to comparable safety,with a 14 point cushion between themselves and the drop zone.

Bielsa's men controlled large periods of the first half, though it was a moment of magic from Rapinho that broke the deadlock after 17 minutes.

The second half was chalk and cheese compared to the first. Whatever Steve Bruce said to his team at half time works. The Geordies had confidence, guile and a bounce in their step. twelve minutes into the second half Newcastle had broke even. Bamford sold Ayling short as the Whites tried to create an attack on the right. Shelvey fed the ball to Wilson on the edge of the area. The former Bournemouth mans first time touch was perfect for an on rushing Almiron who composed himself before smashing the ball through a helpless Meslier.

Leeds however were not to be denied. Jack Harrison's sublime arched strike around the stranded Darlow (after a great pass from Raphinha) was enough to give Leeds their first points of 2021.

Newcastle never gave up; there were more than a few heart in mouth moments before the referee finally blew for full time.

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Post match reactions

Newcastle Manager - Steve Bruce

Leeds gaffer - Marcelo Bielsa

Tricky times ahead

Leeds much needed win last night gave the Whites an invaluable twelve point buffer between themselves and the bottom three. Leeds are half way through the season on 26 points. If they finish on 52 points, do you consider that to be a good, or a great season?

They have 19 matches left, so anything can still happen. How will Leeds fare in their next eight games?

Away - Leicester
Home - Everton
Home - Palace
Away - Arsenal
Away against a desperate Wolves
Home - Aston Villa
Away - West Ham
Home - Chelsea

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Good morning.

I have to admit i'm not overly optimistic about the rest of the season. We still look very fragile and better teams than Newcastle will put us away. Our passing and movement isn't quite what it was at the start of the season, we're losing the ball more often and not recovering it as quickly.

Having said that, we'll stay up now which was always the goal for this season and once we get to the summer we can strengthen and will have more time to prepare than we did this season.

 

Morning all,
I think Newcastle are a poor team. Everyone knows how to play against us but some, like Newcastle, just aren't good enough.
They press us high forcing our CB to go long or tippy tappy it about at the back until someone gets closed down and gives it away. Alioski did it and had to take a booking to stop a chance, Bamford did it and we suffered. I noticed how Bielsa subbed both of them straight away after the mistakes.
Philips wasn't picking the ball up from the backs as much as he does. Newcastle were poor enough to leave us the long cross field ball to a wide open winger. Better teams will cover that.
I think another of our frailties was also exposed.
When Schar and later Maximin ran straight at us it caused terrible panic. I had visions of the first ten minutes against Scum.

Llorente looked like he could carry the ball out which, in my opinion for what it's worth, is what we need to break a high press that we're having to deal with every game now.

I don't think Klich played well when he came on. Something has changed for him. I thought it was Rodrigo's best game, he was everywhere, and showed that composure we desparately need in attack.

Who thinks Berardi could solve our LB issues?

3 points but playing a better team we would have conceded more.

It just goes to show that no matter how much you spend it doesn't guarantee goals, they had Wilson, Gayle, Joelinton, Ritchie and Carroll but most didn't get off their arses

 

Morning all,

Well that, for the most part, was better.

Two great goals rom our wingers,
Meslier looking good when called upon.
Rodrigo looked like he has heard what we have been saying and looked like the player we thought he was going to be.
26 pts after 19 games. In theory probably only need 9-10 more points to ensure safety from the next 19 games.


Those are the good points. Now for the bits that concerned me-


Klich. I take no pleasure in saying this but I think it is time to admit that he is the player who has found the step up too much. He has been looking increasingly poorer in each game and it is quite telling that as soon as he came on last night we lost the midfield and Newcastle looked a different team. I would rather have seen Shack given the chance.

Llorente- Man I feel for this guy. I really think we have a great defender there but he appears to have glass legs. I hope he can get over this quickly and the mental anguish he must be in. (This should be in the positive column. Struijk impressed me once again in the CB position, his position. For a young lad who probably only expected to play cup games this season he has performed admirably every time he has been called upon.)


Bamford/Rodrigo- I have said before I think these two struggle to play together. When Rodrigo plays we lose Bamford because players, including Rodrigo, seem to try and take an extra touch or an extra pass rather than put the ball into Bamford. If you watch Bamford you will see him getting into good positions and then become frustrated when the do not even try and get the ball to him.

Rodrigo/Raphinia last night were both guilty of the above in a 5 second piece of play. Look at where Bamford was for both attempts and look at where the other two tried to score from. I know all players want to be the hero but either simple tap in for Bamford would have meant 2-0 up and game over in the first half effectively.

 

It was difficult to take anything from the performance last night other than as milky said, getting through to the next round.

Too many of our players looked below the standard required;

Phillips
Ayling
Alioski
Dallas
Bamford
Klich

We came away with the win solely because of Newcastle as we were bang average.

Points in the bag though and we move on

 

Morning all
I feel confident that we will grab enough points from the next 8 games to almost guarantee safety. 32 points will probably do it again this season just like the last 3 or 4 seasons. WBA and Sheff Utd look like already gone and we have a big cushion. I really hope Brighton drop so that we can laughat Potter for not selling White, and we should get him cheap this Summer.

I really think that Alioski is a bench player and not a starter, and we should now accept that Struijk and Cooper are our best CB partnership right now and have Ayling and Dallas as full backs. Shacks should be pushing Klich and why not try Rodrigo in place of Klich and Pablo as 10. We still have options and once safety sorted we should try Gelhardt as an 8 or 10 or even 9 as we really need to see if he and Sam Greenwood can hack it in the Prem as both can play anywhere in attack. If they can hack it we will save a bomb in the summer allowing us to spend more elsewhere. We will need to spend big money again to get us up to the next level, which is mid table

 

Forgot to mention Llorente and I really feel for him. He looked a broken man last night and in tears. He is desperate to show the fans what he can do and I saw a glimpse of it last week for the 23s. He played the first half and was by a mile the man of the match, he was different gravy. He scraped the cross bar with a thunderbolt from 35 yards, he broke up every attack that came down his side of the pitch, by anticipating and reading the game, he sent long raking passes to team mates, he broke out of defence with long ranging runs and scored a great headed goal. I really hope Rob Price can sort him out and get him back

 

There are leagues within leagues in the Premier league. The top 7- the middle 6- and the bottom 7.

We are sat in the middle 6 at the moment and would be very happy to finish the season there. A newly promoted team playing with players 90% of which where average Championship players not long ago.

I think we will finish in this group as much as for our ability but also, and probably more importantly, the bottom 7 are ****ing awful. Sheff Utd and WBA are pretty much confirmed to go down. That means there is really only one relegation spot left with Brighton, Newcastle, Fulham, Burnley and possibly Palace and Wolves looking to be in that fight. Can you see us losing enough games and all those teams winning enough to overtake us? I do not think so.

 

Off topic slightly but as much as I hate Chelsea I really hope that Tuchel has one training session with the players today and they then go and put 5 past Wolves proving that Fat Frank was the problem just to compound the humiliation.

 

Looked like his right hammy Doc.

Is that the same one as last time ?

 

If Llorente hamstring is a bad one then it’s a month at least, really feel for the lad
Rodrigo is starting to settle and look good

 

I think you’re absolutely spot on with your assessment of our issues against the high press.

But Berardi at left back? That would be a definitive NO from me. Bielsa has used him as emergency centre back cover - and he’s done ok there... but his lack of pace is an absolute liability at full back. It was noticeable that bielsa played anyone their but him last season.

 

Today looks like being the day Rafa Mujica leaves Oviedo and seems the club have found him a few options. Las Palmas looks favourite but Leeds need him to get game time and Oviedo shafted him. Hope it works out for the kid, but these loan moves for our kids are hit and miss. Alfie on the bench last night for Oldham Stevens on the bench for Bradford, Hosannah injured again, Edmondson still firing blanks for Northampton and last night he had a one on one with Alex cairns of Fleetwood ( remember him) and Edmondson failed. Gotts match for Salford postponed due to frozen pitch

 

Well I was mightily relieved to hear the final whistle last night, we were extremely lucky to get out of there with 3 points. I know I'm like a broken record but Alioski is NOT a left back, certainly not good enough for the premier league. Apart from him I'm not going to complain about anyone else, they played a lot better than the last 3 matches and I was delighted to see us get back to some sort of form after 3 dire displays.

 

I remember seeing Alex Cairns play his only game for Leeds. Andy Lonergan was injured and Paul Rachubka had made numerous howlers in the previous few games, the types of comedy goals you hope a keeper only concedes once in his career. Despite that he still got the nod to play against his old club Blackpool. Three mistakes and three goals later and Rachubka went home at half time. Alex Cairns came on and the first time he touched the ball we celebrated as though we'd scored a goal. I believe we lost 5-0 in the end.

Never saw Cairns again until a few years later when I had a couple of hours to kill in Blackpool and decided to go watch Fleetwood play. Still the best food i've ever had at a ground.

 

A very good morning all.
That is a frightening run of fixtures coming up, however i can see us beating Palace Wolves & Villa with a draw against Everton, that's ten points which would do nicely thank you very much. Great result last night to grind out a win against a very poor side, got to say it though what a player that Saint-Maximin is, how i wish we could make a signing like that, balance/pace/skill/power the guy has it all.

 

I honestly don’t think that run of fixtures is too bad. Sometimes it’s how you match up against sides. We’ve won at villa and Everton wolves are beatable, we should have beaten arsenal.

Leicester’s and palace’s styles don’t suit is, but you’d certainly hope to get something from palace at home.

If the new pitch is playable I think our home form will pick up.

 

No Vardy for Leicester so could be the best time to play them.

 

Afternoon all

I knew we were gonna win last night. Bruce is the gift that keeps on giving. They haven't won in 11 games and the fact it's currently 12.30 and he's not been sacked just show he'll be in charge at the weekend.

Next 8 games I think we'll get 10 to 13 points but the fact we've got Chelsea at the end of that run doesn't fill me with hope.

The solution to the left back problem has been staring us in the face when we got linked we Jordan Lukaku and that's buy a left back

 

can we claim rre Lorente injuryto Spain becSE IT STEMMED FROM THERE