The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Thursday 21st October)

Good Morning. It's Thursday 21st October, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road


There's nothing wrong with Leeds fitness

Leeds may have appeared sluggish, especially in pre-season, but as we know perception can be deceiving. Recent data shows that Leeds have covered more ground than any other team in the top fight. Interestingly, one player who stands out in the Premiership is Jack Harrison. When distance and speed were calculated across the top flight, it was revealed that the Leeds winger would run the distance of a marathon in circa 363 minutes! In their first seven games this season, Leeds have run over 18 marathons as a team (764km).



Not only do they cover the most distance, but their anaerobic stamina (quick bursts of energy like sprints) are 21% more efficient than second place Southampton. We know there's nothing wrong with the fitness of Bielsa's squad, and reassuringly, their anaerobic levels have not dropped either. Where are Leeds going wrong this season? We can't blame it all on injuries!



Next Two matches are crucial

Phil Hay believes Leeds are going to be heavily reliant on their big guns over the next few games, and has stressed the importance of not losing to Wolves or Norwich. Whilst the Canaries are in free fall, Bruno Lage's team have hit a rich vain of form with three wins in a row, including coming back from 2-0 down to win at Villa Park with three goals in the last ten minutes! According to Hay:-

"I do feel like they’ll be fine this season but I’m not sure there’s been a time under Bielsa when this squad were more reliant on their most key men. There was very little way of changing that game on Saturday and when you’re in a spot of bother, that’s far from ideal. They need to make something of these next two matches".

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Roberts isn’t making a concerted impact

'Roberts isn't playing well', 'he isn't making a concerted impact' and 'Leeds don't get a lot from him'! These are the words from Leeds Utd journalist Phil Hay discussing everyone's favourite scapegoat!

"Roberts isn’t playing well but I was making the point on the podcast recently that the attention on him seems to be ignoring the fact that numerous other players aren’t playing well. Granted, some of them have much more credit in the bank than Roberts but still, I do feel like we get bogged down in Roberts chat. The same with Cooper from time to time".

"At the same time, Roberts isn’t making a concerted impact. That’s not in dispute. He can be quite effective in helping Leeds progress up the field but in a purely attacking sense, they don’t get a lot from him".

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Morning all

With the amount of players who have had time off for injuries, at least burnout won’t be an excuse.

The Premier league know what we’re about now. Teams with equal or lesser quality try to beat us at our own game. Teams with better quality try the more complex stuff like pulling players out of position with our staunch stand on man to man marking.

We’ve just got to make sure we do what we do better than the lesser teams and be a bit more savvy against the better ones.

I’m not bothering commenting on Roberts

 

Morning all

the data analysis proves the point that the energy levels are where we expect them to be, so the obvious problem is not taking our chances. As plnty was said on this yesterday we have had plenty of chances to get that killer second goal and ease the pressure and we should have beaten Newcastle, Burnley, WHUby taking the second goal and killing it and forcing teams to come at us so we could fast counter and maybe score again. We also had t least 2 pens turned down. Our season and morale and the players outlook could have been in a much better place, but because that never happened and then battered by injury and suspension we seem to be in a mire.

Phil Hay is right about the Wolves game unless we get some players back this isnt an easy game. Phil is also being polite on Roberts but he does repeat himself which is telling that Roberts isnt impressing anyone right now.

 

Go on… you know you want to!

 

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Name these players

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I think those stats show the problem, we have a worse conversion rate and more shots being blocked which means teams are parking ghe bus more this season. We have a bad end product from the wings which is hurting Rodrigo and Bamford too. We are taking more shots and more from distance which will be down to Raphinha and lets not firget Dallas and Klich have fluffed their lines from the edge of the box. We need to get more end product from the wings and we need a better completion rate and that does it, but I guess a lot still comes down to the players on the pitch and who is missing and or playing out of position?

 

obviously batty in centre, then stiles and davidson.........the other superstars have slipped my mind...or they didn't really make it

 

not sure it necessarily means more sides parking the bus, they seem to have it turbo-charged when they're ripping us to shreds

It could mean our crossing is poor and our final ball is worse... or with Paddy missing a few games perhaps it also means the runs to make the final ball a good one or a cross an accurate one aren't there.

We shoot from further out, often out of desperation (as we've been chasing games) at the wrong time... so more are blocked and fewer are on target. Conversion rate is dire, but big chances is probably the standout stat (the lack of them)

 

Glynn Snodin
Defeated by the others.

 

Afternoon all,

The chances created to goals scored comparisons are very reminiscent of Bielsas first season with us. Big difference being we are up against a better level of opposition

It has been very noticeable that we have have trying more shots from distance this season. Hopefully when Bamford is back we will see the likes of James, Harrison and Raph puttingg the ball in for him more.

 

At opposite ends of the photo Kevin Sharp and Jon Newsome?

 

Row Z have certainly noticed

 

How did the op go Hemase?

 

Good cheers. The surgeon briefly told me in recovery that it went well. Just waiting for him to come and tell me exactly what he did, whether he had to fuse my spine or not.

 

They can run the equivalent of a hundred marathons on the pitch, if they can't do the basic stuff like playing football, passing the ball and putting it in the back of the net we're ****ed

 

Speedy recovery pal

 

Cheers

 

Nice one mate lets hope the right fuse went in

 

‘So doctor how was it?’
‘Good news! Your penectomy was a complete success’
‘You mean my discectomy’?
‘Oh, in that case the news is not so Good mr hemase’