The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Monday 25th October)

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RIP Gunther from Friends

James Michael Tyler Aged 59

 

Scunthorpe utd? Southend utd? Newcastle utd? Torquay utd?

 

I saw on social media somewhere that the club were doing covid checks at the game, presumably spot checks not the whole 36,000. Anyone at the game notice any delays in getting into the ground on Saturday ?

 

Think we need to take a couple of deep breaths here, as we need to face reality regarding our U23s. Joffy is now 19yo and before joining us had played in the EFL as a 16yo for Wigan. Summerville is now 19yo and joined us after playing in the Dutch top flight for his loan club when he was 17. Cresswell is the son of a former player and has a grounding in pro footy and coaching as his dad was also a coach at Leeds. Hes team captain of the 23s and a leader, respected by everyone in the club.

Lewis Bate is a special player but still only 18 and he really does have something and Bielsa knows it. However he will not be thrown into a first team situation too soon. When Bielsa thinks the time is right he will do what he has done since he arrived. Players get the chance and they need to take it or its curtains and out on loan you go. Bate may see some game time against Arse but before ling we will have a full squad available and have Summerville, Gelhardt and Cresswell now part of the first team squad as well.

 

Things are going from bad to worse at Espanyol as wonderkid Mateo Fernandes is still in excile and now told to stay away from the club full stop. He is leaving either on a free in the Summer but more likely will leave for a reduced fee in January. It seems Leeds are still favs to sign him and it also seems personal terms are also agreed. Now seems the 17yo will replace Joffy in the 23s as the little scouser embeds into the first team

 

Jeez this season is going from bad to worse!

 

Costa played the full 90 minutes out on loan over the weekend, it looks like he has had a haircut too. Poveda came on in the second half for Blackburn due to an injury

 

On Bielsa....

We were going nowhere fast when Radz and especially Orta got in touch with Bielsa. When you get a guy 'el loco' who has got a mixed past and a few odd stories surrounding him then you know you are in for a fun ride. He gets the club and the club gets him, it's a match made in heaven. It just fits.

Bielsa does make mistakes. Everybody does. I think the problem on a forum is everybody has a little criticism no matter how small and when you read through you just see a barrage of niggle complaints about him and it reads a little bit over negative.

In reality he gets most things right but it's easy to pick the little thing he has been perceived to have got wrong. It's easy to criticise than it is to recognise the other things he has got right as you just expect that to happen. The correct decisions don't jump out at you as easy.

One thing I've noticed alot recently is some kind of weird agenda against him not giving youth a chance. Shackleton, Jack Clarke, Lief Davis, Clark Oduor, Kun, Jordan Stevens, Bogusz, McCallmont, Casey, Poveda, Struijk, Meslier, Greenwood, Cresswell, Gelhardt, Summerville have all been given debuts as TEENAGERS by Bielsa. Those that are good enough have stayed in contention and those that couldn't rise to the challenge have gone out on loan or left the club.

As for Tyler Roberts... he has also dispelled the accusation on Bielsa not giving youth a chance. Although he wasn't a teenager and despite his average performances Bielsa has given him about 90 chances to cement his place in the side.

In short, I wouldn't have any other manager in the world at the moment. Sometimes clubs are made for people and Bielsa and Leeds are a perfect match.

 

Sad news, leedsoflondon has left the forum.

In other news, Dortmundoflondon has joined the bundesliga forum.

 

I would never second guess Bielsa, the guy is a footballing genius. I'd keep him as our manager for the next 10 years, even if we got relegated. Who else would we get anyway?

As for Roberts, he obviously does a lot of stuff that we don't see otherwise Amigo wouldn't persist with him.

I agree with Hemase regarding Klich, he had a poor game on Saturday and certainly isn't the player he has been in the last few seasons. Maybe he needs a rest.

 

Maybe his attacking flair has had to be stopped to do a more defensive role with all the injuries? He did look peed off to be hooked for Joffy

 

Todays top football stories seem to be Leeds related yet again

1. Quite a few refs and footy pundits criticise the way Saiss was given a yellow for handball but not for the attack on Raphinha. All say it was straight red, some say worse than the dodgy red Struijk had. We were yet again cheated.
2. Ross Barkley and now the usual Todd Cantwell stories emerging. Am I an idiot but Barkley couldnt even get regular game time at Burnley, Everton or anywhere else, so why would Bielsa think him mission critical to our offence? Cantwell has hardly played this season because ugly Farque says he isnt able to give 100% energy and tackle back. Seems another dodgy news report to me.
3. Plenty bigging up Joffy with comparisons to Rooney and Messi so just hoping Bielsa and the staff are reigning the lqd in and telling him not to believe the hype because these predators will be slagging him off the first mistake he makes. Feet in the ground Joffy and listen to Marcelo and you will be brilliant mate

 

It's great all pundits and ex refs saying it should have been a red but klopp hasn't so it wasn't given, end of.

 

Raphinha didn't play the game though did he ?

If he'd stayed down and waited for the stretcher, which as he couldn't walk he was perfectly entitled to do, then maybe VAR would have been more inclined to take a look.

Whereas in the gold 'n' black corner they were rolling around all over the place injured every 5 minutes.

It's great that under Marcelo there are no histrionics from us, it does cost us though as referees are only human after all.

 

Exactly this. I love that we don't try and play the dark arts of football. Look where it got Wolves.

It's also great that bielsa is such an honourable man and I'd never ask him to change but I wonder how many points we could have had if he tried to influence refs like other managers or instructed or players to play dirty like Smith and the like

 

Got their at 2.30 and was in at usual speed. Heard someone get asked and then for proof, but according to the website it wouldn't have mattered if they couldn't produce it, essentially preparing people for what we all know is coming very shortly.

 

I went into the ESL with 10 minutes to go. Queues were longer than usual at all turnstiles (normally quieter in the entry block queues further down). Didn't observe any checks going on. They may have been going on as they had barriers erected at the turnstiles that would have suited this purpose.

 

Why what is coming shortly?