Hi mate, we had 23 U23 players now down to 22 with Drameh gone and I include Fernandez in this group. 10 of those players are used on the Leeds bench, so not getting much U23 game time. Cresswell, Gelhardt, Summerville, Greenwood now get no game time. The norm is for Jacko to play his best team for most of the season but rotates the top players so that 17 games is the normal usage in the season. Players are also played out of position to learn. Kenneh for example has played in all positions on the back line plus AM and DM. Greenwood and Joffy have both played 9&10. Hjelde has played LB, DM, and both CB roles. This season Joffy has played 7 games only and even then only played the full match 3 times. U18s are filling the empty berths in the 23s. We have to assume there are some U18s and U23s who are the bulk of these 10 players who want to go out on loan. Im guessing at Jenkins, McKinstry, McCarron, Kenneh, Greenwood along with Summerville and Drameh, so theres 7 of the ten?
Word for word from Bielsa "The obligations sum up to economic. I don’t have the power to decide contractual or economic problems. "In the case of Summerville, there were 10 players in a similar situation and all of the subjects, I treated them in the same way, as it can’t be any other way. "When a player signs a contract, he is saying that he wants to belong. And I think it’s absolutely legitimate that he doesn’t want to belong any more. It’s a possibility, it’s a right, and it’s right that it’s that way. I have a limit in the power of my decision. "So all of the players that are within the club know that if they want to leave, I’m not going to stand in their way. But because I don’t stand in their way, it doesn’t mean that I decide. I only have part of the decision. "The only thing I do know, is that if he didn’t leave, it wasn’t because I forced him or forced the club to keep him. I clearly said to him, ‘if you want to leave, then the best thing to do is for you to leave’, and I would say that to any player."
I'd be amazed if Gelhardt is not one of the 10. Lets call a spade a spade. i) Bielsa has his favourites. They can be absolutely herrible week after week but Bielsa won't drop them ii) He'll go out of his way to play a square peg in a round hole than give youth a chance. iii) Under 23's have played, but ONLY when there is nobody else. vi) Very very unusual that anything like 10 players want to leave. Problems behind the scenes.....
I get all that, but previously, we've had many, many more u23 players. It used to be a sit up & take notice moment when an u18 player played for the u23s with some regularity, mainly due to lack of opportunity because there were so many u23 players desperate to get a game too. I'm positive we've had 30+ u23s before. I could go watch them for weeks on end & often spoke to established u23 players who weren't playing & weren't injured, yet couldn't even get into the squad. Examples of such players were Edmondson, Shackers, Maizek - even Phillips at one time! The list is fairly extensive. And now, we've got u18 & u16 players turning out. Even if there were 7 u23s on the bench, it still doesn't add up. So, on more serious matters, did you take my tip so you could time the Crash Team? I was going to suggest that you introduced them to a murderball equivalent to spice them up, but I guess the term 'murder' doesn't go down too well in the hozzie. Positive vibes coming from Wetherby!
Well if Summerville asked to leave I can't see Bielsa having him around. He might get a few sub chances but if a players heart is not at the club you don't play them right? We want committed players. side before self is the motto. I've never seen the pressy yet as I've just finished work but if it was I want to leave as in I want out the club message surely its the end for him here. if it was a cry for a loan to play football fair enough. Can totally understand a few of these lads want out they are young and want to play football you can't deny them that chance but they also have to understand most have never played any competitive football and slotting straight into a Premier League team is a very hard thing to do. I think loan deals would of suited quite a few at the start of the season as they need to learn their trade but the club had different idea's and why not they would be playing in the Premier League 2 but due to our injury ragged season most have just been travelling and warming benches for the 1st team. young lads just want to play football. something they currently aren't. I can see both sides to the argument but to me your either committed or not you sign a contract to commit to the cause which is Leeds United and if you don't want to play for Leeds United at any level you can fcuk straight off and do it somewhere else. We don't need you.
Can’t see the problem tbh. It’s normal for a young player to want to go out on loan. I’m sure other clubs have the same problem in giving their youngsters more game time. Liverpool and Chelsea for example. Their u23’s are having as bad a season as Leeds in the league. Maybe they’ve been weakened by unhappy players wanting to be loaned out as they’re neither playing for the first team nor the u23’s and are too good to just be biding their time. It’s not just us.
"In the case of Summerville, there were 10 players in a similar situation and all of the subjects, I treated them in the same way, as it can’t be any other way". Do we know if this refers to 10 wanting to leave or 10 who weren't getting regular game time or 10 not getting into the first team?
Agreed, if they’re not playing for the U23 or getting on the pitch in the first team, how do they develop? Each player has different circumstances I guess. Hjelde came in at left back and played really well in one of our best performances of the season, probably thought he’d done enough to start and we switched it around and played Dallas there. Can imagine that the high of a debut becomes frustration that he didn’t earn a run in the team. Drameh sees either Dallas or Shackleton played out of position and Summerville knows that it’s a big job on his hand getting past Raphinha. I think nearly everyone with the exception of Bielsa believes Joffey should start ahead of Tyler Roberts. It’s a short career so I get that they want to play. Of course it might be that they overrate themselves. Look at that young Harvey Elliot at Liverpool and he’s only 18.
nice try Matty. But forza is right. All 23s want to play pro football if they don’t expect game time at their club. if they want a career in pro football they have to prove to the market they can cut it. Well that and it suits their agents who pretty much make every decision for them.
Cheeky bar steward, I'll have you know I recently won the all bopping contest at the annual dancing feet rockathon....... admittedly the other contestants where gathered from local old people's homes,my prize was s year's subscription to reader's digest,........float like a butterfly
