Good Morning. It's Monday 14th February, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road Everton thump clueless Leeds Everton cruised to a 3-0 victory over Leeds at the weekend, closing the gap between themselves to a single point. Although bottom of the form guide with one league victory in almost five months, Frank Lampard's side totally outplayed sorry Leeds, who were even unable to muster a shot on target all game. Bielsa kept faith with the same starting XI that fought back valiantly to nick a point at Villa Park 72 hours previously. The gruelling six goal thriller had visibly taken its toll on the Whites, with many players cramping up in the latter stages. In his wisdom, the Argentine decided to stick with the same side for the third game running, a decision he would later regret. The Toffee's opened the scoring on ten minutes. Van De Beek's cross found Calvert-Lewin on the far post. His goalwards effort was nodded in by Seamus Coleman from close range. They doubled the scoreline twelve minutes later as Leeds frailties from set pieces were once again exposed - Michael Keane thumping header giving Meslier no chance. When you're 2-0 down, the last thing you need is cannon fodder, and when Bielsa bought on Tyler Roberts for the second half, Leeds fans knew the writing was on the wall. Everton continued to press, and were rewarded with a third goal twelve minutes from time when Richarlison's effort beat Meslier from the edge of the area. please log in to view this image Bielsa defends Roberts Following the humiliating loss at Goodison Park on Saturday, Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa leapt to Tyler Roberts defence, and instead blamed himself for playing Mateusz Klich out of position as a defensive midfielder. Speaking at his post match Interview, the Argentine claimed:- "The position of Klich was an error on my part. The midfielder that was positioned in front of our three centre backs had to defend too much, he couldn't do what he does best which is to make runs in attack. Sincerely I assigned a task to him that didn't fit his characteristics. It was difficult for us to maintain and for us to recover the ball. If you recover the ball well it's easier to retain". "(I should have) put a player in that position who had a bigger capacity to recover. The best things Klich does he does in attack, make runs and he's got good resources defensively but not to be the most defensive midfielder in the midfield. That's the job he had to take on during the first half where he was forced to not to do the best things he does". "He (Roberts) could not attack because the team could not attack. Difficult for them to feed the forwards. Not Tyler's problem, it was the construction of the offensive game. It's not about whether Tyler played better or worse or Raphinha played better or worse, whether James plays in the centre or out wide, what side Harrison and James play, the function of the team in general was not the correct one. We finished poorly when we finished our attacks and when we lost the ball, we were disorganised". please log in to view this image What does Gelhardt have to do to get game time Leeds striker Joe Gelhardt must be wondering what he has to do to get some game time, after he was once again overlooked at the weekend. At 2-0 down at the break, Bielsa decided to use his final substitution to bring Tyler Roberts on, a player who scored once last season, and once this term. The England U21 International, who turns twenty in May, has only been included in the Leeds starting line up twice this season, even though Patrick Bamford has missed nearly twenty games. It is widely suggested that Gelhardt was one of ten players to ask for a loan move last month. Could this have caused a rift between the two? We have seen what happens to players who fall out with Bielsa - just ask Pablo Hernandez or Pontus Jansson. Age is not a factor either. We've seen Jacob Ramsey (Villa) and Anthony Gordon (Everton), (both a similar age to Gelhardt) make their presence felt against the Whites in the past week, yet the Leeds forward who has been tipped for stardom can't get off the bench. He missed three games in the New Year with a foot injury, but returned to the bench against Newcastle as an unused substitute. please log in to view this image
Morning all I've been slightly concerned about relegation for a while now but today I woke up with the feeling we are going down. I've continued to tell myself it's the injuries but we have the majority back now, the last one will probably be Phillips as Bamford seems a lost cause. Remember Everton had several first team players missing on Saturday and were still miles better than us. The only saving grace is Norwich look to have a tricky few matches coming up as well, we have to play both Norwich and Watford, they're going to be huge games
No way, no how are we going down but then......I've been in an alcohol induced coma since early Sunday morning.
Morning all the next four games will be crucial. If we get thumped then our guys could take a mental battering. Our tactics are a shambles and bielsa just mentions one player out of position. He is not prepared to look at his tactics and the need for fresh legs. He was totally convinced a tired klich could start once more. As for this legendary fitness we are supposed to have total bull crap.Everton simpy have a better squad than us and this small squad mentality is utter rubbish.
A brilliant piece from a Leeds fan on 'The Athletic'. Telly H. It's hard writing a piece like this Phil, because by Monday morning we have heard the same gripes repeatedly, and are reminded of that famous definition of insanity: "doing the same failing thing over and over, while expecting a different result each time." This is where Leeds are right now. Teams who have not won a game for 2-3 months play us and break out of their poor form, not because of them but because of us. Even a lightweight like Frank Lampard knows that if you play two forwards with an attacking midfielder tucked in behind them, Bielsa will shift to a back three, as if Jesus Christ himself ordered him to do so. And as if on cue our midfield will disappear, and that centre-mid will have entire hectares of room to roam in it to setup those two attackers in the sudden confusion and disorganisation that is our back three. Many fans have even started thinking of the team without Coop, KP or Bam even in it anymore, so the endless apologists blaming everything on injuries miss the point: Every team deals with them on some level and the measure of the organisation is how you are setup to move forward despite them, and still stay afloat---if not successful. I love Bielsa and want to see him on the touchline this summer ramping up for the first friendlies. But there is a school of thought that with the dogmatic approach of settling for 18 senior players, and with no tactical/selection/rotation/subbing Plan B, seemingly, he has taken taken this group of overachievers as far as he can, without compromising for better players, a bigger squad, or at a minimum making better use of the clearly talented youth at his disposal. The next time Bielsa utters the words "unbalance" and "creation" in the same sentence as "Roberts" one of you lads in the press pool should ask him how that squares up when the poor kid has one goal and zero assists in 21 appearances this year. Because I have yet to hear it, and an increasingly number of supporters would love to hear the answer. I do not want to join the disaffected crowd, but must concede with every passing week of failing against teams we normally beat, Bielsa is making it harder on many of us who truly love him about do not fall in the category of Kool-Aid drinkers. Every point is so critical, but this is professional sport: even Bielsa has said it in the past: you are only as good as your last time on the pitch. Credit in the bank, and gratitude for past miracles and wonders and Herculean labours mean nothing even 10 minutes after the final whistle of a victory and three points. The endless trope that surely there are three teams worse than us, and so we will not go down is only 6 points away, with 15 to play, with 5-6 free hits still left. That really boils it down to about 9 games from which to cull 15-17 points. Can you now see why those of us who are neither haters nor blind loyalists are now genuinely, and rightfully, fearing the drop? If not, then we are back to our definition of insanity. MOT
Not a great morning is it everyone. Great piece of writing absolutely spot on Still shell shocked from the tonking against a poor Everton side & even a worse coach. Surely were not going to go down --------------------- are we Personally i still think we will survive JUST, as is well documented their are three worse sides than us, I AM NOW BEGINNING TO COUNT ON IT.
That may happen sooner than we think. The odd 3 points will not save us. Others at the bottom have recruited to stay up. Newcastle are pulling away from the bottom after looking doomed. Norwich may be able to escape their manager is more wiley than bielsa. Watford? another who could catch us. We are not safe yet.
It truly is a case of "will the real Leeds please stand up". We know the team are capable of beating most teams (e.g. away to the Hammers) but there's no consistency. Our passing on Saturday was truly shocking, it seems that every time a team presses us hard from the offset we can't cope. Bielsa has coached them how to deal with these scenarios which means the players are just not good enough to cope.
Well I will start by saying I am now out of hospital but in pain and slower than Maguire right now. Will dip in and out for a while, but seems to be the right time to keep a low profile after that tonking. One thing that struck me was the poor Everton team of last week and the poor Villa team of yesterday were able to suss Bielsa out with ease. Gerrard and Fwank just said “ right to win this we need to be first to every ball, we need to put in a total shift in the first half even if you hurt yourself you must win every battle. They did that with ease and we salvaged a point against a tired Villa but were so poor against Everton we had nothing. When these 2 gobby twats can brag about out thinking Bielsa……. Problems at the club havent changed all season, small squad, injuries, miss-use of Gelhardt, Roberts getting on the pitch, ….. not plugging the hole in midfield in 3 transfer windows. I find these faults unforgivable. I love Bielsa but if he will not resolve midfield cock ups, not adding to the squad last month and persisting with Roberts we deserve to go down This board is now split 50/50 on Bielsa and even I can understand that, but I am staying positive because Im sure that from now on we will wing games we should win and may even take the odd point from teams who should slap us. We stay up
8 point gap on Watford with 15 each to play, they've also had an extra home game. 6 point gap on Norwich who have played 1 more than us, plus have played 2 more at home. Worst goal difference in the league by a fair distance. So that just leaves Burnley...
Would be nice to stay up for few more seasons at least but as soon as they start redeveloping the stadium you can virtually guarantee we’ll be getting relegated before it’s completed. Monday blues with no game for a week
thought we were much the better side against Villa doc, and thought Gerard said we dragged them into playing our game rather than theirs. Saturday was a different story... set up made everyone look lost and panic set in... something we've seen too often under Bielsa. I'm concerned, I've been concerned all season, but think we're just as likely to show a reaction in our next game. It's Leeds after all. ... more important things than football though doc... rest up fella
