Good Morning. It's Wednesday 9th October, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road Leeds will stick with Mes - Popey BBC Leeds correspondent Adam Pope believes Daniel Farke will persevere with Illan Meslier between the sticks for their crunch game against Sheffield Utd after the International break. The former France U21 shot-stopper has been subject to ridicule, taunting and even death threats since the freak incident five days ago. His confidence must be shot; we must remember he's only 24, which by goalkeeping standards is still pretty young. It it fairer to give him a break, where he can regroup and come back stronger, or would time away just make it more difficult to come back? The alternatives are relatively untested; at-least in recent times. On the odd occasion Darlow has had a run out, he's looked anything but assured, whilst Cairns has spent most of his career in the lower league's! According to Popey:- “It's a horrific error, whatever way you want to look at it, but I agree with you. I think it's Sheffield United at home, isn't it, the next game, which is a huge game, under the spotlight, it’s Elland Road. Sheffield United will be doing their best every time the ball goes anywhere near Meslier to give him a hard time. “If he takes him out of that game, it's basically saying, 'I do not trust you in the big games'. And I don't get the impression that he's about to do that at all. “The way he was talking, yes, he says, 'I've never seen anything like that, I've lost points late on in games, but I've never seen anything like that in 30 years'. “And he said, 'I didn't really speak to him afterwards, or haven't done so yet'. But he wanted to talk about all the positive stuff in that game, which you're right, includes one brilliant save near the beginning, while he was then let down by the others afterwards. So I don't see him pulling him out to be quite honest.” please log in to view this image Embarrassment of riches having those four Leeds-Live journalist Beren Cross believes Daniel Farke has his work cut out to keep his wide options happy once they are all fit! The Whites have been without the services of Dan James and Manor Solomon for much of the season thus far, but are nearing a return to action! Both are vying to be fit for the arrival of Sheffield Utd a week on Friday, and could make the bench! Cross describes the quartet of Ramazani, Gnonto, James and Solomon as 'arguably the four best wingers in the league'. Dan James in particular never receives the plaudits he deserves. His 13 goals and 7 assists from 2495 minutes of game means the Welshman made a major contribution every 131 minutes last season. How will Farke manage this situation? We certainly don't want Solomon to get recalled, and end up at one of our rivals. With weaknesses at 9 and 10, will we see Farke tinker with his wingers to try and plug the gaps? According to Cross:- “I mean that is going to have an embarrassment of riches having those four. “I think [Largie] Ramazani and [Willy] Gnonto have done really well in their absence over the last week or so, so to have James and Solomon, you are looking at arguably the four best wingers in the league, in the same squad. “It’s going to be another issue for Farke to manage then.” please log in to view this image
Not sure it's an embarrassment of riches. Yes when all four are fit. Realistically with 40ish games remaining its safe to assume there will be more wiggly injuries so probably have three fit at any one time. Given the modern trend to bring on a load of subs with a half hour to go they'll be all needed
Morning Leeds fans. Frankly there's no better keeper on the books so Meslier will, and should, start the next game. Would have been better to have a game this weekend IMO to get it out of his system. @Elland - what's that in the picture that he's picking up?
I have no idea. Speculation is Wakey threw his thong at Mes a few minutes before, but it hasn't been confirmed....
I of course cannot deny or confirm either way as what little standards i am deemed to possess forbid me
Luis Suarez has lifted the lid on how Marcelo Bielsa has created a toxic workplace environment within the Uruguay national team, claiming it 'breaks my heart.' Bielsa took the reins of the two-time World Cup winners in May 2023 from caretaker manager Marcelo Bielsa after Diego Alonso resigned having failed to guide Uruguay out of the group stage at the 2022 World Cup. Despite Bielsa's pedigree, Suarez revealed the culture set by the former Leeds United boss is not a pleasant one. 'At the Celeste Complex, employees are not allowed to come in and greet us and eat with us,' Suarez said on TV show 'De futbol se habla asi'. 'They have to be careful even at the door they have to enter. 'It breaks my heart that this is how life is in the Complex today... Matias Vecino was the first to see it coming. Nobody questions the fact that a guy like Vecino, who was 30 years old, left from one day to the next?' Vecino, a defensive midfielder for Lazio, made 67 appearances for Uruguay before Bielsa's arrival but played just twice under the 69-year-old and announced his retirement from international football in May this year. His retirement came prior to this year's Copa America, in which Bielsa guided Uruguay to a third place finish, their best since they won the tournament in 2011. However, Suarez claims it was a campaign not without internal turbulence amid a divide between the players and coaching staff. 'There were situations at the Copa America that hurt me, but I didn't say them for the sake of coexistence,' Suarez said. 'Many players held a meeting to ask the coach to at least say good morning to us, but he didn't even say hello.' Suarez added: 'Bielsa gives a conference and talks wonderful things about people, and in New York there was a day when he asked us not to stop to greet people and I stood up and I told him that we were going to greet people anyway.' The former Barcelona and Liverpool striker has since called time on his 17-year international career, with a 0-0 draw against Paraguay in Montevideo on September 6 proving to be his farewell act. He leaves Uruguay's national team behind as their all-time leading goalscorer with 69 goals in 143 games and is also the nation's second-most capped player, behind only Diego Godin who made 161 appearances. But just before Suarez departed the international stage, he had one final conversation with Bielsa in a bid to salvage the internal unrest. 'I had a five-minute chat with Bielsa, speaking as a group leader, and at the end he only replied, 'Thank you very much,'' Suarez said. Suarez also pleaded for fans to avoid being overly critical on the players should Uruguay's qualification for the 2026 World Cup veer off course. 'Tomorrow, I ask people not to take it out on the players if something goes wrong,' 'Bielsa has separated the whole group, even in the way they train.' Uruguay sits third in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers on 15 points, behind Colombia and Argentina who have 16 and 18 points respectively. Bielsa's side is back in action with a trip to Peru on October 12 before they return home and face Ecuador on October 16.
I am today living by the following philosophy If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless manner, you have learned how to live.
the Bielsa way is not everyone’s cup of tea. Appreciate he was a successful national team manager previously but I never really got how or why. His club style is based around high fitness levels and honing a very specific style and drills into his players. Which he wouldn’t have the time to do at national team level. It Suggests he’s not a one trick pony, but the Spartan, workhouse approach is obviously a constant - and I guess big time Charlie’s at the end of their careers are unlikely to warm to it.
If all are fit I'd start the same team as the last come the Blades. Soloman and James need to get back to match fitness and need to earn their recall as well. Taking out Mes just would be stupid no matter how some people feel about it.
It is a difficult one. Do you support a very principled man who puts football as he wants to see it played and wants everyone in his squad to want the same or the player that is the cheating two times biting winner of the year award?
