Last Friday saw Leeds Utd win their third game of the season and reach 11 points. At least another 7 wins needed but at least it looks like we are on course NOT to break any of the following records for lowest number of points in the premier League: Derby 11 points Southampton 12 points Sunderland 15 points Sheff Utd 16 points Huddersfield 16 points Aston Villa 17 points Sunderland 19 points We do however have to worry about breaking the records of teams being relegated with the highest points totals: Birmingham 39 points Blackpool 39 points West Ham 42 points. Wonder where we would be now if Andoni Iraola had agreed to come to Leeds. A lot of the pundits in the summer thought Bournemouth must need cash as they sold players for a total of £238m and made themselves a tidy profit and yet they proudly sit 2nd in the league. Last Friday before the great win was the investors meeting. According to reports from Leeds Live and Ger from the View, there were only 3 items on the agenda. 1) The future of DF, 2) January transfer window and 3) the proposed stadium expansion. So as I have stated before everything revolves around staying up. Lucas Paqueta wants leave WHU in January, so will this news cause more unrest in the Hammers squad? It’s also believed that Bowen wants to leave too, but that could upset his father in law Danny Dyer and plenty of the faithful. The earlier story in the week regarding Seb Bornouw wanting to leave may have some legs. It seems the Belgium sports media are saying he needs to come home if he wants to play in the World Cup. Anderlecht are very interested in him and we do have an open line into the Anderlecht club due to their interest in Meslier. We have also been linked on multiple occasions for Mario Stroeykens. It makes you wonder if a double exit deal from Leeds and a move the other way for Stoeykens. It gives Leeds the number ten they need as well as only costing us 2 players we don’t use and maybe £4m. Talk of Robbie Keane taking over at Celtic? Always liked him as a player but bad memories of him with Big Sam at Leeds in the final weeks of that shyte 22/23 season. Cant see it happening. Kalvin Phillips now fully fit and on the City bench Wednesday night. Yes crappy cup game but surely time for some clickbait Kalvin to Leeds headlines Liam Delap fancied some extra time off as he came back from injury for Chelsea in the cup and got himself sent off Last week I suggested Iraola would have saved us in 22/23 if he had accepted the offer. After Iraola we went for Arne Slot and right now he is proving he can’t do it with his own players but was great with Klopps squad. Looking like Slot is up there with Big Sam and would have got us relegated. What do we do about Joel Piroe who has been the Championships prolific goal scorer for 4 seasons between Swansea and Leeds. He has a 43% strike rate which is pretty good at Championship level. However DF isn’t using him in the EPL so surely we should sell as he’s valued at £15m and we know there are Dutch clubs wanting as well as Championship sides.
Breaking down every point. I don't think we're going to get as low as the Sunderland under Big Mick or Derby under Billy Davies. We've hit that points total and will go further. As for getting a high points total and still getting relegated... I think anything could happen this season, and I expect the tide to turn over the next few seasons. Chelsea are not doing well, Scum have suffered a fair whack over the last few seasons. You think that you get a decent manager who seems to have a decent record in Spain or Italy, and they get over here and they fail. Corbean has been an abject failure; Conte and Jose couldn't get a tune out of Spurs. I'm even questioning Slot right now, and we were linked with him after we fired Marsch. As for where we would be if we had gotten Iriola, **** knows with that squad. They were not great. We could have still been relegated, as Roca and McKennie hated each other. Firpo isn't really Premier League quality. Strujk isn't a LB. The list goes on. It was years of bad choices from Orta. As for Seb. I can see his frustration. It's World Cup year, and I don't think he's played yet. When we signed him, my brother-in-law, who follows German football, was raving about him. On the subject of Celtic, I thought they were going in for McKenna, and frankly, it would be a good move for him.It would put him on a bigger stage than Ipswich is. Phillps, I don't give a **** about Delap should have gone to Everton, but no, he chased the big lights of London, and it's going to bite him in the arse. Wouldn't be surprised if he ends up at Brighton or Forest in a couple of Years, Slot... see the above Wood, Sergeant, and Hadji Wright have been linked to us in the last few weeks. I don't think Piroe will last beyond January. With the players we've been linked with and they're coming thick and fast (Remember we're still linked with Harry Wilson), I expect 3 players to leave. Gruev, Mes, and Piroe.
If Players want to leave and we can get back what we paid or more let them go if there heart isn't here best to get rid and find someone else. Out of the 10 new signing so far this season. I'd say 7 at least have or will be beneficial to our season. (Big Ups) for Gabby,Stach,Longstaff,Okofor,Bijol (even though he hasn't played much) none look out of place Gabby personally has been the best find (Happy) DCL even though the goals aren't there he adds a new dimension to our front line with his height and works his nuts off. Perri think hes the best we have and has a presence about him which I like I'd deffo put him infront of all the others. Justin is a decent backup 2 with question marks Bornauw to be honest I never knew him before we signed him so I still don't know how good or bad he is. you could say the same thing with Bijol but I'd heard of him and knew him and seen him play. Nmecha might be a bit unkind of me as he really hasn't had a go. but he does just look like a carthorse sorry. Originals: Good Enough: Bogle,Rodon,Ampadu possibly Gnonto The rest I haven't seen enough of in thie Prem to say yes. Tanaka has the ability guess needs more game time. Aaronson has the legs, has the technical awareness can find the positions but lacks in power,Strength always wants one touch to many. Dan James is all pace but again we don't seem to see it in the Prem like you do in the championship. Darlow-Struijk-Gruev squad fillers. Meslier-Byram-Harrison not good enough. Leaving Piroe Personally don't rate him as a footballer but his numbers are good which sounds stupid. he scored plenty of goals in our promotion (but I think any half decent striker would of in the amount of chances we created) but hell did we carry him on several occasions that was Championship football. we just can't do that in the Prem. think we should cash in while we can. Think from our goal to the center circle we have the noose to stay afloat after the center circle we need a better quality of player. Farke knew that and didn't get backed for whatever reason. I'm happy so far we are competing good enough in this League. we don't look out of place apart from at Arsenal but many will be the same. If we can keep doing what we are doing and improve our offensive unit in Jan I'm quietly confident we will be here next season.
Perri Gudmundson Bijol Rodon Bogle Stach Ampadu Longstaffe Okafor DCL James Sub Options Darlow JJ Struijk Aaronson Tanaka Bornuaw Harrison Piroe Nmecha Gruev Gnonto The subs bench is pretty healthy but limited up front.
I just had a look at the Championship table, Southampton one place above relegation, it seems crazy when you think how much of a price tag they put on their players. I’m sure their fans were convinced it would be top two for them, more likely back to back relegations than top two
Will be interesting to see if we go down, what situation is with players contracts next season. Clearly all this years new signings will be gone as will James Gnonto etc. would it be another load of loan deals or would the yanks try to re out some cash I wonder. So if they decide to get rid of Farke, which will satisfy some fans, how confident are you that the 49ers have the expertise to replace him with better. Just have a look at their devbacle north of the border so far and it wouldn’t exactly fill you with confidence
