I know everyone is raving about Paddy Van Bamford and his fantastic goal. But we were playing a L1 team and are we forgetting the 2 chances he missed plus the first time he he tried to control it on his chest he was lucky Amps scored from it. Would Van Bamford have been given that space in the premier league to score that screamer? No. Chuffed to bits for him and the fans are now singing his name again and that can only be good for the team, but hes Van Bamford not Van Basten. He does however give us something different up front and pulls defenders about to create space. Only positive for the team when he’s in and wonder if Piroe can do that if Rutter used as a 10? Going to be interested in team selection for Cardiff
Harsh.. give credit where credit is due.. I’m usually the first person to critique barn door btw.. this time I’m not.
Posh are a very good L1 side with some decent quality. Ferguson wanted to win against us as the only change he made was enforced. I thought our makeshift defence was very solid. Ampadu and Rodon worked well, Ampadu was more expensive at CB than he was in MF, maybe because he gets more time to look up. I thought it took Archie a while to settle back into MF but the kid is a class act. The 49ers resolve will be tested by a bid for him soon. I thought our front line was bang average. Hardly heard Piroes name for most of the game, Anthony always wants too many touches, Gnonto is half the player he was and apart from the world class goal Paddy was bossed by their defence. The difference was obvious when James came on. James, Summerville and Rutter would have torn them apart. To think our reserves walked past almost the best L1 have just shows the gulf in class between divisions. Fkn home draw Please!
Really not too fussed about Anthony or Gnonto and waiting to see who we bring in as FARKE must be nuts if he think Archie or Shacks are enough cover as full backs. Peed off about Cresswell and so is his dad, think we are bound to see some outgoings this coming week
Cresswell obviously wants to play and if he’s not getting game time he wants to move, absolutely nothing wrong in that. I’d have no problem of him joining a PL team but he’s not ready. He is too good and too expensive for league one so that leaves selling him to a rival. If we don’t need the money we need to refuse any offers, he’s a danger at set pieces, he’s a solid defender, we can’t strengthen a rival team. There is chat of him going to Ipswich, that has to be a definite no
A few weeks ago I said I thought Phil Hay or Smythy should do some journalism and get an interview with Hayden Evan’s Cresswells agent. The agency has Richard Cresswell in a senior role as well as Andy Gray. Evan’s had and does have plenty of former Leeds players like Speed, Batty, Smith on his books. Right now you have Charlie’s dad Richard unhappy at the treatment his son is getting. Falling out with this agency could be trouble for the camp as Cresswell Archis Gray, Harry Gray plus the younger Cresswell and other are all in the agency. So I don’t get it and if Evan’s who is actually a long time season ticket holder and loves the club gets peed off….
The simple solution with Cresswell is to loan him out. I'm sure a European club or Scottish prem club would love to have him.
Loan is preferable to selling but what happens if Rodon gets a serious injury ? Without Cresswell it means either Cooper & Struijk, which doesn't work well in my opinion, or Ampedu has to drop back.
I don't think Farke fancies him at all. I agree that Farke sees Ampadu as the reserve RCB over Cresswell. I believe Cresswell is under contract until 2027 so loaning him out seems the sensible option. There's no point in the kid staying here.
Plenty of positives from today's match; Klaasson looked good and gained more much needed experience at first team level. Shaks and Firpo, both fit and playing well. Ampedu slotted seamlessly into the centre of defence as well as scoring his first 2 Leeds goals. Gruev and Gray neat and tidy in midfield. Bamford...oh you beauty what a goal. No negatives as we actually won against lower league opposition in a 3rd round FA Cup tie away from home and for that reason alone it would be churlish to do so
If Rodon gets an injury, we play Cooper or: Ampadu Shackleton Byram Hjelde The tea lady Play with 10 men Then Cresswell...only if Gray is unfit.
If (big if) it were me, I'd prioritise the full back positions which would release Gray back to midfield. Then a centre half to compete for Struijks position. Rodon, Struijk, Cresswell and a newbie would be enough. Cooper has been solid for two games but was rested yesterday due to a niggle in his groin.
You forgot Gruev, who plays CB for his country. Even if we played Ampadu & Gruev as emergency CBs, we're still well covered for DMs, in Kamara, Archie, & Shackleton. I'm guessing Farke sees these emergency CBs as being more experienced than Cresswell. I'm further guessing it's not so much about Cresswell's defensive qualities, but his abilities playing out of defence. It's that long since I watched him play that it's a pure guess without any evidence, although it wouldn't surprise me if it's a fairly accurate guess.
Cresswell had the opportunities at the start of the season to impress Farke. Cardiff (h) 53 min sub for the injured Cooper. Shrewsbury (h) Carbao Cup played the full 90 mins. Birmingham (a) full 90 mins Salford (a) Carabao Cup full 90 mins. Nearly 3 and a half games of first team football so whatever Farke saw from Cresswell it obviously wasn't enough to keep him in the matchday squad and the same could be said for Heljde. Whereas youngsters like Gray and Joseph, plus fringe players Poveda & Shackleton clearly caught his eye and continue to do so.
