The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Thursday 17th September)

Good Morning. Its Thursday 17th September, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road


Wilks rips Leeds apart

Leeds were knocked out of the Carabao Cup last night following a tense penalty shootout which the Tigers won 9-8.

This was after Alioski spared Leeds blushes by scoring a last gasp equalizer, only their second shot on target against our league 1 neighbours.

Former academy player Malik Wilkes looked the most dangerous, and it was the 21yo that put Grant McCann's side ahead in just the 5th minute, albeit from a wicked deflection off Cresswell which gave Casilla no chance.

After the game Bielsa said:- "It wasn't a very good game from our team, we didn't defend well or attack well. We would have liked to have continued in the competition, I am sad we were eliminated, I feel responsible for the defeat.

"With our preparation for this game we thought that we were going to do more than we did. When a coach picks a team… I picked the team thinking they would have enough to beat Hull but when the team didn't have enough to beat Hull, I feel like I am responsible for the defeat.

"The team was built with players that should have shown a better performance. The deficiencies in the team were because they couldn't gel together."

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Hay gives full transfer update

With 18 days until the transfer window slams shut, Former Chief Football writer for the YEP, Phil Hay gives a full update as to where Leeds presently stand in the transfer market!

'Leeds like De Paul but you'll have noticed that since the name first emerged, they haven't piled in to get a deal done. They've been holding off and likewise with Gvardio'.

'The money is there in the sense that the budget would stretch but in both cases it's a judgement about whether the money is worth spending. De Paul will cost £35m unless Udinese lower their asking price. Gvardiol is £20m and he wouldn't be first choice (although that could still be an excellent investment for the future). Gvardiol is still possible but Bielsa was very taken by Struijk at Anfield'.

'As for Harry Wilson, Orta is always hugely keen on him but Bielsa hasn't sanctioned a move for him yet. I get the impression that Bielsa thinks more of Ryan Kent'.

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Is our young talent as good as we think they are?

Having been outclassed at home to Hull, obliterated by Accrington Stanley and embarrassed by Stoke; many Leeds fans raised their concern regarding the strength of squad at Elland Road.

We saw the Whites get ripped apart last night. Only Poveda, Shackleton and Aioski (imo) gaining any respectability from the game. Last Thursday we witnessed our multi million pound U23's get trounced at Stoke. Former Borussia Dortmund Gabriel Kyeremateng grabbing all four goals for the Potters - not bad for a freebee! Our worst defeat however was when Bielsa decided to switch our 23's for the u18's to give the more experienced players game time against the first team. Sure, their was an enormous gulf in age between the two teams but with the talent on display to conceded 7 without reply against a team tipped for relegation back to the fourth tier is unacceptable!

Thoughts?

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Will it be Wilson, will it be Kent - You'll have to wait and see

Marcelo Bielsa and Victor Orta are at loggerheads as to which forward they should sign.

We all know that Bielsa has had his eye on Rangers and former Liverpool forward Ryan Kent since he arrived at Elland Road two years ago! However, Leeds Director of football Victor Orta prefers Harry Wilson.

Which one would you like to see at Elland Road?

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Bielsa criticised for making Casilla Captain

Marcelo Bielsa has come in for criticism last night for making Kiko Casilla Captain for their Carabao Cup tie against Hull.

The 33yo shot stopper has been out of favour at Elland Road since he received an eight game ban for (probably) using racist language towards Jonathan Leko a year ago!

Should Leeds have terminated the 33yo's contact when he received the ban or are you of the belief that because the guilty verdict would not have stood up in a British Court of law, people should get behind Casilla instead of criticising him?

Phil Hay gave an update on the Casilla situation:- 'Casilla increasingly looks like he's staying. No offers of note, he's on a fairly sizeable wage (£35k a week or thereabouts). Also, there doesn't seem to be any rush on Bielsa's part to move him on and Bielsa has complete autonomy when it comes to managing the squad'.

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Good morning.

I couldn't really care less about the league cup but I might take an interest in the FA Cup if we have a bit of breathing space by January.

Last night made me even more sure that we need more depth in a couple of positions. Mainly CB. I keep hearing people shout that the youth players will cover but last night proved that they aren't yet ready for the League One level, never mind going against Aguero et al.

Struijk is the promising youngster who looks like he could be useful this year but let's not get carried away, he's started three league games in his career and is already the cover for Phillips, Koch and Cooper. Beyond that we either need to rely on last nights centre backs or playing someone out of position which is better but has cost us points in the Championship before.

The senior players from last night were also a disappointment. Rodrigo will hopefully look a different player when he's getting better service. Casilla was at fault for their goal which people will rightly criticise him for but after that he was the only reason we didn't end up with an embarrassing score line so probably ended up being one of our better performers.

 

Good Morning to Matt and co from a sunny Bardsey
Hope yo uare feeling much better I know Moe is today
Ihave spoken to the owner of the cottage I have booked at Looker to see if they are still open now thatNE has got lock down she says no problem at allthank goodness as we are taking Stephen and his wife so he can recupriate it has a spa and treatment room along with a pub which is what I like
Poor result last night but to be honest I am not bothered Doc was right as usual Summerville signed yesterday and could be the most signfiicant signing this year

 

Morning all

First off, wish people would stop having a go at the U23s. We have half a dozen new faces who had never met before and all need to learn Bielsaball and new tactics and positional play. I have every confidence in our kids

Last nights performance was woeful and I felt for Rodrigo who looked mobile and sharp but got no service. I felt too for Poveda who was the only bright light on offence and Baby Charlie Cresswell who is going to be a baller. Hope the more senior players are having a think about that performance.

11 days before the window closes and I hope Bielsa isnt going to go for Kent again due to his mouth and not wanting to come. We need to either go in heavy for De Paul or pull out and concentrate on someone who is better than Pablo. I think Struijk has done enough to keep his place in the squad as a viable alternative for CB and DM. I think Poveda has done enough to be the replacement winger and spark, so we need a top creative player and thats it finished

 

Thanks for the update Doc

 

a wicked deflection off Cresswell which gave Casilla no chance.

Casilla was at fault for their goal

Well which is it ?

 

Casilla gave the ball away leading up to the goal. The shot itself he couldn't do anything about.

 

Casilla passed the ball out to Wilks. That was the mistake. He couldn't have done anything with the deflection.

 

Jimmy Summerville should also make it to the first team as an option out wide. His arrival means Jordan Stevens can now go to Swindon. Jimmy played 21 times last season in the top Dutch league and scored twice and created 6 assists. So once he gets up to speed he and Poveda are options out wide.

 

The only problem I have with the 23's is that although talented they are not going to be ready for a season or two. Take Cresswell for example, might be a good player but he won't be ready for at least 3 years.

If we are looking to the 23's as back up to the first team then I reckon the step up could be too big for the younger guys at this point.

Struijk, Poveda, Shack, Roberts can all do a job filling in for the first team. The others still look a bit green.

 

I sRoberts good enough?

 

I think the youngsters who played last night looked good and the U23s are mostly new with no CB's so I think they will come good. Just need more time and they've also stepped up in terms of division.

If Bielsa would like Kent then we should go for Kent, the manager knows best for what we need but I feel that Kent has an attitude problem (not sure if this is the case it's just how he has always seemed to come across to me) so I'd rather De Paul or Buendia. I think the money is better spent there and if we get Buendia there should still be enough left in the kitty for Gvordial or someone similar.

Kiko for now is a Leeds player so we need to back him. I also don't agree that he's being seen to be a guilty party when this would never stand up in court and is more of a he said/she said argument. He has a mistake in him so he's definitely not a no.1 GK and I would be happy to see his wage bill out of the club as it's a lot for a player that will only make the bench this season. As for the goal he did give the ball away however I think Davis should have made it to the ball and it wasn't as if he gave the ball away in the box, Wilks picked the ball up on the wing and still had 4 defenders in front of him so poor defending as no one should get through that and make it look as easy as he did. I think people are blaming Kiko because it's Kiko. He kept us in the game last night with the amount of saves he had to make.

 

Roberts? I really don't know what people see in him. Shacks was awful last night but that was more of a one off.

 

Morning all,

I made a comment yesterday that playing Kiko is liking giving the other team a goal head start. It only took him 4 minutes to prove me right.

It doesn't matter how many good saves he makes if he is guaranteed to gift a goal a game then there is no defending him.

We need to move him on and replace with a good older keeper to act as cover for Meslier, someone with prem experience preferably to help train the youngster.

 

Morning all i did not watch the game but was not surprised we lost. Our younger players have no experience and losing every time they are involved is no good for their development. Once again we see bielsa bomb out of a cup. We needed to stay in and give a couple of the u23s game time. No need for 11 changes it does no good. So now we lose the chance to bring players along which is better than training sessions.
We need more players with some quality about them even more so now we are out of this cup no one is saying we need a striker but i think we do. Classy mid too and a centre back.

 

Morning all

Can’t we just forget about Kent? He doesn’t want to come to Leeds and Rangers don’t want to sell, so let’s move on pleas.

I regard to last night’s game against Hull I’m not to fussed about being out of the Caraboa Cup. Did not see it, but it sounds like we played a bad game and that is disappointing. It was good to see that at least Poveda, Shackleton and Alioski gained some respectability from the game. And I think Rodrigo will need a few more week in Bielsa ball before he is up to scratch. And that also goes for Koch even thou I thought he got better and better as the game went on against Liverpool.

I think we should spend the money on De Paul and say we are good for now. Of cause I would like to have a few more players in, but we can’t get everyone in one go.

 

Didn't think Poveda had a good game myself, worked hard, but always took on one too many and lost the ball, and don't remember him getting any crosses in. Didn't think anyone played well though tbh, with only 2/3 being average.

 

See below

 

Ups sorry, I read Rodrigo not Roberts
But yes, Roberts is a difficult one. At times I think he look really good and at others really bad.

 

At the moment I'd say Roberts is a decent championship level player. He's worth having on the bench with the squad we currently have and at 21 he has time to improve but probably needs to kick on now if he's going to become Premier League standard.