Good Morning Everyone Izzy Brown helped himself to a brace as Carlos Corberan's youngsters went three points clear of second place Birmingham in the U23 development league. More importantly the England U21 Forward completed 90 minutes of football for the first time in over a year. Should Brown be on the bench for the Stoke game or is it too soon? Kiko Casilla's girlfriend has started to follow Leeds Utd on Instagram! More fuel to the fire that the Spanish International is on his way to Elland Road or is it true, we all love Leeds? Leeds United, Boro and Norwich City are keeping close tabs on Columbus Crew forward Gyasi Zarde The 27-year-old has spent his entire career playing in the United States, coming through the youth system at LA Galaxy before moving to Columbus last season. He has played 40 times for the USA. Blades Manager Chris Wilder has become the latest pundit to give his opinion on Spy gate. Wilder explained that it plays perfectly into our ‘nobody likes us’ attitude. “Far too much has been made of it. I think Leeds United have been very, very clever. It’s obviously not something that I would do. I think they’ve used it to their advantage. They have this attitude which we understand being in Yorkshire, that nobody likes them and I think that nobody likes them a little more. I think the manager’s been very, very clever in taking full responsibility. I’ve got to say that it’s been going on for 30, 40, 50 years in different scenarios, managers trying to find out the team before the game and I think it’s been blown up a little bit too much really.” As I’ve said before, it feels wrong and underhand but it was public ground and there are others in the game who have said incidents are common, despite the line of thinking that says it’s not done in ‘our’ game. No laws have been broken, if you don’t want training to be watched by the naked eye, invest in a fence.
Morning all The keeper situation looks more and more likely to happen, Izzy needs to be on the bench, he could be a game changer with 10 minutes to go if we need one. Sensible talk from Wilder, originally I wanted this to just swiftly go away but the more that admit it goes on in one form or another, the more it will become egg on their faces if the EFL or FA decide to take action.
I’m a middle aged man... I’ve had an ankle problem for over 30 years, currently when I run I have left knee pain and my right hamstring is still tight from an injury last summer. Izzy brown moves like me.
Morning all Izzy isnt ready yet and WJ was there yesterday with his mate Bielsa as they had a Morrisons shopping trip planned. Izzy was slow in the first half maybe feeling his way in and better in the 2nd half although forever feeling his thighs. So lets give him a bit more time Wilder is correct and think Lampard being a gobby cockerny cnut and media darling will learn that this will come back to bit him. The keeper situation is not settled and conflicting stories around now as Popey got involved last night. A Spanish media mate told him negotiations are still going on because Real Madrid might want it to be a loan and still want us to pay 18 months of the wages he is due? why he wont be playing for them. So guess this is why some red tops are saying we are getting Fraser Forster? Yes I commented on Kiko's bird following Leeds on social media and also following Pablo's wife, so yesterday it was on.. Anyone seen the story from Phil hay about Saiz being miles behind the rest of the squad in pre season sprints.
Morning all. On a different note, watched a few minutes if the city wolves game last night. Most remarkable difference was the difference in atmosphere between the 60k city fans and our 35k Friday. And city are one of the best teams in Europe and near top of league again I just hope, if or when were playing in a full 50k stadium in the pl, we dont lose any of our identity or passion for the game
Morning Matt and all Think Brown will need at least another couple of games before he is ready, even for the bench, from what WJ wrote yesterday. Tbe goalie saga carries on, hopefully it will be sorted, sooner rather than later. Either of the 2 mentioned would be good, but Kiko slighlty better. Wilder saying what most rational people are thinking.
Good morning Matt Bielsa may give Brown a place on the bench if he feels he is fit & ready to go, there again he could wrap Izzy up in cotton wool for a couple of weeks. Apparently Phillips was head & shoulders above everyone on the park, just what I would expect from Kalvin, his attitude is first class !
City and their neighbours before them have attracted the wrong kind of supporter, their stadium is so large the glory hunters will fill the seats but have no passion, because it's not really their club, they just want to be winners, happened at Arsenal, and will happen at Spurs too, Liverpool is different as their lower capacity keeps it that the passionate long term fan is still their bread and butter.
Apart from the odd knob in the game, Wilder shares the same opinion as the majority of managers/ex-players/pundits, the whole scenario has been drummed up like a mountain out of a molehill
I don't think that would happen Eire, Leeds fans are far too passionate Key is we don't build a massive modern stadium away from ER
Morning all, I've never wanted to give a Blades manager a hug, but I guess there's a first time for everything, Mr Wilder! I would be very cautious re. Izzy. Still think this is rehab, even though it's 90 mins. He was deffo niggled (at times) by his left hammy, feeling it & stretching it in the second half. Don't recall it being an issue in the first half, but then there was probably more movement from me keeping warm in the first half than him playing! Ok, a wee exaggeration I was quite impressed by Huffer yesterday, & forgot to mention it. Was alert when called upon, which wasn't too often. I've realised that any keeper we get must have superb concentration. Reason I say this is down to our percentage of possession. During a normal game, 'keepers are usually always alert, as they're potentially involved almost every minute. When you're holding the ball for most of the game,like us, it's the easiest thing in the world for the 'keeper to lose concentration. I honestly believe that's why we do so many passbacks to the 'keeper. People moan that it's negative passing, but I think it has a very important part to play - it keeps the 'keeper awake! . Let me give you an example of what I mean. As you know, I'm an avid Partick Thistle fan. We used to have a goalkeeper called Alan Rough, who was also the Scotland 'keeper. Thistle being Thistle, Roughie was peppered with shots every 30 seconds or so. The manager used to claim that he was worth 30 points a season, and believe me, he wasn't being glib. It's prolly an underestimate. To only say that he was brilliant is doing him a disservice. He was much more than that. The thing is, whilst the Thistle was an awful team, Scotland were at the height of their powers then. And our achilles heel was Roughie! He was so used to being keyed up for 90 mins with the Thistle, that he tended to fall asleep for the national team, as they had lots of possession, and his concentration slipped. Long winded, but what I was coming round to say was that Huffer passed that test for me yesterday. Didn't have a lot to do, but when he did, he was ready for it. Absolute concentration. Personally, I don't really care about getting another 'keeper. BPF will do me for a #1, & Huffer will do me for a #2 if we don't sign anyone. But then, what do I know compared to Bielsa?
The term ‘Scottish keeper’ not a complimentary one, was coined in regard to Alan Rough I think. We never got to see the club form that got him in the national team... we just assumed that what we saw in the national team was the best Scotland had to offer... and that it didn’t say much for the rest of them!
Kiko wasn't at training this morning as young Zidane was in his place being promoted from the reserves. So guessing that suitcases are being packed...
I had heard his cub form was really good... think most of us just went for the ‘choked on the bigger stage’ argument rather than the concentration element. I have a different theory for you. I think there’s something in the ‘concentration’ element, just as it also stands to reason that if you’re more invloved in the game your muscles are warmer etc. However, I think there’s a pressure element to it as well. When you’re under siege, you don’t have time to think about the consequences of an error, you’re reacting to what’s in front of you... also if you’re busy there’s a feeling that if the opponent’s score its to be expected. Whereas if your team is dominating the game... and the opponents break... you’ve had plenty of chance to think about the consequences of an error, and that can tense you up. Take BPF one of our favourite subjects... in his first game last year against wolves he played really well, but later in the game, misjudged a through ball, came off his line when he should have stayed. I wonder if that has played on his mind... a few times this season we’ve seen him stay in similar circumstances when he could have come... or ocasionally come when he should have stayed like he did against derby. Could just be a judgement thing, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he was overthinking it. Also he’s made some excellent close range and reflex saves this season, but has made some errors on longer shots that he should have had covered... that’s not ability to me that’s most likely tension. His critics forget how young and inexperienced he is for a keeper... playing in front of big crowds in high pressure situations... he’s learning his trade on the job in a pressure cooker.
O'neil confirmed as new manager of Robin Hoods men, and i am sure he will get them motivated..... not too much though, but this can work in our favour, they still have Blunts, West Brom, Boro, QPR and a few more outsiders in the chase to get into the top six, as i said a few days ago, lets keep winning in style like against Derby and it will take care of itself, love to see Keith Andrews eat humble pie, even give him some stick when next live against Norwich.
