Good Morning. It's Tuesday 22nd February, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road Leeds defend Koch position following PFA roasting Leeds Utd have reacted angrily to the PFA's insinuations have they failed to follow protocols and prioritise Robin Koch's safety during Sunday's game against Manchester Utd. The German International went down after a collision with Scott McTominay in the 12th minute. He was assessed by Leeds’ medical team and was given the green light. However, less than 20 minutes later, Koch indicated that he couldn't continue, and was replaced by Junior Firpo. According to the PFA: “The injury to Leeds United’s Robin Koch demonstrates again that the current concussion protocols within football are failing to prioritise player safety. “The ‘if in doubt, sit them out’ protocol is not being applied consistently within the pressurised environment of elite competitive football. “We see frequent incidents of players returning to play with a potential brain injury, only to be removed shortly afterwards once symptoms visibly worsen.” Leeds responded by saying “Leeds United can confirm that following a clash of heads, Robin Koch passed all of the on-field concussion screening tests that are currently part of the Premier League protocols. “The player was told if he developed any symptoms he should sit down on the field of play and would be substituted immediately, which is what Robin did in the 29th minute of the game. “The medical staff at Leeds United have always been in favour of temporary substitutions for head injuries, as it would allow the staff more time to assess an injury and allow a period for symptoms to potentially develop. “Robin will follow the concussion protocols before returning to play.” please log in to view this image Should McTominay have been sent off Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher discusses Scott McTominay, the clash with Robin Koch and whether the Scottish International should have been sent for an early bath during Sunday's encounter at Elland Road. Speaking to Sky Sports, the 64yo was quoted as saying:- "I thought the referee Paul Tierney dealt with this situation and other similar situations in this game really well. The yellow card procedure is as follows: is a challenge just a foul with no further action needed? Is it a foul with further admonishment? Or is something a foul with a yellow card? Once someone is on a yellow card, that process starts again. There's a myth that because you are on a yellow card, the next foul means you are going to go off. That's not right. What happens is that you are back to square one". "It could be that the next tackle, you get sent off but it could be that you have an accumulation of tackles. In situations like this, Mark Clattenburg was an expert in knowing when two fouls could be paired up to equal a red. But McTominay never then committed what was then an out-and-out second yellow card. He was chipping away, but Mark was really good at telling a player to stop. It meant that whatever happened on the next foul, the player would be sent off. The referees do this well now" McTominay was not booked for the Koch incident. He was shown the yellow card for flattening Joe Gelhardt in the second half. This was a blatant booking all day long, certainly not a build up of minor fouls. The big question is, should he have been booked for dangerous play regarding the Koch incident? Should Leeds be better at defending set pieces. After Sunday's defeat left Leeds just five points from the drop zone, it would be safe to say that they need to tighten up in certain areas. Whilst some aspects are more difficult to influence, having not strengthened the team last month, there is no reason why they can't improve on defending set pieces. Leeds have conceded 12 set-piece goals in the PL this season, only Leicester have leaked more (14) and if they are to avoid the drop, this is an aspect of the game they must improve on. Bielsa is considered by many as being one of the best coaches in the World, yet we see the same mistakes week after week. Why is not being addressed? Is the Argentine beyond reproach? Whilst 14 goals doesn't sount like much (24% of goals conceded), many more are conceded after the initial danger of the set piece have been averted. Bielsa (and coaches) are paid millions each year, isn't it time they showed their worth? please log in to view this image
Morning all. Koch is a typical modern day footballer, he probably felt queasy with the blood. I just look at the likes of Butcher and Kisnorbo and all the rugby players, you’re either a tough cookie or you’re not.. I do however wonder about the logic in keeping a player on that’s going to avoid any headers after receiving such a knock. McTominay my Leeds head says he should have been off, if it was the other way around I’d have said 50/50 a bit fortunate. The board can’t question Bielsa if they wish to keep him but yes, our defending is shocking, the man to man defending is not working. We’re in a tricky situation, if Raphinha and Phillips want out we want top money, to get that we need to renew their contracts, to do that they want to know if Bielsa is staying. For the first time ever under Bielsa we’re in a bit of a mess, fans divided, not as attractive a club to join languishing near the bottom and a coach who’s coming a bit unstuck
I always found it weird that Kisborno continued to wear the bandaging for the next couple of years!!!!!!!!! please log in to view this image
Having had concussion a few times (with and without blood), a few without at first realising it, I can get why he later went off. It can take you a while to notice that things aren't right, though sometimes it takes someone else to realise and to tell you. I was baffled at our marking around our box. At one point MU had 3 or 4 bods in the box and it looked obvious that a cross was coming in but Strujik - our tallest player(?) was outside the box, marking his man. Isn't that ankle McTominays?
Opposition managers know Bielsa is rigid in his approach and they just work the spaces like we're puppets on a string pulling players out of position
I didn't read the PFA comments as being against Leeds but against the wait and see approach of football to head injuries. In Rugby for example the player is taken off the field for assessment and a temporary sub is allowed until the off-field medical assessment reaches a conclusion. This I think is where the PFA would like to end up rather than the "continue playing for a while and see if you feel OK in ten minutes or so" approach. In Rugby the decision is taken out of the hands of the teams themselves and lets match officials require the off-field assessments to be made. https://www.world.rugby/news/612891
Just a thought of all this crap going on with Putin and Russia, the blonde knob has said he is implementing sanctions on Russian banking!!!!! so does that mean transferring money to pay the Chelski cnuts with his Russian rip off money? Hope so and he is run out of UK .
So, the vultures are already starting to circling Leeds United looking to get our best players for cheap if we go down.
