The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Wednesday 11th May)

Good Morning. It's Wednesday 11th May, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road


A point would be massive tonight

Leeds entertain Chelsea tonight at Elland Road, knowing that a solitary point would drag them out of the bottom three. The Blues are in a bad run of form, having won only once in five outings. Leeds will also be encouraged that Thomas Tuchel's side will have one eye on the FA Cup final in just three days time. Whilst this is their only chance of Silverware this season, three points tonight would be invaluable for them; as it would create a four point lead against bitter rivals Arsenal in fourth place.

Leeds have not picked up a single point against any of the top six this season. Would a draw tonight be enough? Burnley must travel to Spurs on Sunday, followed by a trip to Villa Park next Thursday. Steven Gerrard's Villan's trounced Burnley 3-1 at Turf Moor last weekend; surely they can do the same again at home. Their last game of the season is against Newcastle. Everton face Watford away, Brentford at home, Palace away and Arsenal away.

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Mother Teresa to Leeds Utd's rescue

During yesterday's Pre Match Press Conference, Leeds head Coach Jesse Marsch revealed that he uses more than fifty excerpts from books to inspire and motivate his squad. The conversation came to light after Jack Harrison disclosed that Marsch had read extracts from Mahatma Gandhi's biography to inspire his team prior to the Arsenal game (It ended as badly for Gandhi as it did for Leeds). Unfortunately, none of Marsch's literature mentioned keeping it tight early on, or avoiding two footed challenges.

“Inspiration is a big part of this job and when you lead people you have to find ways to have your finger on the pulse of exactly what's happening at any moment. “I have 52 excerpts from books that I sometimes give players when, individually, I think they need something to motivate them based on where they are in their development path or who they are as people to reach them differently rather than the conversations I have with them.

“I’ve used Muhammed Ali a few times with the group, Michael Jordan is a guy I'm inspired by, Phil Jackson. I use things that resonate with me that I think can also fit within the standing of where we are. “There are other historical figures like Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and presidents like JFK that have meant something to where we are historically in the world right now.”

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Hay rips into Marsch

Elland Road journalist Phil Hay has ripped into Jesse Marsch following his comments at his Pre Match Press Conference yesterday. The former Chief Football Writer for the YEP feels Marsch's motivational speeches are misplaced at a time that the team find themselves with their backs against the wall. He further insinuates that perhaps the American likes the sound of his own voice too much.

"There are good times to sell yourself as a coach and the tail-end of a season where nothing has gone well and everything is on the line is not one of them. You have a vision and an ideal of how your team will look but here and now, you might be going down. You envisage Leeds’ academy becoming the best in Europe but here and now, you might be going down. You like this quote from history, but here and now, you might be going down. There is no bigger picture until the haze clears."

"Marsch cannot count on that tolerance because in spite of the positive bounce in results over the course of a month and a half, Leeds are in peril and the city is worried." "Marsch is new to his surroundings but the surroundings are tense and unforgiving. Arrive in the summer, with empty weeks ahead of you, and people can get to know you in an uncharged way. They can listen to your thoughts with a little more patience and roll more gently with your idiosyncrasies. It might all go the same way, especially if pre-season in Italy involves players sitting in rivers, but the summer has the advantage of convincing everyone that anything is possible."

"Whatever else Marsch has gleaned so far, the scale of the scrutiny on him cannot have gone over his head. He is Bielsa’s successor and it took one comment about over-training for that to flare up. He is in a city which is fair but low on bullshit and currently living on its nerves. He is entitled to think big in his planning but it is a challenge to ask anyone to take those plans in when nobody dares look beyond the next 10 days."

"Bielsa’s musings were the opposite of a vicious circle. The more his influence was felt and the better his team became, the more people wanted to hear him talk and understand where his brain took him, and the more he could veer off the beaten track and hold people’s attention, without ridicule. Naturally, there were people who took the piss but none of his own. Why not think differently and why not go off-piste? A captive audience loved it."

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Morning all,

For once I agree with Phil Hay. Marsch sounds more like Ted Lasso every day. Players need more than inspirational quotes. They only get inspired by buying into the coach’s tactics, the training regime etc. not by things Gandhi and Mother Teresa said years ago ffs.

And btw Marsch, when two teams finish a game having scored the same amount of goals it’s called a draw, not a tie

 

Hay demonstrates the state of British media and sports media. They love to talk up players/coaches and then kick the shyt out of them. Marsch will hopefully learn to keep his gob shut? There are talkers and there are doers, maybe Marsch should concentrate on doing something that the team haven't done this season. Take a point from a top 4 team.

 

Maybe we should have gotten a good old British coach like Bruce or Warnock back. The media love their interviews and wouldn't upset anyone by using non British phrases. Seriously who gives a flying f. I don't even bother with any interviews, be it managers or players. Are the players up to the challenge, that's the question. Well have a better idea very soon.

 

It's coming to something on this board when people dislike the coach so much they're resorting to agreeing with Phil Hay

I don't mind him using any methods he wants to help the players deal with their situation, whether it's sports psychologists getting them to live in the moment and release their inner chimp at the right time blah blah... or 'fight them on the beaches' type quotes on the players when he's revving them up for battle... but agree, it can come across a bit platitudinal to refer to them in a press conference... and leaves him open to Ted ridicule. But as Eire says, who gives a sh*t. It's what the players think of him and how they react to his methods that matters.

 

Inspirational speeches, quotes, sayings are a bunch of arse.

Get out there and get a ****ing point - that's all he needs to say.

 

A tied game tonite would be awesome dude - get in the hole!

 

On the usbject of everyone's favourite 'journalists'. Discuss:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/jesse-marsch-should-quit-leeds-26922326

Milky reaches for popcorn

 

That's quite an inspirational speech in it's own right Norms... are you quoting Mike Bassett?

I think we should go 4 4 fcking 2

 

I was actually quoting Mother Teresa

 

So was I!!!!!

 

The 2 most powerful words in the english language are “I AM” Because what comes after I AM will shape your life. What you speak after “I AM” … What you BELIEVE after “I AM” will control your decisions and shape your life.

Jesse I AM fkg sick of this season, get it done tonight please

 

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In that case I am immortal

 

fixed that typo for you

 

That’ll do

 

I'm a c*nt.

Ps; Everyone knows and I don't fecking care

 

Another Mother Teresa quote

 

Phil Hay just loves alienating himself further from the club. First he gets told he talks bollox by Radz after talking bollox about the 49ers take over. Then he gets snubbed by Marsch for printing how stupid Marsch was to slag off Bielsa and now he has another go at Marsch, slamming his inspirational speakers. Poor old Phil never gets the inside track on Leeds news .

Phil Hay is a Hearts fanboy not Leeds
Adam Pope is an Everton fan
Graham Smyth is a Chesterfield fan