Well well well another big weekend thanks to last weeks abysmal performance. Even Bielsa doesn't know what happened but he yesterday spoke with feeling and heart. He said it was the worst feeling in football and had only ever felt like this 6 times, he refuses to rant at his players as he says the players need telling how good they are and convincing them that what he wants them to do they can do with ease. I know this thoughit will be a tough game from a team who have won 4 games and are coming together. We have a shed load of injuries and only have Raphinha back and a lot if pressure on him to make a difference. The fans need to shout for 90 minutes and be the extra man and the difference tomoz. The problems with injuries in the first team, and having only 18 first teamers is that our brilliant U23 team is being undermined. Tonight we are at home but will not be able to put out our strongest team and so far we have not won in our last 4 games simply because we have our better players sitting on the first team bench. The last time we put our best team on the pitch we smashed a shed load of goals past Liverpool who are one of the favs for the league. We were only a couple of points of the top…… Lots of talk about Raphinha leaving again and not helped because his agent Deco has mentioned Liverpool chasing him and many other top clubs. Even Fabrizio Romano is now talking about it, but says January is out but keep watch in the summer. We may have to face losing him but will receive a huge profit on him. Teams interested are PSG because Naymar enjoyed partner him up front for Brazil. Radz was at the CL match at PSG the other night with his mate the owner. Could he have been thinking about a player plus cash for our player, was he offering Poch a way out next season? Biggest regret at ER must be not filling that vital midfield role we failed to fill 3 windows ago when we stopped the Cuisance deal. We have been linked to many many players in those 3 windows, some at realistic prices and some at inflated money. This summer we seem to have only gone for Connor Gallagher on loan and he turned us down for Palace. He is having a great season and under Viera we can see why Bielsa wanted him. He can play solid DM and a box to box threat scoring goals and creating assists. He is up there so far as one of the best midfield players of the season. But if you discount De Paul, Nahitan Nandez who were both too much money, other players who we know Orta went after fell away but was it money or something else? I watched 2 players the other night who we went in for ad they were outstanding against Man Utd in the CL. Koopmeiners was the best player on the pitch and directed everything for Atalanta and looked a worldy. He was valued at £17m so what happened. Another Atalanta player came on late in the game after being out injured, he was the best Ukranian in the recent European Championship Tournament, Malinovski is a baller and yet only £15m, so what happened.there were plenty of others but what about now because I believe we have got to spend in January because we are in a bind and we have no real cover for Phillips and we need some creativity. Lingard will be leaving Man Utd and so too will Van De Beek, it also looks like Winks and Ali will be leaving Spurs. Lets have no more talk of O’Brian please. Its going to be a square peg match against Wolves and as discussed on Ellands brekky thread we need to surprise them with something. So what would you do, I would play all 3 wingers but Raphinhain the middle. Last pount from me this week is Arsenal in midweek. A couple of weeks ago we were talking about going for it, but we cant now as too many injured. So we will maybe see Sam Greenwood playing alongside Joffy and Sam will love to score against them s he joined us from the Gunners. But what sort of team will we be able to field? Roberts, Forshaw, Cresswell and Struijk, Shackelton, Summerville but is Forshaw really the senior player? Can we risk Phillipss we need him for Norwich which is deffo going to be make or break match. In fact can we risk any first teamer at all
Great weekend debate as always Doc. Seems ages since we had no dedicated weekend thread as thankfully you started the weekender making those dreary days now just a distant memory. We all now look forward to your erudite words and many varied points for discussion. To be honest it's always the best thread of the week (soz elland old boy), many thanks for taking the time & making the effort, it's much appreciated
Right on to the weekend debate. What I'm sensing from some of the fanbase is that we're reaching a potential tipping point regarding the support for Bielsa. Personally I find this unbelievable, but many are saying if things go badly this weekend they would support a change of manager/coach. Are we really that fickle ? Even if we are that fickle, who exactly do those supporters think is out there that could do any better ? Answers on a postcard to heads of recruitment at Spurs/Arsenal/Newcastle etc...ya flipping dimwits.
I’d stick with Bielsa even if we were relegated. He did wonders with the team he inherited when he first arrived but they weren’t his team. It would be interesting to see what he could do with players who’d be 100% his choice from the off. Obviously that scenario would be best avoided by staying in the PL but whatever happens it would be crazy to instigate his removal. Also, no manager/coach is flawless. Bielsa just happens to be a flawed genius (imo) Keep him for however long he wants to stay.
Jacko in the YEP toughing it out, but you can tell hes frustrated as hell “We’ll recover and we’ll see what players we have available for Friday. “Obviously the first team plays on Saturday [against Wolves] and we know that the squad is thin at the minute. “Whoever we have available we know we have a set way of playing and full confidence in the young players to put it right “They’ll be hungry to do that. “We’re hungry as a group of staff and players to get back to winning ways.” Counting all competitions, the Whites’ Under-23s have gone winless in their last four games, with the last three being defeats, and Jackson’s side will be eager to improve and get the win against Brighton in the Premier League 2.
This is why we will have trouble keeping Raphinha, unless we can prove we will be into Europe the season after next “Not even Neymar had this confidence” – Denilson raves about Raphinha, says Leeds United star set to kick someone out of WC squad
Are you telling me that you've only just realised how moronic a substantial percentage of Leeds supporters are?
Exactly and anyone with any knowledge of football can see we're in a transition between the the team he inherited and building the new one. Three years is what Radz said we would need to establish ourselves in the PL...not 12 months.
Whipped up by media and a few idiots who forget what we went through before Bielsa landed. He has been brilliant for usand has done better than Revie in the same timescale. If he sees lots of fans having a go he will walk
My first game at ER was 50 years ago this year, during that time I've witnessed quite a few of those up & downs we often sing about. However it was joining this forum which confirmed precisely how moronic some of our fanbase can be. The plus side is at least I'm now more tolerant of imbeciles.
Match scheduling obviously doesn't help but ultimately it has to be all about the 1st team. None of Joffy, Summerville, Cresswell, Hjelde plus a couple of others should be involved tonight. If you're on the bench you might be called upon in the first few minutes due to an injury, it's only right these youngsters are given the proper preparation time and that means resting the night before a game. Totally understand where you're coming from though Doc, sitting on the bench and not playing for either isn't helping fitness or development. It's a case of needs must at the moment with the hope that one or two become regular first teamers if they impress during this spate of injuries we're having.
At least now we know what the problem with Roberts is... at the back of the class not listening properly. Serioulsy though, Rodrigo was the most disappointing for me last weekend. As the senior player he should have led the way but he wasn't at the races and was rightly subbed off first...needs to put in a performance tomorrow.
In his defence even Phil Hay said this morning that he was getting into great positions but never had any passes that reached him. Not just a problem with him or even Roberts as the whole team were pressed and stifled from passing through their press. The whole team did ok defending but were garbage going forward as nothing was coming off. Agree though that our star man needs to shine more. He scores tomoz as in Gladiator the crowd will love him
So Summerville, Gelhardt, Drameh and Cresswell are deffo in the Wolves squad as not at York tonight for the Brighton game. 4 top players missing tonight and there will be a couple of swaps at half time too so expecting Hjelde swapped for Snowdon so the kid can also be on the bench tomoz and also expecting McGurk swapped at half time to replace Greenwood who will also be on the bench
I left the MOT forum mostly because of the negativity on there,it was really pissing me off, and that was last March ffs, I can probably name the one's that will say they don't want Bielsa out but virtually every post,especially matchday weekend will be slagging him off, as soon as the Bielsa out campaign starts on there, I know who'll be leading it. The thing that pissed me off mainly was the lack of perspective. I could go on but I've probably bored you all enough already. Bielsa in..........plus 3 players in January
