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Ok another weekend thread and a couple of discussion points that many of us will have views on. The first is our first team and its development and the way it’s transitioned into the toughest league in World football:
Last seasons Championship team won promotion by a 10 point margin and everyone accepted that they were by far the best team in the league. The Premier League plan was then devised by Victor Orta and Marcelo Bielsa in conjunction with Andrea Radrizanni and the plan was to add no more than 4 top players so that the core and spine of the team would be the same as the Championship team of last season. Examples of wholesale changes upon promotion were many and clubs like Villa only survived last season on goal difference, Fulham changed their whole team at a huge financial cost and were promptly relegated. Sheffield Utd were promoted then made wholesale changes adding lots of average players. There are many more examples of a bad plan, so the Leeds plan was developed and on paper has worked but mainly because of the leadership of Bielsa. 4 top players brought in and within weeks Diego Llorente’ suffers injury on International duty only being able to play his first full game in late February, so unlucky for Leeds and now down to 3 top signings. Robin Koch also injured on International duty but soldiers on until he breaks down in December, so we lose Koch for months with a bad knee injury needing surgical intervention. Now down to 2 top signings. Rodrigo the most expensive player to ever sign for Leeds starts on the bench getting up to Bielsa speed but enjoying International starts. He gets his first run outs from the bench but then succumbs to Covid, so out of action for almost a month as he needed to get his fitness back. He then comes back in and becomes a key player for the team but gets injured in January and has been out for 4 matches and counting, so now down to 1 top signing in Raphinah. In effect our Championship team did it and the team has scored 43 Premier League goals and has already established itself as Entertainers, and a great addition to the top Flight, and in doing so are now almost sure of survival. Bielsaball not money did this.
Radz this week in an interview has let a couple of things slip and gave an insight into the plan for this Summer. He said we will be adding up to 5 top signings as we are in the process of ‘shedding our Championship skin’. This is phase 2 of the plan and although 5 players mentioned its really about replacing a couple that will drift out like Pablo, Berardi, maybe Alioski and Forshaw, maybe Roberts and it could well be the likes of Shackelton and Davies who have failed to live up to expectations. 2 top signings are urgently required one for LB and a DM as we are struggling in those positions and have failed so far to cover for Phillips. Romain Perraude the Brest LB is increasingly mentioned and the player has stated he is open to a move. A flying wing back with top data for tackles, attacking flair and assists as well as a couple of goals. Another player mentioned increasingly is Lille Defensive midfielder and French U21 star Boubakary Soumare who is a unit and a great player. Another striker to challenge and cover for Bamford is also seen as essential. So a LB, DM and striker are 3 must haves but will be interesting to see who goes out and who comes in. However I think it great the club have a plan to improve year on year rather than destroy what made the club competitive again. It will also be great to see this seasons 4 signings all show us what they are capable of, because we still haven’t fielded our first team once all season yet.
Another area of discussion is about just how easy Leeds can be beaten. In my view there is only 3 ways Leeds can be beaten:
- Chelsea beat us by yes, having better players, but really they beat us because they matched our energy output for the whole 90 minutes. We were 2nd best against Southampton, we were struggling in the first half because they matched us and pressed us. They ran out of steam so were blown away in the 2nd half but it was plain to see if a team is fitter than Leeds they may beat us. Saints also had at least half a dozen full Internationals, so on paper also had better players on the night.
- Luck plays a big part in results every year and we have seen Leeds play some exceptional football and dominated games 65/35 and yet beaten at the death by a fluke or an error and games against Wolves and Brighton as examples hurt, or even Wigan a couple seasons ago. So Lady Luck
- Leeds have played against some of the best players in the World this season and at times our Championship spine gets exposed and you have to say, well they were better and deserved it. We will never get away with having luck go against us, so must ensure we have high fitness levels so our weaker standard players can override better standard players and blow them away. Then by gradually swapping out players with upgrades means we compete against better standard player on skill as well as energy.
Will Premier League managers decide to up their fitness levels for next season?
Hasenhuttl said: “Normally our 2nd half energy levels means we perform better but against Leeds we were overpowered because we expended so much high energy in the first half, they are difficult to live with”.
Just back on Transfers we managed to pick up an obscure Brazilian for £17m and he has turned out to be a proper Worldy, and everyone wants him. When you think about Buendia, Benrhama and others who we looked at and were quoted £35m you start to smirk. How much for Raphinah now?
if I were being really picky, I would take Brighton out of the flukey win category, we were very poor that day and they created a very good goal but heh, it’s Saturday so I won’t 