16 May 2019 11:05:35
Guys should really any of us have been surprised by last nights balls up . The writings been well and truly on the wall since Boxing Day that this team was never going to win the play offs as they don't have three good performances in them in a row . One of my previous posts predicted after their throwing away of automatic that they would raise our expectations one more time in the play offs only to dash them and torture us once more . Last night however, they really out did themselves . Chief architects of the melt down and complete bottle jobs in order : Casilla ( who must never play for Leeds again ) , Cooper who completely lost it after their first goal and Berardi who let's face it did a Berardi . Add to those three clowns Pablo who literally didn't do one thing right all night and Bamford who was just utter utter rubbish and so predictably so and there you have it ( get our money back on him in the Summer if we can ) . In the cold light of day I think all the others did ok and the two full backs played their hearts out .

Moving on to Bielsa . He's a lovely man and a great coach . But is he a winning football manager ? I'm not sure . He's made many mistakes . His apparent insistence on a thin squad with no strength in depth at striker or centre back has cost us . Some of his team selections in the last few months have been dubious particularly overplaying Harrison and Bamford and underplaying Shackleton . Also not trying Brown and Edmondson. But for me his substitutions in the last few months have been dire . Again last night he failed to change it when he could easily have subbed four or five who were under performing. However, this is Leeds we are talking about and successful managers and players for that matter at other clubs are no guarantee of success here . Just ask the likes of Neil Warnock, Brian McDermott and the Billy Sharp's of this world . So on balance I would keep MB if he wants to stay .

Moving on to our owner . Radz has done a lot of things right . But spending money on the first team squad is not one of them . Not enough has been invested and when it has it's been proven to be on the wrong individuals like Bamford, Douglas ( no Wolves form for Leeds) and Casilla . And of last year's signings who has really come good? I guess Klich . The core of the team are players already here pre Rads or academy players . So something has got to change here in financing and player selection . One of the biggest challenges will be keeping our better players . Pontus I can understand going at his age he deserves a shot in the Prem . But Radz must hold on and extend the contracts of Roofe, KP, Klich and Clarke all of whom are a year or so from being out of contract . If he's serious about autos next year, he needs to invest in a new keeper, two senior centre backs ( assuming Pontus goes ) , a winger, a ten and a striker to replace Bamford . He also needs to make much more effective use of the loan market . I just can't see it given his track record but over relying on some more of the promising under 23's to come through is not going to get us automatic promotion. These boys should always be a bonus for a club serious about going up automatically not an essential part of the equation . Given the right space and time to develop and be integrated into the first team, not thrown in because we don't have enough established stars . Having said that I'm excited to see the likes of Edmondson, Wilks, Kun, Bogusz, Gotts get their chances next year and Shack and Clarke will be that much better next season .

1.) 16 May 2019
16 May 2019 11:27:34
great post said same myself. although I called no promotion from game one.

think you was harsh on warnock, we can't count his time at leeds as he had nothing and did wonders to keep us in league. he was told to build a team around snodgrass and then we sold him a week later

warnock is amazing manager just at leeds during an all time low. would have him any day of the week over Mb.

2.) 16 May 2019
16 May 2019 12:09:59
Bermo as I keep on saying as you didn’t expect very much from this side you shouldn’t be too disappointed and you should be celebrating the over achievement!

Shows how different we are, I would have mb as manager over Warnock easy day of the week, I’d even prefer you to Warnock!

A lot of this debate comes back to what you want from a football club and how much you see the premiership as the promised land or the poisoned chalice that highlights a lot that is wrong with the game.

It’s been a great year for the club and the city, we have entertained and enthralled thousands in the ground and at home. We are probably the neutrals number one side to watch outside the premiership and we have lots of good youngsters coming through. Lots of reasons to celebrate and be happy about and I think Bielsa encourages and embraces a lot of that.

Having said that I’d rather remember Bielsa for this year than have him stay and for Bielsa 2 to collapse before Christmas. I still think Corberan with a development remit and realistic targets for year one might be a positive and affordable way forward. That builds on what we have and produces some entertaining football in the style of this year but with adaptations. This is after all a man that whose team this year has won two championships and two penalty shoot outs! There must be some man management skills in there!

3.) 16 May 2019
16 May 2019 12:24:19
I agree with most of this here. People talk about perspective, that promotion was never the guarantee aim, that we achieved the target of the play offs. Rubbish. Top in Jan and if Bielsa knew as he claims that this squad was achieving as much as it could should have been asking for more reinforcements. When u are as close as we were to fail to spend the money on the one player that would have got us over the line is criminal (james) . Whatever Swansea's shenanigans were the writing was kind of on the wall the longer that dragged on and we should have had other moves lined up. We didn't.


Casilla I already made my thoughts known, should be out if possible though who would want him after that if anyone's guess.

Defence we need a commanding CB to partner Jansson (if he stays) . Berardi can be a good defender but if five inches too short and too much of a hot head to trust in important matches. We had finally started to wrestle back control before he got sent off.

Cooper is not captain material, and barely starting material for me. He is a solid cb if your goal is mid table finish. As a captain he should have galvanised the team after the first goal. I make it clear it was not his fault (casilla) but everything that happens afterwards he has to take at least some responsibility for. Worth a place in the team as the third choice cb behind Jansson and a Bartley type.

Some fullback cover/ challenge for Ayling whose form fluctuated massively. Lewie Coyle and Tom Pearce (for lb) big looks in pre season.

CM we are actually set in most positions I think; in order Phillips, Klich, Forshaw Shackleton gives us a solid platform to succeed.

Attacking mid/ Wings. Hernandez I love him and clearly wears his heart on his sleeve. His downturn in form completely agree is age starting to catch up with him. Absolutely worth his place but needs more rest. Clarke I hope can be a starting winger. Would not keep Harrison doing something decent once every ten games is not my idea of productive. Bogusz hopefully can share some time with Hernandez. Brown also not worth pursuing. We need a winger and if in pre-season Bogusz proves not capable of first team football yet a Saiz type.

Strikers. Roofe had a good not a great season in terms of scoring goals, but he offered so much more than just goals compared to Bamford. Injuries too much. Bamford dives twice in two games, low work ethic with too many injuries and too few goals. Love to sell him but it would be at a loss. Yes we have Ryan Edmondson and Malik Wilks to come in hopefully and i'm quietly hopeful that Temunzhkov might get a chance too. We need a 10-15 goal striker tho. Orta should be looking in case none of these three are ready.

Should note that Brentford keeper Daniel Bentley is a year contract left and Yoann Barbet is a free agent.

4.) 16 May 2019
16 May 2019 12:48:00
great post ealing and agree. this year is not about what we gained but what we lost

also apart from phillips agree with every bit of your post 100%.

5.) 17 May 2019
17 May 2019 03:58:37
As for GK, go for Forster or I do like look of Etheridge
from Cardiff, but he may get picked off by prem club.