Leeds Banter Archive November 11 2018

11 Nov 2018 19:18:28
If we are consolidating on a top six finish (even that is debatable to some people) then, altho there are calls for changes already the thing to remember is that the team to get playoff promotion is the the one that clicks in March, gains momentum in April and is charging in May. That could be/ should be US. So panic not people.

11 Nov 2018 19:52:40
Leodis top 6 is second prize.

12 Nov 2018 11:59:28
Not if your number one or two in the six wex.

11 Nov 2018 15:40:31
Having read through many postings on here regarding yesterday's debacle, I have been impressed by the balance and incision of many of the comments. Whilst we may be armchair managers, there has been much sense talked, in my opinion at least. I suspect that whoever said that we need the likes of Gayle and Gomez is right on the button, as are those who think that BPF is "goodish" and those who suggest that Roofe and Roberts are again, good rather than great. At the end of the day, we have commented regularly about our weaknesses with finishing and to my mind the stats support our thoughts. It is simply not normal or acceptable for a team to frequently have over 70% of possession and not win and even lose in the way we did yesterday. We are wasteful up front. If Roofe thinks that we cannot afford to offer what he wants, he needs to remeber whilst couching his demands, that he was no Woods last season and his last two out of seven this season were a tap in and a hand ball. Bielsa needs to reflect on his thoughts regarding not needing much adjustment to the squad in January. I am hoping for much from Izzy, but it is incresingly apparent / blatant that we need more depth and possibly quality. I think one or two of them are expecting contracts that should be based on a couple of seasons' top drawer performances, on the strength of punching above their weight for half a season. During the break, the manager and the team need to take a step back and do a spot of introspection, hopefully providing the dose of realism that thwy may need. Chunter over.

11 Nov 2018 16:09:28
Ok. need better experienced players, not having to rely on youngsters just out of the U18s and U21s, who no doubt want to work hard and impress, but this is where the big boys play!
It's a serious business with one goal for the money-men. make more money! Speculate to accumulate. Do it soon or stay in the Championship!

11 Nov 2018 12:28:51
In answer to a question -In relative terms, and as the season progresses, Middlesborough, West Brom, Sheffield Utd, Aston Villa, Birmingham, Swansea, Norwich and possibly Stoke all have quality to match ours and will be tough. We need a striker like Gayle, a winger like Ibai Gomez, and much better than Cooper, Dallas, Alioski and Peacock Farrell if we are going to go the distance. I think we are definitely top ten and possibly, with luck, top six but not promotion. We need players coming in with Quality. Bamford and Brown have a lot to prove and I wouldn't bet on them. Ayling and Beradi will help but they haven't been at their best. Bielsa is going to have to earn his money. Players not systems ultimately win in the long run. Systems get found out.

11 Nov 2018 12:52:33
Good post Hess, got to agree mate. I am happy Bielsa has got us into this position but do feel we are no better than the teams you mentioned. It's a long tough season and we are already struggling with injuries, we just don't have strength in depth.

11 Nov 2018 13:31:42
Agreed Hess, as I have said before, the starting X1 apart from Douglas we're all there last season, so the Manager has done brilliant, but a bit more quality is a must for me if we are going to be thereabouts.

11 Nov 2018 13:59:28
100% right. no strength in depth. exactly what I've said since the start of the season.
Have a look at the bench from yesterday. and we fell apart!
This is not about blooding youngsters. it's about players who have experience and "done it ". How many players on the team let alone the bench have won anything?
We need 5 experienced guys in or watch the slide down the table over winter.
Bielsa is a brill coach, period! Look what he's working with from last year and the couple of players who have made a difference.
By the way, NONE of us on this forum have any say what goes on. I never see the likes of Radz or Orta on here.

11 Nov 2018 14:23:40
Bloody hell, we're 3rd in the league, 3 points off top, we've lost just 3 games and anyone looking in on this board would think that we're bottom of the league. 2 very winnable games coming up at ER with most of the rest having 2 games away. Bring on the champions ALAW?

11 Nov 2018 14:28:17
That's where we were last season before the wheels fell off. If it happens again it will be for the same reason. We will have been found out.

11 Nov 2018 16:16:27
Exactly hessian1.

When a wheel starts to wobble you can ignore it, think about it and hope, stop, give it a quick glance and fool yourself it'll be all right or do something sensible about it.

I pray we don't do the first 3.

The season has two thirds still to go and others are looking stronger that us.

Wake up and smell the coffee.

11 Nov 2018 10:31:33
Just seen the game.
They were the better team but not 4-1 better.
Things I noticed.
Goalkeeper needs dropping.
Too many passes without a reason and end result.
Gave ball away too often.
Not enough quality. Will need minimum $5mill defender and $10m striker in jan.
our finishing is woeful.
Bielsa needs telling that we need more players. His a manager. Not the owner. Tell him.

11 Nov 2018 11:24:31
January will be crucial, yes we will hopefully have some injured players back, but I agree, quality additions are vital.

11 Nov 2018 11:39:31
I thought they were 4-1 better, more quality and a better game plan. But not sure how many other teams on the league can do that to us. We could have minimized the defeat but just not the Bielsa way.

If we get up this year, it’s going to be about maximizing the talent we have through teamwork, motivation and clever use of the squad. We will get 1/ 2 new players in Jan, if the right ones are available, if not it will be this squad and the Jan returners.

If we do get up or even if we don’t it’s the summer window that is going to determine our future for the next few years, together with how many of the under 23s can really make it. You don’t turn last years squad into one that can survive in the premiership

I hope that Bielsa stays with the project, it’s exciting and he is genuinely learning about what works and what doesn’t in English championship football.

At the end of the year, it won’t be the West Brom away defeat that stops us getting promoted it’ll be the Birmingham, Blackburn type defeats and not finding a way to turn draws into a 1 goal win.

11 Nov 2018 12:11:29
We didn't create much during the first half even though we had the greater amount of possession. They looked stronger and more dangerous than us and we hardly troubled their keeper. Both Harvey Barnes and Matt Philips looked threatening and both scored. Listening to some of their fans at half time they were moaning that Leeds had weathered the storm and expected us to push on during the second half, even heard several of them shagging their own manager saying he wasn't a proper manager and had probably taken their teams far as he could. Reminded me of how fickle we are as fans because he was a hero at the end of the match. Do have to say that against WBA we did look a small team that could do with some height.

11 Nov 2018 12:20:22
totally agree Spanish, imo you're up there with Notts in your reading of situations and common sense posts MOT.

11 Nov 2018 12:36:49
Slagging their manager, don't get excited boys!

11 Nov 2018 13:33:45
I was going to say, shagging him is going to far!

11 Nov 2018 13:34:29
Three of their goals were lucky rebounds or fouls or goalie errors.
They were better. But not 4-1 better.
They played their cup final well.
We were prob too pigheaded and expected to win.
We lost it. They didn’t thrash us.
I know it’s all part of a game but
Refer to my prev post about goalkeeper and passing and finishing.

11 Nov 2018 14:03:00
No strength in depth. exactly what I've said since the start of the season.
Have a look at the bench from yesterday. and we fell apart!
This is not about blooding youngsters. It's about players who have experience and "done it ". How many players on the team let alone the bench have won anything?
We need 5 experienced guys in or watch the slide down the table over winter.
Bielsa is a brill coach, period! Look what he's working with from last year and the couple of players who have made a difference.
By the way, NONE of us on this forum have any say what goes on. I never see the likes of Radz or Orta on here.

11 Nov 2018 09:14:32
Guess it was going to happen, they were the better team but still 3rd and getting closer to Jan. He has to invest, we are so close and can win this league but need 2-3 quality players added. Seen foyth now starting for spurs and scored, damn.
If we add a quality CB with Pontus and need to drop alioski, he try's hard but no end product.
Those balls in first have over to left wing were great but then it breaks down, need a player to run at them and it ain't Ali.
Mb seems to love him, takes off Douglas who was playing well.
Then a top class striker needed, then with roofe in squad and Bamford back and Izzy to come in, could be finished product.

11 Nov 2018 10:23:41
I see many, including you, are viewing Bamford as "the Great White Hope". My jury is still out on the man. Not seen enough of him in a white shirt to decide.

11 Nov 2018 12:33:10
Trouble is we are putting all of eggs in the ( returning injured players) basket! We then got to hope that they hit the ground running and none breakdown again . Meanwhile we continue to play square pegs in round holes and hope we can still be in around the promotion pack. It may pay off but surely to get to this position and not strengthen is a risk. At the very least play a player at right back who is a right back, unless our ones for the future are not really up to it.

11 Nov 2018 13:37:10
Forget Bamford. Won’t score more than 5.
Why did we manage to buy him cheap? Because he is useless. Would we take less than ten for roofe? No. Because?

11 Nov 2018 16:26:18
Harsh, Ausman1 but might well be true.

Too weak and I've said this before the season started. now I see it in many posts. a bit late to the party guys!