Leeds Banter Archive March 08 2017

08 Mar 2017 22:43:37
More of an observation really. But having been a member of this Site for quite sometime it's very interesting in the first season for a very longtime we are having lots of discussions about the nuances of how we set up, potential formations, moving players around and often recording the fact of how darn lucky, negative we have been in securing our points. (I myself posted how negative we were set up and playing at Brum.

Yet in previous seasons with a strong affinity to the relegation zone, many a comment would be posted with how it doesn't matter how we win just so long as we get any victory. Just interested why that is, both have pressure involved but as supporters we appear to have reacted differently?

Historically promoted teams to the Premier have either stormed it by miles, generally relegated teams benefiting from superior squads or income or have been rigidly disciplined to snatch promotion Reading, Boro for example. Bournemouth being the exception to the rule! Ominously Huddersfield are the nearest I've seen to that Bournemouth team.

I believe Monkey knows he falls into the disciplined snatch it type team and was unable to change us significantly in a difficult January window, so I think this is how it's going to be until season end. Yes we only had 20% odd possession at Fulham but then so did Newcastle at Reading. If we "stole" the majority of our remaining games and a playoff win I could certainly live with that 😄.

As I say just an observation, maybe we are out of practice of such giddy heights, but we have a real real chance this year, certainly the best team spirit in the league and far and away the best support, things of real value as the season draws to conclusion.

08 Mar 2017 23:02:15
Well said mate. Some folk seem to have forgot last few years.

09 Mar 2017 08:06:09
Bang on. We are not overachieving. We are working damn hard and have a fantastic team spirit. Each and every player is giving his all. We should be proud and supporting. If we do it the hard way this group of players deserve even more praise

09 Mar 2017 13:20:32
Shows what can happen when you throw out the bad apple from the dressing room. No names mentioned bellusci

09 Mar 2017 13:58:07
certainly not over achieving no one is where they are in table at this point if they don't deserve to be their. i have like a few said we have rode our luck but that said how many times can you be lucky before saying it is good tactics and good play? this season has been a god send, mc monk and the squad have done very well.

if we don't go up i will look back and smile on good season trouble is until we don't go up i am expecting us to as an optimist and it is the optimism that kills. we have no right being in playoffs after recent years but we are there now on merit and i pray we go all the way but worry that will not be the case. can't be a leeds fan if you don't expect and worry in equal measure can you?

09 Mar 2017 15:28:54
It may sound a bit contrary but the players we have are overachieving, however, the team is not :) the team is greater than the sum of it's parts

08 Mar 2017 20:44:42
Lesser spotted MM. Thoughts on the arses v lincoln at the weekend? Are they worth 22/1 for the away win? Draw at ht, ares ft @ 4/1? Or a simple both teams to score @ 11/8?

08 Mar 2017 14:46:45
hi all, i was at the game last night and not seen replays so this is a view from the stands and my minces are useless so might be wrong.

great to see taylor back he was bit rusty but showed class. great to see berardi play right back he was very good and one of our best players last night (I have always rated him a good right back just not a very good left back and hate him playing there as 6 out of 10 is not good enough for playoffs and at left back he is a 6 out of ten right he is a solid 8).

Bartley was prem quality his reading, tackling and position was prem quality and he was my man of the match just over rob green who was great and saved us as he has been last 10-12 games. pontus also played well midfield looks a worry fulham played us off the park for 85 minutes and that is a long time to defend even if we are great at it which we are.

bridcutt look lost phillps looks too slow although he is good (again another two bookings which from where i was looked like late tackles due to being slow rather than nasty, he also did another foul which he could of been booked for) roofe didn't do much but what he did he did well. he had our only shot on target which forced a decent save and made some great passes.

Ped was great pace, talent threat and what a shift he put in, chasing back and defending and being everywhere going forward he is our best and coming back he is as good as douk or dallas, he showed an attitude that said he wants to work and he wants to be in the team.

sacko also worked back but not as effective really although i like him he offers brilliance and rubbish in equal measure. Douk worked hard made a great tackle in our box which saved a goal but then can not play football when he gets the ball he don't know what he is doing, he can not beat anyone and his passes are negitive and backwards or aimless so for me he is a no.

overall i trust monk but game plan is risky, they hit bar early on and it bounced very near to over the line, green made number of saves which kept us in it, that said at 1-0 ped hit post and we could of won so nearly a perfect night.

with strong defence brilliance of ped pablo and goal threat of wood we have a chance to win playoffs but personally i am not sure if we are too negitive, its hard to call brum and fulham got 4 good points but then could of lost both game 5-1 are we lucky or masters, is tactis risky or spot on?

final note so proud to be a leeds fan the numbers and attitude were great and think the team are finally doing our great fans proud. final final note pontus come in crowd spoke to some fans and gave shirt to a lad, proper bloke no wonder he is a fan favorite seems proper leeds and very good player.

08 Mar 2017 15:55:57
Good summary BW, glad you enjoyed the game, and we didn't lose

08 Mar 2017 18:44:27
My old man went last night and said it was one of the best away atmospheres he's experienced since the revie days. Came across on the radio also as a tad mental. Proud of the team and fans this season. Whatever happens between now to May it's been a great season. MOT

08 Mar 2017 19:21:37
Fair assesment Bermo I think that Monk is a defence minded manager and maybe that is the main reason Douk and Dallas get picked. If, as you say, Alf put in a shift tracking back back and offered more threat going forward then that position is, it would seem, sorted. Now it's just trying to find which other attacker gives us the most promise going forward but will not just sit and admire his work. I can only think that whilst Barrow is a demon winger he maybe does not impress going backwards hence the lack of starts.

08 Mar 2017 19:42:15
last night was very special and so pleased to be a part of it, leeds took over from district line to fulham. i never get to experience that or soak it up so very pleased to be able to be part of the leeds away team and sit with fans. this season has been massive improvement and hopefully start of good things if not we are all still leeds. to not lose with me there shows how far we have come

08 Mar 2017 22:21:03
ped is not as soundly minded as dallas defensively but makes up fot that in effort and speed he really impressed. barrow played for quite some time but have to say not imprssed at all but then not played much so maybe rusty as like what i have seen before.

with ped and sacko it was clear green was told out to wings fast and roofe told to hit diaganol balls behind very good game plan imo although didn't quite come off last night think mid are too deep, odd that in last two games both goals come from outside the box mid are so deep they don't even close down when there.

it seemed obvious fulham noted this and worked on this from set plays and in open play. unless that is thier normal game plan which is so monky and team should of had a counter plan in place they must of had 15 shots from outside the box and couple very nearly went in before the final great goal

08 Mar 2017 11:15:30
I am starting to get concern at how negative our set up is, it is going to cost us like last night. When we go one up we should go for the jugular and kill the game off. We have a beter team than Fulham. We are just play our central midfield far to deep. We need to start the pressing higher up the pitch

08 Mar 2017 12:10:25
Yes mighty. agreed, but is it that we don't go for it, or our players are to defensily mind and as we have a good defence they are relying on that to see us through the game?

08 Mar 2017 12:11:40
Yep I was saying yesterday our ultra defensive subs would come back to haunt us and they did, shades of Wigan at home. Should've kept Fonzie on and brought on Hernandez with 10 to go.

08 Mar 2017 13:57:16
fonzie couldn't stay on he was knacked and to be fair he took one nasty tackle i first half and run himself ragged the whole game he had to come off. see why monked sured up we denfended from 5th minute so unlucky not to hold on for five more that said fulham desevred goal don't think any leeds fan begruged them a point

08 Mar 2017 10:29:26
Who scored? How did ped play? How long wood out for? Taylor play well? Tell me all Astonishingly fulham game first not on tv for a long while. Bang out of order.

08 Mar 2017 13:34:25
It's going to be such a boon to you when the Internet is installed down under

08 Mar 2017 08:07:04
I am hearing Berardi had a storming game, anyone there to verify - BW?

08 Mar 2017 10:25:23
Portus Janson kyle Bartley Ayling and Beradi. Yes he did Ox the whole defence were awesome how we got a point I don't know, we seem to be playing so defensively lately a very dangerous game if you ask me. The atmosphere last night in the pub and at the ground was electric. I have no voice this morning:) )

08 Mar 2017 13:37:13
yes he did almost like he is a right back and not a left back. him bartley and green were our stand out players. still do not like him on the left. shame really beridi is a solid 8 out of ten player just playing behind aling who has been a 9. remember last season i was singing his praises as he was the one keeping prem league bound bryam out of his spot. This will not change me moaning if he plays left back as there he is a 6 out of ten and is that good enough in the play off final? or will we get promoted to prem as he is good for a left back considering he is a right back? if so let's play wood in goal and green on the wing because they might be good their considering

08 Mar 2017 07:52:59
Leeds v qpr this weekend as I'm sure u all know, but you may not have know it's Newcastle v Fulham. A win for us and a good chance of a Fulham loss could prove to much of a gap for Fulham to catch us back up.

08 Mar 2017 09:45:09
All the top 6 have tough calls this weekend. QPR will be no pushover, but if we can get the win there's potential to make big gains.