08 Jun 2019 05:30:48
I think Radz strategy and success this season will depend heavily on who from the U23s can step up. Maybe a season too soon though this year?

1.) 08 Jun 2019
08 Jun 2019 09:35:20
It’s a good point Alf but perhaps when the strategy has been discussed between Radz, Orta and Bielsa, they have been specific about the names who might be able to move up.

Based on last years approach, I would think Shackleton and JC, if they are both still with us, will be more regular starters and bench regulars. Which in effect gives us two new players compared with the start of the season.

Of the centre backs, I think Struick has moved ahead of Aappo in Bielsas books, possible due to his physical attributes, stronger more aggressive player. He could be seeing more action, depending who we bring in. Davis and Gotts will make more bench appearances and hopefully more sub appearances.

If we bring in more wing options it’s not good news for Stevens, who probably will have to show more consistent running and backtracking to please Bielsa.

McCalmont and Nicell, I can’t see getting much first team activity this year.

Edmundson, is the obvious possibility as a striker, but again depending on the other first team options, either another cracking year in under 23s or a loan period until Christmas to show what he can do.

The two wildcards for me are Bogusz and Kun, both skilful and explosive players, Bogusz ahead of Kun on the stagecraft and maturity he shows. But both have potential star quality!

The problem is these kids need an opportunity to make the most of either through injury, desperation or extreme bravery and you don’t create those opportunities by bringing lots more players in who would be ahead of them in the pecking order. You need to take a few risks with them and expect a few mistakes, but then Kiko and Cooper showed that age doesn’t eliminate bad errors all the time!

I’m sure I’ve missed some out like Odour,

2.) 08 Jun 2019
08 Jun 2019 09:56:53
No real strategy there. I think that's called making do.

3.) 08 Jun 2019
08 Jun 2019 11:02:42
Strategies that involve little investment it looks to me.

4.) 08 Jun 2019
08 Jun 2019 11:08:13
Having seen the U23s a few times this season I'd agree with all your points Spaniard. WEX what's the point on working with the youths if you don't intend to use them, I'd say that should be the strategy mate.

5.) 08 Jun 2019
08 Jun 2019 14:11:21
Exactly Farsley, I’m basically repeating what you said, but the whole point of investing in u23’s is to develop players for the first team squad. Why would we ignore them and spend millions on other players that may not cut it! Clever strategy in my opinion! I’d like to see more use of younger players coming through, rather than free transfers and loans!

6.) 08 Jun 2019
08 Jun 2019 15:10:11
Agree Farsley, come on wexy! I can understand your points about investment in the first team but not in the development teams. There has been big investment in players, coaches and support staff for those levels. Honestly go to the games, sit behind the coaching benches or watch them on the app. See the growing level of interest in those teams and the success of them. What is the point of doing all of that if you don’t offer those players a route into the team. As George points out, Bielsa probably could have done more with Shackleton, often last year and Edmundson, Aapo, Davis and Struick at parts of the season, but I think it was about giving them more time. I’m sure that with this approach being trumpeted more this year, names from the under 23s would have been mentioned and it will be clear after preseason who is being used. That is a strategy, it might not be your preferred one if you want success bought only through shed loads of Arab money but it is a strategy and actually one that lots of people enjoy and prefer.

7.) 08 Jun 2019
08 Jun 2019 16:33:58
it can not be a year to soon, we must go up this year

it will be a poor league with no big hitters, relgated clubs all small and or in toruble. bigger teams in league could also struggle like west brom and derby due to FFP

I believe borough will annouce boss soon and I believe it will be a good appointment and very impressive boss so i expect them to do well, outside of that I think we should be aiming to win the league auto at least. anything less is a failiure.

8.) 08 Jun 2019
08 Jun 2019 17:01:20
Again it's good to drool over one or two U23s but at some point someone has to have the cojones to make that decision and put them in. Unfortunately that decision usually comes out of desperation. A player going thro a bad spell or even a cruel injury. Unfortunately whilst it's good news of Qatari money coming in but bad news for the U23s as any problem areas could well have money thrown at them.

9.) 08 Jun 2019
08 Jun 2019 17:28:18
Bermo, you may think that should happen but I’m sure by the start of the season you will be predicting that you think we will be lucky to scrape into the playoffs.

At the start of last season, who would have predicted Norwich and Sheffield?

For me success is playing attractive attacking football, filling Elland Road every home game, being in contention at the turn of the year and then again at the end of March!

The rest will depend as ever on some help from Lady Luck and the injury god, better use of the Jan window and the squad and coaches learning some of the lessons at key moments of the season.

Let’s get you up to Elland Road in the centenary season and have that pint!

10.) 08 Jun 2019
08 Jun 2019 17:30:05
Leodis, you are right but I think in The message from Radz, the intent has been made clear and hopefully in the discussions specific names have been mentioned as to who from the under 23s are going to be expected to feature.

11.) 08 Jun 2019
08 Jun 2019 21:28:23
Radz hasn’t deceived us. He’s been clear from day 1 as to what his plan was. And it wasn’t promotion in 12 months. He’s clearly invested in quality youth, and will do again this summer from what I have read. For the stability and wellbeing of the club, this is the shrewdest approach to adopt, as opposed to boom or bust, and let’s be honest, those who go for “boom” fall foul of FFP. We will not go down that route, nor would I want us to go down the Ridsdale route ever again, which nearly saw our club destroyed.

12.) 09 Jun 2019
09 Jun 2019 14:14:43
My only concern at the moment arr the transfer links for our players

No point in building for a sustainable future in a higher league if we are always going to profit from the good form of our players for a single season

When we came up from league 1 we sold Beckford, Gradel, Snodgrass, and that Bradley bloke. They all went on to have good careers

Becchio has a good season, we sell him

McCormack and Smith become a great attacking partnership, we sell them

Cook looks great in his first full season, we sell him

Wood has a blinding season, we sell him

Viera looks a better prospect than Phillips did, we sell him

Could we not just keep our good players for 1 extra season and see if we could flourish rather than running to standstill?

We have a really good first eleven now. Couldn't we just get rid of the deadwood and invest their salaries into higher salaries for those deserving players from last year. That is to say, keep Pontus, keep Phillips, keep Roofe, keep Clarke

I don't care if we don't BUY anyone in this transfer window. If we can keep our better players this time.
Losing Viera just so we could buy Bamford didn't really work too well anyway, and Spurs didn't do too badly using a similar policy.

Use any money we have in a warchest to fund a couple of good quality season long loans.

I can see that if we sell Ekuban, Saiz, and now BPF too, we could fund one marquee transfer in, to use to sell some shirts.

Finally thought. how come Cooper has the best season of his career and there is not one bl00dy rumour linking him with a big money transfer away!