Leeds Banter Archive January 13 2021

 

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13 Jan 2021 19:56:54
Meslier out on Saturday v Brighton. Kiko again.

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13 Jan 2021 20:20:29
Certainly hope not!

Been lots of rumours doing the rounds that he had tested positive, I believe the Club have to announce anyone that has tested positive whilst maintaining player confidentiality unless the player gives consent.

Brighton going to be a tough game, based on City game, however, if they look to play their normal passing game think that will suit us.

They’re a huge team especially at the back although they have the joint worst record for conceding goals from set pieces along with us.

Definitely need Mesellier in goal otherwise based on Crawley game i’d give the gloves to Dallas!

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13 Jan 2021 20:39:56
God help us if true.

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13 Jan 2021 21:01:40
oh dear oh dear. don't worry lads i'm free at the weekend, ill go to ER and bring my gloves.

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13 Jan 2021 21:03:57
The club's policy on CV tests is to be silent. They don't have to tell anyone if a player has a positive test hence Roberts and Meslier we have heard nothing.

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13 Jan 2021 22:13:34
Well there's one thing for certain. Kiko won't catch it! 😂😂.

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13 Jan 2021 23:57:13
Brilliant danum.

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14 Jan 2021 05:55:23
This story about Meslier is only a rumour, but if it does turn out to be true then without doubt they should blood the 19 year old Caprile. You may as well put a 4 year old little girl in goal than Castilla, his confidence has completely deserted him.

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14 Jan 2021 07:43:25
IF Meslier is absent at the weekend and there is no other explanation given it is the only thing that fits.

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14 Jan 2021 10:14:12
Is David Harvey available?

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14 Jan 2021 11:32:41
Paul Rachubka is still only 39 and looking for someone to hold his beer after Cassilla’s abject appearance at Crawley. Crowd fund page to fly him back from India anyone?

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14 Jan 2021 11:44:29
im in for a tonne class92.

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14 Jan 2021 12:42:01
Kiko spotted after Crawley game throwing himself in front of the Team Coach, but it went under him!

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14 Jan 2021 12:58:22
The old goalkeepers fraternity alive and kicking I see Berm.

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14 Jan 2021 13:12:53
Always class! I have just set up an online petition to get John lukic out of retirement for the game. Sadly it only has one signature so far and that is from kiko himself.

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14 Jan 2021 13:43:13
I played in goal.
Got player of the season.
Saved a penalty and only got sent off once in that season.
I’m available.
Can also play as defender although got sent off tad more than when I was a keeper.
Have also played as a striker and hit the crossbar.
Gotta be a biesla type player. Such versatility.

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14 Jan 2021 13:59:50
If you can hit the bar Aus, your a starter.

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14 Jan 2021 14:22:15
Thanks agm.
Just applied for exemption. Found out having kilo as main reason for exemption not enough.

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14 Jan 2021 14:23:32
If you can reach the crossbar Aus your definitely in contention.

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15 Jan 2021 00:24:58
Aus keeper defender and striker in one? Are you Dallas in disguise.

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13 Jan 2021 18:07:11
Watched a lot of the Crawley game with the volume down. My take on the game was not influenced by the commentators

Overall we had 72% possession and 75% in the first half when it was 0-0.

Bielsa's system was not at fault. We had the lions share of the ball.

He changed 3 players at half time to rest them, thinking the league is more important

We played some nice tippy tappy football . We were unable to break them down as we did not have the quality and they took their chances.

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13 Jan 2021 18:48:11
How many save did there keeper make how many saves did our keeper make (or should of made)

If we had that much of the ball but couldn’t break down a team of crawleys players with the quailty of our players the tactics must be at fault

Some argue our players ain’t good enough (I disagree)

But let’s say you are right belisa is amazing but the players ain’t good enough . belisa is still wrong because he ain’t during the tools to the best of their abality. If our players are that bad then we need big sam to play hoof ball because the players ain’t good enough. either way he is wrong. It’s like Lewis Hamilton racing round monico in a shopping trolly either it won’t work.

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13 Jan 2021 21:06:26
Equally put me in Lewis Hamiltons F1 car and I won't be world champion- that's down to my lack of ability not the car or the teams tactics. The nest tactician in the works couldn't get me to be world F1 champion because I'm not good enough. Personnel - not tactics.

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13 Jan 2021 22:33:30
Exactly Alf I agree either way belisa is flawed he can’t work best for our players and we can not afford the players to fit belisa style. Adapting and tweaking would be the best way forward but I don’t think belisa is capable of bending.

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14 Jan 2021 07:44:58
I don't think Bielsa wants to change. He has a style and sticks to it and that's that. Its good enough to have gotten us this far so we either accept it or we look elsewhere but I genuinely don't believe anyone would do better with this squad.

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13 Jan 2021 11:50:36
Like others on here I'm still coming to terms with Sundays debacle. However it has made me think about Bielsa's love of a small squad. The way he plays, with such intensity and all the players knowing theirs and others roles it must be difficult to instill this in a large squad. Maybe the players who came in were not up to it, but these same players regularly get lauded for their potential and u23 displays, so could it just be that when the squad is bigger the Bielsa machine doesn't run smoothly? I might be well of the mark or maybe it is a bit of both, just got me thinking a bit whilst reflecting on the Crawley catastrophe.

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13 Jan 2021 13:41:13
I think many are focusing on the change of personal but let's be honest all of these players have played for the first team this year. None of them were new to the team. I think blaming the players is bit short sighted.

look at the tactics and type of play of the opposition. thinking about it we was always going to lose that type of game. we always do. I think we need to stop blaming players and look at bigger picture. belisa can't handle that type of team. good news is we don't play many of them now as he got us in the prem.

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13 Jan 2021 14:12:22
Bermo. following your thinking we should have filled the FACup side with 6ft 3 centre halves with foreheads like slabs. Two centre forwards that have elbows like pistons. 2 centre midfielders that "have a bit of dog"

Trouble is we don't have them. There are none in the squad.

But if we did, what would we do with them on PL games. There ain't many opposition forwards who are aerially dominant (for every 1 Kane there are 10 Mane, Salah, Aguero, Jesus, Son, Warner, Vardy types) so big lump centre halves get murdered usually.
And the Vinyl Jones type midfielder spend as much time suspended as they do available. but still pick up their full pay packet

I remember the god old days too, but for me give me Johnathon Woogate over Paul Hart, Gary Speed over Vinnie Jones, Michael Bridges over Ray Halkin any day

I don't care that we lost to Crawley. I do care that we play attractive and overall successful football. That keeps us in the Premier League, pleases the majority of fans, attracts the best calibre players, attracts more television time, attracts bigger sponsors, attracts bigger investment. as I can't see any Footsie 100 brands beating down the door at Crawley Town.

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13 Jan 2021 16:33:40
no Alex not a team full of them, as I said before one and one works best in defence

for best results pair a jack Charlton with a bobby more, a white with a fairclough

up front play the little forward but always good to throw on a big man for when the tippy tappy ain't working. its about balance and while big sam offers no balance nor does Belisa and both bring there own strengths and weaknesses as a result.

I remember the good old days and give me batty over Phillips, give me chapman over bridges and give me Charlton over Cooper. it works both ways

I like the attractive football but one big centre half shouldn't change that but might help with free kicks, one big striker shouldn't change that but might help when we can't break wolves down, one midfielder who can tackle shouldn't change that but might stop us letting in four goals every time we play a team who break with pace like palace

I have been accused of twisting the story to suit my own narrative which may be true but others do this as well.

While I merit the benefits of hoof ball for certain teams on certain budgets I don't want that for leeds but I am adamant that belisa could benefit for a little bit of it and leeds would be far more successful if they brought 5% of it into our game

pretty football is great but the basics do matter.

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13 Jan 2021 16:35:55
also you say for every Kane there are 10 mane types so big CB get slaughtered usually

using your logic I ask you one question, why do we concede from corners so often and why is it such a huge problem as according to your logic it should only happen one in ten?

or am I right and it is more important than you are prepared to give it credit for.

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13 Jan 2021 16:57:56
It is more difficult to change half a team than a full team as well. The u23s would probably have beaten Crawley because they all know each other and the way they play. The first team would have won for the same reasons plus they are better players.

However, creating half a team of each means players have others around then that they are not used to playing with and that means runs go unseen, passes go astray and players get in each others way and are not where they are supposed to be.

The first goal was a prime example where Casey ran across the other defender (dont remembr who it was) meaning the both left it and it led to the goal.

This is one reason why changing half a team for these fixtures doesn't often work - you are better making one or 2 changes and having players the opportunity to play alongside and get used to each other.

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13 Jan 2021 17:50:47
What has happened to all the players bought in the one for the future, so many being off loaded what a waste of money, money that could have been use to buy a better striker.

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13 Jan 2021 18:50:36
I agree Alf it would of been better to play all the under 23s but 11 on our playing staff should of won.

The first goal is was Phillips. Casey tried to cover as knew Phillips would be left for dead. I’m Phillips slight defence that player left a few for dead with his pace.

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13 Jan 2021 21:08:22
Philips was there though but had to pull his run up or he would have ran into Casey. It was Caseys fault but should he have been put into that kind of position at 0-0?

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13 Jan 2021 10:29:39
Of course it’s horrible to lose a game and by the score line, which is embarrassing.
Crawley smelt the blood and played a game of their lives and I salute them, well done. On the same hand if we played this exact same fixture next, I would be confident in saying the result would be in our favour.

I do think that Bielsa was naive and did get this game very wrong, but c’est la vie, I’d rather win against Brighton on Saturday, than be in a Cup competition that a top six Premiership team is going to win anyhow.

As I’ve said before I don’t like to knock the players so long as they give their all, but I can not see any future for Kiko Castilla at Leeds Utd, he is a player that doesn’t have his heart in it, that with his previous racist ban, I would be very surprised if we don’t buy a new keeper in the summer and send Kiko as far away from Lufc as possible.

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13 Jan 2021 11:46:04
'Send Kiko on his way ' you say?

Well yes if you mean pay him off, because no other club will take him that is for sure especially due to his lack of gk prowess plus the nonsensical £40k a week salary for such a mediocre gk.

Also I would not share your confidence at all OP that Leeds would win if they were to play Crawley again next week with the same line up, same half time changes. erc

Why?

Because Calamity Kiko. would stil be in goal for starters and secondly Leeds desperately need Bamford. and Klich in the team as they clearly have no like for like replacement let alone adequate replacements within the squad for Bambam and Klich.

Pray for no injuries to players Meslier Bamford and Klich during the rest of the season.

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13 Jan 2021 12:49:48
Baz, we would beat them simply because we could not of played any worse plus i imagine due to the status of the game, Crawley played well above themselves to claim a big scalp, we didn’t come any where near them to equal that ferocity. Basically they wanted that game a multitude more times than we did.

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13 Jan 2021 13:44:03
I don't mind knocking players as think it is part of the job, i'd love to be a pro player and get knocked away

however I do like to stick up for keepers. Kiko is not a bad keeper, his skill set and abilities is clear to see, but his head is another thing. He is not stable and not strong enough mentally to cope and think best for both him and the club would be a mutual termination then let him go back to Spain where he will find a club and play more often which is what all keepers want

as they say in that very famous Spanish song. time to say goodbye.

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13 Jan 2021 14:27:38
Bermo, I know you were a goalkeeper in the past but to say Kiko has the goalkeeper skillset is false.

His positioning at most dead ball situations was incorrect.

His feet positions were hardly ever balance, as demonstrated by the goal at his near post (this also demonstrated his failure at overall positioning)

He does not command his area, preferring to make the defence make decisions.

He has not got the confidence to catch a ball, preferring the higher risk punch in most situations.

His distribution out of hand is average, demonstrated by the number of times he threw out to behind Davis instead of slightly infront

His distribution from his feet was woeful, three kicks going straight in to touch, two going straight to a free opposition player.

The Kiko post-ban is not the same as Kiko pre-ban. Admittedly he was apt to make the odd calamity then, but he definitely had a better goalkeepers skillset then. The lad is phoning it in these days.

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13 Jan 2021 16:39:44
yeah Alex I do agree he is a European goalkeeper so prefered to stay on line and make the save rather than catching the ball, he was quick off line and his positioning on free kicks always made me laugh as it was madness

but on his day he played well for us and made some fantastic saves, I remember he got a few MOTM for us and some saves he made were world class

however since his ban his mindset has not been right and his decisions have been even more erratic and the one thing he had (shot stopping) has completly illuded him.

I do think he could do a job in la league and sure there is a top flight spanish team that could do with a Kiko in the right frame of mind and it would be th best for him and the club.

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13 Jan 2021 17:55:30
Bermo, Kiko reading of the game is appalling, his gathering of crosses is woeful, and his punching / fisting the ball away is atrocious

Kiko is a player with very very little ability, how he was on the books at madrid is as strange as the cow that jumped over the moon .

He is a blight on the current squad to think this. man gets over a million £ a year is mind boggling.

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13 Jan 2021 10:12:13
Sturridge on free could be a good sub for Bamford.
Give him half a season to prove himself. And contract extension in our favour.
Never quite filled his potential but never too late.

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13 Jan 2021 10:29:07
No way - more work for the treatment room staff way too injury prone.

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13 Jan 2021 11:30:51
Yeah, used to really rate him! Many injuries badly restricted his career! Just had 4month ban for betting offences! Not a Bielsa player by a long way!

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13 Jan 2021 13:45:02
I love sturridge few seasons back at Liverpool he was class. think he will have something to prove and on pay if you play deal got nothing to lose

I think he is very much a belisa forward and i'd love to give him a chance.

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13 Jan 2021 20:23:36
Absolutely not a Bielsa player!
Never used to work that hard when fully fit!
Can just imagine the fans moaning when he never got a game!

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Review Of The Day 13th January 2021

13 Jan 2021 07:39:33
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Review Of The Day 13th January 2021

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13 Jan 2021 00:54:31
Have to forget about cup now, bad result but did have a below strength back line in 2nd half and they took advantage, priority always survival this season and think we will be ok with this squad.
Not looking likely to bring any players in Jan as should be in already not last 2 weeks.
Would've liked to loan timori with view to buy, could have potential.
How much is staying in the premiership worth, anyone? Think with this squad and little change, be a bottom 6 team, with a couple of players, mid table and if invested another 70-100mil on 4-5 players could be a top 6 team.
If radz wanted to go large while we have a fantastic manager in place, needs Gk, LB, CB, AMF and forward
Like meslier but young and I personally would bring in a number 1 for next couple seasons, sell cassila and go for either darlow or dubravko from toon.
LB - like Rico Henry
CB- need tall player that can head a ball and eliminate our current weakness.
AMF- still lack that creative force, Pablo too old now and sub only. I would try for Ali or saquiri, that player that can receive ball and feed a pacey striker, Rodrigo is neither that or a great striker, sorry but I'd happily sell if could get the 27 mil back for him.
Finally striker, bamford ok squad player and done well but misses lots of chances and not blessed with pace.

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13 Jan 2021 11:54:08
Agree MW those are the positions needed this summer for recruitment.

You are having a laugh though when you state ' sell Kiko '. sell? Who on earth would" buy" him? even on a free with his wages.

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13 Jan 2021 00:09:15
Madrid are willing to sell Marcelo as part of a clear out to bring in MBappe. Just saying, we need a LWB.

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13 Jan 2021 10:08:51
Unfortunately not our type of player, big wages and 32 so will want 2-3 years to make sure he gets a decent payday. Will probably end up in China or USA.

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13 Jan 2021 10:09:35
When I say not our type of player, I mean because he’s 32 and on big money. I didn’t mean he wouldn’t fit our style of play.

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