Leeds Banter Archive February 01 2020

01 Feb 2020 23:16:07
It’s really only a week since Millwall, in which a brilliant turnaround is rescripted as a lucky win. Now I’m not attempting to defend the indefensible we should bet the likes of Wigan. Who are fighting for their lives in the relegation zone, as should Forest at Brum but yes the table shows anybody can beat anybody in this league.

But slumped in second with 17 games to go probably a big ask from here, but just for the sake of it I’m going to lick my very sore wounds and STILL believe in this Team.

As my old Nan used to say if moaning would help hold my beer, but window is closed, Bubs the Manager Radz the Owner and Orta is our talent scout.

So other than believing in this squad this owner and the staff there’s nothing we can change at this time. We could all pile in and slag em off or we could dust ourselves down and remember two weeks ago we were second, last week we were top this week second.

Who can say which will help the lads most? I’d like to think holding back on the angst and believing in he lads if not preferable is certainly more enjoyable.

I make no judgements whatsoever on those who take a different view, as I’m sure you’ll respect my view to think differently at a time when I think the lads really need it. ( hang n there Martyn) #getpromotiondone.

02 Feb 2020 00:02:09
I agree that Leeds fans at the ground need to get fully behind the team ( however frustrating the match is) .

Bielsa can help with the mood before the match with changing team selection
drop Kiko . play 2 strikers ( second half at least) .
. so deflating when JKAwasn't included in the team or even the bench) . big mistake by Bielsa.

02 Feb 2020 09:19:03
Spot on class, all we can do is support the lads, but for me drop Cassilla, he is by far the most disappointing player on the pitch. He came with great expectation, like a cold pint on a summers day, only to find the cooler and gas was fuxxed and it was warm and flat.
Bielsa needs to be less stubborn, change the keeper and give Big Kev a go, but we know it will be the same team next week don't we. 🤨.

01 Feb 2020 21:46:45
Can some explain what Bamford actually offers us? Surely Roberts or any other kid that has been brought up as a striker could give us as much if not more?

{Ed047's Note - I assume he plays as he’s only on a tenner a week, can’t be any other reason surely? 🤷‍♂️

01 Feb 2020 21:56:57
Roberts? The guy has scored about 5 goals in his career.

Last summer should have kept Roofe regardless of his final year of his contract and signed another striker who has scored 20 goals a season.

01 Feb 2020 22:03:56
But seriously is there somthing i'm missing? Ok he comes deep sometimes and can hold up the ball, but attacking he attacks and heads a ball like a poor saturday league player! When our wingers recieve the ball he runs directly towards the net Waiting for scraps! Thus why our play breaks down as we are hitting just hopefull balls into the box!

01 Feb 2020 20:40:40
Anybody have any ideas who would play up front today if BamBam had been injured after 10mins. A striker?

01 Feb 2020 22:05:28
Edmondson.

01 Feb 2020 22:48:33
Guess it would have been Tyro, but you never know, Bielsa might have asked the Cookstown Cafu to lead the line, which might hot have been the worst call, given that (as noted a few months ago) he actually started out as a striker.

02 Feb 2020 08:29:09
Dallas, of course! Used to be a striker, so why not, eh?

01 Feb 2020 20:19:31
The way I see this is that we are creating more than enough chances to score goals to win games, but sadly we are not. This is the most frustrating part of this team that I don’t understand, why are we not converting more of our goal opportunities?
You can blame Bielsa’s tactics as much as you like but for me it’s the players at fault. I can’t put my finger on it, we create so many goal scoring chances but they are either hitting the woodwork or going wide. Is it a confidence thing or is it just bad luck.?
I’m not one of these people who think we should be romping this league by 20pts. It’s an extremely hard league to get promoted from. I still think Bielsa has made a silk purse out of a tramps gonads.
We will get there but it won’t be a free ride.
Onwards and Upwards or in the words of the Mighty mad Mick ”down the pints and up the whites”. 🍻.

01 Feb 2020 20:12:45
There is such a small dividing line between what is seen as a great performance and an abject one. If we had just stuck away 2 or 3 very gettable chances today the whole tone of comments would have been different. The fact is though we didn't. We do play great football.

We don't need a plan b. Plan A works with a good striker to finish off all the chances plan A creates. Bielsa biggest weakness seems to be blind loyalty. If only he had shown that to Pontus. He was the biggest catalyst in our recent history in bringing the team and supporters together.

Was he so Unmanageable? Managing 18 or so different characters is a sign of good management. Was that picture of him after Derby against advertising boards so bad. He was devastated like all of us. Perhaps he felt the need to be on his own. Bielsa has to tweak personnel now nothing more cos our plan A with a finisher works.

01 Feb 2020 20:19:51
Had Harrison’s effort gone in off the post early doors, we would have been looking at a rout. Yet again, everyone is to blame for missed chances, not just Bam.
Very disappointing today over all tho. Wigan showed what we showed in the 2nd half vs ‘wall; passion, aggression and urgency. We lacked all 3.

01 Feb 2020 20:21:55
Excellent post Andy .

01 Feb 2020 20:29:45
Andy, Word has it MB is a great football manager but less of a man manager.

01 Feb 2020 20:45:11
Andy on the contrary EVERY manager should have + should use a plan b . No 2 games are ever a carbon copy of each other .
A good few on here have been saying that paddy wasn't the man to regularly stick away those 2-3 chances you speak of .

Surely you would agree that a plan b incorporating 2 strikers would have worked today, if 1 ain't scoring then surely the other 1 is.

I do agree that the loyalty thing is so infuriating, there's a few on the team who could do with being dropped, but that raises another BIG PROBLEM we have, this small squad rubbish, coupled with the fact that we really don't have any proven quality replacements in key areas .

01 Feb 2020 20:58:04
I may agree with "proven" Chris but sometimes I think an U23 gamble is not too much of a gamble McAlmont, Boghuz, Edmundson etc etc. I think anyone of those will hold their own and not let us down.

01 Feb 2020 19:26:13
Just one more point. Bielsa after the game that given the possession, shots and dominance of the game it would be inconceivable if Leeds were not the next team to score. Watching the game myself I would completely disagree. Wigan could have easily got a second and could have played without a goal keeper and not conceded given our performance up front.

01 Feb 2020 19:38:52
The other team are always just one conrnervaway from from scoring so always look like scoring next.

01 Feb 2020 20:22:00
They had plenty of corners, and only scored from 1?!
From memory, they didn’t really threaten from the others.

01 Feb 2020 20:34:30
Does that not speak volumes of our lack of transfer activity in this area Bermo. Yes we need goals but the jitters everyone feels at every corner should tell the top brass that the back is just as important as the front. IF we gain promotion, I am thinking Surgery will be required this summer.

01 Feb 2020 21:29:07
Bright if any team has a corner against us and don’t score that is down to thier mistakes not our defending we can not defend corners we are Sunday league but now I think more school boy.

If I was managing a team against us I’d say get 19 corners and I demand five goals.

02 Feb 2020 06:53:05
Drastic surgery required anyway. We don’t own half of our team and the ones we do are the ones nobody else wants.

01 Feb 2020 18:18:03
Never ever thought i'd say this but here goes. I agree with Berm. That wasn't easy but I've done it.

01 Feb 2020 18:33:54
To all the poster that have left this site moaning about all us negative poster which I would say we are not just fed up being 10 points ahead to find us now fighting the possibilities of playoffs again we to told you so, MB may be the best manager we had, but his inability to play different players or to change his game plan is going to cost us again, Radz inabilities to buy players or his lack of wanting to will keep us in this league, so if we are negative I hold my hands up and say you can now smell the coffee.

01 Feb 2020 18:53:39
thanks Degsy

I got so much stick back in august and then again around Novemeber.

This is not an i told you so or gloating I am honestly gutted.

I know i jokingly call myself the orical but our weakness in both bxes especially in sets plays was so obvious to see that even stevie wonder called it.

what annoys me is it the same old problems costing us yet again.

I said to george in August we will be around 5-10% weaker in the air at set plays. and although it is only a small % difference it is such an important area it will really cost us

again I don't think I am some amazing football pundit or nostradamus just that Belisa can not spot the obvious

I was out getting very drunk with a brentford season ticket holder last night. he loves pontus and calls him god. our centre backs (in the air anyway) are about as visable as god.

01 Feb 2020 18:56:15
Whiteman hear hear .

01 Feb 2020 19:19:18
Well said mate.

01 Feb 2020 19:22:21
For me white the problem IS + ALWAYS has been Radz . Our squad is by no way good enough, yet when quality players become available Radz goes missing,
No doubt someone will tell me we bid 20 on Ché, I remain very doubtful that we actually did, all speculation online, no one from Saints stated 20 was in fact bid,
And even if it was God above only knows what the specifics of it would have been and over how many years it would take .

01 Feb 2020 20:25:41
Jebus. Here we go again. Scratched records a gogo.
No coffee smelling going on here. We were poor. Nowt to do with Radz.
Had Kev come on and looked like a lost sheep, blowing out of its ass, the words would be different.
I dread to think how people will be if MB goes, and we get another dour British manager, and we drop to mid table mediocrity, as this site would be like a Samaritans hotline.

01 Feb 2020 20:38:42
Agreed Bermo. We destroy teams in the middle of the park but our performance in both boxes is a catastrophe. Makes you want to cry and gives no confidence for the run in.

01 Feb 2020 20:56:07
Bright.
I seriously doubt that Kev as a pro footballer with some pedigree would come on looking like a ' lost sheep' . there are only 16 games left and so far we have spent £2 million on guy who isn't evej in the squad

Yes the scenario you state of mid table mediocrity next season will indeed happen if we don't go up this season which is why people are so frustrated with Radz because with recruitments with a little more quality in key positions gk CB and CF Radz would not have forked up 2 golden opportunities for promotion. there won't be a third under his ownership.

01 Feb 2020 21:31:01
Why mid table we might get a proper manager and go up
Like sheff Utd Norwich HUDds and Cardiff did.

01 Feb 2020 21:59:11
Bright the change that's needed to more or less guarantee promotion can only come. from 1 place, THE CHAIRMAN'S OFFICE . That's why it's a broken record because we are the proverbial dog chasing its tail . We have no consistency now we are dropping points left -right- centre.

Not. much good blaming the players when their probably at the very limits of their abilities . We needed better players in July to begin with he refused, we needed better players just last week he refused yet again, Yes he signed 2 but they have no real experience for promotion push . I don't want to sound a constant whine but for me it's my Achilles heel, Radz lack of proper investment in this squad, and it will never change whilst he's at the helm I feel.

01 Feb 2020 22:47:14
Brightwhite, How Will l feel like I bloody do to day, how will you feel when we do go up again, and your very much delusional over Radz, no planning, did get the players we needed, you definitely need to smell the coffee.

01 Feb 2020 18:02:21
Its harder for Pablo to work his magic in a game like this and a team like that. Essentially when you give away the first goal you are invariably playing against a 5-4-1 set up. Parking the bus in essence Then the more we press the more they are likely to kill us off with a second goal. What we need is a forward with nimble, quick, feet and a brain to match. To turn any loose ball into a chance. My worry having seen what little video there is of Big Kev is that he isn't that sort of player. His forte seems to be pace to exploit the gaps at the back. When playing against a 9 man defence pace is not a great asset. Speed of thought and first touch are everything. I hope I am wrong and that A) He quickly gets a game and B) he can be/ is an effective poacher. As a rider to this post I would like to suggest that Pablo is rested more frequently and the scheming given to Harrison, Costa or maybe the new boy Poveda?

01 Feb 2020 18:11:10
Good Post Leodis, particularly relevant in a game like this.

01 Feb 2020 18:55:45
goal yet again from a corner

leeds yet again unable to beat a poor but scrappy team

belisa yet again not useing subs when we need a goal (no JKA was criminal and not using Povkda not much better)

He can't learn won't learn. so promotion can't happen won't happen.

the fact everyone else is also useless is saving us for now but won't happen every week

if leeds want promotion belisa must go. it is as simple as that. the man will not change and change is needed.

01 Feb 2020 19:01:58
Well leo, would you think that the highest paid manager in this division would have it in his armoury the keys to unlock the very setup you describe?
We shoot ourselves in the foot so regularly and make it nigh on torture in games where we are invariably. controlling

Seriously what goes through bubs nut in these situations, lots. of new signings played for. new clubs today what does bubs think when he sees this?

For example does he think Conté is an amateur for. doing the complete opposite to him .

01 Feb 2020 23:03:18
Chris agreed mate 100 %.

01 Feb 2020 17:15:41
This result has to be a line in the sand moment for 2 or 3 players. Do I think it will be? Sadly not. Completely gutted tonight.

01 Feb 2020 17:57:38
You just know Bielsa will start with Bamford and probably the same starting team against Forest.

01 Feb 2020 20:28:49
I felt physically sick after that game. Gutted doesn’t even cover it.

01 Feb 2020 22:03:41
It f, s up your weekend for. sure . That horrible feeling watching your team drop points to a "lesser " opponent . Tonight Matthew I going to be VICTOR MELDREW 😂😂.

01 Feb 2020 17:09:25
Note to Radz
Buy a proven goalscorer, hang on too late
Note to Bielsa
Drop the keeper, train on defending set pieces
Stat of the day Wigan have won 3 away games in 39 away from home,
2 were against us
Not being negative but realistic, tight chairman and stubborn manager will cost us promotion and then mid table football for next few seasons.

01 Feb 2020 17:35:48
That's a frightening stat Richie, ironic that the king of stats don't care about those stats, I am gutted.

01 Feb 2020 18:22:13
note to rads sack the manager he is a stubborn fool

note to self. i said back in august we will batter teams but weakness in the box to set plays will cost us time and time again. if i could see it why could Belisa not see it. Am I that great or is he that stupid?

01 Feb 2020 20:30:02
Rubbish Bermo.

01 Feb 2020 17:08:13
Disappointing to say the least

1) Is Bielsa the master of turning victory into defeat?
2) Have lessons been addressed from last season. players who can convert chances?
3) Teams. needing only one chance to score against us at set pieces +
4) Does Bielsa understand that selecting Big Kev was the lift the team needed. boosting psychologically and goal threat . why spend £2 million if you aren't playing him every game?

Brentford scoring for fun .
Other teams at top winning

16 games to go and if Bielsa can't solve these weaknesses then
Leeds playoffs very likely not top 2 .

01 Feb 2020 17:04:27
I don't see any reason now why our new boys should not get a run now bam bam needs a rest as does Pablo so frustrating to watch that match today devastated least forest lost bout it really.

01 Feb 2020 17:19:42
Bielsa says we should have scored one of the 15 chances we made! Maybe buy a new striker and leave him out the squad will do the trick, if nothing else having big kev Sat on the bench may just have focused your main man.

01 Feb 2020 17:43:21
Big kev should be on the pitch let alone the bench the calibre of clubs he has played are a lot better than us it's a sin not to have him playing PSG, Monaco etc. don't wanna hear he's up to speed. ridiculous! who knows our squad might not be up to JKA For crying out we won't know till he gets on the pitch I'd find it harder to find an excuse not to play proveda too for that matter MOT feeling low : (.

01 Feb 2020 19:13:07
It's so infuriating, that you just knew bubs was going to do this, paddy needs help, some of our midfield need dropping yet bubs loyalty is unwavering .
2 new players bursting to make a impression yet we stick with same old same old .
I love his style of. football but if the man could just tweak things in games he would surely see improvement.

01 Feb 2020 16:23:10
Oh! Pablo what have you done?

01 Feb 2020 16:49:00
Helda Costa is a waste!

01 Feb 2020 17:03:21
Can’t really blame Pabs for that goal. Kiko should’ve had it, and there should’ve been someone on the far post.

01 Feb 2020 16:14:17
His brace against Millwall has clearly done wonders for Bambam - not.

01 Feb 2020 17:00:53
76% possession and no goals? We need a striker.
Exactly the same script as all recent games except wall - whites ahead on all stats except the one that matters.

01 Feb 2020 17:04:21
Pee poor all over the park today, not just Bam. If anything, Costa was the only one to earn his stripes.

01 Feb 2020 17:12:51
Dont worry Offwhite Radz will buy 1 in the transfer window, oh hang on, too late.

01 Feb 2020 17:15:22
Costa never found a white Jersey with a ball into the box.

01 Feb 2020 23:06:51
We bought one, so why not use him?
If you keep on doing the same thing, and it keeps on not working, it’s nature’s way of telling you to do something different.

01 Feb 2020 16:01:06
Sacrilege maybe, but Pablo has been poor in the first half.
Harrison good but many missed chances as per usual!
#FRUSTRATING! 😤😵.

01 Feb 2020 17:04:58
Poor for the whole game today. It is, what it is.

01 Feb 2020 14:45:31
Good!

. Leeds United want 17 refereeing decisions reviewed from the Millwall game

. it is also kind of clever that the club mention the rumblings of the conspiracy theory against Leeds United without actually stating they believe there is one.

01 Feb 2020 15:31:42
Would be typical Leeds if FA found nothing to comment on in respect of those 17 incidents but decided to retrospectively ban Klich for treading on a Millwall player.

01 Feb 2020 15:38:24
and 17 chances to score.

01 Feb 2020 15:56:57
One of them is “just not paying attention. ”!
Class! 😂😂😂.

01 Feb 2020 14:04:34
As I feared, no big Kev today. Bielsa can be stubborn.

01 Feb 2020 14:24:38
Disappointed also. but if he is not up to speed and he comes on for last 15 mins and does nothing then everyone will be slagging him off already!

01 Feb 2020 14:25:40
What no big Kev Nketiah?!

01 Feb 2020 14:28:24
We paid enough to get him, so surely he should have been on the bench at least. What do i know though! Hope for a good win anyway.

01 Feb 2020 14:29:44
On the bench big Kev would give the team and crowd a lift

. he is already fit .
. he is a pro footballer who should ne able to understand new tactics

There are only 17 matches remaining and Leeds paid £2 million plus in loan fee/ wages ( £120,000 a game) get him in the squad now.

01 Feb 2020 14:35:25
Seems a bit crazy not to have him on the bench, just in case you need bodies on the pitch to rescue a situation?

01 Feb 2020 14:50:03
Don’t understand how Poveda gets on bench and Kev don’t both just signed on both need to work out system strikes me Bielsa not consistent (still love him to bits though)

01 Feb 2020 15:20:58
All other transfers are on the bench for their clubs and we keep FORKING waiting to play ours.

01 Feb 2020 15:59:17
Difference is, that Poveda will be very familiar with the system, as Citeh play a very similar one, so not much adaptation needed. Kev will be in the next squad. I guarantee it, personally, honest guvs.

01 Feb 2020 16:03:55
Callum Robinson signed for Baggies on Wednesday, starts today and sets up their opener in the 14th minute! Bielsa is so stubborn and exasperating.

01 Feb 2020 08:31:44
Think Costa will come good eventually but it’s not quite working for him atmo. Seems to have that speed and skill but his finishing is not good. So it’s very possible we could see Poveda have his first start today. Best of luck to the young lad if he does.
3-1.

01 Feb 2020 09:35:03
Bielsa will stick with Costa.

01 Feb 2020 10:04:51
Tbf he had an excellent second half against ‘wall. Hopefully that will be the turning point for him. Poveda will come on today without a doubt, just depends on the score, and for who. Looking forward to seeing him!

01 Feb 2020 10:14:11
Expect the same line up again today with Poveda and big Kev amongst the subs. Last season against Wigan we dominated and created so many chances but still lost 1-2. He nice if we actually did things a little different and put a few chances away, Need to be taking the 3 points today.

01 Feb 2020 14:23:39
Yep Mezzer. 3 points is an absolute must. Any less would be a bloody disaster!

01 Feb 2020 00:14:02
Brentford done good transfer business, team to be worried about. Forest and Fulham also.