Leeds Banter Archive January 04 2019

04 Jan 2019 20:49:43
Can't do jokes but filling in the window hiatus with a couple of stories that sum up why I love Bielsa and what he is doing with the club.

1. In the Peacock early in the season, got chatting to two Marseille fans wearing the shirt. Good conversation along the what brings you here sort. One word answer, Bielsa, since his time at our club we follow him where he goes, wAtch games and talk to fans. Their view, best days they ever had at the club, loved it! Their advice, get on board, enjoy him, love him because you won't have him for long and you'll always remember your Bielsa time!

2. Salim Lamrani, Expert in US and Cuba relations, sports science, speaks 16 languages, busks at the white Rose centre as a one man band! Ok I made the bit up about the 16 languages! If Bielsa isn't enough, We get another minii hero free! Watch the videos of him sitting with the players around the bench, and in the crowd. Look at his reactions! This is what you see when you go to the ground and watch the under 23s. This is the buzz, team spirit and belief that is being built around the squad. Still not sure that everyone gets what is going on and being built. Will it be enough? Don't know, but it wouldn't surprise me! It's going to take us bloody close! Whoever we buy or don't buy!

I've just got a feeling that El Loco and his entourage have found their home in what is sometimes el loco club! Wouldn't it be wonderful if what people remember about Bielsa after everything else is what he did at Leeds!

04 Jan 2019 21:21:32
Nice post Spanish, I'm going to be naive now, is the busking bit for real? (don't laugh, I'm old and gullible)

04 Jan 2019 22:00:40
I don’t think so Al! But I wouldn’t put it past him!

05 Jan 2019 11:41:13
Can’t agree more

Bielsa seems to have a management team geared to giving him what he needs not what they want to give him

Sometimes it’s just a good fit and I think he’s being given the chance to build a club from the base up

No one is given that now

This is a special time.

05 Jan 2019 16:01:29
Let’s really hope so Other, it really feels like it to me. People like Bielsa, Sami and the others don’t turn up at your club every day!

05 Jan 2019 17:02:16
We were in a fortunate position when MB joined us. He was just as eager for success as we were, having had blips on his CV. Hopefully he will see this as a project to actually win something and in the process fall in love with the team, the club, the city and stay here forever. Delivering title after title, cup after cup. Oh what a dream?

05 Jan 2019 22:23:37
Going to chuck in victor’s name here

Still remember the clip of him celebrating a late equaliser

This bunch get this club

Bates didn’t care
Massimo bless him didn’t really realise what he’d taken on

This bunch get it

They’re Leeds now.

04 Jan 2019 18:10:01
Stoke spend £19 million on two players and rumours are it’s make or break for Rowett in the Fa cup. certainly is a funny old game.

04 Jan 2019 20:26:25
And a cautionary tale money doesn’t buy you love or Championship success only extremely good sex sometimes!

05 Jan 2019 12:25:59
I still think there's something dodgy about that Afobe transfer, he was a Wolves player for 11 days then went to Stoke on loan and now they've bought him, stinks.

05 Jan 2019 15:51:51
Staffy Nothing stinks until Leeds are mentioned, didn't you know that?

05 Jan 2019 17:38:25
Sorry George, I'm getting old and feeble-minded, the lad scored against us though, doesn't that count as a somewhat tenable link to Leeds? :)

04 Jan 2019 15:50:11
Alf Proof you seek? Try this. 10 goals conceded recently, that's one every 36 minutes (not stat of champions) , 2 consecutive losses, goalkeeper who appears to be deteriorating and whose positioning more Sunday league (maybe we'll win as game on Sunday) , suspension of our pivotal player, injuries, refusal to rotate, George intuition. Does that suffice? It's called discernment alf.

04 Jan 2019 17:33:03
If you want to get technical discernment isn't actually proof it's at best an educated guess.

We lost 2 games - one where we battered the opposition and should have won and the second where our 'pivotal player' got himself sent off with a reckless and juvenile challenge reducing us to 10 men for the majority of the game. Hardly solid proof of our decline.

I myself have said we are conceding goals too often recently but that could be down to a number of things and can, I'm sure, be addressed by our coach -it doesn't necessarily mean we will go on a downward spiral unless we spend pots of cash.

04 Jan 2019 17:42:15
I wouldn’t say we buttered Hull, thought they deserved to beat us.

04 Jan 2019 21:26:05
'ull coulda shoulda been a draw at least.

04 Jan 2019 13:39:06
On the transfer front think we definitely need a new keeper, heard Fabri and Heaton mentioned and also Darlow. Prefers choice would be Heaton but if I'm right our U23 team did put 6 past him in a U23 game.

Would also honestly take both Zubar and Maddison. Only really have 2 wingers in Alioski and Clarke and with Harrison only being on loan would need to be replaced anyway. Maddison can also play centrally and so can be the long term replacement for Our Lord and Savior Pablo.

Ideally my lineup after January would be:

Heaton
Ayling/ Jansson/ Cooper/ Douglas
Klich/ Phillips (or Forshaw)
Alioski/ Pablo/ Zubar
Roofe (or Bamford)

04 Jan 2019 14:21:25
What you mean roofe or Bamford?
Don’t understand.
Roofe is brilliant and though has been injured has banged them in for fun and run his socks off
Bamford errr well he is in our squad. He is on the website. Nice pic too. Handsome Chappy. He has cost a ****ing lot more than roofe. Let’s play him. Oh wait. We can’t.
The pussy is injured again.

04 Jan 2019 15:53:53
See, now there’s the No 1Poster Aus we know!

Thanks Aus, boring Friday and you just made me laugh out loud👍.

04 Jan 2019 16:49:18
😂😂😂 nice one Aus.!

04 Jan 2019 18:01:40
Bamboo Bamford.

04 Jan 2019 12:28:38
Looking back at the Carabao cup games earlier this season - I'd be surprised to see many players rested. He used those games of bringing injured players up to speed and players who missed lots of pre-season.

Perhaps; Davis, Gotts, Shackleton, Halme and Clarke will start but I'd imagine the rest will be first teamers.

04 Jan 2019 13:17:21
Totally agree, when i was a wee nipper teams used to complete the whole season with around 11 regular players and a few others when the regulars got injured. Needing to be 'rested' didn't come in to it and they already had rest between games anyway. this helped to form a better team, kept the players fit and maintained a consistent playing style.

when i am marathon training the more i train the fitter i get - it doesn't make me less fit if i train less providing i have a rest day each week. I'm not sure I buy in to this continental 'rotation' idea.

Get a decent team, keep playing them and keep winning.

I can see MB doing a similar thing with 'new' players to the team having to wait for their chance and grab it with both hands as and when it comes either through injuries, suspensions or sub appearances.

Play the same team for me - let's get back to winning ways and get another run going.

04 Jan 2019 13:35:05
Alftupper

Totally agree with your assessment. Rotation for rotations sake is not a reassuring strategy.

Rather, use rotation for suspensions, injuries, lack of form, and finally for "tiredness"

04 Jan 2019 14:14:08
Agree Alf.

04 Jan 2019 14:27:57
Don’t agree Alf. When I was a nipper teams didn’t play the Bielsa way, level of fitness required to play 90 mins no where near what is required today. Some of these players smoked and had a crafty short at half time. Totally different game today. Pablo, Klich, Pontus, Roofe, for me a break and keep them safe. But even more importantly an opportunity for Aapo, Leif, Jamie and perhaps a few others to show us and a tv audience what they could do. I’d have Aapo and Pascal as CBS, I’d have jamie and Lief involved . I’d ask Baker to captain the side and take the opportunity to show us what he can do. I’d also have Clarke odour on the bench to come on and run at them, and JC to play a full game. I might even try Roberts in the 10 role and put Falby or Edmondson up front! But I’m not Bielsa! It’s a teal opportunity to have a Championship level game to try people and ideas! The match against Derby is crucial!

04 Jan 2019 14:39:13
Yeah. But soccer a professional game now Spanish. No room for half dead beats. If you wanna do well. You train and get fitter. The days of a beer and fag at half time are gone Spanish. These days they have things called diet and gyms. No reason why players can’t be fitter. Alf is100% correct. The more you train. The fitter you get.
I’m not saying they shouldn’t deserve a rest everynow and then. But 2 or 3 games a week should be a breeeze at their age.

04 Jan 2019 15:00:34
Well, he’s gone for it and rested key players! Will be very interesting to see how we perform, and hope BPF and Forshew manage to rebuild any confidence they lost.

04 Jan 2019 09:27:58
If you bring players in, in January, with 17 to 20 games left to go, they need to fit in and be up to standard very quickly or you won't get the benefit . Players that come in and need coaching and a long time to get into the system we play are not what is wanted because we do not have the time available to coach these type of recruits . I still think we need at least six players in as the squad has had no big contribution from Roberts, Bamford, Browne, Shaughnessy. Both Saiz and Blackman are gone and Pearce, Beradi, Cooper, Dallas are all injured . that's ten players from not the biggest squad in the world. We have a great opportunity and I am sure MB would like some more players to work with. Some well spent money now might be the best money Rads has ever spent!

04 Jan 2019 10:36:00
It didn't take Biesla long to get last years relegation candidates "up to speed".

They destroyed recently-Premiership -standard Stoke City, with premiership wages players, in the first game of this season

Cant understand the issue around getting new players up to speed.
Buy an intelligent player and he will be able to work towards the common theme at a good speed. And in the meantime he is giving a breather to those already at the correct standards

Just don't buy journeyman for the sake of this mythical "squad size"

04 Jan 2019 11:37:10
Agree.
Buy wisely.
I think our whole set up is better than I previous years.
I refuse to believe there are not players out there that Biesla wants.

04 Jan 2019 11:45:46
He got them 3 times fitter and it took them and him a full ore season, it’s a totally different playing style to last season, but I agree that good players can adapt quickly, having said that you mr ‘good’ players cost 5-6 mil now. very good are silly money.

04 Jan 2019 12:47:07
No such thing ad a wise buy in the January window. Most buys are born from desperation or long term injury.

04 Jan 2019 12:56:27
not sure martyn i know it was before the window was invented but it was this time of year we signed chapman and cantona and we all know how both them signings worked out for us.

04 Jan 2019 13:22:44
Our plan seems to be to invest heavily (and not just in financial terms) in youth, get a top bollards coach and have him develop the young players into a top team, therefore saving money and creating a better team unit and a distinctive 'style' that is played by youth and seniors.

nothing that I have seen so far makes me believe this is not the intent and I love it actually - I'm all for that approach as opposed to buying overpriced rubbish or journeymen like we did previously.

Mark my words - we will not be going out in Jan and buying anyone that is overpriced or even expensive and actually, I will be surprised if we buy / loan anyone except a goalie. Maybe a CB and winger at a stretch but probably not.

If I were Radz i would continue with the approach and not break the bank for overpriced carp even if it meant losing out on promotion this season. I think MB has also bought into this approach.

04 Jan 2019 13:41:15
Alftupper, two in a day, total agreement again

I would love to go up, but the thought of Biesla creating a squad, not just a first team, that can play as we are doing ad infinitum just makes me tingle.

My hope is Biesla creates a way of playing that Leeds United carry on way past his retirement date. Coraban (sp) seems to be flourishing under his mentorship.

04 Jan 2019 14:17:00
Who said we were aiming to buy crap Alf.
Not sure anybody sets out to do that.
Good sensible improvements that will add to a team are not crap.

04 Jan 2019 14:34:30
Great post Alf. I know I’ve mentioned Leicester before but a great example of how a team can be greater than there parts when everything clicks. We are trying to play some stunning football, most shots in the league. And using the under 23s well. It’s really well set up. My only disagreement with Alf is I would rest and protect a few players.

04 Jan 2019 16:02:04
Totally agree Alf. I'm sick of hearing "We need proven championship players/ managers who know what this league is about". This is a very old fashioned way of looking at it IMO
Let's stick with what we're doing, it seems to be working!

04 Jan 2019 17:36:09
people are going to start talking axe.

04 Jan 2019 17:41:52
No I agree Aus they don't go out to buy crap but often they start panicking and end up paying through the nose for someone who was 'alright before they got injured' or ' played well 2 seasons ago in this league when they helped xxx win promotion' or 'a great lower league player who might be able to step up' and more often than not it doesn't work. If we can't get the players we choose at the prices we are willing to pay (whch is usually less than the true value as opposed to more) just don't bother and work with what we have including giving our younglings a shot.

04 Jan 2019 18:14:32
I'll just say we don't need "proven Championship players" what would be nice is proven PL players. Looking at what Bub said in the presser, looks like a keeper and a winger.

04 Jan 2019 21:00:34
Alf, you’ve been on fire today, great posts fella. I still sort of feel that some people get the Bielsa buzz and others don’t, perhaps it’s like Marmite or Spam?

04 Jan 2019 05:30:11
Some great debate on here about what we should do this window. Our problem is that we really don't know what is going on behind the scene and what is being said and done by the key individuals.

If Bielsa has said, these are the positions that need strengthening and these are the players I would like, then the problem becomes one for Radz and Orta.

If he has said, another goalkeeper and the rest is ok, then it becomes much more of a difficult problem to manage, however simply George tries to make it! He is Bielsa and he has taken largely the same group of players from last years and taken them to top of the league playing some of the best football in the league. He normally is stubborn and self confident, how do you think he feels now?
If you don't want a manager like that, don't appoint a 63 year old Argentinian knowing exactly what he is going to be like and then expect him to change.

Would you really want to buy Bielsa players he doesn't want and hasn't asked for? He's not Heckingbottom or Hockaday! He has the players in his side, he has the coaching staff on his side. We need some patience, trust in our senior managers and patience, to see where we are at the end of Jan .

I understand George's point perfectly and to be fair, he has posted it consistently since the start of the year. If Bielsa agrees with him, it's easy, if he doesn't, it's very much not! Let's see!

04 Jan 2019 08:02:29
Another great post spanish.
MB has hinted that we are short in comparison to beginning if season so likely he has sanctioned a couple of signings. it just gets confusing when the press are linking us with every player and their dog on a daily basis.
Just got to trust him and wait and see what happens.
By all accounts, scouts have been busy all over the place.
Won't be surprised to get a couple in. then again won't be too shocked to just get a keeper.

04 Jan 2019 08:44:16
Bielsa is a shrewd guy and he is football mad. I imagine that he has seen a lot of football both in the UK and abroad and he must have a view on who could improve the team, even if it is based on rosier views of the players than we might have! Hopefully we have been working to that list!

04 Jan 2019 09:50:20
And that's what I've been saying for weeks.

04 Jan 2019 13:14:57
Thanks Spaniard. Again, good to have your level of sophistication on here. Sophistication? Sophistication? Don't talk to me about sophistication, I've been to Leeds! 😄🤣.

03 Jan 2019 23:55:44
Anyone else fallen foul of LUFC's decision not to use the away tracker for Stoke tickets? My son and I have been to 11 away games including Millwall and Norwich and missed out this morning. So much for loyalty! Happy New Year Leeds United. It wouldn't happen anywhere else.

04 Jan 2019 13:31:35
At least it gives some other people a chance of going away.