Leeds Banter Archive February 09 2020

09 Feb 2020 20:19:33
Just read this, obvs excludes us as top 8, but it's not over yet.

"Look at upcoming fixtures for West Brom, forest, Brentford they have still the entire top 8 to play and the majority are back to back games. After Tuesday we've done those games. ".

09 Feb 2020 21:28:21
Good to know Brighty . good news that they will be taking points off each other.

09 Feb 2020 23:57:18
Bright - we'll still have Brizzle (on Saturday) , Baadiff and Fulham, and Brentford and Forest have already just played each other, but yes your general point that we've got less top 8 fixtures remaining than the other 3 you named. You did not include Fulham - and they have all of the other top 11 yet to play.

10 Feb 2020 09:04:57
Bright don't forget Wigan lol, it's not just the top 8 in worried about at the moment, we need to score first against anyone we play to settle nerves.

09 Feb 2020 19:25:16
I've just had some nostalgia - watching highlights of Leeds v Man City, 3rd Round FA Cup 1978. I was a teenager in The Kop that day. We lost - but what a crowd. What a noise. Super Leeds.

10 Feb 2020 14:16:52
I think from memory we had just beaten them in the league, when the radio announced on the way home we had drawn them in the cup?

09 Feb 2020 16:54:56
Please, please, please Bubba, take Kiko out of the firing line for his own state of mind if nothing else.

I often wonder how much influence his backroom staff have on him, not as much as they should I'm guessing, I hope they aren't all yes men.

09 Feb 2020 17:22:54
I always of the belief imagine poor Mrs Bielsa,

09 Feb 2020 18:33:43
No doubt all yes men

It's crucial that Kiko is dropped amongst one two other changes

If Bielsa stubbornly and foolishly does not drop Casilla immediately. he may as we leave now rather tham when he leaves in 15 games time . no top 2 or even play offs.

09 Feb 2020 19:16:35
Bielsa’s comments on Radio Leeds,

"Clearly if you have good players and they give their all on the pitch, the conclusion is clear, " Bielsa told BBC Radio Leeds. "I have to understand that it is myself who has to find the solutions.

"I'm prepared to find solutions to turn this negative situation into a more positive one. "

He’s not actually saying he needs to change personnel but it looks pretty conclusive he sees that something has to change.

09 Feb 2020 19:44:56
Same tactics and players again for Tuesday then. It will be the last thing that Brentford will expect 🤔.

09 Feb 2020 14:35:12
I think we should all just go to the pub together, and drink until the season is over. It's got to be healthier than watching the games. 🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻.

09 Feb 2020 14:52:03
Wrong again bright 😂😂😂😂😂😂 Alcohol raises blood pressure, is a depressant, cause anxiety, liver damage, etc etc, so it's not healthier 🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺

Still all told it tastes beautiful.

09 Feb 2020 14:54:00
Brightwhite are they all on you till the end of the season?

09 Feb 2020 14:55:45
Sold. What time down the peacock Bright?

09 Feb 2020 15:13:19
Down the Pints Up the Whites 🍺🍺⚽️⚽️
“We Are Leeds” 💛 💙.

09 Feb 2020 15:50:28
Preceded by a pub crawl of all the pubs in Wembley at the end of Leeds United Play Off Final Victory.

09 Feb 2020 16:09:50
Woo hoo bazooks, if that should happen I reckon we should all meet up for. real! Imagine it all of us meeting up 😂

There would be murders down Wembley way!

09 Feb 2020 16:12:10
Chris - could be another example of presumption there. It is possible to go to pubs and drink together without it being unhealthy. Most pubs sell non-alcoholic drinks and also low sugar beverages. Who knows what type of drink Bright was suggesting we all consume - there probably isn't an easily accessible text image for two healthy drinks being clinked together. Keeping up your fluid intake and plenty of friendly banter sounds a great alternative to football induced stress I'm sure my GP would approve.

09 Feb 2020 16:17:11
I’m talking proper bitter, and loads of it!

09 Feb 2020 16:23:26
Your GP + ED our great site administrator 😂😂😂 make his life a lot easier, imagine the pinging alerts he was getting yesterday clueless 😂😂😂.

09 Feb 2020 16:27:39
Arthur Guinness for me when I can get it good all day long.

09 Feb 2020 16:30:47
Maybe we could even have a play-reading - with Berm's latest script.

OK, maybe that's going a little too far - wouldn't want to put Berm through that - nothing to be gained from murdering a perfectly good play.

Anyway back in the real world, as OptiPess said, down the pints and up the Whites!

09 Feb 2020 16:51:16
Definitely Chris and Clue lol.

09 Feb 2020 12:44:37
Richiem. Long way down
Drop harrison.
Are you serious?
Costa Kiko Hernandez Bamford def.

09 Feb 2020 14:40:56
If u played a 3 5 2 then yes, weren't both goals yesterday mistakes by him, losing the ball in bad places.

09 Feb 2020 11:32:06
I am going to Google Kiko. See if he mispelt Accrington Stanley as Real Madrid on his CV.

09 Feb 2020 12:35:58
Probably was some laugh. in their boardroom the day Leeds bid went in .
All laughing into their gazpacho's

Needless to say Perez got his personal driver to whip him straight out. to Madrid airport.

09 Feb 2020 14:12:51
And that plane was the last thing he caught.

09 Feb 2020 17:27:01
Seen a quote today bud, no disrespect to a very serious situation but the quote went

If Kiko licked every bat in China he still couldn't CATCH coronavirus 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂.

09 Feb 2020 10:18:08
Bielsa has managed to get this squad to play some very good football through a combination of increased fitness levels, controlled passing and moving and a overall good team ethic. Unfortunately in order to score the required goals, get in the killer pass or cross you need quality - or so many chances in a game even the average player can get one. Leeds haven't that quality in the final third and now most teams are packing their defences we are not getting the amount of chances we need. If we score early on we tend to do better (not always) because teams have to commit going forward (not always) . That's why we tend to do better with teams wanting to go toe to toe with. I, like a lot of others, have banged on about the defence not being able to defend corners. We give that impression because when we do concede it's usually from set pieces or goal keeping errors. In open play we are not bad at defending and we do defend a lot of set pieces where the opposition don't score. All defences are not perfect and do make mistakes we are no different. Our problem is that when we do we drop points because we don't score enough. Start converting chances and the defence will look after itself.

09 Feb 2020 10:32:40
Hess, couldn’t agree more.

09 Feb 2020 10:49:52
Me too, in the main.

09 Feb 2020 11:12:46
You’re right but it’s a catch 22 isn’t it? How do we do that when we lack the quality? Philips back will hopefully make a big difference in the next 2 games and for the remainder of the season.

09 Feb 2020 12:09:25
Hess it was being said last year that Paddy was not the answer, it was said last year Kiko, was not the answer, it was said start of season that getting rid of Ponty was not the answer,

All the above points were all shut down by so many, stating the line bubs knows best, whereas whoever would be making the point would have been told they were clueless.

It's the definition of madness doing the same thing over +over again and expecting a different reply .

There's currently only 1 man who can bring in the quality that's been needed in this club for many many years . However he manipulates the fans with FFP, Leeds have cash regardless what he is ever going to say on the contrary . If Leeds are potless God help the other teams in this league.

And all his Twitter rubbish is just that rubbish, his interest is the Leeds brand and throw a few pound the teams way to keep us happy .

Just this week Kinnear on radio telling us why Leeds couldn't pay 15mill for Bowen, FFP yet again

So if. the interviewer drilled a small bit deeper into that and asked how were we supposedly ever going to pay £20 on Ché . Because that's what the club told us they bidded .

09 Feb 2020 12:10:38
I agree but how do you solve the goal scoring problem?

09 Feb 2020 12:21:12
Spot on Hesslian. Our current run of results is not because the system doesn't work or because Bielsa's been found out. It's not like the other managers didn't know exactly what we were going to do in the first half of the season. The goals conceded have been down to individual errors. As others have said, Bielsa's problem here has been a loyalty to some players like Kiko. Hopefully his forthcoming chat with Kiko - alluded to when he refused to comment publicly - will lead to agreement that Kiko needs to be given time out of the spotlight, with Meslier stepping up. The system lead to the creation of more than enough chances to win most games, yesterday being one of the exceptions.

KP's return will help, with other players able to return to more accustomed roles. I also believe that Big Kev and Poveda will help significantly in the creativity and finishing departments.

So let's keep together, backing the team, Bielsa and even the management who brought him here - they all want us to return to the Prem at the end of this season. Of course it's fine to carp about their individual errors, but personal attacks, calling into doubt their integrity and desire for the Club to succeed, does nothing to help drive us forward towards our common goal.

One last thing for now. George, the anagrams were amusing for a while, but like most good things it's maybe possible to overdo them. As befits your keyboard warrior persona, you could easily become Brigadier Georgette Whitney or perhaps just a Bigwig heterogeneity retard. Big Kev ain't overweight, just lacking in match sharpness. Like any player who has found it hard to break into the first team at a previous club, his confidence may not be totally robust - so even jokey jibes may have some affect. Let's back the new lads to the hilt. They were clearly happy to be here, so it would seem stupid to do anything to curb that enthusiasm, which will hopefully help lift the rest of the squad.

09 Feb 2020 12:33:49
I can agree with the point that if we scored half the chances we create the defending would not be such an issue, but we do not and it is. Every time the other team gets the ball near our box we look vulnerable. Kiko, Coops, Alioski all liabilities. Also lack of cover for all the back four is, for me, criminal.

As i said before an average CB is better than playing a full back there, especially when you then have to play a winger as full back. We offloaded at least four young CBs who could have done the job, and a lot of other defenders. Now we all shout for Casey to be given a chance, a lad who has just stepped up from U19s.

Pascal plays like Coops so basically we have no cover. The best young right back of last seasons u23s is now classed as a midfielder we do not need.
Not sure if it is Bubs, Orta or Radz who decided we do not need defenders but it was shory sightedness on whover is responsible.
Must say same problem up front as well.

09 Feb 2020 12:32:56
Great post clueless 👏🏻👏🏻.

09 Feb 2020 12:33:47
Chris - think you'll find that Hull wanted the £15m now for Bowen, not a loan with view to permanent, whereas the bid for Che was on a loan to perm if promoted basis.

09 Feb 2020 13:04:56
Bud - converting an U23 RB into a midfielder for example does not necessarily mean that Corberan and Bielsa do not see the player concerned potentially as a RB for first team purposes. The clue may be in the title Professional Development League. The coaches may be giving him an opportunity to develop within a secondary position while perhaps also giving other players the opportunity to step up a level into U23 within the position he has vacated. That way they are facilitating development both on an individual and squad basis - which can be no bad thing.

09 Feb 2020 13:22:05
No argument with that Clueless but when you need a right back on match day and have one whose class in that position brought him to your attention then decide to play a left winger there instead then i question why?

09 Feb 2020 14:56:23
Clueless I know. that but whether it was up front or amortized it would have been incorporated into a rolling 3 year billing period.

09 Feb 2020 15:24:40
Well Chris, perhaps, contrary to a common belief on here, Radz would have been prepared to go bigger for a player they believed would more or less guarantee promotion due to his recent Championship record - making the ffp concerns a moot point. Gambling a bit if he thought the odds were very heavily stacked in his favour.

09 Feb 2020 15:38:34
Chris, if as I seem to recall the purchase option we proposed for Che would have been subject to promotion, the ffp concerns would have been moot, unless we had failed to stay in the Prem for the next two seasons. And given Radz would have sold all or part of his remaining stake to QSI or equivalent backers, relegation would have been considered unlikely.

09 Feb 2020 09:50:46
I would say that we are missing some "shots on sight" but when I look at the recent games they would all be totally speculative. It seems opposition managers have drilled a "park the bus" mentallity into their teams that you could not get a cigarette paper between defenders. Made especially worse when we let them go one up. Still think it's an area we lack and sometimes worth a try, you never know deflection/ lucky goal worth a try.

09 Feb 2020 10:08:17
Totally agree Leodis. The number of times I shouted “just bloody shoot” at the telly yesterday. It’s as if players are scared to miss the target.

09 Feb 2020 11:49:39
Said it from beginning of season, at times we play too much football, trying to find a waay around a defense instead of just attacking it. Teams happy for us to play keep ball when it does not put them under pressure. A defender with his back to goal is always comfortable.

09 Feb 2020 09:43:57
Some of our players look afraid to get a knock.
We have a soft underbelly and too many players cannot win the battle with their opposite number, the personal dual, a big difference than committing a bad foul
How would this squad get on in the top flight?
Playing in a 46 match championship season for me our squad is about 10 players short, some also need replacing.
Kiko, Pablo, Beradi, Bamford, Douglas, Cooper, Foreshawand Alioski are only squad players to be used as cover for injury or to rest players, we need better in a starting eleven. Harrison and White are on loan. Costa and Klich need a rest. Roberts?
Dallas and Ayling best two fullbacks have to cover various positions. We have missed Philips.

09 Feb 2020 10:11:26
Kal will be a big boost when he’s back.
I know others disagree, but I think Costa is starting to show why we bought him, and if Roberts can stay fit, he can step in for a Pabs in time. We will need a much stronger spine if we do get promoted.

09 Feb 2020 11:06:59
Foreshaw is decent when I injured but sadly we haven’t seen enough of him.

09 Feb 2020 12:18:08
If we go up will need a lot of players in, need a squad of ay least 24-6 to have any chance in PL. What have we got.
Kiko, no=Meslier, loan, possibly.
Ayling, back up, Gotts yes, Berardi no.
White, loan, yes. Coops no, Pascal no, Casey eventually.
Alioski no. Davis no. Douglas no.
P yes. Costa maybe, Pablo back up, Klich maybe. Harrison maybe, Dallas no. Roberts doubt it. Shacks eventually. Forshaw no.
Bamford no, JKA who knows, Poveda who knows. Edmonson eventually.
Bubs yes if owner going to spend big to get quality in, no if we still hearing 18 players is enough to compete.
Radz no, think he will sell in summer whatever.
Orta no, has shown me nothing in his player acquisitions over past two seasons to make me think he will do a good job for us in PL.
So for me even if we manage to get past the winning post this season and go up a lot of work needs doing to keep us up. Wheres a Qatari when you need one.

09 Feb 2020 06:59:03
It’s evident that we miss KP, his contribution makes for more fluidity not to mention his pin point passing, player searching balls and decisive tackling. We missed all that yesterday.
Does look like Kiko is having confidence issues, it might be a good idea to give Meslier a few games between the sticks.
I think when Big Kev gets up to speed he’ll make for a more interesting target man than Bamford. The link up between KP and him turning on defenders with his blistering speed hopefully will be a source of some much needed goals.
All’s not lost. There’s still ample of enough games to get this rolling again. As for fatigue issues absolute nonsense, Ayling admitted that last season there were no such problems.
There maybe just simply some individual player quality indeficiencies, Bielsa has squeezed the maximum out of these very average Championship players, I don’t think they can produce the quality required every game.
However, they do try very hard.
I think these boys need every fan to give them that extra belief, from the keyboard warriors to the bare chested fan swinging his shirt around his head in the match crowd.
This is the time, and there is still time, for all these great Leeds United fans to get behind our club.

09 Feb 2020 10:38:49
Best post I’ve seen on here for a long time OP. 👏🏻🍻👍🏻.

09 Feb 2020 11:11:18
Not only that but I have started to think the rest of the team don’t want to give it to Bamford because they suspect he will waste it. They were looking for Augustin much more when he came on imo.

09 Feb 2020 12:27:32
Believe me every match i am swinging my scarf around but i can't kid myself and say i am happy for the lads to give their all and lose and say all come out and do it over again next week lads. Einstein had a theory about that.

09 Feb 2020 12:47:41
Bud, you don’t need to be Einstein to know that positivity breeds confidence to whatever you do in life as much as the contrary will do the opposite. There are limits to what we can physically achieve but in the shape of Leeds United winning promotion, it is 100% possible.
Never give up Never Never Never.

09 Feb 2020 05:24:49
Better team won, we are getting found out and have no other options.
Too many weak links, cassila is terrible and time for change.
Alioski should have been sent off, lucky to not get multiple yellow cards.
Doesn't work with white in middle, need KP back and feel we can beat bees but needs tweaking. Dallas dropping or Lb.
This system now not working, 2 wins in 10 is it.
Maybe 3 at back and 2 main strikers, play bamford and JKA.
Is Poveda injured, why not in squad. Poor transfer window hurting us again. Be a good 2nd series of Take us Home? Miss out again.

08 Feb 2020 23:54:16
The problem with some on this site if you provide a realistic analysis that says we are more likely to lose than win you are accused of being negative. When your predictions prove to be correct you are accused of wanting Leeds to lose and gloating over the fact that you can say 'I told you so. '. That is utter rubbish. I have watched football for many years, played at a decent level for a long time and coached youngsters who went on to play for England. I have been a season ticket holder since I was too old to play. I travel hundreds of miles every week to watch the team play and the last thing I want is to see them lose. However, just because I'm Leeds born and bred doesn't mean to say I can just say everything is going to turn out fine when it's likely it won't. Nothing is 100% certain so it's quite possible we can turn a corner but there are flaws in what is being done at the moment which is making promotion look more and more uncertain. Having said that Bielsa has made a mediocre squad play very good football in two thirds of the pitch which is why watching them is very frustrating. Without Bielsa though we would be languishing somewhere around Wigan. This paradoxically wouldn't be as frustrating because expectations wouldn't be so high.

09 Feb 2020 09:19:28
Cracking post Hessy.

09 Feb 2020 10:05:01
Good post Hessy but over recent weeks I would suggest that's one third of the pitch. Misfiring up front and a bit leaky at the back. In the middle of the Park we are unplayable at times but at the pointy end?

09 Feb 2020 10:43:49
Very good post Hesslian, particularly your initial points!

Expectations have indeed been raised by Bielsa but the team this season
is significantly weaker than last season's team

in the first half of last season especially with an in inform creative Saiz, an inspired free scoring Roofe and a solid Jannson the team were supreme. we miss those 3 players level badly.