Leeds banter 10

08 Jul 2026 01:51:49
Bugger. That was close.
The look on Messi's face at 2-0 was priceless.
Poor Egypt.

08 Jul 2026 11:53:19
The VAR decision that ruled out their second goal was a farce, and the goal should have stood, but the claimed pen for a foul on Salah was nothing.

08 Jul 2026 13:44:55
Yes, a shame for Egypt that they had to play against Argentina, the ref and FIFA.

08 Jul 2026 13:11:50
I do think that seeing as some politicians have got involved in decision making it is highly possible it is rigged. Couldn't do anything about the you s a but that Egypt game def iffy.

Yanks trying to get big teams into later rounds.
I don't think I've commended the yanks on their fan chant yet. U. S. A. Love it. Those yanks are smart cookies 😂😂😂😂

08 Jul 2026 14:52:05
How does that chant go again, Aus? 🤔🤣

08 Jul 2026 17:03:56
It's a tricky one, Bright. Takes some learning. But, it's U. S. A. Glad I'm not a yank. Way beyond me. Coulda made it easier than U. S. A. 😂😂😂😂😂

08 Jul 2026 23:23:20
They should reduce it to a simple U.S. so even the air breathers can join in.

09 Jul 2026 01:16:03
USA not like us eh.
We just need to master the Donaldinho dance now.

07 Jul 2026 23:02:12
Okafor obviously not fancied by his manager at the WC. At least he will be fresh for preseason, but do feel for the lad if he doesn’t get some minutes.

08 Jul 2026 02:51:45
Their manager really doesn't like Okafor. He is a much better player than those playing in his position, and I really believe he could have won them the match without the penalty shootout.

08 Jul 2026 10:31:24
Makes no sense selecting him if you won't play him, very odd.

08 Jul 2026 10:44:53
I think he played about 30 minutes last match?

08 Jul 2026 11:30:09
Okafor came on at 71 mins.

Score was already 2 nil and finished 2 nil.

Man of the match?

08 Jul 2026 13:13:23
He got a pretty low rating on FotMob. Nowhere near mom. Opti pulling a fast one again lol. But at least he is rested.

08 Jul 2026 13:33:33
World Cup squads are full of players that are backup, but get very few minutes. Sadly, for us, it will likely mean Okafor comes back for preseason late, which isnt ideal. Pre-season for the rest starts in just 5 days.

08 Jul 2026 21:26:12
Nothing wrong with trying to pull a fast one, Aus. Gets the conversations rolling.

07 Jul 2026 22:18:27
I'd like to Okafor get another run out against the Colombians tonight, he got MoM in their last game as a substitute.

07 Jul 2026 22:48:02
I really like Okafor, he was superb for Leeds United in the second half of the season.

Switzerland 0 vs Colombia 0, 85 mins played, like to see Okafor come on.

07 Jul 2026 23:23:34
OP, if it was MOM via BBC ratings, we know why.
I didn't see that game, so I didn't see how he did.

08 Jul 2026 00:06:23
MOM? Don't think so, Op.

08 Jul 2026 02:29:20
He's only played once, in the Algeria game, coming on as a sub on 70 minutes. No source I can find made him MOTM, not surprising when he only played 26 mins. His omission tonight was strange, when they had their best attacking player, Manzambi, out injured, another not fit to start and had to play an additional half hour, but that's down to the Swiss boss.

At least he'll come back fit as a butcher's dog and raring to go.

08 Jul 2026 05:34:25
Yes, it was a BBC rating, but why would that be biased toward him with Ndoye and Xhaka both being popular Premiership players.

He'll be very disappointed not to start at least a game, but he still may have some involvement in the quarter final, if he's not carrying a light injury already.

08 Jul 2026 11:31:33
Okafor came on at 71 mins.
Score was 2 nil, finished 2 nil.
Man of match very unlikely.

08 Jul 2026 11:46:14
Don't be lazy and always trying to point score Baz, check it up.

08 Jul 2026 12:46:43
Is that the Beeb rating where the viewers vote?

.. happy for Okafor as a biased Leeds United fan. ..good on all the thousands of Leeds fans who voted.

Player ratings based on match data for Switzerland 2 Algeria 0 match.

Kobel Man of the Match with a rating of 8.4/10.

Okafor received 6.1/10.

08 Jul 2026 12:50:01
Your final comment piqued my interest, OP, and indeed you are correct. I googled "BBC player ratings Switzerland v Algeria" and Okafor is indeed shown as "Player of the match" with a score of 8.39, the second best Swiss player was Manzambi on 7.27, and the best Algerian got 6.03.

Any doubters can do the same as I did. How the figures are calculated I have no idea, only the BBC know that.

08 Jul 2026 13:15:43
That's just wrong. Plain and simple. I watched it and he was ok. Didn't score or assist and Manz was a monster. BBC stands for many things, but brainless blind c*** springs to mind too.

08 Jul 2026 13:34:38
I think it's done by public vote, in which case the Leeds fans will have been voting in their droves.

08 Jul 2026 16:56:07
Not disagreeing with you, Aus. I didn't watch that game, but my logic is that it's difficult for someone who's only on the pitch 26 mins to be MOTM, however good he may have been for that short time. Knowing how Leeds fans are with public votes, Alf's theory sounds likely to me.

07 Jul 2026 18:36:02
Surely Egypt number 12 - Hassan will get some offers - currently playing in Spanish second division.

07 Jul 2026 20:00:04
Agreed, he is talented, likely to go to a higher league.

Absolutely gutted for Egypt against Argentina.

Still, England beating Argentina in SF will be glorious!

Baz tip: England will win World Cup 2026. 🏆

I can feel it.

07 Jul 2026 20:11:01
Not really how tips work, Baz, you don't wait until 38 teams have gone out before announcing who's going to win.

07 Jul 2026 20:23:36
Lol, fair comment, Llf.

I initially had England down on this forum and elsewhere as getting to WC QF; I didn't feel they would/ could win it though.

But, after watching most of this WC tournament, that has changed. There is no team to genuinely fear, imo.

From here on in, I think England can and will win the WC 2026.

Aimo

08 Jul 2026 02:35:24
Let's not get too carried away when England (world ranked 4) have just beaten Mexico (14) . Still lying in wait are Argentina (1) , Spain (2) and France (3) , and if Norway (31) can beat Brazil (6) , they could also give England a hard time too.

They could end up world champs, but will need another 3 performances like last night's to do so.

08 Jul 2026 03:39:40
I am getting excited, JR. It's going to happen.

Finally, after 60 long years since our last WC tournament triumph.

07 Jul 2026 17:53:09
So with mes going to Arsenal I’d take Kepa as a number 1.

07 Jul 2026 20:03:31
What's all this malarkey about 'world class' Meslier off to warm Arsenal's bench? Not sure that's a good career move for him.

He said, just a season or two ago, he was only interested in playing and being a number 1.

07 Jul 2026 20:12:31
He said he wouldn't leave Leeds in January as he wanted the signing on fee to be bigger. So, I imagine, if that's his attitude toward money, I am sure he would bench warm for an extra 0 on his bank balance.

07 Jul 2026 20:28:29
Yes, Lld.. that was Jan..

But, 2 years ago, Mes was quoted as only wanting to join a club as a number 1.

Interesting to know how much Mes actually rates himself these days. He has had a rough 4 years of clangers.

Sitting on a bench as a gk is super easy, and yes, with more money!

07 Jul 2026 22:10:46
I think it's a fantastic move for him and the very best of luck to him.
If Arsenal's number two, Kepa Arrizabalaga, leaves as touted, then he should get plenty of cup games to play in.
I personally hope he does well after being hounded out of the club by many dissatisfied Leeds Utd fans.


He needs a new start, and what better club to do that at than Champions Arsenal, even if it is as backup keeper.

I simply don't get the hatred towards him?

07 Jul 2026 22:40:46
Agree, OP. We didn't want him, so he moves on, hopefully to better things, and he should go with our best wishes.

07 Jul 2026 22:52:49
No OP, it's a case of simply not rating Meslier, nothing else.. similar to your sizeable disdain of Jessie Marsch.

Will Arteta play Mes in Champ League? I very much doubt it.

So, not sure how Mes playing a handful of League Cup games is going to further his career at all.

08 Jul 2026 05:15:13
Arsenal will have a very big chance of winning a domestic trophy, so it will be more than a couple of games.
How do you know he won't have an opportunity to play some group stage CL games?
Also, and most importantly, he will be working alongside Raya and their goalkeeping coach, which I'm certain will be an invaluable experience for a still relatively young keeper.



There is still a very good keeper in Meslier who has not been handled well by our club. He has now an opportunity to prove his doubters wrong.

08 Jul 2026 05:38:25
Their goalkeeping coach might well improve him..

We shall see how much, if any, game time he gets.. Currently, he is Arsenal's 3rd choice gk, and there are no guarantees that Kepa is leaving Gooners.

08 Jul 2026 08:50:36
To say him going to Arsenal with no desire to play and pick up a wage packet, which he will probably be receiving less than his 80k pw at Leeds, is exactly the hatred and uninformed drivel that has zero substance.
He won't be the first Leeds player we have let go and have moved on to more success.



Arsenal obviously see the potential in him. You can be assured they wouldn't be wasting their time with someone who didn't win their interest.

As you say, Baz, we will see. My money's on him lighting up his career again in the football seasons to come.

08 Jul 2026 09:47:20
He didn't handle anything well at the club. Including the ball. The bloke simply ain't a goalkeeper in my eyes. Too many deficiencies. Don't care what he does at Arsenal, I'm just glad he is gone.

08 Jul 2026 10:10:12
Mes was thrown in the deep end far too soon. The club has badly mismanaged his development; they made a very young, good keeper with a lot of potential into one that ended up having his confidence torn apart, then tossed aside.
In my opinion, his development was wasted at Leeds.



He should have been a student of a good quality number 1 with plenty of experience. We probably couldn't afford that in the Championship. Stories of him saying he would never be back up keeper are baseless, and only feed into the narrative that everyone wants to believe.

08 Jul 2026 11:32:39
What Aus said.

And,

Mes was not on £80k a week at Leeds, OP.

More towards £30 K a week.

07 Jul 2026 13:23:36
Harry Gray has joined Sheffield Wednesday on loan until the end of the 2026/27 season.

07 Jul 2026 07:48:36
So it appears that Suzuki has said no to Leeds, and we’ve apparently moved on from Shae Charles.

Keita looks like a big strong combative midfielder, does that mean we push Stach into the 8/ 10 role and have Keita and Amps as defensive midfielders?

Keeper wise, I think it’s always dangerous signing any player on the back of a WC, I wouldn’t deal with Man C for Trafford either as they will screw anyone in a deal.



There are loads of keepers out there and cheaper.

It’s a little concerning that despite the club stating this window will focus on the attack, we’ve barely been linked to any attackers except HW and Brandt (Brandt I’d swerve) .
We need players we can have big sell on value on.
We need
2 x CB
1 x LB
1 x Keeper
1 x midfielder
1 x ATM
1 x 9

Time to get busy as well as clearing the decks!

07 Jul 2026 10:07:00
Hate to say, but I can't see that happening, Dave. I fully agree, btw, but this has the same feeling as last year. We will get players, but not who we expect, and it will again be very late on in the window, but I may be totally wrong, I hope.

07 Jul 2026 11:36:25
Admire your optimism, Dave, but I see us getting 5 max. CB situation depends on whether Bornauw stays or goes; if he stays, we'll only get one to fill the Pascal slot. Keeper depends on what Darlow decides. Midfield: nothing likely except an AM (Brandt or another) .



Hopefully we'll at least get:
1x CB to replace PS
LWB backup for Gabby
AM/No 10
Striker to supplement DCL and Nmecha
Resolve GK situation.

And also hopefully lose:
Harrison, Schmidt, Wober, Gelhardt, Piroe.

07 Jul 2026 12:09:59
Yep, 5 signings max imo.

And the positions to which JR lists.

Currently, Leeds Utd have signed no one (officially, at least) , and more than 3 weeks of the window have already elapsed.

Added to that, Leeds' current recruitment team tend to do at best one incoming signing a week.

And there's now less than 8 weeks remaining of the window.

07 Jul 2026 13:17:20
Bri, we actually made a lot of early signings last year, so don't always leave it late.

As far as I am aware, we never put in any bids for Suzuki, so all the noise was likely made up - probably by the player's agent to get some interest.



As I said before, I get the feeling that if Darlow signs, we won't bring in another keeper unless it's a real bargain and £30m does not fit that criteria.

08 Jul 2026 07:24:42
I'm pretty certain we will not be paying 30 Mil for a goalkeeper and like Alf said there's been no contract concerning Suzuki.
In my opinion, Darlow is not the best keeper we've had and does have his faults. I think the club should keep him if he wants to stay.

08 Jul 2026 13:39:05
We have offered him a contract, OP, so the ball is in his court. Apparently, the club are a bit miffed he hasnt signed already.

07 Jul 2026 07:33:47
If England don't win, Belgium have just become my second favourite team.

Overturn that one Trump!

07 Jul 2026 08:24:10
Belgium have been moved to a new base in El Salvador!

07 Jul 2026 09:30:16
The Balogun saga probably gave the Belgians added incentive, but had the exact opposite effect on the Americans who produced their worst performance so far. After the tournament, FIFA must be told by member countries that this does not happen again.

07 Jul 2026 10:36:00
Love your undying optimism, Cleggy.

07 Jul 2026 12:22:02
Actually, Aus, stranger things have happened than this England team winning this WC.

Beating Norway is entirely feasible, and more likely than not, imo.

A semi final vs (probably) the Argies will be a challenge, but Cape Verde demonstrated very well, Argies aren't great.

A final vs France or Spain would be tough, but it's a one off game and both are beatable.

07 Jul 2026 13:31:46
So that's three stranger things have happened, Baz. I admire yours and Cleggy's optimism.

07 Jul 2026 13:14:00
My oh my, Starmer intervened with FIFA over KO time for last game, so it's just 1 person whose done it, that's going to hurt some people's narrative

07 Jul 2026 14:27:52
Well, Chris, if that's right, then it's also wrong. I don't get how any of this can happen. This is sport. Don't like it, and not happy at all. Politics should stay out of sport.

07 Jul 2026 14:43:56
Aussie, the Fosters will be on you when England win. You'll love it. 😀

07 Jul 2026 14:34:29
Point being Aus, you can wager a hefty price, silence will now be deafening from some when the ridicule cannot only be thrown at Trump

Guardian after reporting
Starmer got involved

Just waiting for the
But.
But.
But's now is all 🤣🤣🤣

06 Jul 2026 22:17:10
So Infantile and the Orange man do a side deal on Belugas red card - exactly where does that end? If USA are one down with minutes left, I assume a quick phone to request a penalty would not be out of order. Infantile (and indeed Orange) are both corrupt individuals, the integrity of the whole competition comes into question (if it wasn’t already) .

06 Jul 2026 23:10:32
Never gonna happen, but every nation should refuse to play until this ridiculous decision has been reversed.

06 Jul 2026 23:17:12
And the less said about the phoney peace prize the better.

07 Jul 2026 07:43:44
I believe they got their comeuppance. Nothing a chump could do about that spanking.

07 Jul 2026 08:25:50
Well done, Belgium. A big red card for the USA.