The Official Leeds United Thread
Discussion
If a dull, tedious game is what it takes sometimes, then so be it. I will take 0-0 with a traditional ManU referee and no home crowd, certainly compared to being spanked 6-2 four months ago. Somehow, I don't think Mr Bielsa has permanently forsaken charismatic exciting play in favour of old-school Arsenal tactics. April was always going to be the big test that would have showed up a mediocre team, instead it feels like we have moved up another step. 5 points from the current champions, champions apparent, and second place team on a good run.
Just imagine supporting a team who threw themselves to the floor everytime anyone breathed near them? Read a stat that the ref gave them a free kick for every 1m40s they had the ball. Referee was something else yesterday... was a case of the louder you scream the more chance of getting a free kick you have.
Still, on the bright side, 5 points against scum, Liverpool and Man City isn't to be sniffed at, 6 unbeaten (which includes Chelsea as well), other teams like Arsenal and Villa dropping points and we've got a pretty decent run-in for the final 5. I'm going to put my neck on the line and reckon we'll go unbeaten between now and the end of the season. Beat Brighton, draw with Spurs, and then beat Southampton, Burnley and West Brom. Finish 9th, above Arsenal and Villa and only a few points off Europe - job done for the first season back.
Still, on the bright side, 5 points against scum, Liverpool and Man City isn't to be sniffed at, 6 unbeaten (which includes Chelsea as well), other teams like Arsenal and Villa dropping points and we've got a pretty decent run-in for the final 5. I'm going to put my neck on the line and reckon we'll go unbeaten between now and the end of the season. Beat Brighton, draw with Spurs, and then beat Southampton, Burnley and West Brom. Finish 9th, above Arsenal and Villa and only a few points off Europe - job done for the first season back.
Think that was one of our worst performances of the season today - not much in the way of quality, lacked our usual energy and intensity, didn't really create a clear chance worthy of the name and if Brighton had converted more of theirs we could have easily conceded four or five. I suppose you'll get odd performances like that over the course of a season but today was definitely a bad day at the office - just hope we're better against Spurs next weekend.
We’ve had a great season overall and I think we were probably due a poor match, particularly with Phillips and Raphino out. Alioski’s rash challenge for the penalty obviously didn’t help.. Generally Costa and Roberts haven’t contributed enough for me and Klitch hasn’t seemed on his game for a while. I think he acknowledged he wasn’t up to full fitness recently. Hope we can get back to our usual game against Spurs. We’ve shown we can match the top teams but we need to take our chances. I’m sure they’ll punish defensive mistakes if we make too many.
Well I cursed it by thinking we'd go unbeaten til the end of the season!
Like the home game, absolutely woeful. Not sure what the formation was about, Bielsa I think might have got it wrong. Having Dallas out wide meant he was ineffective and coupled up with a midfield of Roberts not doing much (again), Klich strolling around not doing much (again) and Harrison smashing crosses in that were 20ft above everyone meant that I'm not surprised Bamford looked dejected when he came off as he had sod all service all afternoon. The midfield lost it for us. Oh, and of course Alioski's challenge for the penalty. A likeable character, its been fun to have him as part of the journey but I'm not going to miss him. Can't defend, can't attack and everytime the ball goes near him, you're clenching your buttocks because you've no idea what lunacy will happen...
Like the home game, absolutely woeful. Not sure what the formation was about, Bielsa I think might have got it wrong. Having Dallas out wide meant he was ineffective and coupled up with a midfield of Roberts not doing much (again), Klich strolling around not doing much (again) and Harrison smashing crosses in that were 20ft above everyone meant that I'm not surprised Bamford looked dejected when he came off as he had sod all service all afternoon. The midfield lost it for us. Oh, and of course Alioski's challenge for the penalty. A likeable character, its been fun to have him as part of the journey but I'm not going to miss him. Can't defend, can't attack and everytime the ball goes near him, you're clenching your buttocks because you've no idea what lunacy will happen...
Great performance with no Raph until late on and no Philips either. Meslier made some great stops but not as many as Lloris and the result could have been even more in our favour (whilst acknowledging the ridiculous offside for Kane's "goal", but we've had a few of them this year)
Three winnable games left. Arsenal and Chelsea both have some tough games in their run in. Anywhere from 11th upwards is a great season but top half would be well deserved and a great shot in the arm
Three winnable games left. Arsenal and Chelsea both have some tough games in their run in. Anywhere from 11th upwards is a great season but top half would be well deserved and a great shot in the arm
As uplifting today as last week was disappointing; I thought we were well worth the win with lots of encouraging performances all over the pitch. I do still think we need a left back - and maybe a creative midfielder to give more of what Pablo used to provide - but other than that I think we've a pretty decent squad for next season (assuming of course we don't lose any key players in the summer!).
It is a good job I'm not a betting man. I'd be knee deep in torn up betting slips by now. Brighton? Yeah that should be an easy win. Totting-ham? Hmm, nah, they look resurgent with a new manager, are motivated by a European place, and with Harry Kane on 21 goals this season we'd be pushed to do better than a 1-1 draw, 1-2 loss most likely. FFS.
Nice to see the real Bielsa LUFC back at work! Even with players missing. That was an important statement going in to the end of the season. The VAR disallowed goal probably was a goal, but 3-1 is not being overly kind to us. The extra Leeds fitness really showed towards the end. The 3 games left are all versus bottom 5 teams. How they play will depend on which have been relegated I suppose.
Amazing how many top teams just suddenly decide to have a bit of a day off when playing us. Odd that...
Nice to see the real Bielsa LUFC back at work! Even with players missing. That was an important statement going in to the end of the season. The VAR disallowed goal probably was a goal, but 3-1 is not being overly kind to us. The extra Leeds fitness really showed towards the end. The 3 games left are all versus bottom 5 teams. How they play will depend on which have been relegated I suppose.
Amazing how many top teams just suddenly decide to have a bit of a day off when playing us. Odd that...
Zad said:
Amazing how many top teams just suddenly decide to have a bit of a day off when playing us. Odd that...
I don't think Spurs had an off day - they haven't been great all season and if it wasn't for the Son/Kane partnership and Lloris they'd be a very different team. On the flip side, its us who have these mad on/off weekends. Same team that started against Brighton and were clueless in large parts against a poor side. Roll on a week and that same 11 bossed a "big 6" (yeh, right) side from start to finish. If we can sort that consistancy out then we're going to be a force to be reckoned with.Good to see a few players pull their fingers out on Saturday - Klich and Alioski especially. I think it might be time to give Roberts a break if we've got a fully fit Rodrigo too but as people have said, 3 easy (on paper) games left, the last of which should have fans at Elland Road!
That last game (at home with actual fans as you say) will be against West Brom, who have been relegated. Burnley and Southampton are now safe and will either be mentally on holiday, or really up for a scrap! Mind you, same could be said for us I suppose. It has long been a Leeds problem, fighting the big clubs tooth and nail, and then just not turning up for the poorer clubs. Whatever happens, and however many fans they allow in, that last game of the season at Elland Rd is going to be utterly bonkers.
Another good performance today, well worth the win and once again a number of impressive individual displays; great to see Rodrigo starting to show why we paid the money for him and at the other end Meslier made a couple of important saves. Ironically I thought their best player was Charlie Taylor - shame we lost him, we need a left back and IMO he'd be really good under Bielsa!
Hoo boy, those passes were sensational! You don't play precision looooooong passes at speed like that when you don't have confidence. Although I keep wanting to say Dorigo instead of Rodrigo...
18 points from the last 9 matches. Pretty much the same average as we had last year! This Bielsa burnout is terrible isn't it. From the various highlights and match reports I have seen, Leeds seem to be the least burnt out team of the lot. If anything, we seem to be finding a bit more class and a little extra polish recently. Random bloke on Twitter said that he hadn't seen such a good team since Howard Wilkinson's time. He might be right, it does seem to have really come together.
That 40-point survival target seems a long time ago now. If anything, that target may turn out to be just 30 this year. With 2 matches to go, the highest placed relegated side (Fulham) currently have 27 points, we are 1 short of double that, currently on 53. Noice!
18 points from the last 9 matches. Pretty much the same average as we had last year! This Bielsa burnout is terrible isn't it. From the various highlights and match reports I have seen, Leeds seem to be the least burnt out team of the lot. If anything, we seem to be finding a bit more class and a little extra polish recently. Random bloke on Twitter said that he hadn't seen such a good team since Howard Wilkinson's time. He might be right, it does seem to have really come together.
That 40-point survival target seems a long time ago now. If anything, that target may turn out to be just 30 this year. With 2 matches to go, the highest placed relegated side (Fulham) currently have 27 points, we are 1 short of double that, currently on 53. Noice!
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