It feels like world has collapsed after losing the last 2 matches whilst looking completely toothless, but what is the cause of this?
If you wound back 12 months, most people would say that we needed wholesale changes to the squad and a new coach.
We got the coach, did we get wholesale changes?
A number of players exited, but we still have some of the dross on long contracts, next season we still have O'Kane, Ideguchi, Anita, De Bock, Cibicki, Grot, Sacko, Ekuban, and then Denton, Coyle, O'Connor, Shaughnessey, there is still a lot of poor transfer business that the club needs to unwind.
We brought in a load of loanees who have had little or no impact.
We have played most of season with core of players from last season, whom most fans thought weren't good enough.
Bielsa has transformed the mentality in the club, the approach and the style of football and we are all the better for it. The team has shown that it can rise to true heights, the 4-0 over West Brom being case in point, but they have also shown that they are far too easy to score against and defend against at times, far too easy.
It's being far too easy to score against and defend against OVER THE SEASON that has cost us, not just these 2 matches, its a recurring theme, that other teams have recognised and exploited in us.
Three things have to change to address that, firstly the tactics need re-visiting, how can they be tweaked so that we cut out conceding early goals, the defence does need looking at.
Secondly, our fitness levels/mental levels. We have great record in scoring late goals, but only scored 2 80min+ goals in over 2 months now, clearly fatigued both physically and mentally.
Finally, conversion of chances, or should I say creation of better chances and conversion of chances. Our free kicks and corners are completely non effective at present, one of our corners nearly went out by the half way line, that has to change to be in with a chance of anything and this really is Bielsa's responsibility, there are no excuses here, professional players should be able to deliver from a set piece and there needs to be much better tactics and use of set pieces.
The attacks themselves are just not quick enough and we find ourselves camped around oppositions box with 10 men behind the ball. I think we need better quality payers and pace.
Bielsa made interesting comments yesterday about players playing at the limits and this being masked by the effort they show. What he was saying is that he is getting most out of players, ie this is as good as it gets. he clearly needs better quality players.
If Bielsa stays, and it's a big if, club needs to support him properly in terms of quality players coming in, no more loans to make up the numbers, no more injured players in hope they'll make a difference at some point, proper, quality, hit the ground running players. This might mean selling to buy, I don't have a problem with that if we spend wisely which we always talk about but it rarely happens.
What has happened?
posted on 23/4/19
Jonty .... perhaps i'm venting a bit ... but now is not the time to dissect the team, which at times this season, large parts actually, have played some exhilarating football.
We're 3rd best in the champs after 44 games - absolutely gutting that we've hit the buffers so close to the main prize.
The crowd, home and away, have overall been enormously supportive of the players. I just think the guys are running out of steam when we least need it.
posted on 23/4/19
I was talking more about the Elland Road crowd as that can be a tough atmosphere for the players to deal with when fans are getting anxious and start slagging individuals off.
posted on 23/4/19
Oh and i'm also gutted on a personal level.
After watching the team all season, i'm just as gutted, probably more so, that the playoffs mean that the Villa game will be the last time I can attend. With varying work commitments, May is a nightmare and i'll not be able to go any.
posted on 23/4/19
To be honest, the Brentford loss was not as hard to take as the Wigan loss where I thought they would give a good account of themselves and relight the belief. I half expected to not get a result as they looked a spent force after the Wigan game, and I don't think we can squeeze anything else out of this team at the moment. Maybe rest some players, give them some mental steel and belief back, and be ready for play offs. It's the last chance for them so who knows what could happen....I'm sick of analysing so it's just hope now.
posted on 23/4/19
VOF, talking about the issues on here does not equate to not supporting the team and I'm pretty sure it has zero impact on how they perform.
We're all gutted, but I wouldn't be surprised if not half expecting it.
I hope we have Bielsa here next season, but not if its more of the same, there absolutely has to be some learning from this season. Partly from the club in terms of transfers, but partly also from Bielsa in terms of approach, it needs some tweaking. Not major surgery as we have needed in previous years, just some tweaking.
posted on 23/4/19
Honestly Jonty. Bielsa has managed like this for years.He’s not changing for anybody. He’ll make minor adjustments for the opposition, but Plan B is to do plan A better.
He’s a one trick pony but it’s a very good trick. A bit more quality in a few key positions and we’d have walked this league. We very nearly did.
Actually what killed us in my opinion is we lost a string of matches in the new year down to a run of shocking individual errors. Those mistakes and consistently not making our superiority count have done for us.
Honestly if he stays I see some personnel changes but no Strategic ones.
posted on 23/4/19
He’ll make minor adjustments for the opposition, but Plan B is to do plan A better.
posted on 23/4/19
At the end of the day the reason why we fell short is we have spent money poorly.
Enough money has been spent. A lot more than Norwich and Sheff Utd have spent over the last 2 seasons.
But 90% of it has been wasted. And that's why we have fallen short of Automatic Promotion.
posted on 23/4/19
Have to agree with the points about bad transfer and loans business. The success rate is abysmal and the few half decent performers (Roberts, Klich maybe) cannot make up for the long line of failures. So many brought in were going to be the answer to all our prayers and then disappear without trace, some of them never even kicking a ball for us! If even a fraction of that money had been spent wisely we could be sitting pretty at the top of the table. Other teams seem to find gems like Pukki on free transfers but never us. We usually end up paying through the nose and ending up with a duff. January was the watershed. As someone said strengthened in GK dept but that was not really the top priority. Very down at the moment, just hoping and praying the lads can raise themselves for a last push in the play offs
posted on 23/4/19
Apparently a significant factor in the rise of Admin costs has been the scouting set up.
To think we've added to our debt to be able to sign the likes of Baker, Blackman, Ideguchi and Buoy is worrying.