Great crowd - shame thousands were still queuing up for their tickets at kick off. Surely more can be done to avoid this
Referee - really frustrating. Happy to stall the game 3 times to book people on the Leeds bench for minor infringements yet avoided using his law book accordingly to book any Stoke players for their constant delaying of the game. At least 4 times the ball was kicked/thrown away, twice by the same player in one incident yet all went unpunished. Its ok for the time to be added on at the end of the game in theory but 1) 6 minutes was never enough and 2) stoke get what they want - breaking play up whilst Leeds are on the momentum. Lack of consistency about this as we at Elland Road last season. Referee did not control the situation and as a result the fans got on his back at every available opportunity.
Real shame that football did not win. Would have been justice for Stoke to be sent home with nothing after the second half antics.
Kiko - 2 saves to make 2 goals. Anyone not think he should have saved the first one? Was a pretty central header and without the theatrical dive i feel he could have clawed it away from goal. For the second he simply falls over leaving a 95% unguarded goal. A good cross and Vokes did well but Casilla needs to be doing more than simply lying on the ground. Hes done well this season and credit for his start to the season.
The kids - i thought they were ready. Collectively thrown on they are not. Maybe 1 or 2 but throwing in Clarke/Davis/McCalmont/Bogusz/Shackleton was 5 kids and we struggled physically. Injuries will make or break our season.
Seemed suicidal for me to pick what must have been the smallest side ever to take to a football field. Conceding from a corner was hardly surprising. Berardi was marking Batth. Bielsa clearly wanted to win otherwise he wouldnt have made 3 half times substitutions. He clearly thought the kids were ready also.
Thoughts from last night
posted on 28/8/19
I doubt we will see much of Bogusz or McAlmont in the league this season. It was almost a complete reserve side.
Really disappointed in Douglas, thought he was very poor. And Jack Clarke...where does he go from here? Looks miles off being a £10million player.
Nketiah looked sharp - goals are just falling to him at the moment. Costa dangerous, Davis did okay I thought, and Harrison/Forshaw were so good from the bench.
posted on 28/8/19
I thought McAlmont was okay to be fair, Bogusz less so.
But the changes at half time were needed.
I worried as soon as the teams came out, the difference in size of players was stark. No surprise we conceded the first goal as we did.
Maybe Jack C is feeling the weight of a £10m price tag? either way, not playing to the level of early last season.
posted on 28/8/19
somethings not right with Clarke.
Can't decide if it is now an ego problem since his big-money move or is there something still not right with him whether mentally or physically
posted on 28/8/19
In honestly think it might be a case of we rated him higher then he actually was and it appears that spurs might have been taken along for the ride too
posted on 28/8/19
comment by Mattyp (U8926)
posted 5 minutes ago
In honestly think it might be a case of we rated him higher then he actually was and it appears that spurs might have been taken along for the ride too
---------------
I think you're right Matty... think we got decent money for him too
posted on 28/8/19
comment by The Spanish Italians (U21595)
posted 1 hour, 36 minutes ago
comment by Mattyp (U8926)
posted 5 minutes ago
In honestly think it might be a case of we rated him higher then he actually was and it appears that spurs might have been taken along for the ride too
---------------
I think you're right Matty... think we got decent money for him too
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Right on, some on here were thinking of him as a world beater based on a handful of good half games. The figures being quoted of 20m plus for him were way over the top. On his showing since his illness it looks like Spurs may have over paid for him.
posted on 28/8/19
comment by tslufc (U12903)
posted 8 minutes ago
comment by The Spanish Italians (U21595)
posted 1 hour, 36 minutes ago
comment by Mattyp (U8926)
posted 5 minutes ago
In honestly think it might be a case of we rated him higher then he actually was and it appears that spurs might have been taken along for the ride too
---------------
I think you're right Matty... think we got decent money for him too
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Right on, some on here were thinking of him as a world beater based on a handful of good half games. The figures being quoted of 20m plus for him were way over the top. On his showing since his illness it looks like Spurs may have over paid for him.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Loads of potential as demonstrated before he had his collapse. Confidence will need building again and a big money move will place greater expectation on him.
He's a squad member here and by no means the main man. I think Leeds United got a good deal and I believe Clarke/Tottenham will benefit from him having more time under Bielsa.
He certainly wouldn't have got more game time at White Hart Lane in the first half of this season,
posted on 28/8/19
I thought of Clarke as a genuine game changer and as such wasn't happy about his sale.
I think the loaning back was a sign that there was no real idea of what was coming next, hence us ending up with 6 loanees, it reminds me of the panic purchase of Sacko.
Clarke has a natural talent to go past people, I think he needs regular game time to rediscover and develop that, can't see him getting that with us and so as it stands, we've done really well to get 10 mill for him.
posted on 28/8/19
I suspect he'll be gone in the next window if he doesn't get enough time on the pitch. Had Clarke not left I still think he'd be some way down the list as far as the first XI is concerned. He's a good option should we need it.
Leeds United was the obvious destination for him to regain his form and confidence.
posted on 29/8/19
If we hadn't of sold Clarke I doubt we'd have got Costa then?