Last night was one of those rare matches where it felt we gained more than we lost. There were so many strong performances, it's hard to know where to begin, but the take-outs for me are:
- Meslier is the real deal. We have no worries, if Kiko is suspended, about whether he can fill in for him
- Douglas must be our left back from now on. What a mature performance against Premier class strikers. Just needs to work on his dead ball deliveries to add real value to the team
- White, Kalvin, Klich, Meslier, Harrison and Ayling belong in the Premier League. It's doing football a disservice for them not to be playing there
- We were able to put together this performance without Pablo
- The 8000 strong choir of Leeds fans delivered a virtuoso performance at the Emirates. They need the Premier League to share their repertoire with the world. And the Premier League needs them.
- Bielsa is a forking genius
Have I left anything out?
The positives
posted on 7/1/20
Streets ahead of BPF and we have an agreed purchase price around the same level of what we got for BPF.
Get the deal done. Great business.
posted on 7/1/20
I thought Harrison was far more effective last night when he played on the right. After Costa came on our attacking threat diminished. Costa’s main contribution was mostly to Arsenal by giving the ball away to them. In the first half we were simply sensational.
posted on 8/1/20
BFP had good distribution. Meslier needs an acid test, responding positively to a mistake and what's his commanding of his area like.
posted on 8/1/20
I think you're being very hard on Gotts - talk about being chucked in at the deep end!
A traditional old foe, Arsenal, at the Emirates, in the FA Cup, live on TV in the UK and, for this fixture, no doubt broadcast around the world?
He did really well, in my humble opinion - and it's great to see Bielsa giving him minutes in a game like that. This experience will give all the youngsters a great boost.
Results count, of course, but the process of achieving success counts too.
posted on 8/1/20
The first half was sensational minus a goal or two - Gotts was part of that remember.
Ok didn't look like a world beater like Martinelli for them but did his bit.
posted on 8/1/20
The beauty of our system is none of them are world beaters, it’s the system that’s effective and I thought Gotts slotted in well.
The downside of the system is that if opponents can beat the system we don’t have a key player to change things that is the value of system + Pablo.
posted on 8/1/20
Can't remember where I saw this comment about the Arsenal game but it was "Leeds approach play is extraordinary but their final ball is very average". Bielsa has coached this team to play this sort of football brilliantly and the passing triangles, pressing, movement is great. But the final bit of quality, you can't really teach. And we lack that at times with our midfield as neither Klich or Dallas/Gotts/Forshaw are that sort of player.
Need Pablo and Roberts back and fit for the rest of the season
posted on 8/1/20
It’s interesting hearing people’s views on the team and Bielsa, people who don’t really know the squad, the background or the issues we are so close to, sometimes we can’t see the wood fir the trees as were too close.
posted on 8/1/20
comment by Jonty (U4614)
posted 5 hours, 42 minutes ago
It’s interesting hearing people’s views on the team and Bielsa, people who don’t really know the squad, the background or the issues we are so close to, sometimes we can’t see the wood fir the trees as were too close.
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absolutely agree with that...
posted on 8/1/20
Because of the way Bielsa has set the team up, the no. 9 is at the centre of what we do. Bamford is not a natural no. 9. Dwight Gayle is. Che Adams is. Mitrovic, Watkins, Grabban, and Bowen are. Each of the last four have scored at least 6 more goals than Bamford this season. Sprinkle those six goals among some of the games we dominated this season such as Forest at home, and Preston away and what do you get?
I struggle to believe that Orta and Radz cannot seize the opportunity that is in their grasp. We are one proven striker away from promotion. They have known for a full month that Eddie and Clarke were on the way out. Bielsa would never comment in public, but he must be wondering if Stevie Wonder and Andrea Bocelli are running this club.