Many of us feel the Cardiff game was a turning point. We have been mentally fragile since then and our defence has fallen to pieces. We have lost KP at a critical time in the season. We have an inability to change our style of play to match the conditions on the pitch.
It would be brilliant if Bielsa was able to show the courage and imagination which marked his first three months with us, but he keeps trying to do the same thing, only faster and fitter than before, without realising we have been sussed.
As fans, it is easy to see Bamford as the culprit for his failings up front, or Kiko in goal for his howlers, but they are just the part of a bigger picture.
The biggest concern, though, is that Bielsa has drilled the character out of this team. Each player seems to have a set area and a set function within the team. It's not as though Harrison or Costa can't change the script - it's as though they have been told to stick to the one they've got. Every player is dependent on every other player doing their job and when it works well, as in the second half against Milwall, it's wonderful to watch. But when we go a goal down, we keep doing the same thing. Bielsa doesn't change the formation, and the players continue as though nothing has happened. We have heard players say 'if we go a goal down, we know we can come back, so we don't panic.' This is the Bielsa's mantra. We don't have Pontus to rally the troops or the clinical touch of Kemar to drag us back into the fray. We don't have an inspirer or a motivator or an intimidating character to drive us to victory. Every win is frantic and hard fought. Every defeat feels like the end of the world.
Bielsa made some poor decisions yesterday, which posters have discussed, and some are questioning whether the team needs pyschological guidance. The person who needs it most is Bielsa. He doesn't speak our language and that automatically distances him from the team and the fans. He is loyal to players who need to have a fire lit under them. He is the human equivalent of a mule crossed with an ostrich. Until he changes, the frustration will only get worse.
Bielsa
posted on 2/2/20
Whilst I agree with some of this the bit "Each player seems to have a set area and a set function within the team" is nonsense, for a number of reasons, firstly every team in the league plays this way, do you see Salah at the heart of defence at any other time that at a corner or Van Dyke suddenly getting on the end of an Alexander-Arnold cross. It has to be that way and we are no different from any club.
It could be argued that yesterdays goal was because people were not doing what was asked of them, fulfilling their function.
Secondly how do you account for Alioski? Nobody knows where that guy might pop up most times.
posted on 2/2/20
If you dominate possession every week, get in great positions every game, formation change isn’t going to improve it.
Better players would
And that’s our problem, not enough good players
posted on 2/2/20
Why isn’t anyone asking Bielsa about the amount of ridiculous goals we are conceding from set pieces and why can’t the likes of Costa cross a football without hitting the first man in the opposition - this should be bread and butter stuff
posted on 2/2/20
Also, see a lot of similarities between Man City and Leeds this season - lots of possession, lots of chances, but always vulnerable at the back and if you hit them
At the right time get shot to pieces. Watch city have a clear out and sign 6/7 players next season
posted on 2/2/20
I think we're all too invested in the Bielsa way for us to give up on it now, it's too late, for all his faults which seem to come to a head yesterday there's been the best football we have seen in a generation.
We're just gonna have to suck it up and prepare for glorious failure or glorious victory. It'll be one or the other and there's nothing we can do about it except watch it unfold before our eyes.
It's horrible and torturous but we still come back for more in search of that dream ending. It's the Leeds way!
posted on 2/2/20
I mentioned after the Swansea loss, that perhaps we need to try something different at home as we find it hard to break down teams, yet away, we seem flourish.
Perhaps we need a 433 or 352 or something else.
posted on 2/2/20
So 433 will ensure that we don’t give away stupid goals from set pieces where most of the time we have more players in our box than the opposition?
Will a 352 formation ensure Bamford and Harrison hit the target from a few yards more often or ensure that Costa’s crosses don’t hit the first man?
Formation, system, tactics - All a a load a bullll... players need to step up and do basics right ffs
posted on 3/2/20
comment by Elsbels - Show Domestic Abuse the Red Card. (U21658)
posted 12 hours, 7 minutes ago
Whilst I agree with some of this the bit "Each player seems to have a set area and a set function within the team" is nonsense, for a number of reasons, firstly every team in the league plays this way, do you see Salah at the heart of defence at any other time that at a corner or Van Dyke suddenly getting on the end of an Alexander-Arnold cross. It has to be that way and we are no different from any club.
It could be argued that yesterdays goal was because people were not doing what was asked of them, fulfilling their function.
Secondly how do you account for Alioski? Nobody knows where that guy might pop up most times.
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You are correct, Els, it just seemed that way to me when I wrote it. LIW suggests our players simply aren't good enough, but our defending and our goalscoring were much more effective earlier in the season. I think a better argument is that other teams have sussed us out and know that they can sit back, score on the counter, and then defend to the death.
Bielsa has achieved some amazing results with this squad, but the issues, I think, are less about the players and more about his inflexibility when we need to change what we are doing.
As for Alioski, is he a clone of Hammy the squirrel?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvOy1Untr38
posted on 3/2/20
I'm not sure I buy this about teams suddenly sussing us. The constant is that we're constant and have been since Bielsa arrived. He doesn't deviate from style or formation by and large, if things aren't going well he just expects the team to do plan A better.
I believe that teams sussed us 12 months ago, knew how to play us then. But the style of play early in the season was coupled with freshness and the fact we converted more chances than we currently are. For all the possession we have, we simply don't score enough. Bar that freak result against Birmingham, we're just not converting chances enough to not be left vulnerable to teams scoring from there's and sucker punching us. Every time, and I mean every time there's a set piece in and around our box I fear the worst - and often we concede from it. It's farcical.
I've thought about things since the debacle on Saturday. The system we play can work, the system we play does work. Business end of the season is on us now, time to get a grip. We've brought in a supposed talented striker, time to at the very least get him on the bench, none of this sh11te where he needs 6 months to adapt.
posted on 3/2/20
LIW and VOF are both right
Nobody has sussed us out, we simply aren't putting teams away with the chances we have and that's down to the players.