After a bad run, I think we desperately needed a good performance tonight.
Performance wasn't great, but it was good.
Some key reasons?
We looked like we had energy again.
Ayling playing right back adds a cohesive attacking dimension.
Harrison and Raphinia playing on correct sides.
Philips back.
I think its a bad decision to play Llorente, clearly not match fit, just as he wasn't ready v Chelsea. I'd have rather played Struijk and given Llorente right chance to get fit.
Feared for Meslier too when he got knee to head, but glad it was nothing as he saved us the points tonight.
Philips wasn't that influential tonight and Alioski was really poor forcing us into early subs and Bamford going off early meant we were going to see at least one of Rodrigo or Raphinia staying the distance.
I would have rather seen Hernandez come on instead of Roberts, but Roberts showed energy, tried to get involved and we rode out the result.
I think that we could have done with Hernandez creativity, would really like to see him get some more minutes.
I didn't think Rodrigo was particularly special tonight, but did think Raphinia was. He looks so easy on the ball, and his execution of pass for Harrison's goal was superb.
It wasn't a great performance, but it was a better performance and enough of an improvement to make the Brighton game seem maybe a bit of a blip.
My one concern would be Bamford, he's really out of sorts and we don't have a real replacement for him at present.
Well done Leeds!
Thoughts from tonight
posted on 27/1/21
love your threads mate.. I agree with 95% of what you say.
just the other 5% that I find silly !! - comes from you spending years sla ing the owners off with some negativity, and wait for the first silly chance you get to do so again. I find it cringy, you know me better than to think I'll mince my words mate surely ?
posted on 27/1/21
I also tell you often I agree with you on many other subjects mate...
you can't than say 'I keep sla gging you off', becuase I don't... I think thats the first time I've had any sort of dig at you for months..
you know me mate, all said with a smile pal
posted on 27/1/21
At the end of the day opinions are like backsides.
With the injuries we have and the players Bielsa has to work with we are doing extremely well.
A similar return of points in the second half of the season may be difficult to achieve unless we sign a couple of experienced players in this transfer window but that seems unlikely so we will just have to accept we are probably going to lose another 9 games but win about 6 and just enjoy and appreciate these wins warts and all.
posted on 27/1/21
comment by Macca: Emily Bishop's love child (U8194)
posted 19 minutes ago
At the end of the day opinions are like backsides.
With the injuries we have and the players Bielsa has to work with we are doing extremely well.
A similar return of points in the second half of the season may be difficult to achieve unless we sign a couple of experienced players in this transfer window but that seems unlikely so we will just have to accept we are probably going to lose another 9 games but win about 6 and just enjoy and appreciate these wins warts and all.
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Agreed, we just don't need to sl...ag people off if we don't agree with their opinion, it just ruins the forum.
With regards to how well we've done, I think we've done very well, I thought we'd do better, due to Bielsa's ability to get the most out of players, but that comes undone when half the players signed aren't available ie Koch and Llorente.
I believe that if you give Bielsa quality players then his methods will give us success at this level and success for me means great performances and European qualification.
posted on 27/1/21
I’d say there are only a couple of people who are negative on here and Jonty isn’t one of them, Alioski is slower than me though
posted on 27/1/21
First half we were good, second half we were sh!te!
Hope we learnt something from the Leicester game and don’t make Brendan Rodgers look a genius again.
posted on 27/1/21
Thanks Reverend - great interview. The more I listen to Marathe, the more I like him.
posted on 27/1/21
Parag was the master at avoiding any of the questions asked, I found it actually quite fruetrstaing when asked very specific questions he went on about kinetic energy.
49ers have been saying for a couple of years now how closely theyre working with Leeds and yet I've yet to see any tangible evidence of this and its the same old lines he's trotting out now.
The reality is Leeds/49ers tie up is not teh end game. End game is Aser/49ers expanding their sporting club portfolio of which Leeds is just a part.
I would advise people listen a second time and see if they hear any real answers.
I found it concerning that AR's ambition is that in 5/7 years we might be in a position to compete for 6th place.
posted on 27/1/21
I’d be utterly amazed if the club finished 6th in 5 seasons time.
There are 4 clubs spent billions on their squads and loads of others vast sums. Squads full of world class players. There’s clearly a direct correlation between how much you spend and where you finish in the league. Where’s the billion coming from to catch up?
posted on 27/1/21
......and, of course, by then we’ll not only still be way off the billions, but we absolutely won’t have Bielsa at that time! To be honest, if we could keep Bielsa for 4 years and him had spent £400m, there might be a chance !