I actually think the two permanent signings are very good signings even though what you have said above is correct.

While Douglass has not provided as many goals and assists as he did last seasons he has certainly improved the side. And while Bamford has been unfortunate with injuries he’s still managed to show his quality and win us points.

This is the difference between spending decent money on a couple of players compared to spreading the fees across half a dozen or more players and hoping they look good.

The loan signings are struggling and this really isn’t a surprise. It’s not very often loan signings are successful that being said if it wasn’t for Harvey Barnes changing his mind and deciding to stay closer to home at the last minute then we would not be complaining about that one. Derby have also had some success with loans this season so it’s not impossible.

the thing is Bielsa has proved he might not have even needed any signings. The difference he can make to a set of players is unbielavable. No one could have expected him to be this good. The longer he stays a our manager the better. We are all in love aren’t we. It’s not just his absolute to improve things on the pitch. It’s the way he handles himself. The example he sets. The respect he clearly has for everyone. And the respect he clearly commands from everyone. He makes us all so proud.

Merry Christmas and long May this continue

I’d just love for us to sign a chapman or cantona, to get us over the line.

While I don’t think cantona won us many points, it gave the club a boost.

Another couple of signings would be great but I'm not sure it will happen.

When you look at the side we put out against Villa we do have cover of sorts in the wings.

Cooper, Berardi,Bamford, Dallas, Baker etc

Who'd a thought looking ahead at the start of the season we would be playing Villa without Saiz, Cooper,Berardi,Dallas, Bamford and possibly Brown in the match day squad.

Clarke, Shackleton and Davis all playing key roles

Its amazing!! And I love it

comment by LIW - RAD = BATES WITH A SMILE (U8453)
posted 28 minutes ago
I’d just love for us to sign a chapman or cantona, to get us over the line.

While I don’t think cantona won us many points, it gave the club a boost.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Too old

Would be great if we could sign a winger or attacking midfielder that will be good enough to play in the Prem next season.

Faith, I think Douglas and Banfird will be good signings too. Bielsa has done great job, perticulatky in realising players potential, Philips and Klich being standout examples.

We had a great December / Christmas last year, just hoping we push on now and do not replicate last season's January form.
MOT

Douglas - we expected a plethora of Free Kicks and Corner assists - Not yet.

However, he is absolute quality. His passing is exactly what we need, he provides brilliant balance as well.

Without Douglas we have less options with the way we play out of situations.

Off the top of my head the ball down the line to Alioski that set up Roofe's header against Derby springs to mind.

Sure, at times he has looked a little iffy when up against pace, but overall an amazing addition to the side.

Excellent post.

Chairman said the squad was better than where ee finished last season. Maybe he was right.

We are a quality player short - Foristieri type to replace Saiz. Could maybe do with a cover defender like Mason Holgate.

But agree, loanees have been peripheral.

The job he’s done is brilliant... with the exception of a few games, look how good we look against sides that don’t park the bus and try and attack us.

Really pleasing thing yesterday (well apart from winning in the last minute from two down!), was it looked like an early season performance. We have key players out and the kids drop in seamlessly. He just shuffles the pack and comes up trumps.

comment by DohaWhite (U13548)
posted 14 minutes ago
We had a great December / Christmas last year, just hoping we push on now and do not replicate last season's January form.
MOT
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We’re conditioned from years of misery and disappointment to think this way as Leeds fans. This year is night and day from last year performance wise.

I’m generally a glass half empty as a Leeds fan, but unless west brom go 20 games unbeaten and Pukki scores another 20 injury time winners, we’re going up.

Good points raised here.

Only issue with any potential signing now is that we’ll they be good enough for the premiership.. can’t go spending over £3m for a proven championship player and then fall short later because they can’t hack the next step

While I do this k we played well in the second half it should be noted that our defense, which was missing two players we would call first team regulars, did conceded two goals yesterday.

A team with a better defense would have been able to see that game out.

I'm delighted with the win and the fact that each game brings us closer to having a full back line again, however bringing in a centre back so we don't have to use Phillips as a centre back.

We have done great so far this season, in fact we couldn't be doing better, but our injuries have built up over time and there is no reason to believe that wont continue, we need a little more strength in depth just to
help get us over the line

We are title contenders and we are entering the 2nd half of the season with a team recently bereft of a good player.

If Pablo is injured again, we have no replacement, no Saiz and brown ain't gonna do a damn thing this season.

So its crucial that we have a player who is capable of delivering genuine class and serves as a bit of a get out of jail card.

Honestly afridi, I don’t think the club can afford to think like that. Get who you need to get out of the division. If you have a chance to get someone good enough for the next level then great, but it’s a bonus... worry about the premiership if you get there.

We’re not rolling in cash, take who we can get that adds something to the squad.

Mike is right, Pablo played centrally and was great yesterday.... but if he’s injured, at the moment it would be klich or Baker, depending on availability elsewhere. Baker, would have to show something we haven’t seen yet, and I think klich’s been fantastic for us and I suspect he could do a job there but you’re going to notice a creative spark missing.

Saiz replacement is key for January.

I personally would....

Send back Baker and try ridiculously hard to get a creative loan player in.

Pablo is not only 33 but he is our absolute creative force, we need to have the option of resting him.

I keep thinking..we need a direct player, someone who can run at defenders, but do we actually need to sign anyone to do that, we have Jack Clarke? There was some talk of a player from Bilbao MB previously had worked with?

Centre Back. Depending on how far Cooper and Berra are away...do we need a CB? We have 3 plus Phillips.

My ONLY concern, what happens if one of the Midfield (Klich, Forshaw) get injured and Phillips is still needed at CB?

Also, when Cooper is fit what happens in Midfield if we play 4 at the back? Phillips has been sublime, but would we ship out Klich or Forshaw who have also been ever present in our good form?

We definitely need another Keeper, ideally to challenge BPF and maybe even take his place provided the distribution is as good.

no point having a slightly better keeper in other areas if he can't distribute the way we need to play the way we do.

So many questions.

And to top it all, we have heard very little from AR, AK and VO all season, they kept piping up last season when we struggling, love the lack of noise from the holy trinity it shows we are doing it on the pitch.

I’d just love for us to sign a chapman or cantona, to get us over the line.
—-

Another example would be when sheff utd signed akinbiyi when they got promoted to the premiership.

I believe he was 31 or 32 at the time and some people couldn’t understand it, I remember saying that it was actually a good buy, and in the sending half of the season he featured 15 times and helped get them promoted, he was sold in less than a year but it didn’t matter cause he got them promoted.

Second half of the season is tougher than the first is, you have more injuries and more suspensions due to wear, tear and cards and sometimes a little experience can help you grind out those points in a way you sometimes have to do as the season goes on

Bringing in a dougie freedman type in midfield as well as defense might just give us that little bit extra to get over the line

Jonty - you just served an Ace!

Honestly afridi, I don’t think the club can afford to think like that. Get who you need to get out of the division. If you have a chance to get someone good enough for the next level then great, but it’s a bonus... worry about the premiership if you get there.

We’re not rolling in cash, take who we can get that adds something to the squad.
——-
Completely agree.

Rev, one tries one’s best

Couldn't agree more Jonty

Fitness regime has been incredibly significant. Yesterday's game being a prime example. Second
to that for me, is how well our holdover squad
adapted to MB's grand scheme.

Again, for me, is a massive reflection of untapped
talent that was already present in the club. It took a genius to unlock it, yes. But, I bet MB would tell
us the squad he has in full of intelligent footballers
who are open to coaching and methods. This feels
like lightening in a bottle.

Everything about our present situation feels real
and sustainable. And as you say Jonty, MB is
about to have himself a January window.

Hellfire.

I wonder how many Leeds players, who have been through our club since 2003, are thinking "just imagine how much better we would all have been if we'd had Bielsa?"


As for new players, MB keeps saying he doesn't want anyone. It seems clear to me he wants people in before the start of pre-season and then that's it, he has enough on his plate bringing injured players back to fitness and spending all his time studying the opposition and delivering pearls of wisdom.

I understand where he is coming from - and am keeping my fingers crossed.

So impressed with our youngsters coming through - Halme, Clarke, Shackleton, Davis as well as BPF. Huffer did the job when needed too. And he keeps adding to that list and will use them whenever necessary.

Unreal.

Long, I think of the current U23 squad the next guys who will be pressing for a place on the bench will be Nicell, Oduor, Gotts and possibly Stevens. The future looks bright.

comment by LIW - RAD = BATES WITH A SMILE (U8453)
posted 12 hours, 8 minutes ago
I’d just love for us to sign a chapman or cantona, to get us over the line.

While I don’t think cantona won us many points, it gave the club a boost.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
He only scored a hat-trick in the Charity Shield against Liverpool, so we sold him for peanuts to the schum, and saved Rednose's career. Selling Cantona was the biggest mistake in our managerial history...and there's been a few.

"Fitness regime has been incredibly significant. Yesterday's game being a prime example. Second
to that for me, is how well our holdover squad
adapted to MB's grand scheme. "
Spot on, Batty. There was a screenshot of McGinn after 70 minutes. You could see he was finished and he was thinking, 'how do these fookers keep going?' I felt we were going to win from that moment. Our fitness is unbelievable.
But more importantly, Bielsa has a 'grand scheme' for the club as a whole, in which everybody has a part to play. The academy players adapt to the first team quickly because they are already drilled in the Bielsa philosophy. They may be kids, but they are Bielsa's kids. They don't let him down.
Contrast this with our loanees, who have not managed to buy into Bielsa's plans. He will be looking at them and thinking, 'do I need more of this kind of player, or am I better using what we have in our own ranks?' Perhaps this is why he backs our own players so strongly, because he trusts them to deliver. As he says, he will only look for players who can adapt to the way we think, train and play, and improve what we already have. I can't remember a coach with such clarity since the Don. Bielsa is the difference.