Leif Davis managed only 12 leagues games on loan at Bournemouth covering for injuries only. Prior to that at Leeds he was part of the teams that lost those awful cup defeats to lower league sides. He was bullied by tier 4/5 attackers although he was only 19/20 back then.

He is now 22 years old and played only 29 career games. He was very poor defensively against Villa and I was not surprised he wasnt given another chance after that. He looks neat and tidy on the ball and offers support in attack but defensively he is nowhere near the standard.

I would be extremely surprised that they have got this one wrong. The club have let a shed load of kids go both in the english game and foreign leagues and not aware of one that is doing anything to prove us wrong. Even Ronaldo Vieira who obviously we sold for a lot of money hasnt exactly excelled since leaving.

I really like the additions of Aaronson and Kristensen.
I think Adams and Roca could be good. I think Koch's
going to have a solid season. And reckon Joffy will
keep impressing. But we still need a LB & Striker.

Overall, I'm looking forward to this season after last
season's Houdini act. This one feels like a bonus.
I'd take 17th again. But hoping Marsch, his system,
and the players surprise us and do much better than
that. Count me as hopeful.

Moving on the main part of your discussion.

Agree going forwards that we are gambling on a unproven foreign manager and unproven players coming from weak leagues. Of course it would have been better to buy established premier league players.

But who are these established Premier players......

This is the list of established premier players who have been sold in July. Not many and a fair few not going to come to Leeds.

Ben Mee
Zinchenko £30M
Eriksen
Wayne Hennessey
Sterling
Yarmolenko
Nathan Collins
Andreas Pereira
Neco Williams
Steven Bergwijn
Divock Origi
Gabriel Jesus
Dean Henderson
James Tarkowski
Richarlison

Whilst i agree with majority of what you say you only have to look at the business of the sides around us - all buying foreign or championship players to appreciate that these players are just not that readily available.

Just another small note on Davis. He was down to the last year of his contract.

comment by Kebablegs (U17699)
posted 10 minutes ago
Moving on the main part of your discussion.

Agree going forwards that we are gambling on a unproven foreign manager and unproven players coming from weak leagues. Of course it would have been better to buy established premier league players.

But who are these established Premier players......

This is the list of established premier players who have been sold in July. Not many and a fair few not going to come to Leeds.

Ben Mee
Zinchenko £30M
Eriksen
Wayne Hennessey
Sterling
Yarmolenko
Nathan Collins
Andreas Pereira
Neco Williams
Steven Bergwijn
Divock Origi
Gabriel Jesus
Dean Henderson
James Tarkowski
Richarlison

Whilst i agree with majority of what you say you only have to look at the business of the sides around us - all buying foreign or championship players to appreciate that these players are just not that readily available.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

This is the crux of it. The only ‘proven’ premier players actually available to a side towards the bottom of the premier league are those that have proven to be bang average and aren’t wanted by their current side, those who are past it, or those that have been relegated.

There’s no choice but to sign hungry players on the way up and hoping to prove themselves… and/or players from other leagues you believe can step up and cope with the style of play.

Is it a gamble? Of course it is… it’s the same gamble most of the PL takes every year. The stakes are just higher for us this year because we also had to sell our two best players

I think some people should earn their badges for football management, find a club that needs someone with their way of thinking then try getting that club to finance everything that they want the way they want it!..

Love to see it happen and how far they'd get, because the good old Premier league experienced player and costs that go with them, unless you have a ManC or Newcastle bank manager doesn't go hand in hand!..

There are players outside the Premier league that will make it, but until they're given a chance they're never going to be found, but hey, like been mentioned a few times, Raphinha didn't know he was a Premier league player until this club gave him his chance!..

Wow, weren't we lucky we took a chance, or it could be argued he was lucky we took a chance!..

i have to agree. i have neither faith in marsch or anyone else at the top. I reckon we have grossly overpaid for what looked championship level players to me in our pre season games. Cant say any of them impressed me in the slightest and with us already suffering an injury crisis and season hasnt started. How with what he did at boro before us and what dross we have seen him bring in i cant understand how anyone could put their faith in orta and with most of what we have signed being jesses pals from lower standard leagues we are in big trouble. We are around 2/1 to go down and bookies rarely get in wrong and i think the few deluded here who cant see the trouble we are heading for are going to suffer a big big fall. Yes we all hope this wont happen but i am not in the slightest bit confident or even hopeful. Cant see marsch lasting the year and hope when he goes so does all the idiots at the top but even then we are left with a team that was overpriced and probably no hope of getting rid off. Just because orta got lucky with bielsa and raph his record is shocking and the most shocking thing of all is we didnt get rid of him and its gonna cost us big time. We practically gave away 2 of the most sought after players around and brought in players almost no one had ever heard off for extortionate fees. Thought radz was supposed to be an astute buisnessman. Shown no sign of it whatsoever and we are in for a long season which will make last year look like a walk in the park

What a load off bollox!..

Would take 17th as the squad stands, Germany probably thinks we'll finish 7th. Think our signings are ok and will slot in well around good players, but not sure they're the type that are going to grab games by the scruff of the neck and dominate. Think we lack a king pin in midfield and we haven't improved on a shoddy centre back pairing of last season nor do we look any good in front of goal. Kristensen imo is the only astute signing that we've made so far. Not convinced on Marsch either, share the same hunch as the OP has, He just has a Christiansen feel about him to me.

We'll probably know more post Cagliari game

comment by Kebablegs (U17699)
posted 8 hours, 11 minutes ago
Just another small note on Davis. He was down to the last year of his contract.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Fair comments Kebab.

I do have word from a friend on Bournemouth staff that the issue was more that following his illness and injury, Jordan Zamura, who had been moved up from the Bournemouth youth team really impressed.

Well, come the end of the season, there’s no point forking out £1.5million when one of the kids has come through and performed impressively.

Even as recently as February, Bournemouth were still open minded about keep Leif.

What I do agree is that for Leeds to sell him, I assume we have a replacement lined up who will perform better than both Firpo and Davis. For that purpose, I still think Charlie Taylor fits that description. The issue is, since, Bamford’s signing, Radrizzani seems to actively avoid experienced English players.

I just don’t see enough transparency about the vision he has or his motivation for the decisions taken since Bielsa’s departure.

I just want to reiterate, it’s still possible that we see another season of over performing if the players stay fit.

The acid test comes if injuries set in, or teams suss out how to counter Marsch system.

I just can’t stomach another season of being hammered because we are bombing upfield, leaving us vulnerable at the back. Some of the football in Australia really left me feeling nervous. I just hope Coops comes back in and shows us that he was the missing piece these last few weeks. If not O smell trouble.

Davis was never gonna be good enough. Marsch has already said we are actively looking for a left back and a striker so the writing was on the wall for Davis.

Midfield has always been a big issue and one of the reasons our defence has been poor. Philips aside we had a championship at best midfield. Unsure about the signings there but we have to assume they think they are good enough. Roca looks okay from what I've seen.

We really struggled up front last season and a new striker is needed but it looks like we will sign someone.

I think at the end of the day none of us know what will happen, I'd like another experienced midfielder in there who's a bit more creative. I said Mata but seems no one else rates him. Pablo did pretty well!

My point is no need to be negative before we have even kicked a ball. Who knows we might surprise a few!

Marsch likes to play a narrow team and it's unfortunate cause Harrison is never going to fit that sort of player, being as he is a line hugging winger.

I'm not saying he can't adapt, but he always looks most comfortable, and at his best, when he is out wide, something the boss doesn't want anymore.

My biggest concern is just how "Colin" Marsch is with his signings. Yes you always expect that a new manager might look towards an ex-player, it is only natural you would want someone who you know you can work with when in such a high pressure situation as taking over a premier league side,. I also just cant shake the feeling that our signings seem to have been made with one eye to the American TV audiences rather than having both eyes to what they can do on the pitch in this league.

thing is jm clearly knows what he is doing, how many managers have won the double double in their respective leagues and don't give me it's a tin pot league, just don't stand up

When Marsch took over at RB Leripzig, he brought in around 100m of players.

6 months and 20 matches later he was sacked.

comment by kammys left foot (U21862)
posted 6 minutes ago
thing is jm clearly knows what he is doing, how many managers have won the double double in their respective leagues and don't give me it's a tin pot league, just don't stand up
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Managers to win double at RB Salzburg:

Matthias Jaissle
Jessie Marsch
Marco Rose
Oscar Garcia (twice)
Adi Hütter
Roger Schmidt
Ricardo Moniz

Also, RB Salzburg have won the league 10 times in a row and won cup 8 times in last 10 years.

What a league! Must be really exciting for all the other teams

I know we had Raph, dont think Philips really achieved a lot after his injury but Marsch came in to a team with significant injuries, low on confidence, no striker and over 12 games had us 12th in the form guide...........

Guy deserves his chance and personally, with glass half full, am looking forward to the new season.

Hows about people getting off Marsch's and the players backs and letting them prove whether or not they can do it?..

Christmas time would be a better time to judge and if need be give Orta the crap most like giving if it all goes crap!..

Hopefully Marsch and his kids can prove a point and put a few well in their places, its just a sorry state when people cant even give them a chance and push them in the smelly stuff before the season has even started!..

"Germany probably thinks we'll finish 7th."

Shaun, is that what I said, I've said and I'll keep saying, they should be given the chance anyone gets when they're given it, I've got no reasons like a few off you's to crap on them until I know what they can do!..

So keep crapping all, a great confidence booster for the club and players before the season has even started, but for some that's the norm, it seems to happen every pre season!..

comment by Wetherby White (U6810)
posted 1 hour, 37 minutes ago
comment by kammys left foot (U21862)
posted 6 minutes ago
thing is jm clearly knows what he is doing, how many managers have won the double double in their respective leagues and don't give me it's a tin pot league, just don't stand up
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Managers to win double at RB Salzburg:

Matthias Jaissle
Jessie Marsch
Marco Rose
Oscar Garcia (twice)
Adi Hütter
Roger Schmidt
Ricardo Moniz
----------------------------------------------------------------------
so only 1 other then

comment by Wetherby White (U6810)
posted 1 hour, 32 minutes ago
Also, RB Salzburg have won the league 10 times in a row and won cup 8 times in last 10 years.

What a league! Must be really exciting for all the other teams
----------------------------------------------------------------------
have you watched scottish football in recent years

comment by kammys left foot (U21862)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by Wetherby White (U6810)
posted 1 hour, 32 minutes ago
Also, RB Salzburg have won the league 10 times in a row and won cup 8 times in last 10 years.

What a league! Must be really exciting for all the other teams
----------------------------------------------------------------------
have you watched scottish football in recent years
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm not saying Scottish league is exciting though? And there are 2 teams competing there, still shocking.

Just putting it out there, that judging on past team that wins everything, every year without fail and by some margin too, it's does not mean success in the toughest league in the world.

Still a shocking league, correct me if I'm wrong, but have Celtic and Rangers not both beaten us in Europe?..

When we were in the supposed better league!..

RB Salzburg haven't as far as I know done to bad in Europe, mind, they have had the likes of Haaland play for them, odd that, because some will say he's got to prove himself as a Premier league player, I wonder which way that'll go!..

Lets not foreget, he made a name for himself ripping their league a new one!..

comment by Wetherby White (U6810)
posted 55 minutes ago
comment by kammys left foot (U21862)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by Wetherby White (U6810)
posted 1 hour, 32 minutes ago
Also, RB Salzburg have won the league 10 times in a row and won cup 8 times in last 10 years.

What a league! Must be really exciting for all the other teams
----------------------------------------------------------------------
have you watched scottish football in recent years
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm not saying Scottish league is exciting though? And there are 2 teams competing there, still shocking.

Just putting it out there, that judging on past team that wins everything, every year without fail and by some margin too, it's does not mean success in the toughest league in the world.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
i understand but there has to be a team willing to perform for a manager, some structure, a good team is just that

Haaland has done it in the German league too as well and scored a mental amount of goals, I think he'll easily bang them in for man city too