Pre-Match: Leeds United (Away) - 2nd November 2020

[1964w]

29 minutes ago, foxpleasure said:

I think there is an element of the Emperor' New Clothes about Bielsa. He's a decent coach but not to the extent that the football media are drooling over him. Most of the difficulty of playing against Leeds this season is their supreme fitness. Bielsa should be applauded however for Leeds' positive approach to matches.

Yes fitness is an important factor however he has turned mid-championship plodders such as Ayling, Cooper, Dallas, Alioski, Bamford into top players who don't look out of their depth in the PL. Always loved Ayling. Dallas would be one of the first players on the teamsheet for me, I can assure you I wasn't thinking that three years ago. Hernandez & Klich are class players, Costa & Harrison have given us pace although both are guilty of choosing the wrong option. Meslier is looking the part between the sticks & with the signings of internationals Koch, Rodrigo, Raphinha, Llorente can only improve our squad 

Edited 31 October 2020 by 1964w

[Spudulike]

Is that the same Ayling that played for Yeovil Town? Yes, I was there on that Tuesday night in the rain amongst the other 20,000 that claimed to have been there. 

 

Surely not the same player. 

[TrentFox]

5 minutes ago, Spudulike said:

Is that the same Ayling that played for Yeovil Town? Yes, I was there on that Tuesday night in the rain amongst the other 20,000 that claimed to have been there. 

 

Surely not the same player. 

Was that the night Kasper scored his header that they gave to Wood? 

[nnickn]

Leeds have been great to  watch this season and Monday seems like a decider as to which of the two teams can mount a proper challenge at top of the table.

It will be a massive curtailment of the seasons expectations for whatever set of fans whose team loses.

[Pub breath]

1 hour ago, Manini said:

None of you liked Kasper when he played for you anyway  

True with many, not all.  I rated him and had a feeling he would turn out to be the top keeper he has done.  He made some outstanding saves for Leeds as well as a few cock ups.

[Spudulike]

9 minutes ago, TrentFox said:

Was that the night Kasper scored his header that they gave to Wood? 

Nope, that was at our place. It was away at Huish Park. Won 1-2 and got gridlocked in the car park during torrential rain with City fans barring their hooters.

[Manini]

1 minute ago, Pub breath said:

True with many, not all.  I rated him and had a feeling he would turn out to be the top keeper he has done.  He made some outstanding saves for Leeds as well as a few cock ups.

I seem to remember one at Arsenal in the cup he made for you lot. One of his best ever. 

[Pub breath]

19 minutes ago, Spudulike said:

Is that the same Ayling that played for Yeovil Town? Yes, I was there on that Tuesday night in the rain amongst the other 20,000 that claimed to have been there. 

 

Surely not the same player. 

For what it's worth, I actually don't think he's done too much with Ayling.  He was an outstanding player before Bielsa and has just got a little better.  He's had a peculiar career for a player with so much ability.  I said years ago that he should be at a top ten PL club and he's not just looking comfortable at this level, he's excelling.  He's a brilliant footballer.

 

What he's done with Cooper and Dallas is different, he's improved those players beyond what was seemingly possible.

[1964w]

3 minutes ago, Pub breath said:

For what it's worth, I actually don't think he's done too much with Ayling.  He was an outstanding player before Bielsa and has just got a little better.  He's had a peculiar career for a player with so much ability.  I said years ago that he should be at a top ten PL club and he's not just looking comfortable at this level, he's excelling.  He's a brilliant footballer.

 

What he's done with Cooper and Dallas is different, he's improved those players beyond what was seemingly possible.

As I said I've always loved the energy & enthusiasm of Ayling

[Ric Flair]

I think we'll serve these lot a proper hiding.

[Paninistickers]

5 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

I think we'll serve these lot a proper hiding.

I remember  us giving it big last year pre Man City and Liverpool....and we were well and truly put in our place. 

 

I sense similar hubris for leads

[Ric Flair]

2 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

I remember  us giving it big last year pre Man City and Liverpool....and we were well and truly put in our place. 

 

I sense similar hubris for leads

So far this season we have learnt how to handle teams more expansive than us, no reason we can't go there and do the same. They are a brilliantly coached team, very impressed with what Bielsa has done but I think we will be too coy for them and open them up. 4-1 Leicester

[Paninistickers]

4 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

So far this season we have learnt how to handle teams more expansive than us, no reason we can't go there and do the same. They are a brilliantly coached team, very impressed with what Bielsa has done but I think we will be too coy for them and open them up. 4-1 Leicester

I'd love to see a similar masterclass to that at Palace last season. 

 

Tricky game. Drew the sting out of them. Picked them off. The control was so intense it was borderline sadistic

[Spudulike]

17 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

I remember  us giving it big last year pre Man City and Liverpool....and we were well and truly put in our place. 

 

I sense similar hubris for leads

Leeds are hardly in the same bracket as those two. 

 

Unless you mean dog leads? 

[Hales]

I think Brendan will be right up for this one. He has been touted as having two tactical masterclasses now and I'm sure he would love to defeat Bielsa. Quietly confident, momentum is with us and confidence must be high for the players. 

[majaco]

1 hour ago, Spudulike said:

Is that the same Ayling that played for Yeovil Town? Yes, I was there on that Tuesday night in the rain amongst the other 20,000 that claimed to have been there. 

 

Surely not the same player. 

I was there.  I live I  Somerset.  I occasionally used to go and watch Yeovil but couldn't after I stood in the away end to watch Leicester.  It was like I'd been caught cheating.

[NewquayFox]

1 hour ago, TrentFox said:

Was that the night Kasper scored his header that they gave to Wood? 

I think Spud is referring to the game at Yeovil in the rain, me & 2 of my lads drove from Newquay and I had a few beers in The Airman’s pub nearby, horrible wet night but a wins a win. I think it was the game when a steward looked like Sven and the City fans were singing to him all night, bet he loved it... 

[gurru991]

48 minutes ago, Hales said:

I think Brendan will be right up for this one. He has been touted as having two tactical masterclasses now and I'm sure he would love to defeat Bielsa. Quietly confident, momentum is with us and confidence must be high for the players. 

I'm sure that most Premier League managers would relish beating Bielsa. 

[sdb]

Got a feeling he might start Perez. Well rested, good at winning the ball high up the pitch. Just a warning for some of you.

[Sunbury Fox]

59 minutes ago, sdb said:

Got a feeling he might start Perez. Well rested, good at winning the ball high up the pitch. Just a warning for some of you.

God I hope not. Surely Ünder is fit enough by now? He's been with us for weeks and even played lots of minutes for Turkey in the international break. If we have to stomach 5 at the back to cover for having our whole first choice defence out, please let us have some fast attacking players up front, Brendan, to give us creativity and an out ball ie definitely not Perez!

[Dr The Singh]

2 hours ago, Hales said:

I think Brendan will be right up for this one. He has been touted as having two tactical masterclasses now and I'm sure he would love to defeat Bielsa. Quietly confident, momentum is with us and confidence must be high for the players. 

Especially after being out mastered by super tacticians like supremo David Moyes

[Guest Markyblue]

3 hours ago, nnickn said:

Leeds have been great to  watch this season and Monday seems like a decider as to which of the two teams can mount a proper challenge at top of the table.

It will be a massive curtailment of the seasons expectations for whatever set of fans whose team loses.

It might have been if we had a full team out, as it is its a case of seeing it through until full strength.  Mondays result will mean nothing unless both teams are at full strength, we certainly ain't and leeds have problems so no decider for me.

[norwichfox]

22 hours ago, PhillippaT said:

If it makes you feel any better, I guarantee that there's graffiti in Leeds, somewhere, that says Leeds United are sh*t   

It's probably been painted over since you......

[sacreblueits442]

On 29/10/2020 at 21:48, StriderHiryu said:

I'm super curious as to what Brendan does for this game. Leeds are a very good team, and Bielsa a world class coach. On paper lining up with 5 at the back against Leeds sounds cowardly but honestly on paper there are so many reasons to do it! Leeds commit many players forward and leave space in behind their full backs, which is asking to be exploited by Barnes, Vardy and Under. Fuchs was brought off at 60 minutes today suggesting he's going to be deployed again on Monday, though with Castagne out this could be to play as a regular Left Back rather than as a LCB.

 

I think we will play something like this:

 

                        Schmeichel

      Fofana  Morgan/Evans  Fuchs

Albrighton  TIelemans  Mendy   Maddison  Justin

                                 Barnes

                         Vardy

 

I expect us to have low possession and see a lot of people complaining about us playing this way against Leeds. But if it works, it would be another masterclass.

 

The only doubt I have about Rodgers going for this system is that he's a huge Bielsa fan and he might have the pride to want to "out-football" a Bielsa team. I'm not sure if the two have ever faced off against one another before so it might be a big moment for him.

 

We are definitely capable of out playing Leeds, but now that we are playing twice a week and have loads of injuries and know that Leeds have lost against counter attacking teams, it makes sense to play that way against them IMO. We are literally missing our entire first choice back 4 currently and our first choice CDM which is going to limit what we can do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

....I do wish people would stop using this term...lots of other team use this, it is an accepted practice throughout the leagues!!!

    This tactic is not special, just the ability and discipline required to carry it out.

[gw_leics772]

On 30/10/2020 at 07:09, hejammy said:

So they think they are already a better team than us and that we are the "Park the bus" merchants. This is why a lot of neutral fans don't particularly like Leeds fans. They are like the Manure fans, Self entitled. A few good games in their first year back and they're talking about winning the league. I hope they get a beating and come crashing back down the earth. 

**** it, I was being convinced about the 3atb approach, but let's kevin Keegan these ****ers. 4-3, 5-3, 7-2.

 

Let's destroy these twats and give everyone else a blueprint of how to beat the living daylights out of them! 

 

I ****ing hate Leeds! (I've got my reasons @Muzzy_Larsson, but happy for you to chalk it down to hating everyone (I nearly replied to another thread with "I ****ing hate Birmingham" but my reasons weren't so well defined so I held back in fear of feeding your theory, but you can have this one on me 😂) 

Edited 1 November 2020 by gw_leics772