Leeds United Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours 2020/2021

davedanon

Bielsa saying that Pontus was 'the best player last year'. I would completely disagree. He clearly wasn't at it at various stages last season, and the whole cult of Pontus seemed to have gone to his head.

Ceist_Beag

Yeah would agree Dave, Pontus' number one fan was himself. I thought POTY last year was Phillips followed closely by Pablo. TBH, despite his few crucial mistakes I actually preferred seeing Cooper line up CH as he gave proper leadership back there. Hopefully he can eliminate those few brain farts from his game this season!

davedanon

I've no problem with Cooper's game, apart from his tendency to give away f*ckin' penalties.

stryker mcqueen

Cooper is bang average in my opinion , Pontus will be a huge loss , that clown berardi will probably fill in at CB , White would want to be the next rio

davedanon

Looked at his showreel, was impressed, as far as it goes. Good at bringing the ball out of defence, can pass too.


We just don't know if he can defend...

Zaph

Cooper is far too prone to making rash decisions which have all too frequently cost us, and Berardi just isn't a CB imo. We definitely need one more CB who can be a calming influence at the back. But more urgently it looks like we need a striker, or preferably two. There's no way we're going up with the current attacking options we have.

Ceist_Beag

Cooper was a much improved player for us last season imho. I much prefer a center half who looks like he might boot their center forward into row z than one who rolls around on the ground personally! ☺️ Agree he's still prone to occasional gaffes but we're not going to get any better option at this stage.

There was a lot of nonsense about Jansson, that he wasn't liked in the dressing room, that the defence was better without him.

Bielsa set the record straight today, saying he was the best player last season and sold for FFP reasons. Now I agree that may be overstating it, but there was no need to say it if he was unpopular and had fallen out with his colleagues and manager.

davedanon

He wasn't 'the best player last season'. That's a fact.

davedanon

davedanon wrote: »

He wasn't 'the best player last season'. That's a fact.

Well... it's an opinion.

Either way, the whole "dressing room poison, not liked by other players" seems like neither fact nor opinion, but completely made up.

Carcharodon

Jesus, is lf roofe goes we definitely need a major legit championship level proven goal scoring player, I don’t think roofe is that great but he has been pretty decent and has had some very good spells

NuckChorris1

Good interview with Jack Harrison

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7315917/amp/Leeds-star-Jack-Harrison-reveals-special-bond-Chelsea-manager-Frank-Lampard.html?__twitter_impression=true

championc

You'd think that things would be looking brighter for Conor Shaughnessy but definitely is nowhere in the picture.

thomasm

Bielsa all but confirming Roofe is going there

Carcharodon

All quite on here, people must be nervous

thomasm

Carcharodon wrote: »

All quite on here, people must be nervous

That will be Casillas fault 😄 has put his own players under pressure with first 4 touches

Carcharodon

Come on Bamford, should be getting that on target at least, looks so lackluster at times

Mushy

Casilla causing bowel movements. The double meg by Pablo was great though

Carcharodon

Now that was sexy

Carcharodon

Why wasn’t Harrison going full belt into box when Pablo was put through, very very strange to hang back

Mushy

Carcharodon wrote: »

Why wasn’t Harrison going full belt into box when Pablo was put through, very very strange to hang back

Allow the magician do all the work

Ceist_Beag

Decent first half without being brilliant. Pablo is covering some amount of ground, class finish too.

Carcharodon

Mushy wrote: »

Allow the magician do all the work

It’s kind of where we left off from last season, White looks comfortable at least

10000maniacs

Good first 45, but there is a big gaping hole in our defence on our left hand side.

Kristopherus

Great goal finished by Bamford. 2 up now.

Kristopherus

An excellent breakaway goal to go 3 up after 72 mins.

10000maniacs

Get in. Bristol City have taken a huge step backwards this season. Very poor.

10000maniacs

Leeds let them walk that goal in. Stupid.

Kristopherus

Sloppy defending lets B. City in on 77 mins. 1-3. The change to 3 at the back did not work.

Eggs For Dinner

Thought Bamford's general play was very good and White is very composed. Feckin' Kiko has picked up where he left off. I'm sure Cooper will be having words

NuckChorris1

Eggs For Dinner wrote: »

Thought Bamford's general play was very good and White is very composed. Feckin' Kiko has picked up where he left off. I'm sure Cooper will be having words

Very happy with Bamford. Movement for the goal was good and great to see some aggression for hold up play. We played like that without Costa, Roofe and Ayling which is very impressive. Replacement for Roofe will be interesting. Kent, Vydra and the Inter Milan Argentine being touted. Kent would mean false 9 or Bielsa sees Harrison or Costa as being able to play there. Great start anyway. Saw someone say Kiko is like Alioski but in goal, I think he could be even more bonkers!

Ceist_Beag

We will never be comfortable with Kiko in goals. He's a nutjob but I guess he's our nutjob so we might as well as accept this is the way it's going to be!
I was very impressed with Pablo today. Can he keep that up for the season? I doubt it but hopefully others can share the load. White looked very good too for a first outing. One noticeable tactic today was the number of long crossfield passes, especially from Dallas to Harrison/Douglas.

J Cheever Loophole

Thoroughly enjoyable match and performance yesterday and for me immediately rekindled memories of much of our play last year. However, underlining that was evidence of much of the issues that fatally undermined our promotion bid last year, i.e. dominating the opposition and not making that dominance be accurately reflected in terms of the score-line. That match could and should have been won 5-0 yesterday but we wasted a lorry load of chances, then got careless and ended up having a few uncomfortable moments late on. I think we managed 4 shots on target from 18 during the game. Such stats will be our undoing again.

That said, there was constant reference throughout the coverage yesterday to Leeds getting a striker and a goalkeeper in before the end of the transfer deadline and I still feel we need a centre half, despite the excellence of White on debut. Bamford was also excellent. Lovely, sharp finish but also held the ball up well, laid it off and put himself about a lot. However I can't see him getting the goals we need.

Mention also of Kiko who really makes me feel nervous. As Paul Robinson said yesterday, we need another goalkeeper who is on a par with Kiko and can step up to first team football and be comfortable in that role.

Pablo and Philips also excellent and I thought Harrison's performance suggested that he will be a better player for us this year than last year.

Great to be back playing and great to get a win.

Ceist_Beag

Some of you may have read this already but just in case, another reminder to enjoy Bielsa while we have him.

http://timeontheball.net/2019/04/03/the-idealist/

davedanon

Ceist_Beag wrote: »

Some of you may have read this already but just in case, another reminder to enjoy Bielsa while we have him.

http://timeontheball.net/2019/04/03/the-idealist/

I hadn't read it, thanks for posting. I love that man. Everything I read about him makes me admire him more and more.

Guffy

Ryan Nolan on route??

davedanon

I'm hearing Nolan, Kent and Colidio. Also that Bielsa's looking more for younger players that he can mould, rather than 'finished articles'. Which prompts the question - does he think he might be at Leeds for the long run??

davedanon

davedanon wrote: »

I hadn't read it, thanks for posting. I love that man. Everything I read about him makes me admire him more and more.

There is something very likeable about him...but there still has to be some questions about whether his methods actually work. The dogs on the street said Leeds would collapse in the second half of last season and he was unable to prevent it.

But to a certain extent I don't care. I'd rather see Leeds in the Championship with an owner who may be half broke but seems to care, and a manager who may be half mad but is inspirational.

stryker mcqueen

Rooney on his way to derby , serious statement of intent

Ceist_Beag

Deleted User wrote: »

There is something very likeable about him...but there still has to be some questions about whether his methods actually work. The dogs on the street said Leeds would collapse in the second half of last season and he was unable to prevent it.

But to a certain extent I don't care. I'd rather see Leeds in the Championship with an owner who may be half broke but seems to care, and a manager who may be half mad but is inspirational.

100% Conor. I think if you look at his record it's clear he hasn't won a whole lot but what is more important and more clear is that he is an honourable man with the right values and that he engages the team with the fans like no other. He's one of a kind and we're lucky to have him.

NuckChorris1

stryker mcqueen wrote: »

Rooney on his way to derby , serious statement of intent

Signing as player/coach so that half of his big wages won't count towards FPP rules. Don't think Bielsa's honour is a widespread thing in the EFL or football in general!

Eddie Nketiah emerging as an option for striker. Season-long loan. Serious potential in him.

Wasn't impressed with Fulham or Derby over the weekend. Rooney obv changes things at Derby if that happens but apart from Lawrence there wasn't much to worry about there. Scott Parker interviewed after losing to Barnsley didn't seem too bothered and said something like "We were better in the 2nd half. We'll be ok." Just something about the arrogance (and the daft cardigan he was wearing) made me think he had no idea what he's in for in the Championship, that money will guarantee results. I think Huddersfield will be very good and WBA too.

Jimmy Two Times

Afternoon folks.

Finally got around to requesting access, fan for the best part of 50 years and ST holder.

Looking forward to another rollercoaster of a season.

Very early days yet but reckon our squad, thin and all it as it is, is probably one of the more settled squads from the main contenders.

If we keep KP and do land Kent and / or this young lad from Arsenal who seems to have appeared out of nowhere we're going in the right direction,given the FFP constraints.

Never boring supporting Leeds.

Zaph

Welcome along Jimmy, always good to have another of the afflicted join us to share the pain with.

Ceist_Beag

Good to have you on board Jimmy. I'm sure we'll find out what the two times means in due course!

PabloAndRoy

I didn't see the match on Sunday. Was at ATN and the network was not the best, so went to live music instead.

I have seen the highlights, but was really interested in how Costa did when he came on. Any opinion? Or was he not on long enough to get an idea?

Mushy

So Roofe is officially gone. Always liked him, sad to see him go but hopefully he won't be missed that much.

Re: Costa on Sunday, he was alright. Leeds kinda sat back when he was on so I found it hard to tell

Ceist_Beag

Disappointed to lose Roofe alright but it sounds like he would have been happy to see out his contract and leave next summer so I can understand the club taking the money if he wasn't interested in signing another contract.

is_that_so

Ceist_Beag wrote: »

Disappointed to lose Roofe alright but it sounds like he would have been happy to see out his contract and leave next summer so I can understand the club taking the money if he wasn't interested in signing another contract.

He didn't seem to be as sold on the "project" as others. Yes, he did score goals but really not a great ratio. He also seems to be a bit injury prone. Good luck to him. Essential to get a replacement in by end of the window.

Zaph

What concerns me most about Roofe going is how close it is to the transfer deadline. We've been caught out in the past with players going late in the window and there not being enough time to get a replacement in. Considering this is our only consistent scorer (even if his injury was going to keep him out for a bit anyway) there's even more urgency in getting someone new in. I only hope that Bielsa and Orta have that covered already, but I have a really bad feeling this could turn into another Daniel James situation.

For me Roofe and Jansson were amongst the "first names on the team sheet" players. Maybe White will improve the defence, and I trust Bielsa to make that call. Maybe Bamford can step up to the mark as the striker, his cv is definitely impressive, and again Bielsa will have put far more thought into this than any of us. But I'd rather they were still on board, selling good players is always worrying.