Leeds United Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours 2020/2021

Wingman2010

So predictable, same story every week with the same core group of players and same players make the same mistakes every week. The squad is cleared scarred since last season. I said to my mates in December that we would collapse again and not even make the playoffs. Unfortunately it looks like I may be right. It’s really sickening. But I guess all Biesla teams end up in a similar position in the second half season if you look back at his career!!

Always Be Closing

I could rant but it’s not gonna get us anywhere

Team needs gutting for Brentford

Meslier

Ayling
White
Cooper
Douglas

Phillips
Shackleton
Klich

Roberts
JKA
Harrison


Anything will do at this stage

Kilo, Dallas, Alioski, Pablo, Costa and Bamford horribly out of form

J Cheever Loophole

Agree with the overriding sense of doom and gloom. It was not just the defeat - which was bad enough - but the nature of the defeat that was really worrying. The confidence seems to be draining from the players, with a number of individuals suffering in particular - Kiko being the prime example. Tonight looked different to me - the team appeared to have no belief and it must be relatively rare that we have less shots than the opposition.

Whilst many will point the finger at the players on the pitch, a lot of my ire was reserved for a player who didn't feature; Kalvin Phillips. His absolute and outrageous lack of self discipline has cost us big time.

Bielsa really needs to try something different - in terms of personnel - for the Brentford game. However his approach of having a small squad is really beginning to bite hard, with options extremely limited.

I fear for the future.

Carcharodon

Always Be Closing wrote: »

I could rant but it’s not gonna get us anywhere

Team needs gutting for Brentford

Meslier

Ayling
White
Cooper
Douglas

Phillips
Shackleton
Klich

Roberts
JKA
Harrison


Anything will do at this stage

Kilo, Dallas, Alioski, Pablo, Costa and Bamford horribly out of form

I’d be happy with this team, needs some serious freshening up.
Playing White in that position does him no favors, he looks so comfortable at CB, looks really out of sorts at defensive midfield for us.
Alioski would be more beneficial as a mascot for the team rather than a player
Pablo looks frustrated and drained
Costa looks like he can beat any player he wants, he usually does but final ball is awful, he should be way more impactful
Poor Bamford is turning into a scapegoat for this team, way too much pressure on him, hopefully JKA will lessen the load

The only upside is we surely can’t keep on losing like this....laws of probability and all that

is_that_so

OK, the good news is we are still 2nd! The bad is a team very much out of sorts. Phillips coming back should add more stability to the team. I love him as a player but his self-inflicted stupidity has IMO made the setup even more unsettled at a very crucial time. My own feeling about Pablo is that he's unfortunately now just a bench player. Much as I respect the Bielsa loyalty approach some players need to know they are not indispensable. For me Alioski and Costa are two the team cannot afford to carry at present and should be dropped out. Shackleton and Poveda are the obvious alternatives. I'd persist with Bamford because he can contribute but Agustin needs to get on if he's not doing it. Kiko is a conundrum and on ability deserves to be there but on current form is a very risky choice. So two changes for me on Tuesday.

10000maniacs

Brentford are going to thump us on Tuesday night. We are not going up this season. At least we are capitulating two months earlier this season.
I can do other things on Saturdays now and not watch Bielsa getting outsmarted by better managers week in week out.
70% possession means nothing if you are incapable of unlocking the box. (Howard Wilkinson last season)

Always Be Closing

is_that_so wrote: »

OK, the good news is we are still 2nd! The bad is a team very much out of sorts. Phillips coming back should add more stability to the team. I love him as a player but his self-inflicted stupidity has IMO made the setup even more unsettled at a very crucial time. My own feeling about Pablo is that he's unfortunately now just a bench player. Much as I respect the Bielsa loyalty approach some players need to know they are not indispensable. For me Alioski and Costa are two the team cannot afford to carry at present and should be dropped out. Shackleton and Poveda are the obvious alternatives. I'd persist with Bamford because he can contribute but Agustin needs to get on if he's not doing it. Kiko is a conundrum and on ability deserves to be there but on current form is a very risky choice. So two changes for me on Tuesday.

Kiko on ability? He’s played less than 100 games in TEN years and had nothing to do for the first 20 or so games this season- our defence was so strong he hardly ever had to make a save.

He’s been an accident waiting to happen from day one. Hopefully he’s found guilty of racism and it forces Bielsa’s hand

I’m now convinced if he was bang in form it would t have taken the Football League 5 months to make a decision- absolutely suits their narrative to drag it out for the remainder of the season now

We’re their cash cow and they do NOT want us going up

Keyzer

Carcharodon wrote: »

The only upside is we surely can’t keep on losing like this....laws of probability and all that

Don't count on it... This is Leeds remember, the football club capable of making a mess of any situation.

Saturdays performance was shambolic, a shadow of the team from November. Many players were anonymous with a complete lack of threat up front. Bamford's one chance I remember was a woeful attempt at a header.

Wholesale changes are required, players need to be dropped. Casilla is a liability at this stage, the first goal was embarrassing. Meslier played well against Arsenal, he should be given a chance. This is a football club judged on results, its not a charity. If players are not performing to the standard required, then others should be given a chance.

When is Bielsa going to realise things, as they are, are not working and something radical needs to change? I fear his stubbornness will end up costing us promotion this season.

Always Be Closing

Keyzer wrote: »

Don't count on it... This is Leeds remember, the football club capable of making a mess of any situation.

Saturdays performance was shambolic, a shadow of the team from November. Many players were anonymous with a complete lack of threat up front. Bamford's one chance I remember was a woeful attempt at a header.

Wholesale changes are required, players need to be dropped. Casilla is a liability at this stage, the first goal was embarrassing. Meslier played well against Arsenal, he should be given a chance. This is a football club judged on results, its not a charity. If players are not performing to the standard required, then others should be given a chance.

When is Bielsa going to realise things, as they are, are not working and something radical needs to change? I fear his stubbornness will end up costing us promotion this season.

His stubbornness and failure to deviate from Bielsa ball over the years is why he’s won far less than he should have.

Football that’s easy on the eye is great and all that, but sometimes you need to be pragmatic

He’ll never change

I expect 1 change tomorrow- Phillips for Dallas

Keyzer

Always Be Closing wrote: »

His stubbornness and failure to deviate from Bielsa ball over the years is why he’s won far less than he should have.

Football that’s easy on the eye is great and all that, but sometimes you need to be pragmatic

He’ll never change

I expect 1 change tomorrow- Phillips for Dallas

Couldn't agree more.

I couldn't care less how the team plays, beautiful or ugly. As long as we get results. Others teams have long copped on to our game plan.

Lose to Brentford and we're on a one way ticket to another year in the Championship when we should be winning the league.

stryker mcqueen

Even if we were on a 7 game winning streak I would still expect to lose at Brentford , I'd bite your hand off for a draw

Always Be Closing

stryker mcqueen wrote: »

Even if we were on a 7 game winning streak I would still expect to lose at Brentford , I'd bite your hand off for a draw

They’re hardly Real Madrid.

Brentford, with their stadium that looks like a petrol station

Draws are no good, every game is a must win now

stryker mcqueen

Always Be Closing wrote: »

They’re hardly Real Madrid.

Brentford, with their stadium that looks like a petrol station

Draws are no good, every game is a must win now

Have you seen our away record against them?

I would disagree that every game is must win.....for now at least

Not sure what relevance their stadium looking like a petrol stadium has ? Ever been to Bournemouth?

Ceist_Beag

To say every game is a must win now is a nonsense. If we know anything about this division it's that every team will drop a lot of points between now and the end of the season.
What is important is that we refind some semblence of form. For some of our losses we could say we were unlucky or decisions went against us or whatever. However the loss on Saturday was thoroughly deserved and we looked really out of form.
A draw against Brentford would be a good result and hopefully we can then build confidence again. Remember our run in is (on paper) easier than most other contenders run in. I know it means nothing the way we are playing right now, but given a bit of confidence I'm still optimistic we can build momentum at the right time.
Just one other point, saying we need wholesale changes is risky. We don't have ready made replacements. JKA is not ready yet by the look of it so not sure if there is a viable alternative to Paddy, much as I would agree he's not playing well. Hopefully Poveda can get involved and contribute. Right now I would drop Costa and agree on Kiko as well. Apart from that, I would like to see Roberts getting a run instead of Pablo as Pablo is struggling right now.

Always Be Closing

stryker mcqueen wrote: »

Have you seen our away record against them?

I would disagree that every game is must win.....for now at least

Not sure what relevance their stadium looking like a petrol stadium has ? Ever been to Bournemouth?

They're a small time nothing club, much like Bournemouth. And we shouldn't fear them.

They had to rely on a bent ref to beat us last season

https://twitter.com/mikesimm9/status/1125802894723375110

Always Be Closing

U23's beat Bolton 4-1

Caprille saved a pen.

McKinstry looked likely

Berardi got 30 mins, Poveda started up front but didn't score

Bielsa confirms Roberts out with bruised knee

Always Be Closing

11.54am: Good morning from Thorp Arch

Marcelo Bielsa will be with us from 12 noon - other than the obvious need to return to winning ways, Tyler Roberts injury latest top of the list.





12.02pm: Here we go - team news first

"Phillips comes back to the team. He's always been an important player but in those three matches he wasn't there we could replace him without feat that he wasn't there. But always counting on him makes our team better."





On Brentford

Brentford are a team with good strikers and attackers, they build from midfield to attack, they have a compact defence where everybody is involved to defend and help each other.





Is this one of those games where big players need to step up?

The players have always been present in the matches. And of course the importance of the game is very clear.





Tyler Roberts out

He is not going to be able to play tomorrow. He took a strong kick. It's incredible with this kick that he continued in the match, he proved that he is really engaged with the team and he was a very brave player to continue playing. It's a kick in the calf but there is no injury, just a big kick.





What methods now

My method is describing the thing as I see the reality. I stay true to the players and I describe all thy have to transform this moment into a good one to get good results. I speak to them individually and collectively.



The message now?

I have explained before what I think about the matches where we lost points. And there is no reason to continue explaining that. But it's not about that, they don't do any more what they did before because the players are doing the same things they used to do when we have been in a good moment. There are good things the players are doing on the pitch and also mistakes, before maybe we didn't pay consequences for the mistakes in the good moments but now we are paying higher consequences. We used to create chances and score those chances in the good moments of the team and now we have those chances and we are not scoring. It's just about scoring the chances, the positive things the team used to do, we used to transform into good things and now we are not doing that. The team is not playing worst than before, the team is not running less, it's running even more and the team keeps the same confidence of before.





How do you stay confident?

They are private matters





Do you believe in not getting too high when winning and not too low when not?

That is not happening to us, when we have been in a good moment we didn't believe we would get something and now how everybody describes the team when we were in a good moment was never described like that for us. And negative evaluation of the team when things go wrong does not describe for us this way that everybody sees the team.



On other teams

Every team plays in the same way against us. We are used to playing the kind of games we have to play.



On Augustin - another long one - basically he has worked very hard after being out and is feeling it, naturally

It was not a quick process because he keeps all the difficulties he has even more, he is increasing but after he completed options and I made the best choice I think. When you have to take the team player for one match or the 11 players that start the match, they are linked with the level of each player but also this decision is linked with the comparison of two players who play the same position. Maybe one player is not in his ideal level but maybe in one moment he is the best option because you compare the best possibilities of two players in one moment and then you compare and make a choice. If one player is not in his best physical performance, if one player is lacking of some stuff needed to compete, I have already explained that, this question I answer for a second time - no problem. But I know that when I give a long answer it bores a little bit. One player has natural physical qualities, but after this player this player has to develop those qualities to a highest point, to a minimum level but the minimum level has to be high to compete. He can get high values but he has to develop this. And of course and this is linked with everything, one example, the way, and everything. About the technical skill he has, Augustin has great skills but those qualities you have to show those in the game but maybe you can know how to do something but that doesn't mean you can do it immediately in the competition. I think you are asking this question and you know this answer because you have listened a lot of times. Players who demand to play a lot of minutes try to get the maximum level. Augustin in the last 7 or 8 matches has played 3 matches, the conclusions are obvious, the objective of pre-season is this, you play matches where the match is not important and in those matches the player gets this level. In this moment results are very very important so we need to manage the level of players, giving minutes, trying for him to get more level but also avoiding to harm the team expecting that one player gets his best level. The other day he spent 20 minutes but that creates jokes, clear jokes like because I spent 20 minutes to answer question and now I repeat the same thing I said before so it is very difficult to feel the people who ask because you can listen to the last answer again of 20 minutes again but I didn't want to be rude. How the process is, you have ups and downs and you ask me in this short period if he improves and I say no but the training process is like this. But understand that ifI give you answers and explanations then each time and after I listen to a lot of jokes. If I say yes or not, after maybe you don't like this because I answer with just one or two words and after what I say only everybody takes what sounds negative. That happened when one team is in a bad spell so the summary of this question, it's going to be that Augustin is worse now. It is the process of evolution but all the training processes of one player that didn't play for 8 months, he goes down to go up. If I deal with you ignorantly I can say something without a good argument, this is an answer with an argument, when you have to prepare a player who has not played for 8 months, it is totally natural. Everybody makes jokes about the explanations, it's not like I am looking down on people, I am just trying to transmit with humility things I am sure about.



On the missed chances - have you seen this before?

That happens to every team, that you have ups and downs when you look at the scores with chances. I can show but I am not going to do it that Leeds is the best team in the Championship attacking. But it's not useful to give more explanations because the results take for ourselves and the results are bad.



More on Tyler Roberts

Major bruising to right calf. Not a serious one.

event

Roberts is made of biscuits it seems

PabloAndRoy

If Roberts could stay fit, he could have been massive for us this season.

Is everyone afraid to ask about Forshaw at this stage? I think we have badly missed him in the last 6 weeks.

NuckChorris1

PabloAndRoy wrote: »

Is everyone afraid to ask about Forshaw at this stage? I think we have badly missed him in the last 6 weeks.

He's played 8 games this season, 7 in August and 1 in Sept. Phil Hay was asked about transfers in midfield in Jan and he said that if they thought Forshaw wouldn't be back they'd look into a transfer but then he was meant to be back in training a week or two ago. It's been a major disruption and if he's not fit very soon will be a mistake to have not replaced him in Jan in some way. We've been blessed that Klich hasn't been injured at all. So short on bodies there.

On another note would love to see changes at 10 (Shack or Poveda) and GK tonight. Ideally a change up front too but don't see that one being a possibility yet. If Shack took Dallas' midfield spot I'd like him to move to LB instead of Alioski who is waaaay off form and blessed to not be sent off last time out.

event

Brentford manager. Should be no team talk needed so, just stick this up on the wall of our dressing room.
Brentford are 4th in the Home league table, we are 3rd in the away one. Strange comments

"We definitely have more momentum than Leeds right now," he said.
"They play with an extreme intensity, higher than any other team in this division which we can only praise them for [and] everyone knows how much I respect Marcelo Bielsa and what he has done to build up Leeds as a club and as a team but they couldn't pick a worse place to play Tuesday night.

"I am 100 per cent sure that they fear us going into this game but that is not to say that we are just going to win it. I promise you one thing, we will be absolutely at it and ready to attack."
"Griffin Park is our fortress," he said.

"Under the lights and with the fans behind us it is going to be a fantastic atmosphere. We can use it a lot if we win but if we lose it, it is not the end of the world.

"There is no doubt that there is more pressure on the other clubs up there from their supporters, the media, and their history but then there is the inside pressure to push on from ourselves which is the same as the other clubs."

PabloAndRoy

event wrote: »

Brentford manager. Should be no team talk needed so, just stick this up on the wall of our dressing room.
Brentford are 4th in the Home league table, we are 3rd in the away one. Strange comments

If you want to incentivise the oppositon, these are exactly the comments to make.

PabloAndRoy

NuckChorris1 wrote: »

He's played 8 games this season, 7 in August and 1 in Sept. Phil Hay was asked about transfers in midfield in Jan and he said that if they thought Forshaw wouldn't be back they'd look into a transfer but then he was meant to be back in training a week or two ago. It's been a major disruption and if he's not fit very soon will be a mistake to have not replaced him in Jan in some way. We've been blessed that Klich hasn't been injured at all. So short on bodies there.

On another note would love to see changes at 10 (Shack or Poveda) and GK tonight. Ideally a change up front too but don't see that one being a possibility yet. If Shack took Dallas' midfield spot I'd like him to move to LB instead of Alioski who is waaaay off form and blessed to not be sent off last time out.

Tonight's teamsheet is the most anticipated in ages. Alioski should be benched for sure. Kiko also (enough is enough). Dallas at LB should happen. Personally would like to see Harrison on the right and Poveda on the left wing. Drop Pablo and bring in Shacks.

Actual teamsheet: Unchanged except Phillips coming in for Alioski, Dallas at LB. Same starting 11 as at QPR.

purple hands

PabloAndRoy wrote: »

Tonight's teamsheet is the most anticipated in ages. Alioski should be benched for sure. Kiko also (enough is enough). Dallas at LB should happen. Personally would like to see Harrison on the right and Poveda on the left wing. Drop Pablo and bring in Shacks.

Actual teamsheet: Unchanged except Phillips coming in for Alioski, Dallas at LB. Same starting 11 as at QPR.

Definitely this.

10000maniacs

PabloAndRoy wrote: »

If you want to incentivise the oppositon, these are exactly the comments to make.

Incentivise the Leeds players? That hasn't happened since the first half against Cardiff two months ago. When Brentford's manager says that something will happen, it will happen. Bielsa can't seem to stratergise himself out of a paper bag these days.

Always Be Closing

Jansson will swallow Bamford up whole and sh*t him out

Keyzer

Bet you a fiver Bamford scores a double hat trick tonight...

PabloAndRoy

Keyzer wrote: »

Bet you a fiver Bamford scores a double hat trick tonight...

Double hat trick of post-match martinis.

purple hands

Oh to be chasing 15th again 😔

Always Be Closing

Have a feeling we’ll see a monumental brain fart from League One Liam tonight

Benrahma and Watkins will fancy it big time

Ceist_Beag

Always Be Closing wrote: »

Jansson will swallow Bamford up whole and sh*t him out

Always Be Closing wrote: »

Have a feeling we’ll see a monumental brain fart from League One Liam tonight

Benrahma and Watkins will fancy it big time

Way to get behind the lads eh! :rolleyes:

Always Be Closing

Ceist_Beag wrote: »

Way to get behind the lads eh! :rolleyes:

I'm sure they read Boards.ie :rolleyes:

Ceist_Beag

I'm sure the rest of us hope the Cooper keeps a clean sheet and Paddy bangs in a hat-trick!

Jimmy Two Times

Always Be Closing wrote: »

Jansson will swallow Bamford up whole and sh*t him out

Hasn't played since the day we lost to the Wendies.

Mildly surprised if he features tonight.

Always Be Closing

Jimmy Two Times wrote: »

Hasn't played since the day we lost to the Wendies.

Mildly surprised if he features tonight.

Hopefully he’s rushed back

Trying to recall which players he has needle with from last season.

Actually it was Bartley he had the bust up with wasn’t it?

Always Be Closing

Club ITK says Augustin starts

I’m getting on him @ 5/2 Anytime Scorer with Paddy Power

Always Be Closing

Bielsa taking the p*ss

https://twitter.com/LUFC/status/1227302569204162562

c.p.w.g.w

Anywhere to watch the game...A PM would be appreiciated

NuckChorris1

Alioski and Douglas on the bench means he sees Alioski as a better winger option than Poveda. Not a great sign for the young lad. Jordan Stevens too so probably more his loyalty to players he knows despite being on board with the signing.

Mushy

Should be 1 up

purple hands

I mean....

Shlippery

ah ffs Casilla.

Mushy

He can **** off right now

blaa85

I'm glad there are no replays on Sky red button.

event

Yeah thats him done. Head is gone

c.p.w.g.w

blaa85 wrote: »

I'm glad there are no replays on Sky red button.

How bad did he fcuk up

Always Be Closing

This is ALL on Bielsa

event

Always Be Closing wrote: »

This is ALL on Bielsa

Even the equaliser?

Carcharodon

c.p.w.g.w wrote: »

How bad did he fcuk up

Pretty pretty bad, put a fork in us, we are done !

Shlippery

Alright, we'll take it. It's going to be a long 90 minutes.