Messages

Rosskarr may want to write off the younger players who put in a tough shift against plainly superior opposition yesterday but our rebuilding has to start somewhere. While O'Hare might have taken a couple of wrong options, he also managed to score a goal six minutes into his first competitive appearance. Perhaps we might allow him to complete at least one game before we dismiss him at the age of 20. Lynch may or may not reach inter-county standard but he was one of our steadier performers in a defence which was overrun. Magill, although he was actually better against Monaghan, and Murdoch, have obviously potential, and, together with Gilmore and Kerr, give us some hope that 2023 could represent an improvement on an almost entirely disastrous 2022.

There were no prima donnas at Breffni today, but just a group who were determined to do the best for their county in difficult circumstances. While it was a strange game, which still came to a predictable outcome, Down threw away the opportunity to be in a reasonable position at half time. We wasted a series of completely easy chances on either side of our early goal, and then managed to miss a twice taken penalty just before half time. It was tough asking Barry O'Hagan to hit the kick after he needed lengthy treatment for a vicious tackle which won the decision, but another goal would have left us starting the second half four points behind, with an extra man for the next ten minutes and the wind in our favour. Cavan, who were nothing special but capable of taking straightforward shots, then pulled away without any particular  difficulty. We had a few who were not of the standard required but some of the younger players, including Lynch, Magill, O'Hare and particularly Murdock are capable of developing over the next couple of years. Kerr and Gilmore also looked more than decent coming off the bench. A long hard road is ahead but, if we can produce a couple of leaders to replace Darren O'Hagan, we can make some kind of a start. He was brilliant again today, and, if it was his last appearance in a Down jersey, he will be remembered as our top man of the last decade by a distance.

It is possible that neutral viewers enjoyed the drama of yesterday but it was pure agony for the committed. When Leeds were one up at Brentford in the middle of the second half, with Burnley losing 2-0 at home to Newcastle, it almost looked comfortable. In the blink of an eye, Burnley had pulled one back and were battering Newcastle while Leeds managed to concede an equaliser against ten men. We just about managed to stumble over the line in the end, and a proper recruitment strategy is now essential. Rufus has correctly identified the areas which need strengthening, and the usually reliable Phil Hay says that Brenden Aaronson is finally on his way from RB Salzburg and an unnamed Premiership striker is also lined up. Firpo is sadly not the answer at left back so hopefully the various deals can completed at an early stage and further last day turmoil can be avoided. However, with Leeds, anything is possible.

It was hard to believe where we were going into the match and in some ways it is even harder to believe that we actually made it to safety. Leeds were as nervous as kittens for most of the match and a bit of quality from Raphinha to win and convert the penalty made all the difference. However we still managed to concede against ten men before Canos produced two acts of madness within a minute - getting booked for taking his shirt off after a goal which was meaningless for his team and then bringing down Raphinha needlessly for an inevitable second yellow which left Brentford down to nine. Even then, Burnley were missing chance after chance to equalise against Newcastle. Harrison's goal was sweet relief, and the crazy roller coaster has finally come to an end.

It's hard to believe it has come to this but the chances of Leeds surviving tomorrow are slim. We realistically needed Burnley to lose at Villa, where they were completely outplayed but almost snatched it in injury time. Having to better their final result is a big ask, as there is a fair bit of history between Brentford and Leeds with the last away win in the fixture in 1950. Burnley have a much more straightforward task at home to Newcastle, and they must be confident in the circumstances. There has always been a decent prospect that Leeds will go down on goal difference, which will make it all even harder to take. However, at least we have a shot at it, and sometimes you never know what can happen.

Leeds supporters are used to tension but this week is off the scale. We were almost certainly gone before Struijk's 92nd minute goal and the pressure now switches to Everton and Burnley on Thursday. You would expect Everton to win at home against Palace and Burnley on their performance yesterday are well capable of getting a result at Villa. There must be a serious danger that Burnley and Leeds draw their remaining fixtures, which would obviously put us down on goal difference. If Leeds are left needing three points at Brentford to stay up on the last day, you would have to take it. However, we apparently have not won there for over 70 years. Our hopes largely rest with Gelhardt, who has just turned 20. Drink may be needed before, during and after Sunday's games.

Leeds supporters may have to die a thousand deaths for the rest of the season, but at least, after the worst opening 20 minutes we have endured in probably over a decade, we showed some fight in the second half and might even have got an astonishing draw in injury time. While Ayling has been one of our heroes of recent years, he had a nightmare today and was partially responsible for both early goals before getting a completely irresponsible red card. Meslier is a decent young keeper who has looked ill at ease of late and made a shocking error for the opener. If Ayling had avoided diving with both feet, and Meslier had simply hoofed a clearance up the field, we could easily have got something out of a game in which nerves got to Arsenal.

The big problem, as contributors to this thread have pointed out, was the failure to strengthen the squad after a brilliant return to the premiership. We brought in Firpo, who looks like a liability at left back and has been booked ten times in 20 games, when we could simply have extended Alioski's contract, and invested heavily in James, who is a decent prospect in a position where we already had plenty of options.

It was painfully obvious that we actually needed another striker, to cover for Bamford who has ended up missing almost the entire season, and a central midfielder, to replace Klich, a great servant who is plainly past his best.

One of the few positives today was young Bate, who competed well after coming off the bench and must surely start against Chelsea on Wednesday. We may need seven points from our last nine to stay up, so we have to hope that the players can cope with the enormous pressure which is out there.

Bielsa is a genius by any standards and his philosophy is based on tight, well organised squads in which everyone knows their job and replacements should come from within the system. He said he would recruit if someone was available who was better than he already had, but he clearly overestimated his existing resources. While there is no doubt that January transfers often do not work, either a new striker or a midfielder of any reasonable standard would have made an enormous difference to Leeds. It looks like it may well go to the last day, when the enormous pressure may not suit us.

Results went disastrously for Leeds this weekend and for the first time Paddy Power has us as 5/4 favourites for the third relegation spot. It's hard to believe that people were suggesting a matter of weeks ago that the normal safety level of 35 points would not be needed this year, and 33 or even lower might do the job. The way in which our rivals are picking up unlikely wins is making it look as though Leeds could get to 40 points and still go down. There will be more twists and turns, but Burnley have a straightforward run in and Everton have plenty of chances to pick up points. We have Arsenal and Chelsea next up, and, if we cannot get something from those two games, we will need to beat Brighton and Brentford to make the 40 point mark. It's all starting to look a bit Shakespearean after Bielsa's departure and it would be cruel if we find ourselves back in the championship after all the emotion of the last two seasons. The problem was plainly failing to recruit in the January window, which was Bielsa's choice but could come back to haunt us yet.

A little more composure not only today but against Meath and Offaly could easily have left us on six points. However, our consistent results over the last five or six years place us somewhere between D2 and D3 so relegation should not come as a surprise. The rebuilding programme which is required may be easier at the third level anyway.

There is a perception that Leeds supporters are elderly, completely stressed out and very likely to take a drink on a Friday night. It's completely true and tonight demonstrated why we are all so obsessed. Leeds were dreadful in the first half and it looked as though another five or six goal hiding was going to follow. A red card was coming with the tackles which were flying in, and we finally got a piece of good fortune when it went in our favour. However, the way the younger Leeds players stepped up, and the senior figures, like Harrison, Rodrigo and particularly Ayling, pushed us over the line was brilliant to see. We probably need six points from our last eight games, and knowing Leeds it may well go to the last match at Brentford, but Marsch, who definitely enjoys the interviews, has done a great job to date.

Watford are definitely not out of it yet as a single win transforms the picture for any team at the bottom. It is impossible to go through all the permutations at this stage but Watford v Leeds is going to be one of the pivotal fixtures. The agonies of following it all via twitter are considerable, as Rufus points out. However, for followers of the brilliant Phil Hay, there is no better sight than 'GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAL' suddenly popping up on his account in the 95th minute.

Yesterday's result felt like a defining moment, and gives us a decent chance of staying up after a period when we were starting to look like a lost cause. Some people are suggesting 32 points could be enough this season, but 35 is usually the minimum. This would require nine points from our last nine games and it could yet go to the last day. We only have four home matches left, and two are against Chelsea and Manchester City, making it imperative that we get something from the other two against Southampton and Brighton. Our away form has been pretty poor, so the trips to Wolves, Watford, Palace, Arsenal and Brentford are all going to be extremely tense. If we can grind out two wins and three draws overall, it might get us over the line, but the margins will be very tight.

While we have had a few tough nights in Newry over recent years, this was among the most frustrating. Fair play to Offaly for producing an outstanding effort in the closing stages but we were three points up with four minutes left, had possession and the wind behind us and still managed to lose. James must be ready to tear his hair out as we finally managed to get our kick out strategy right, with Kane's precision meaning that we possibly only lost one of them all night. McElroy, McEvoy and Gilmore are all brilliant young prospects, but, barring a miracle, the next part of their development will be in D3 and the Tailteann Cup.

Tonight was genuinely hard to watch. Villa are a decent side but we made them look like world beaters. It is all going to come down to the Norwich game on Sunday. A win still gives us a decent chance of staying up but a defeat means it is effectively all over.