The Super(ish) Leeds United Thread

[Rufus T Firefly]

Is the goalie not a glaring weakness chaps? Only see bits and pieces but more often then not there's a mistake in this boy. Seems v weak

Definite questions being raised over his form and his long term future. Cost us 4 points, thanks to conceding goals that cost us wins at Sunderland and Hull. Not that long ago he was being linked with a £20 million move to Spurs.

If we get promoted, expect another goalkeeper to join. Sense is that patience with him is wearing thin.

[quit yo jibbajabba]

Just seems weak, maybe not the bravest eh

[Rufus T Firefly]

No-one said it would ever be easy following Leeds, and so recent matches have proved. After two brilliant victories against Sunderland and Sheffield United, we dropped two points at home to a very stubborn West Brom side, and then put in a terrible performance at Portsmouth, going down 1-0. Lot of important individual errors, at both ends of the pitch, but the reality was that Portsmouth wanted it more and were deserving of their victory.

That meant that for the midweek games, there was the possibility that when Leeds hosted Millwall last night, we could have been third in the league. However, West Brom continued their good form and got a draw at Burnley and another side with form - Bristol City - got a deserved draw away to Sheffield United.

We made hard work of beating Millwall last night, in a match we completely dominated from minute 1 to 90. It was a much needed victory and decent performance, with Tanaka and man of the match Rothwell standing out.

We're now two points clear (or effectively three points, given our superior goal difference) with nine matches to go. Burnley and Sheffield United still have to play each other.

QPR away on Saturday - another tricky fixture but one we need to be winning if we want to nail down an automatic promotion place.

MOT. 

[Mourne Rover]

The March international break was not exactly kind to Leeds in 2024, with a string of players suffering either injuries or a drastic loss of form. We are hopefully in better shape this year, but it is still a very tight division. Most projections suggest 16 points from our last eight games will definitely take us back to the premiership. It all sounds achievable until we recall that we only managed eight points from the same period 12 months ago. We have a decent level of cover across most positions but if any one of Roden, James or Tanaka return from international duty needing treatment, we will be in difficulty. While the remaining fixtures look reasonable, we know that pressure does strange things to Leeds teams. Our goal difference is good, and it would not be a surprise if we need to rely on it in the end.

[Rufus T Firefly]

When Leeds beat Sheffield United recently, at Bramall Lane, many pundits were lining up to announce that the race for the top was over, and that the battle was now for second place, between the Blades and Burnley. More regular (scarred) Leeds followers though, refused to take anything for granted, and subsequent matches have underlined how wise that position was.

Since defeating Sheffield United, Leeds have played five, winning one and drawing three times - six points from a possible fifteen - and are now second in the table, ahead of third placed Burnley on goal difference only.

The fall from grace represents a lot of chickens coming home to roost, with the spotlight very much on manager Farke, and his refusal to address problem areas at 1, 9 and 10, when the opportunity to change was available to him. Saturday's home draw against Swansea was the latest example. In what was a terrible team effort, the performance of goalkeeper Ilan Meslier stood out, as he gifted Swansea two goals, to throw away a badly needed victory, and lose Leeds' place at the top of the table.

Farke's options are now limited. He can stick with a keeper, who is surely not in a good place mentally, and who has lost the confidence of those around him, or he can change things and try out the rather unconvincing Karl Darlow, who has only a handful of games in his two seasons to date. Either choice is fraught with danger.

Failure for Leeds to gain promotion this season will represent a significant personal failure for Farke, and reflect badly on his managerial reputation, and surely end his ambition to prove himself in the Premier League. For Leeds, the stakes are even higher, as failure to get promoted is likely to lead to a fire sale of players, with obvious implications for the long term future of the Club. 

[Mourne Rover]

The weekend victory over Preston felt like a defining moment and our fate is firmly back in our own hands now. The March international break proved calamitous last year, and, as previously posted, it seemed likely that we would require 16 points from our last eight games when the championship resumed this season. We have managed eight points from the first four of those fixtures and the unexpected collapse of Sheffield United has been a huge help. It means that another seven points will guarantee promotion, and, as they still have to go to Burnley, five points or less might even do the job.

A late disaster cannot never be ruled out at Leeds, so the loss of Struijk for the rest of the season does not help, we need to get the outstanding James back from injury as soon as possible and Piroe is on a dreadful run in front of goal. However, there is strength in depth elsewhere in the squad and Farke deserves credit for generally staying calm under pressure, and, admittedly at a late stage, acting decisively and replacing the unfortunate Meslier with the much more solid Darlow in nets.

Unless our form disintegrates, as happened at this time last year, a top two finish should be within sight and the title is a completely reasonable ambition. We tend to have more twists of fate that Rory McIlroy so perhaps he can inspire us to cross the line.

[SLIGONIAN]

Even by our standards if we mess it up now it will be beyond anything previously messed up by any team.

Sheff Utd collapse has been surprising and a huge relief because we buckled a bit too under the pressure.

I wouldn't give Farke or the players any huge credit for how we are closing out the season, there were loads of signs of panic and frustration and I don't think Farke saying 100% we will be promoted did us any favors. I don't like how the players publicly scapegoated Meslier, yes he deserved to be dropped but the players who threw their arms up in frustration could easily have stopped some of the shots getting away too. Farke was too slow dropping Meslier. However I can't see us mess this up now. We could be promoted this time next week

Given how the 3 teams performed this year who went up, this squad needs loads of new faces. Farke has not got the best record in the premier league. I really hope we don't sign Solomon.

Leeds plan to increase Elland Road capacity to 56,000, this will all be greenlit if we can get promoted this year.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd7vgr270xgo

[Rufus T Firefly]

Couple of good posts, lads, and I'm sort of half laughing, half nodding my head in agreement, at your obvious nervousness that even now this opportunity could still be butchered. Such are the mental scars of following Leeds. As the lads on the Square Ball podcast said, any self respecting Leeds fan recognises the signs of a collapse, and the Blades are undoubtedly suffering that.

Our last two away fixtures are at Oxford and Plymouth. These are two venues where Sheffield United have come a cropper in their last three fixtures, so we need to ensure that nothing is taken for granted and give these challenges the absolute respect needed.

My hope is that by the time of the Bristol City game on Monday week, we will already be promoted, with victories over Oxford and Stoke this weekend, and Sheffield United getting clipped at Turf Moor. But rarely do things go that smooth with Leeds.   

[SaffronSports]

Wins all round for the top 3. Five clear of the Blunts with three games left. Won on Monday and might even be job done depending on how the other match goes.

[seafoid]

Promoted automatically along with Burnley.

[rodney trotter]

Plans to increase Capacity at Elland road too.  https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd7vgr270xgo

[SLIGONIAN]

Delighted, not dicking around in the play offs this year. We are the best team in the division and our GD shows but I would be concerned how bad the 3 promoted teams did this year and Farke is usually pretty poor in Premier league. He has a stubborn side. The 56,000 capacity plans will now go ahead. A new CEO will take over from Angus who heads to Everton so plenty of change.

We need a lot of squad investment. I really hope we do not sign Solomon. I don't rate him at all.

[jcpen]

Congratulations Red Bull Leeds.

[SaffronSports]

Delighted, not dicking around in the play offs this year. We are the best team in the division and our GD shows but I would be concerned how bad the 3 promoted teams did this year and Farke is usually pretty poor in Premier league. He has a stubborn side. The 56,000 capacity plans will now go ahead. A new CEO will take over from Angus who heads to Everton so plenty of change.

We need a lot of squad investment. I really hope we do not sign Solomon. I don't rate him at all.

Tbh Solomon has been superb recently. I was his biggest critic, probably a bit of politics in that, but he has turned me.

I think we don't have many that will really thrive in the Prem so if it's a good deal, I'd keep him. Bogle slowly becoming my favourite player. Haven't said that about a right back since the Gary Kelly days.

[Rufus T Firefly]

Delighted, not dicking around in the play offs this year.

100% this. I would have had no faith in our ability to respond to the disappointment of missing out on automatic promotion.

We are the best team in the division and our GD shows but I would be concerned how bad the 3 promoted teams did this year and Farke is usually pretty poor in Premier league.

If I'm not mistaken, over the last two seasons, every team to get promoted has gone straight back down at the first time of asking. In Farke's defence, his previous times in the Premier League was with Norwich, and in terms of the Premier League, his spending budget would have been minimal. My hope is that the 49ers will give him a fighting chance in terms of a war chest for next season. Certainly there are key areas to address in terms of strengthening. 

I really hope we do not sign Solomon. I don't rate him at all.

Wouldn't want him either, although he has been effective for us this season. I'm afraid my reasons would not just be football.

Would love to go up as Champions. On paper, Bristol City at home would be a challenging enough fixture, but I'm hoping with the pressure off, we can get two wins from the last two matches to seal top spot. That certainly is my recollection of what happened in 2020, under Bielsa.

MOT!!