The Super(ish) Leeds United Thread

Started by Rufus T Firefly, January 25, 2007, 08:14:53 PM

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Rufus T Firefly

Quote from: seafoid on January 31, 2021, 04:13:52 PM
Important and impressive win against Leicester

It definitely was.

I thought in the victory against Newcastle, we rode our luck a wee bit and could not have complained if they had equalised. On the basis of that match, I was struggling to see where we would get further points any time soon, given how poor Newcastle have been. That perspective has been turned on its head over the weekend. I sent a text to a mate at the start saying I would take a draw, although I thought we would get beaten.

An absolutely brilliant performance followed, which was made all the better by the fact we fell behind to an early goal. However the response was very impressive and the equalising goal was a thing of class. Dallas must be one of the most underrated players in the division. We then did to Leicester what they did to us at Elland Road, soaked up the pressure and hit them on the break. Bamford took his chance brilliantly and was very unselfish for the third. A quality performance where Bamford, Dallas, Raphinha and the two centre halfs, were the pick. Striujk has been very impressive filling in at centre back and looks to have a future.

Mention though for the main man, MB. The team we had out was essentially our Championship team, with Raphinha added and Ben White taken out. To put in that sort of performance against a top side like Leicester is a monument to Bielsa's genius. I read somewhere that three years ago, Leeds were sitting twelfth in the Championship and Paul Heckingbottom was about to come in as manager. Three years in time but light years in performance. 

Billys Boots

QuoteWe then did to Leicester what they did to us at Elland Road, soaked up the pressure and hit them on the break.

You see, this is why Leeds will pick up points against decent teams and struggle against poor teams.  While they are a possession-side, Leeds like to attack at speed, and for that they need space (to head into).  Leicester came to Elland Road and let Leeds have the ball, pour forward and leave gaps behind - at home, and playing well (against teams that wanted to keep the ball), they perhaps felt an onus to dominate possession, build chances, and turn over a team they'd beaten easily enough on the road.  And Leeds mugged them.  Contrast this with Manure at Old Trafford, who didn't want the ball, and won easily.  3 more wins from 18 will probably keep Leeds up, deservedly, but managers must be learning how to play them.  And they are such fun to watch. 
My hands are stained with thistle milk ...

seafoid

   .
   https://www.ft.com/content/da10082e-5723-4783-8820-76f58d98d1af

   The San Francisco 49ers National Football League team has ramped up its stake in Leeds United, in the latest sign of US investor confidence in the English Premier League, the world's richest domestic football competition.

49ers Enterprises, the investment unit of the NFL team, now owns 37 per cent of the Yorkshire-based club, up from 15 per cent previously.
"f**k it, just score"- Donaghy   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbxG2WwVRjU

Rufus T Firefly

Quote from: seafoid on February 01, 2021, 02:52:49 PM
49ers Enterprises, the investment unit of the NFL team, now owns 37 per cent of the Yorkshire-based club, up from 15 per cent previously.

I read somewhere that that represents a cash injection of £50 million into the Club.

The key for me is to aim to become a Club like Leicester. Establish Leeds in the Premier League - maybe after three or four consecutive seasons, where the squad is strengthened each year with 2 or 3 new signings, and build the squad to hopefully be in a position to aim for top six each year. 

Dearg

I love watching Leeds. They try to win football matches. Other teams try not to lose.
Great entertainment.

Rufus T Firefly

Quote from: Dearg on February 13, 2021, 08:21:01 AM
I love watching Leeds. They try to win football matches. Other teams try not to lose.
Great entertainment.

Yes, you get your money's worth watching them, OK. However sometimes it can backfire and yesterday was a case in point.

Just to backtrack further, had a good win at home to Crystal Palace last week. A rare moment of Leeds essentially being in control and never looking in any great danger against what is an established Premier League team. Augurs well for the future.

However, a chastening experience yesterday, being four down inside 50 minutes. I'd have to say Meslier did not have his finest hour and was culpable for the second and third goals and also had a hand in the first goal. That said, the team responded well and could have had more than the two they got, albeit Arsenal struck the woodwork a further two times.

For me though, yesterday has to be seen in the proper context. Once again that was essentially the Leeds team that was playing in the Championship, with Raphinha added and Ben White and Kalvin Philips missing. The opposition had two loan players featuring who both play for Real Madrid. So definitely a sense of continuing to box above our weight.

For me though, the Striujk experiment as a defensive midfielder has to stop, when Philips is missing. He has been performing well at centre back and should have remained there which would have left Ayling at right back. I would have tried Dallas in front of the defence.

Wolves up next Friday night. Still a victory or two short before being definitely safe.     

Billys Boots

They are just not the same side when Phillips is missing - the transitions are all wrong without him. 
My hands are stained with thistle milk ...

Mourne Rover

There's little doubt that Phillips is not only our most important player but the only one for whom we do not have a viable replacement at the moment. Struijk is improving rapidly as a central defender but looks very uncomfortable sitting in front of the back four. Dallas and Klich do not fit there either, while Forshaw might be worth a try were it not for the unfortunate fact that he has been out injured for the last 18 months. Meslier's performance yesterday had been coming, as for several games in a row he has only narrowly avoided interceptions while dwelling with the ball at his feet and waiting for a gap to appear. If he learns from the experience, he is still a fine prospect. Arsenal could realistically have had six or seven yesterday but the spirit Leeds showed at four down was excellent. At 4-2, Shackleton missed a great chance and then Bamford could easily have had a penalty. It was not necessarily connected with competitive football but it was still hugely entertaining. Our last 15 trips to London have resulted in 13 defeats and two draws - how can anyone say we are inconsistent ?

seafoid

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/english-soccer/michael-walker-why-marcelo-bielsa-is-manager-of-the-season-so-far-1.4495821

At a time when it is easy to switch off from the sheer volume of football being spread across our screens like a never-ending wallpaper, the sight of Leeds playing makes you put down the phone and concentrate on the ball. There's Stuart Dallas, once of Crusaders, playing like Lothar Matthaus. There's Patrick Bamford finishing like Allan Clarke. There's a whole load of anti-Leeds types thinking: "I'll watch this Leeds match."

Generational perceptions have been disturbed. Scroll back to the 1972 FA Cup final, the Centenary final, and Leeds players kicked balls into the crowd as they emerged from the Wembley tunnel, a way to make friends and influence people. Now they do it by keeping the ball and re-cycling it relentlessly. This is Marcelo Bielsa, the global generational influence who turned up in Yorkshire and, if we must hand out prizes two-thirds of the way through, the manager of the season.
"f**k it, just score"- Donaghy   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbxG2WwVRjU

Rufus T Firefly

The indifferent form is continuing, despite the fact that injuries are beginning to clear up and we can now put out close to what would be a full strength team.

Fell to a 1-0 defeat at Wolves, after a Traore thunderbolt come back off the bar and went in off the prone Meslier. Was not a particularly impressive display but were worth a point on the night.  Followed it up with a comprehensive victory over Southampton at Elland Road where Raphinha was the star of the show. Then a desperately disappointing home defeat to Villa who were without Grealish. The team really looked stale and provided as poor a league performance as I can remember this year.

Then last night - started off like a house on fire and were maybe unlucky not to take the lead. Conceded a needless penalty and Meslier again had no luck, saving but not being able to stop the rebound. The second goal rekindled memories of the early season frailty at corners and reminded me that Llorente is not going to dominate at set pieces.

Responded well in the second half but again undone by terrible finishing with Paddy Bamford missing two golden opportunities and Rodrigo one. A draw could have been achieved if we had our eye in.

Chelsea at home this Saturday. Hopefully the 'playing surface' will bog down Chelsea's passing game. Then a big trip to Craven Cottage follows. I allowed myself to fall into the trap of thinking we were safe. A defeat to Fulham could at that stage conceivably close the gap to three.

Tough run of fixtures in April with Liverpool and the two Manchesters but hopefully should be able to accumulate the two wins needed to guarantee safety at home to WBA, Sheffield United and away to Burnley, Fulham and Southampton. Can't relax yet.

seafoid

Quote from: Rufus T Firefly on March 09, 2021, 05:17:30 PM
The indifferent form is continuing, despite the fact that injuries are beginning to clear up and we can now put out close to what would be a full strength team.

Fell to a 1-0 defeat at Wolves, after a Traore thunderbolt come back off the bar and went in off the prone Meslier. Was not a particularly impressive display but were worth a point on the night.  Followed it up with a comprehensive victory over Southampton at Elland Road where Raphinha was the star of the show. Then a desperately disappointing home defeat to Villa who were without Grealish. The team really looked stale and provided as poor a league performance as I can remember this year.

Then last night - started off like a house on fire and were maybe unlucky not to take the lead. Conceded a needless penalty and Meslier again had no luck, saving but not being able to stop the rebound. The second goal rekindled memories of the early season frailty at corners and reminded me that Llorente is not going to dominate at set pieces.

Responded well in the second half but again undone by terrible finishing with Paddy Bamford missing two golden opportunities and Rodrigo one. A draw could have been achieved if we had our eye in.

Chelsea at home this Saturday. Hopefully the 'playing surface' will bog down Chelsea's passing game. Then a big trip to Craven Cottage follows. I allowed myself to fall into the trap of thinking we were safe. A defeat to Fulham could at that stage conceivably close the gap to three.

Tough run of fixtures in April with Liverpool and the two Manchesters but hopefully should be able to accumulate the two wins needed to guarantee safety at home to WBA, Sheffield United and away to Burnley, Fulham and Southampton. Can't relax yet.
It's unusual for teams midway in the table at the beginning of March to get relegated. Usually the teams in the bottom 3 are justified in employing the beal bocht. Relegation typically involves structural problems which Leeds don't seem to have.
"f**k it, just score"- Donaghy   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbxG2WwVRjU

Rufus T Firefly

Quote from: seafoid on March 09, 2021, 08:28:23 PM
It's unusual for teams midway in the table at the beginning of March to get relegated. Usually the teams in the bottom 3 are justified in employing the beal bocht. Relegation typically involves structural problems which Leeds don't seem to have.

Although not unheard of. There's usually one team who goes on a bad run in the Spring and gets dragged down into things. I agree the nature of the way they are playing suggests more points will be accumulated somewhere but it's an unwritten rule that  if you follow Leeds, nothing can ever be taken for granted.

shark

Quote from: Rufus T Firefly on March 10, 2021, 08:41:21 AM
Quote from: seafoid on March 09, 2021, 08:28:23 PM
It's unusual for teams midway in the table at the beginning of March to get relegated. Usually the teams in the bottom 3 are justified in employing the beal bocht. Relegation typically involves structural problems which Leeds don't seem to have.

Although not unheard of. There's usually one team who goes on a bad run in the Spring and gets dragged down into things. I agree the nature of the way they are playing suggests more points will be accumulated somewhere but it's an unwritten rule that  if you follow Leeds, nothing can ever be taken for granted.

This gets mentioned every single season around this time. You'll hear it said right across the media. It's not based on reality. If you're not in the bottom 6 with 12 games to go, then you're not going down.  The points total for 17th this season is likely to be slightly higher than last season (Villa got 35). 38 will almost certainly be enough. Leeds have 35 now. Will likely end up 45-50 points. 11th or 12th.

seafoid

Quote from: Rufus T Firefly on March 10, 2021, 08:41:21 AM
Quote from: seafoid on March 09, 2021, 08:28:23 PM
It's unusual for teams midway in the table at the beginning of March to get relegated. Usually the teams in the bottom 3 are justified in employing the beal bocht. Relegation typically involves structural problems which Leeds don't seem to have.

Although not unheard of. There's usually one team who goes on a bad run in the Spring and gets dragged down into things. I agree the nature of the way they are playing suggests more points will be accumulated somewhere but it's an unwritten rule that  if you follow Leeds, nothing can ever be taken for granted.

Bielsa is different. Plus there are 2 Leeds models...
"f**k it, just score"- Donaghy   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbxG2WwVRjU

Mourne Rover

Shark's statistical analysis is entirely logical but the fear expressed by Rufus that disaster is often lurking around the Elland Road corner cannot be discounted. Leeds are not playing particularly badly at the moment but we have still lost four of the last five. In one of those defeats, at Arsenal, we conceded four when it could easily have been six or seven and in the other three we did not score. Home advantage is not a factor this season and the next six games are against Chelsea, who are flying; Fulham, one of the form teams in the league; Sheffield United, who will probably accept their almost inevitable relegation if they beat their hated Yorkshire rivals; and then Man City, Liverpool and Man Utd, who are all likely to be too strong for us. If we do not pick up a couple of points soon, there will be enormous pressure going into the last three matches. I actually think we are capable of getting something from Chelsea on Saturday but with Leeds you just never know.