Is our game plan sustainable

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

I guess we will.

it's a very tough bar however:

Darko Milanci - 0%
Uwe Rosler - 16%
Steve Evans - 36 %
Gary Monk - 47%
Thomas Christenson - 45%
Paul Heckingbottom - 25%
Marcelo 55%

To be fair some of the above did not have anywhere near the support talent wise that MB enjoys.

Best comparison might be with Heckingbottom as he largely took that squad and turned it from non hopers to playoffs with only a few additions and converting players many didn’t rate into amongst the best in the league.

Not sure what you were expecting Oz but I think we have done okay so far and have been in the top 4.

Would much prefer us to give it a go and sometimes get thumped than play park the bus and hoof ball.

Rodrigo being back with Llorente maybe fit and an outside chance for Phillips will add a lot to the team.

Will also mean Dallas can stick to LB.

Will be interesting to see who plays from the start out of Costa, Rapha, Harrison and Poveda.

Think Pablo can still contribute but probably more in the games where the other teams defend. Few games this season where in open games he has struggled to keep up with the pace of the game.

He came out and publicly apologised for his reaction to being subbed so suspect he will be back in the fold.

Wonder if Gelhardt will get a chance from the bench soon.

[WTF11]

Best comparison might be with Heckingbottom as he largely took that squad and turned it from non hopers to playoffs with only a few additions and converting players many didn’t rate into amongst the best in the league.

Not sure what you were expecting Oz but I think we have done okay so far and have been in the top 4.

Would much prefer us to give it a go and sometimes get thumped than play park the bus and hoof ball.

Rodrigo being back with Llorente maybe fit and an outside chance for Phillips will add a lot to the team.

Will also mean Dallas can stick to LB.

Will be interesting to see who plays from the start out of Costa, Rapha, Harrison and Poveda.

Think Pablo can still contribute but probably more in the games where the other teams defend. Few games this season where in open games he has struggled to keep up with the pace of the game.

He came out and publicly apologised for his reaction to being subbed so suspect he will be back in the fold.

Wonder if Gelhardt will get a chance from the bench soon.

Heckingbottom took us to playoffs? Err, when, in the four months he was with the club, and with us finishing in 13th?

As to what is/was expected, I suppose that depends on where you want us to b come seasons end. It's all very well playing "the beautiful game" but "sometimes getting thumped" can easily turn into a fight for survival. Teams get into a rut and even Bielsa might not be able to get us out.

Sometimes grinding out results (like Spurs did against Baggies, (very uninspiring game), or Leicester v Wolves (how they both beat us on the basis of that game I don't know), is necessary, and sometimes changing tactics is necessary. Trouble with Bielsa is he doesn't change, does he? Fine for continuity, stability of squad and team relationships when things are going well, but not when things go awry and "parking the bus" is required. Given our fitness levels, (which are off the scale compared to most), just what is wrong with adopting the counter-punch strategy, rather than always being on the front foot?

Lots of comments about how things will be better when we get Phillips back and Llorente is fit. Neither played in the shellacking we gave Villa, nor the shafting we got (twice) since, so why should their return be so significant? Individual players are important, true, but it's a team game, and the tactics the team employs will always be more significant than any single player (or couple of players) who are in any particular line-up.

And it appears that Llorente is flagged as "long term injured" at present.

https://motleedsnews.com/comment/mot...-injured-list/

As for Gelhardt, I hope he doesn't have to wait until injuries force Bielsas hand, (or until we feature in the FA cup!). Deserves an opportunity, as much as Meslier did (and still does).

[spaldy]

It's not always about results.

Much as we hate to lose the development and the thrilling football we play makes it so easy to be a Leeds fan now.

did we really expect to go to Europe the first year in the prem? I know that I did not. However, I also know we aren't relegation material and every game we develop as a team will prepare us for the future in the prem.

The 4-1 shellackings were not one sided blowouts. The VAR decision changed the texture of that game and the own goal was a fluke. the 2 beautiful goals were perfectly placed shots.

The real test starts now with some of the big boys and we've held our own. even if we lose those do we really think we are going down when you have Fulham, WBA, Burnley and Sheffield united, Brighton and Newcastle in the prem?

[WTF11]

It's not always about results.

Much as we hate to lose the development and the thrilling football we play makes it so easy to be a Leeds fan now.

did we really expect to go to Europe the first year in the prem? I know that I did not. However, I also know we aren't relegation material and every game we develop as a team will prepare us for the future in the prem.

The 4-1 shellackings were not one sided blowouts. The VAR decision changed the texture of that game and the own goal was a fluke. the 2 beautiful goals were perfectly placed shots.

The real test starts now with some of the big boys and we've held our own. even if we lose those do we really think we are going down when you have Fulham, WBA, Burnley and Sheffield united, Brighton and Newcastle in the prem?

There is nothing guaranteed, other than there is nothing guaranteed. I never expected us to go so close to winning against Liverpool or City, neither did/do I expect us to be aiming for Europe next season, neither did I suggest we are going down, simply that we might, and the fact that there are other teams who are sh1te doesn't comfort me very much.

None of us can feel comfortable about being beaten 4-1 twice on the bounce, and we can't fall back on excuses such as "we didn't "get the rub", or VAR is sh1te (which everyone agrees with, but won't change before seasons end so we need to adapt to how it will work between now and then), especially when there is so much chatter about how the return of one or two players from injury will suddenly make everything right.

We do play beautifully, most of the time, but there are exceptions (Wolves being a prime example), and we never change tactics, no matter what the state of the game is. Commendable in some ways, but a sure-fire way of getting found out in others and I honestly believe that was what happened against Fulham, (where we nearly threw away a winning lead), and certainly against Leicester (who we should have known would play exactly as they did) and Palace (more or less ditto).

Surely we need to have a means of responding to how other teams are likely to play against us (they do!), and that equally surely means we can't always play the nice stuff, but we do play the winning stuff?

[ozleeds]

I guess we will.

it's a very tough bar however:

Darko Milanci - 0%
Uwe Rosler - 16%
Steve Evans - 36 %
Gary Monk - 47%
Thomas Christenson - 45%
Paul Heckingbottom - 25%
Marcelo 55%

To be fair some of the above did not have anywhere near the support talent wise that MB enjoys.

I still think this guy would have been the best. After a bright start, he was crippled by our players getting send off nonstop which ruined him and you know the looney in charge at the time well you knew he didn't have a chance.

[ozleeds]

Best comparison might be with Heckingbottom as he largely took that squad and turned it from non hopers to playoffs with only a few additions and converting players many didn’t rate into amongst the best in the league.

Not sure what you were expecting Oz but I think we have done okay so far and have been in the top 4.

Would much prefer us to give it a go and sometimes get thumped than play park the bus and hoof ball.

Rodrigo being back with Llorente maybe fit and an outside chance for Phillips will add a lot to the team.

Will also mean Dallas can stick to LB.

Will be interesting to see who plays from the start out of Costa, Rapha, Harrison and Poveda.

Think Pablo can still contribute but probably more in the games where the other teams defend. Few games this season where in open games he has struggled to keep up with the pace of the game.

He came out and publicly apologised for his reaction to being subbed so suspect he will be back in the fold.

Wonder if Gelhardt will get a chance from the bench soon.

I expect us to learn which we aren't doing because of the one-way or highway method. Christ even the under 23s have fallen with this game plan. 2 games they lost after leading 3-0. The worrying part for me is the gameplan takes so much out of them but this time it has come early. If covid didn't come around there is no way we would be playing premier league right now.
Pablo should not be apologizing it should be the manager.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Heckingbottom took us to playoffs? Err, when, in the four months he was with the club, and with us finishing in 13th?.

Sorry if it didn’t read as intended but the point being PH was ****e but without any significant overhaul he - MB - took largely the same squad to the playoffs and almost secured promotion in his first season.

We are a work in progress and slowly but surely there will be upgrades to players who have given their all but can’t take us any further or where we can significantly improve - probably players like Alioski, Roberts, Bamford, Cooper etc, The trick will be doing that without losing the work ethic and spirit in the squad.

I get what you say about plan B and having an option but would prefer Bielsa and his Plan A to any manager we have had recently or were likely to recruit. Understand the frustrations that come with that but also from time to time we play heavenly football.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Pablo should apologise for behaving like a kid and kicking water bottles and mouthing off when the manager makes a decision. I quite like that he hated being taken off but needs to be shown in the right way. Irrespective of the views on that he has apologised.

[ozleeds]

It's not always about results.

Much as we hate to lose the development and the thrilling football we play makes it so easy to be a Leeds fan now.

did we really expect to go to Europe the first year in the prem? I know that I did not. However, I also know we aren't relegation material and every game we develop as a team will prepare us for the future in the prem.

The 4-1 shellackings were not one sided blowouts. The VAR decision changed the texture of that game and the own goal was a fluke. the 2 beautiful goals were perfectly placed shots.

The real test starts now with some of the big boys and we've held our own. even if we lose those do we really think we are going down when you have Fulham, WBA, Burnley and Sheffield united, Brighton and Newcastle in the prem?

That is the thing no one is saying we are going down. Personally, I would be happy mid-table the first year back. I keep going back and as WTF has stressed I don't care what people say about MB. A manager that cant control a team due to his one policy speaks volumes for the results he has gotten all over Europe. Please read has not won anything of note.
Watching your team getting pelted isn't a thrill lol.

[ozleeds]

Pablo should apologise for behaving like a kid and kicking water bottles and mouthing off when the manager makes a decision. I quite like that he hated being taken off but needs to be shown in the right way. Irrespective of the views on that he has apologised.

Mate the guy was just starting to play and we were getting back in the game. If the post he hit went in it would have been 2-2. Sorry but the substitution was a disgrace not only for taking him off but the replacement? come on.