Leeds United - v - Sheffield Wednesday ***Matchday Thread***

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Taking you post at face value that you want to hear what I think here goes .....

planning involves the following ....

1. Assess what you have and see what you need to change over a period of time - I suspect Rad was doing that when he had joint custody with MC

2. Start to work out what structurally needs to change; the ground, management, support staff, revenue streams - we have bought the ground back, he is committed to TA and improving it and restoring it in an updated fashion to what is was and is supposed to be

3.identify people who can lead and effect that change both within the club and externally - he has brought in an M.D. with a prem league background and good commercial acumen and who I believe is tasked with getting the non footballing structure and support right - he has a range of external advisors helping to rebuild the shambles many things non football related became in L1

4. Football wise - identify where you want to be as a club - he clearly wants us in the prem and identify how you want to get there - it seems but I am not privy to the inside information that he is willing to invest but sensibly and sustainably - that means not spending like a sugar daddy owner but putting in a wage and expenditure structure too try to have a framework within which players can be signed and kept.

idenifty a head coach who; you can work with, play in a style you are happy with, shares the vision and ambition and who has the skills needed.

review the players you have and work out wh0 you want to ditch or will not reasonably keep (the Taylors of this world) etc - from there work out the gaps and fill them and the areas you need to improve.

at the same time look at how you have produce your own players and bring them through.

the plan/strategy should be realistic and have 3 month, 6 month, 12 month, 24 month and 36 month milestones and targets. The plan should be reviewed regularly and revised as needed (that’s how all business plans work) the 12 month targets should be realistic unless he wans to follow the Abramovich model and invest crazy sums (which then brings different expectations). Realistically getting promotion is a three year project for several reasons...

not every player you bring in will be successful
some players will take time to mature and develop
the team will build resilience over time if head coach and squad kept together
we are not going to completely overhaul the squad in one season no matter how much we fans like it
it takes head coaches time to get their ideas across and to embed them in the team
there could be set backs along the way - injuries, unavailability etc
over a long enough period of time if you get the above things right then it will statistically be demonstrated (20 games is nowhere long enough not least when getting new things across)
You are unlikely to get it all right in year one

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Looking at our season so far

It began pretty well; TC spoke well, I liked the style of football he was trying to play.

we lost some players some we might like to have kept. We signed players paying money rather than predominantly on loan or freebies (I remember lots falling into that category in recent seasons) Saiz, Alioski, Lasogga, Cibicki and Ekuban are all good (I won’t mention keepers) - don’t remember when we signed so many decent players and we signed lots of others the verdict is out on but Anita, Grot etc etc - we also tried to sign Bartley but Swansea wouldn’t sell - can’t do much about that.

as such, the squad that started the season looked like progress. We played some good stuff and one not so good stuff - par for the course really. There were two massive holes from ore Christmas; CM and LB and the club went out and bought players t fit those holes. Forshaw looks good, LDB will be good next season I am sure if we stick with him.

we had a disastrous January but that is the time to stick with the plan and I think we should have backed TC. The replacing of him set us back. Good example is Roy Hodgson at Palace - he plays a very specific system which the players need to learn - it is only just getting through and Palace are now out of the bottom 3

season now needs to be a hard review of the plan for the rest of the season and what they need to do to make progress. Who stays, who goes, who is coming through.

i like PH but don’t think he is the man to do it ....

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

looking to next season, Vieira will come on I am sure and Phillips may have his last season to prove he can do it here. Some of the kids signed this year may also break through.

Alioski, Saiz, de Bock, Ekuban and Cibicki will be a year more experienced. They need to decide what to do with Roofe, I personally like him and think he can pay but only in a certain system (quick passing and runs with at least two up front but better still in a Christmas tree style formation where front 3 can switch up) - hopefully we will see Roberts fit and what he can do (baggies fans were sad to see him go)

Jannson is quality, Beradi I like, Ayling will recover, Halme with the kids is supposed to be good but I would say a very good CB is a priority. Hernandez is good but probably only has one or two seasons left so will need to be used carefully.

in addition, we need to work out how we are playing and whether we need a decent striker or can make do. I would love us to but think we do have talent but hard for it to shine at moment when uncertainty and no stability.

back 5 will look something like

bpf
ayling Jannson New Cb LDB

in front of them

Forshaw Vieira

that looks like a solid base for any team - if you don’t concede many it is easier to win

we have decent attacking players but new coach or PH need to decide on right formation etc and who plays best with whom.

as fans we are fixated with formations but increasingly teams play several different formations depending on if they have the ball or not, if they need to adapt and what the score is and I would like to see us move to that sort of team

[MrsORichSenior]

[WTF11]

I think im going to vomit

[WTF11]

looking to next season, Vieira will come on I am sure and Phillips may have his last season to prove he can do it here. Some of the kids signed this year may also break through.

Alioski, Saiz, de Bock, Ekuban and Cibicki will be a year more experienced. They need to decide what to do with Roofe, I personally like him and think he can pay but only in a certain system (quick passing and runs with at least two up front but better still in a Christmas tree style formation where front 3 can switch up) - hopefully we will see Roberts fit and what he can do (baggies fans were sad to see him go)

Jannson is quality, Beradi I like, Ayling will recover, Halme with the kids is supposed to be good but I would say a very good CB is a priority. Hernandez is good but probably only has one or two seasons left so will need to be used carefully.

in addition, we need to work out how we are playing and whether we need a decent striker or can make do. I would love us to but think we do have talent but hard for it to shine at moment when uncertainty and no stability.

back 5 will look something like

bpf
ayling Jannson New Cb LDB

in front of them

Forshaw Vieira

that looks like a solid base for any team - if you don’t concede many it is easier to win

we have decent attacking players but new coach or PH need to decide on right formation etc and who plays best with whom.

as fans we are fixated with formations but increasingly teams play several different formations depending on if they have the ball or not, if they need to adapt and what the score is and I would like to see us move to that sort of team

Im almost sorry i asked (almost). Its too late tonight (work tomorrow), but il provide a more fullsome reply shortly (well, at least when I've slept).

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Do I think we will get promoted next season, I genuinely don’t know. Do I hope we will, of course.

For me, but only for me I can’t speak for others, I think we have more chance under Rad than his recent predecesors. will it be easy hell no but I am sure I will enjoy the ride.

Two others positives, the kit and merchandise is better (my son loves the away kit) and I have taken my son to a game this season where’s the football on the pitch matched our hopes and expectations whereas in recent seasons he has liked going to games but the only thing he took away on many occasions was how awesome the fans are (which is no bad thing). The previous two seasons saw some of the worst football I’ve ever seen from a Leeds team in terms of using the ball, this year at times (maybe not for a while) we sparkled.

Leeds will always be my home town, I love the club and the team no matter what and I want the best for them. I have seen some utter dross and seem some great stuff. I have seen players who took the breath away and those who simply struggled to catch their own breath. I wouldn’t have missed any of it - without the rough there is no smooth/without the peaks there are no troughs.

I don’t really care how Wolves are doing it, or Chelski or Man City. I want us to do it our way end of.

Anyways those are my thoughts for what little they may be worth to you. If you think I am deluded then so be it but at least try not to insult or belittle my views given a I have tried to explain in no little detail what I think.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

I think im going to vomit

you asked me to explain which I took the time and trouble to do and that is how you respond .. I suggest going forward I don’t comment on your views and visa versa.

[WTF11]

you asked me to explain which I took the time and trouble to do and that is how you respond .. I suggest going forward I don’t comment on your views and visa versa.

Pay more attention, my reference to throwing up was the response to the reply to your post from Mrs O, not your post (which I will reply to later)

Comment or not when I do, your choice

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Pay more attention, my reference to throwing up was the response to the reply to your post from Mrs O, not your post (which I will reply to later)

Comment or not when I do, your choice

okay but the subsequent posts and your comments here are simply offensive - does us both a favour and don’t bother responding. You asked me to set out my views which I have done at length - nothing further required as MY not your view when questioned as to what I think.