Must admit, a little, but 6pts this week will put me back on the straight and narrow.
Well dont be, we are a much better team under our current manager, only 2 defeats and granted probably 2 many draws but we have just gone through a period of too many injuries, We still have some injuries but our squad has covered them only just,
For the first time yesterday i questioned the managers selection and the use of subs but in him i still trust,
Its clear from the Blackburn match that Roofe has to play as the main striker, I know it was switched here and there with Roberts but he needs to be up top with his early form being as it is,
I really feel for Dallas he isnt and never will be a left back alioski should be there as cover for Douglas, I trust Beradi will be there v Ipswich, Regarding the centre halves i still think Beilsa prefers Beradi when everyones fit i know its much debated and as much as i love jannson he does not play from back to midfield quick enough Beradi does,
I think it needed freshening up in midfield and Forshaw and Baker need a run out, Klich has been brilliant along with Phillips, Siaz is frustrating and also brilliant at times, If Hernandez is fit he should play he made a difference when he came on, I also understand the bringing on the young lads but in my opinion its not the right time for them yet time will tell.
We will all have different opinions on team selection,opinions ect i for one am very happy where we are at present there cant be anyone who isnt, Turn some of these draws into wins and we will be fine
We have dominated most games so far and i think that a testament to our coaching staff and manager ALAW.
Must admit, a little, but 6pts this week will put me back on the straight and narrow.
If we are worried, then so should Boro, West Brom and Blades, as none of them have performed of late as they can. Fortunately their "wobble" has occurred at the same time as ours.
Opportunity now for Bielsa to deal with a near full strength squad (Ayling comes back shortly), and get us scoring and winning again
I'm always worried, I'm a Leeds fan.
Think our best 11 on pitch with Bielsa style will tear this league apart that being:
BPF
Ayling
Jansson
Cooper
Douglas
Phillips
Hernandez
Saiz
Harrison/Clarke (I've lost patience with Alioski)
Roofe
but when we have injuries I'm just not sure what we have in reserve is quite capable of pulling off Bielsas style to a level the opposition can't simply counteract which has been evident in our lack of potency infant of goal recently and against both Brum and latterly Blackburn we've looked at sea, Blackburn should have been out of sight by half time.
Think we have the best system, best manager and some of the best players but not the overall squad at the moment. Bielsa is draining every bit of talent possible out of the likes of Alioski, Cooper, Phillips, Saiz, Roofe etc but can they get much better? I don't think so. Be very interesting to see how Issy Brown does when he is finally fit and up to speed which if it isn't soon you've seriously got to question the point of signing him as unless he starts playing by say November then he will never be at his peak before the season is actually over.
Do believe we will be top 10, possibly top 6 but feel our injuries and lack of options will see us drop a few too many points over 46 games.
Right now if we got to January in the top 8 I'd be happy, just feel there are too many teams better equipped to get promoted right now than we are. Not being 'negative' just realistic, think if we got to Jan in top 6 and added two top class signings we'd go up however.
Recent seasons have taught me not to get too excited by 'good starts'..plus 'being worried' is part and parcel of supporting this feckin club
My main concern was the lack of depth/quality in our squad if we got a few main players injured..9 points from a possible 21 kinda confirms my concerns.
I may got shot down for saying this but I would have preferred us to spend 7/8 million quid on a top CB rather than getting in Bamford.
Big week coming up..4/6 points its all good..other than that.....................
Injuries to Hernandez, Roofe, and Berardi have definitely not helped (even though Jansson and Roberts have been able replacements (anyone would struggle to replace Hernandez)), but I suspect that two other factors are potentially more important:
1) teams are starting to figure out how to play against us...which was always going to make games more difficult to win, but Bielsa is...Bielsa, and so with key players returning I expect our form will improve;
2) is the significant niggling doubt I have, and links to the doubt that so many experts raised at the start of the season...can we sustain the intensity/pace? We're not overwhelming teams like we did in August. We played at such a high intensity and for the whole 90 minutes, that we were blowing teams away...but not recently, and maybe that's because teams are now matching our fitness levels. That's only to be expected...we've just got to hope that we can match theirs come April, but Bielsa is...Bielsa, so past history tells me that my hope may well be at risk.
I'm not worried. Reasons being
Only 3 points off 2nd
Injured players are coming back
BPF ayling douglas berardi jansson Phillips klich alioski hernandez Saiz roofe imo is the best 11 this season so far, and here's the bench, blackman Cooper Dallas forshaw Baker Harrison bamford
That's a pretty decent 18 imo
Izzy brown might be fit for January so that's like a brand new signing as he's done nowt in 2018, I've a feeling we might make just one signing might be our final loan signing of the season, might be a center back, but wouldn't put money on it and I wouldn't be bothered if we didn't sign anyone as long as we ain't got another 7 injuries at the same time again
Impressed with the kids contribution this season too, OK shaughnessy struggled but he'd only just come back from a long injury. Marcelos 7 of Huffer Pearce Shaughnessy Shackleton Clarke Roberts and Edmondson could all have a future at Leeds if they keep progressing.
Roberts under difficult circumstances has done OK, Clarke looks bright every time he's come on, Edmondson scored a hattrick in the u23s last time out, Huffer is an England youth gk, shaughnessy has the stature to be a decent centre back and it helps he can pass out of defence too, Shackleton has shown his versatility this season, pearce we know has a good left foot on him and should become a good leftback. I'm telling you, these 7 look promising!
The futures bright, the futures WHITE, MOT!!!
Agree with everything you say Clive, plus......
As I mentioned in post #3, if we are having a "wobble" then you can say the same about Blades, West Brom, and Boro, all of whom have spent considerably more than we have, have larger squads, and haven't had anywhere near the level of injury or suspension that we have had to accommodate over the last 4 - 6 weeks.
Saturday was disappointing, and the players will know/feel that as much as any of the fans, and want to "make amends". We are getting back to a full-strength squad, and the next two or three matches will show us whether the kind of optimism expressed here is well founded or not.
Let's see where we are mid-November, provided we don't get more "unplanned" absences, and then we should have a better picture of whether we should be worried and/or the need for investment in the January window.
I agree with all points offered and specifically WTF11 with regard to our position at end of Nov (hence my other thread reference to Sheff Utd fixture).Then the Rad may have to reopen his 'flexible' finance options for Jan investment .....
On the pitch - not worried to much considering all the circumstances.
Off the pitch- worried.
Stewards of Leeds filmed a contingent in Block R at Blackburn who continually hurled racist abuse at their keeper Raya before Police intervened,hopefully they won't be back,in any stadia we play in again.
Sporadic fighting started amongst our own fans over the lunatic fringe dressed in Jimmy Saville masks who were refusing to take them off.Heavy drinking didn't help but it was obvious many had turned up to cause trouble and yes our normally loud following was subdued and disjointed by some nasty elements intent on causing friction.Two got ejected for displaying a 'Munich' reference banner ..............
Folks are saying WE were quiet during the game which was true and some of the songs attempted to be sung had stewards and Police in the terraces ejecting the perpetrators as the lyrical content was unacceptable - who,why and where these morons come from and why is another worrying matter for the club.
In reality most of the fighting was sensible Leeds fans been turned on for stepping in to admonish the yob fraternity - sadly it'll only end up with lesser away allocations.
ALAW ?
MOT
Been o even fewer away matches than I have at ER, so can only speak from the perspective of an "observer", but I was under the impression that supporters travelling to away matches can only get a singe ticket per confirmed Leeds membership? Also, that all away ticket allocations are handled by accredited Leeds "affiliates" (Thames Valley Whites, Hampshire Whites are two I'm aware of down here). If all that is true, then identifying those who damage the reputation of the majority ought not to be too hard (and taking sanctions equally straightforward (a ban on future membership (or a length commensurate with the offence, ultimately a life ban))?
Probably being too simplistic but if it can't be done like I describe, maybe it needs to be made so it can?