We have some big games coming up over Xmas and I still enjoy watching us play and maybe should not be so down and remember where we have come from but I have a nagging feeling we have another golden chance (and still do) to capitalise on a brilliant manager and a good core and are not going to take it. I worry how long he will keep getting 100% out of this group as he can have his rants like he does but he knows for the most part the team and the players are doing their best.
Leeds – Was a huge coup getting Bielsa after so many managers and the chaos over the last few years with ownership etc. He is a well-respected and renowned manager and clearly has some tremendous ideas and concepts in his coaching and the execution over his career has been successful with so many clubs in lots of countries. Like us they play a high press and tempo game and all the players buy into it. They have some decent individuals but not sure they have any huge stand outs. They have a few better technical players than us in certain positions but don’t see them having as much talent as say Stoke, West Brom, Villa, Boro or Derby out of the top sides.
A lot of their success is down to following his plan and beliefs and incredible work ethic and fitness. They started the season so well and had tailed off a bit but now on another good run. Like United last season (and maybe this) I do wonder whether they can maintain this high level of intensity and pressure football; on and off the ball. Be interesting to see what happens in 2019 after Xmas. My gut feeling is his demands and professionalism suggests they might be in the top 6 but maybe just off for the top 2.
Today they showed why they are doing well with high pressing, work rate and some decent stuff. At times I felt we matched or edged them and defensively they looked shaky at times. They were fortunate to get a win but then they were in the week apparently and the work ethic grinds teams down. They had chased down Henderson on every back pass and would not let him have time. It ultimately paid off. They allowed Egan to have the ball as they know he is not mobile or skilful enough to do much with it. I felt first half they struggled with us and we could have gone in leading but they still also had the best effort on goal but of course Sharp missed a sitter. Second half other than the one McGoldrick chance; not sure we had lots of chances and I felt they kind of wore us out a bit. They seemed to have a good spell and Roofe missed a clear header and Henderson made a few low saves but then we came on again and up to when they scored you felt maybe we might edge it if anyone. After this they had a lucky let off with the bar being hit.
They are very fit and they press and harry. They don’t have lots of great individuals. Hernandez is a talent and Roofe works really hard. They have two big centre backs but they also have lots of youth and I felt for spells it showed with their energy and pressing making us panic or make bad decisions after good play to get into good positions. For all the talk about money I bet their squad cost even less than ours. They have a lot of players through the ranks or cheap foreign signings.
Opponent man of the match – They had a lot of hard working and functional players. The lad Klich showed some neat touches and the young lad who came on Clarke was much more of a threat than Alioski. I thought the best player on the field was Phillips. He handled our attacking threat down this side well, made good tackles and used it well. He is a midfielder too but played left sided centre back and looked a real class act. Roofe worked hard and is decent on the air. Douglas set play was quite mixed today.
Weak link – Alioski. Thought he was dreadful in the two games last year and the same again today. He spends more time on the floor than playing. His touch is bad and he does not work back. The keeper was a close second. I felt he was really dodgy and reminded me of Simonsen. A big lad who somehow made himself smaller on crosses and struggled with every high ball. Even the save he made he got in a bad position.
Henderson 6/10 – Odd one to mark him so low as he would have been closer to a 8/10 but his mistake cost us the goal and that is the life of of a goalkeeper and it was a real howler. He made one super save first half and then 2 or 3 standard saves from low shots. He punched another away. His kicking all day was a bit mixed and he kicked a few out. The Leeds player were really pressing him and never gave him a moment. He is decent on the ball normally. I am not sure what he was thinking at all. It was terrible. He is a really confident lad and maybe a bit too cocky at times so today may bring him back down to earth a bit. After a tremendous performance last week he has made two errors (should have saved the first one at Brentford) in a week. Today (along with McGoldrick and Sharp) he cost us the game but in many others he has saved us points.
Baldock 6/10 – Defensively he was alright but they did not really play with a winger and he was not put under pressure. He nipped in to win a few tackles and loose balls but positionally he was a bit all over the place – he often seemed to be in a striking role/or a number 10! It was odd but also meant we were caught short quite a bit when they broke. Going forward he offered nothing. He got in some decent positions but no end product or even a cross/shot/key ball I can recall. Freeman right to be rested but not sure he has taken his chance really.
Stevens 6.5/10 – Started the game well but then unravelled for a bit and was lucky not to get sent off after being harshly booked he committed a poor foul, he then dived in rashly. He did some good things going forward though and one of our main threats on the overlap and got in some great positions but his crosses let him down a bit
Egan 6.5/10 – The back pass was poor. Hit too hard and on his wrong foot and even though Henderson was at fault; he should never have been put in that position. He kept passing it back to the keeper too much. Leeds kept letting him have it knowing he was the weak link technically in terms of bringing it out. Defensively he was ok for the most part winning headers and making tackles but also got booked for getting turned in the first half.
O’Connell 7/10 – Steady and one of our better players. Defended well and used it well when he had it. Just a solid performance really. Showed some neat pieces of skill and helped the ball move forward. He did lose Roofe once on the headed chance.
Basham 8/10 – Our man of the match by a long way. He drove forward several times, won every 50-50 and some that were not in his favour at all. He was all over the place at times, making clearances, tackles and then attacking. The only slight knock is when he gets in those positions he does panic and often then goes back and plays it safe instead of keeping going and hitting the first man. Love his effort and will to win and shows some great skill at times too.
Fleck 6/10 – Not sure he has affected games enough this season. He has been very up and down both game to game and in games. First half he was ok today and made a few driving runs and pieces of decent link up play. Second half I thought he was completely ineffectual and when he had it; he either lost it or moved it on. I am not sure he took responsibility and we need to see more of him when it matters. He was not awful but just very average.
Norwood 6/10 – Big comment but I thought he was distinctly average today and did not do enough in a big game against a promotion contender. He made a few decent balls and helped us tick over and first half when we had a lot of control. Saw a lot of the ball but wasted it a lot trying to be too clever and overplayed it. He also gave it away too many short passes. His poor pass got Baldock into trouble and a booking. He also was too nonchalant in possession and took too long to do things. I also felt they bypassed him and Fleck way too much and they did not chase back enough. For a class player he flattered to deceive for me today.
Duffy 4/10 – Thought he was really poor today. We needed a big performance from him and needed him to get in those pockets, create and make big chances. He put one decent cross over and had one good run but outside of this nothing. Slow to the ball, he did not react to things, got outmuscled and set them on the attack 3 or 4 times by losing it or overplaying. For all the plaudits he gets; he is quite inconsistent and rarely puts a run of 3 or 4 good games together. He plays really well and then is quite meh for a while. The need for a player to do his job is clear as we have no one else really – McGoldrick did it for a while today.
Sharp 6/10 – Worked hard and tried to hold the ball up but got involved in too much of a pushing match with the defenders. He had a golden chance and headed down and over. I am not sure we saw much of him second half really and seemed to run out of steam.
McGoldrick 7/10 – For play outside of the box and his skill, awareness, touch and ability to play for the team he would be an 9/10 and one of our best players. He comes deep and often is just in front of the defence. He also played in the number 10 for a spell and showed his adaptability. For his finishing and composure, it would be a 3/10. He missed a great chance second half when he really has to score. He did the first bit well but then his finish was straight at the keeper when he had all the goal to aim at. He also blazed over first half (flag saved him). Had once decent effort with a low shot and also made the attempt for Sharp with a good cross. His finishing is bizarre as he is such a class player but is a different player in the box to out of it. He has missed half a dozen huge chances in the last 4 or 5 games and has cost us points really even though strangely he has played quite well. You can see why for all his ability why he has not played higher up.