New Season New Start

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Who is this Jack Daniels? Can he score?

[Rev72]

Who is this Jack Daniels? Can he score?

Well he hits the spot with me

[cress]

Honestly, currently I have zero faith. We definetly need more players but we aren't even linked to anybody. Nothing at all. Not even loans. And that worries me quite a lot.

[norfolk white]

Agree 100% with hugherection (awful name by the way) astounded that after bielsa said Norwich and Sheffield needed 3 chances to score whereas we needed 6/7, we haven't even tried for gayle or maupay (horrible people, but God they know where the goal is), that would have shown ambition, also we were awful at the back last season, horrendous calamitous mistakes cost us dear, beradi is a walking timebomb and next to cooper god help us, Pontus was our best defender and we sold him and got a 21 year old raw recruit, poor lad needs to hit the ground running, why we never went for flint or suchlike is again mind-blowing, a good old fashioned clearance is sometimes what's needed rather than a clever ball playing centre half who plays around in his own area and gives goals away, or gives penalties away needlessly, I await the new season with trepidation.

[Hugh_G_Rection]

Surely it is stronger than last season - Pontus was one of my favourite players but not from the little I’ve seen of White he looks more suited to Bielsaball. Ninja Beradi if he stays for could be good in a back 3.

Still hoping we bring in at least one more outfield player but if not que sera sera.

PS did you see Bale is reportedly close to signing a deal in China for £1m per week - football has gone mad!

I don't get it...how is our squad stronger?
Yes, Costa has come in which adds quality out wide, but expecting BW to fill the massive PJ sized hole in our defence is ludicrous.
PJ is a proven championship and international player.
BW has had half a season in league one.
He might be brilliant. He might not.
It's a massive gamble and makes our squad weaker, not stronger.
Personally, I'd get rid of Beradi. As much as I love his competitive spirit, he's a complete liability. From two footed tackles when he's on a yellow card to headbutting...he's far too volatile to rely upon.
As for Bale. Disappointed in him. He clearly loves money more than football if he goes there. Thought more of him than that.

[norfolk white]

Again, agree with all that you've said, beradi I would never have in a Leeds shirt again, has cost us many times, and yes bale has so much money it should be immaterial how much his wages are from now on, he should be playing for the love of it from now on.

[Jezleeds]

Agree 100% with hugherection (awful name by the way) astounded that after bielsa said Norwich and Sheffield needed 3 chances to score whereas we needed 6/7, we haven't even tried for gayle or maupay (horrible people, but God they know where the goal is), that would have shown ambition, also we were awful at the back last season, horrendous calamitous mistakes cost us dear, beradi is a walking timebomb and next to cooper god help us, Pontus was our best defender and we sold him and got a 21 year old raw recruit, poor lad needs to hit the ground running, why we never went for flint or suchlike is again mind-blowing, a good old fashioned clearance is sometimes what's needed rather than a clever ball playing centre half who plays around in his own area and gives goals away, or gives penalties away needlessly, I await the new season with trepidation.

Agree with all of this and some of the other comments made by other posters, particularly about how last season's start (which basically kept us in the hunt after Christmas - without it we would've been mid-table) was a lot to do with teams not knowing how to combat our style of play. Once others worked that out we struggled.

Also worried about this season because, as again has been pointed out, there seem to be some key blind-spots in MB, and they don't seem to have been addressed at all in terms of purchases - my only hope is that these below will be dealt with from within, by MB's proven genius at getting the best out of average players:

I think the blind-spots are:

1) not realising we can't just keep the ball for the whole game, miss loads of chances but still win - see obsession with wingers.
2) having very average defenders and goalkeepers because we assume we'll score more - see 1)
3) being too loyal to players in key positions who don't perform key functions to change results in the Championship, but fit the team process/style/Bielsa vision of a player's behaviour slavishly - Harrison, Bamford, Forshaw, Casilla, Cooper, Roberts. These players are our weak spots in their positions but they virtually always play when fit.

I also have to wonder why such a fantastic left back in Wolves' championship winning side has played with lead in his boots for 12 months - what's happened there?

Anyway, let's hope MB continues to defy the odds - maybe he'll raise the levels of those players above another step again.

[norfolk white]

My other hope to above is that players like Shackleton, emondson, bogusz etc all come of age, as bielsa did certainly extract the utmost from the team that failed so miserable the previous season under heckingbottom and co, although again bielsa stated that this team couldn't give any more or produce what they did last season, which yet again mystifies why so little signings.

[Rev72]

Well there is still time to get a quality CB/GK/CF in.

[LeedsFTW]

Reading through the majority of the posts in this thread and most people seem to be pessimistic about the new season thinking the squad is weaker or worse than last year?

We have lost Jansson and that's it. We now have a pool of Under 23 talent that won their league last year, with most being ready to step up.

For me, the squad that's available is stronger than last year, especially after having that years experience of having worked under MB etc. I keep saying first 10 games will tell us how our season will go but I think we will go 1 better this year and get promoted.