Surely MB has realised now

[bathlad61]

Great comeback, with a proper balanced team, pens always a lottery, so move onto Sat.
Been said, numerous times etc, Phillips has to play DM, Berardi RB / LB, never CB, defence lacks depth without Cooper & White - still no time for Struijk?
Midfield wise, with both Phillips & now Forshaw playing, again lacking experience in backup - still looks too soon for McAlmont / Gotts, but Bogusz looks useful.
Just feel already, that the lack of serious cover, could again come back to haunt.

[Ozwhites]

Great comeback, with a proper balanced team, pens always a lottery, so move onto Sat.
Been said, numerous times etc, Phillips has to play DM, Berardi RB / LB, never CB, defence lacks depth without Cooper & White - still no time for Struijk?
Midfield wise, with both Phillips & now Forshaw playing, again lacking experience in backup - still looks too soon for McAlmont / Gotts, but Bogusz looks useful.
Just feel already, that the lack of serious cover, could again come back to haunt.

There are plenty on here that will concur with that pal....but not sure with us continually discussing it that the situation will change in the short term.

[denver11]

I can't believe he keeps playing Phillips in these games. He's risking him getting injured, and Casilla. But Kalvin in particular is most important in the team. Won't have to worry about that now anyway.

[leedsutdman]

He's had to work within a tight budget player wise so it's a case of make do. He's not doing a bad job regardless though and no amount of pointing these short falls out is going to change anything.

[spaldy]

I realize it's the coaches call... especially in the case of MB but some players have a real issue sitting. Nothing makes them unhappy faster than that if they are like that.

Perhaps Phillips falls in that category?

FWIW- very few of the teams in the championship have real depth. The whole fair play rules kind of limit what any but the richest clubs can do. Give a huge advantage to the relegated teams each year but many of them seem to have some issues keeping their squad that they don't even do a good job with the huge money they get for being a failure.

[LeedsFTW]

I find this to be yet another indirect negative topic. When we are winning very few new topics or posts added. Lose one game, when giving the first team a rest and allowing some youth to gain experience in a mickey mouse cup and here we are starting topics critizising the manager whom just happens to have us at the top of the league.

[Pacaman]

I enjoyed seeing the youngsters pit their wits aginst a strong Stoke team. No negatives from me. Enjoyed it and thought the U23 lads gained invaluable experience playing in front of 30000. Has anyone seen the attendances at the other cup games? Much lower. Unbelievable support and our youngsters were asked a lot of imo. Second half much more productive and as biaised as I am, I felt we should have won it during the 90 minutes. Stoke well happy to waste time and actually hope to rely on a penalty shoot out so credit to everyone involved. The link between the U23's and the first team is seamless and with so much talent every Leeds fan can and surely does look to the future with absolute confidence.

Well done lads and no injuries so onwards and upwards

MOT

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Like the fact he used the game to play so many youngsters and try new things but when he needed to switched things round at half time.

Bogusz looked decent of the youngsters and Forshaw and White showed the quality they have when they came on.

The Square Ball guys half jokingly said that if it means Stoke keep Nathan Jones for a few more weeks and lose further ground then that is a real silver lining which made me chuckle.

[OldWhiteTaff]

Yes, and WRT MBs seeming desire to stay in this competition to keep fringe players sharp, he doesn't seem to have any problem with senior players playing with the U23s, so hopefully that'll cover that off. I guess the only issue with that is player egos, but hopefully the players in our 1st 15 aren't prima donnas and understand and respect his methods (which I'm pretty sure they do).

[joellufcprice]

Struijk must be crap when he is picking midget child Leif Davies at centre back ahead of him.

Centre back is my only worry, I'm happy with Cooper and White but after that I'm just not sure we are strong enough if one was to be out for a long period of time and I just worry like last season we could dominate and then lose points because of these injuries