Leeds United - v - Sunderland ***Matchday Thread***

[BelfastAndy]

https://i.postimg.cc/PLYZcxGQ/image.png (https://postimg.cc/PLYZcxGQ)

Leeds United v Sunderland
Tuesday 9th April@20:00 | Elland Road

Leeds must recover from their post International Break blues as they prepare for the visit of Sunderland on Tuesday evening.

A very average Coventry side destroyed their 14 game unbeaten run at the weekend, leading to calls for Daniel Farke to freshen his team up! The gaffer is in a catch twenty-two situation. Does he make changes to a side who have picked up thirty eight out of a possible forty-five points year to date, or hope they can rediscover their form, and quickly!

The Black Cats have lost seven out of their last ten games, including a 5-1 thrashing at the Stadium of Light against Blackburn. Their slide down the table coincided with an ankle ligament injury to Jack Clarke late February. He returned to action last weekend, a 0-0 draw against Bristol City.

Jenson Seelt (groin), Dennis Cirkin (hamstring), Former Leeds left back Niall Huggins (groin) and Nazariy Rusyn (knock) are all ruled out for the visitors. Leo Hjelde play play against the Whites for the first time since joining Sunderland in January.

Leeds have no fresh injury concerns. Ilia Gruev, Connor Roberts and Wilfred Gnonto all returned to action on Saturday, having picked up knocks whilst representing their respective Countries. Jamie Shackleton, Pascal Struijk and Stuart Dallas remain sidelined!

Need a reaction and need a win.

Will we see changes?

Sunderland have injury issues.
Nial Huggins
Jenson Seelt
Dennis Cerkin
Eliot Embleton
Nazariy Rusyn

All out or a doubt.

Jack Clarke only recently back from injury.

MOT.

3 - 0.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Game at home to settle the nerves. Be interesting to see who starts:

Up front
In midfield
At RB

Watching the weekend game back Piroe looked decent and tends to lose possession less when he gets it so wonder if he will come back into the reckoning!

[BelfastAndy]

I gotta feeling.....

Big one tomorrow evening. 4 - 0, but we shall run with prediction thread.

[WTF11]

Mentioned quite often on a variety of threads that our opponents regard their match against us as their cup final. Also said before (by me at least!) that our players need to play as if its ours. They haven't for some time, about time rocket was inserted into back passage for all concerned.

[Billyni]

Mentioned quite often on a variety of threads that our opponents regard their match against us as their cup final. Also said before (by me at least!) that our players need to play as if its ours. They haven't for some time, about time rocket was inserted into back passage for all concerned.

Or at the very least
A toe up the hole.

[Ozwhites]

Very nervous about Ampadu not training the last couple of days due to illness. 😮Would be a huge loss defensively for this match. Hopefully a quick recovery....otherwise Cooper perhaps??? 🙄

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Very nervous about Ampadu not training the last couple of days due to illness. 😮Would be a huge loss defensively for this match. Hopefully a quick recovery....otherwise Cooper perhaps??? 🙄

Please not Cooper - what does Cresswell have to do to get game time?

[Pacaman]

Please not Cooper - what does Cresswell have to do to get game time?

Agree, Cooper would slow the game down and only pass backwards, frustrating the crowd and the players in front. He is I’m afraid, the Maguire of the Championship. Cresswell surely has to play - if not what is the point of him?

Joseph in place of Bumfluff who can be the impact player if we need one 😆

If Ampadu plays and allowing for a Mellier flap on a cross I’m going for 4-1

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Not least as Cooper is supposed to be leaving in the summer.

Like Farke a lot but developing those outside the favoured 14 or 15 appears to be his weakness meaning when people are injured we don’t have ready match fit replacements rating to go.

Shackleton (to be fair he had a few injuries)
Gelhardt
Perkins
Cresswell
Allen
Joseph (less so recently)
Klaessan


must all be wondering what they have to do to play more. To use a bad catholic analogy- it’s like they are stuck in purgatory.

[alfinyalcabo]

Should be a walkover,Sunderland have lost the plot !

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Should be a walkover,Sunderland have lost the plot !

Hey Alf - if only football were that simple - at least we are playing before Ipswich for once.

[WTF11]

Should be a walkover,Sunderland have lost the plot !

Famous last words. Thanks Alf!

[Monaco_Totty]

https://i.postimg.cc/N0GZVZGp/20240409-175502.jpg

Bamford looks dog tired !
Needs to hire a dog walker to exercise his pooch up & down the hills around his Bardsey home pad.

Think the time is ripe for Joseph tonight as it'll be a cold, blustery wet heavy ER pitch this evening.

[Monaco_Totty]

https://i.postimg.cc/L5rTpQdq/20240409-190447.jpg

Hopefully won't be parking the bus on ER pitch ! 😂

[Monaco_Totty]

Starting XI: Meslier (GK), Firpo, Ampadu (C), Kamara, Bamford, Summerville, Rodon, James, Gray, Rutter, Gruev.

Substitutes: Darlow (GK), Cresswell, Cooper, Piroe, Anthony, Byram, Gnonto, Roberts, Joseph.

[BelfastAndy]

http://www.fawanews.com/Leeds%20United%20vs%20Sunderland.html?fbclid=IwAR3 y-6eQ4UhmLDUh2y_lNUZMreG6pQkjyKz-eAX83quoYi4RH8etFpYXwSs

[Billyni]

I wonder if anyone will dare to shoot from distance?

[spaldy]

same old ****.

Bamford starts. It's a flashback of the MB days.

Piroe did miss as sitter to win the game but at least he was there. Not sure what joseph has to do to even get a chance at a start. looked great against Chelsea. Slightly better squad than sunderland.

[BelfastAndy]

Sit rep 20mins. 5hite

[Billyni]

https://i.postimg.cc/N0GZVZGp/20240409-175502.jpg

Bamford looks dog tired !
Needs to hire a dog walker to exercise his pooch up & down the hills around his Bardsey home pad.

Think the time is ripe for Joseph tonight as it'll be a cold, blustery wet heavy ER pitch this evening.

One is a joy to watch in white, the other is Patrick bamford

[Rev72]

Might have a Kip

[norfolk white]

Southampton doing what we couldn’t, beating a supposed good Coventry side 2 nil at present.

[WTF11]

I wonder if anyone will dare to shoot from distance?

No

[Oranje White]

If Bamford was in a wheelchair, Farke would still play him. What is it with managers and their love affair with Bamford?

[WTF11]

Cant watch this sh1te any longer, we park our bus in the centre circle, play tippy-tappy for 5 minutes, pass forward once, f00k up the pass and back to the centre circle again. Clueless and just f00king boring. We don't deserve automatic promotion on showings like this, Coventry, Dudds, etc etc and if we were by some miracle to survive the playoffs, I shudder to think what the likes of Scum, Schiity, Spurs etc would do to us, week in, week out.

[norfolk white]

I agree, I can’t see us competing with teams like wolves, Brentford etc let alone arsenal, Liverpool and co.

[Billyni]

Do the players think that jack clarke is on our team

[norfolk white]

Thing is, Leicester may possibly struggle at millwall so this could be another chance going wasted.

[BelfastAndy]

WTF is going on?

[WTF11]

WTF is going on?

Absolutely f00k all

[Billyni]

WTF is going on?

Something clearly not right here.
The players have lost the will.

[norfolk white]

Is there any urgency, apart from letting jack clarke score

[WTF11]

Stats,

Leeds - 72% possession, 3 shots, 0 on target

Sunderland, 28% possession, 4 shots, 2 on target.

FFS!

[Rev72]

Given what is at stake this is pretty dire.

[WTF11]

Something clearly not right here.
The players have lost the will.

They lost it after the cup game against Chelsea, haven't been the same team since (despite some rather fortunate wins (a la Dull)), and haven't got it back, yet, if ever.

[norfolk white]

At this rate Southampton will catch us, bring gnonto and Joseph on please, and piroe.

[spaldy]

If Bamford was in a wheelchair, Farke would still play him. What is it with managers and their love affair with Bamford?

Seriously????

wheelchair??? How about an iron lung machine

[norfolk white]

Sunderland are mid table and we are at home for christs sake, do these idiots want to win.

[WTF11]

Sunderland are mid table and we are at home for christs sake, do these idiots want to win.

Good question, not sure they do.

[Rev72]

Do we not want automatic promotion anymore cos that 1st half felt like one of those nothing to play for kind of games where you ain’t going up and you ain’t going down so you just put in a half arsed performance.

[WTF11]

Do we not want automatic promotion anymore cos that 1st half felt like one of those nothing to play for kind of games where you ain’t going up and you ain’t going down so you just put in a half arsed performance.

I'd say you were being a tad generous. We have seen nothing BUT half-arsed performances for weeks now.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Be amazed if he makes changes at HT - Joseph and Piroe should both be coming on and if he was match fit would bring Joffy on as he played with them for half a season so knows weaknesses.

Kamara not progressive enough so would sub him for Roberts and shift Gray to 8.

We could easy lose this one.

[Rev72]

Surely we are gonna up it 2nd half we can’t be as poor this half

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Shock horror no HT changes

[Rev72]

No changes surprises no one

[WTF11]

No changes, what a surprise.

[Rev72]

Leicester losing

[norfolk white]

Millwall 1 up against Leicester, what more incentive do we bloody need

[WTF11]

And Millwall score!

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Most of our bench would start for a lot of other Champ teams but we barely use them. Definitely missing a trick.

[WTF11]

I feel genuinely sorry for the fans who have spent hard-earned cash and who keep their chants up throughout the game, and who are presented with this absolute pile of festering sh1te

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

I wouldn’t go that far in what is being offfered up but it could and should be a lot better I will grant you.

[Billyni]

Farkes rousing halftime talk seems to have worked :mad:

[WTF11]

I wouldn’t go that far in what is being offfered up but it could and should be a lot better I will grant you.

So with over 70% possession so far, not a single shot on goal, ISN'T sh1te? If you were a fan shelling out £45- 50 per ticket, you'd feel the same?

Easily pleased some folks.

[norfolk white]

Get bamford off ffs, all he does is miss chances and get offside.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Agree we haven’t been great in the final third but we’ve had chances - seen far worse performances from us where I think we agree is it could be a lot lot better

[WTF11]

Well at least Summerville is willing to track back and challenge!

[Billyni]

God help us if they score.
We will never get 1 back.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Oh look subs already and not from Leeds

[WTF11]

Agree we haven’t been great in the final third but we’ve had chances - seen far worse performances from us where I think we agree is it could be a lot lot better

No we HAVEN't had chances, that's just the point. We haven't had a single strike on target, the Sunderland keeper has been a virtual spectator for the WHOLE match.

I admire the fans for voicing their support, deserve MUCH, MUCH better

[norfolk white]

About 30 minutes to save our season

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Bambi had half chances first half and messed them up - ditto we have had a couple of half chances this half

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Time for subs surely

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Oh another sub not made by us

[WTF11]

Time for subs surely

We're not in the final 10 yet, be patient!

[Rev72]

Just over 20 mins left

[Billyni]

Nah. Forget about it lads.
We’re kidding ourselves if we think we’re going up.

[WTF11]

Sorry Andy, that link is usually really good, but tonight I'm getting 30 seconds of the game followed by 10 minutes of buffering, don't know about others, but this isn't worth watching (for a host of reasons!), thanks anyway.

[norfolk white]

Think we’re all clutching at straws and kidding ourselves, simple fact is we’re just not good enough.

[Rev72]

Blatant penalty not seem by the referee

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Foul on Rodon or clear handball - unbelievable

[norfolk white]

Apparently we’ve had ten corners, and done nothing with them.

[Rev72]

Still no sign of Joseph…..

[BelfastAndy]

Where the fk are the rest of the subs ffs?

[WTF11]

Millwall v Leicester stats,

Millwall - Possession 28%, shots on target - 4, goals - 1

Leicester - Possession 72%, shots on target - 2. goals - 0

Sound familiar? All this "keep possession, play out from the back" sh1te is just that, sh1te

[WTF11]

Apparently we’ve had ten corners, and done nothing with them.

Leicester have had 9, same result!

[WTF11]

Where the fk are the rest of the subs ffs?

On the bench, where else would you expect to see them?

[WTF11]

Millwall did us a favour, pity we seem unable to take advantage. (Sorry, not "seem unable to take advantage", that should be "totally incapable of taking advantage"

[Billyni]

Apparently we’ve had ten corners, and done nothing with them.

11 now

12

[CalverleyBoy]

I've nothing to put in the bin tonight otherwise that's where id be

[Rev72]

3 mins added time absolutely disgusting

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Farke getting animated about lack of added time but should have changed up the game earlier

[WTF11]

NOW Farke gets energised, because we have only had three minutes added on.........WHAT ABOUT THE PREVIOUS 90 MINUTES< YOU STUPID F00K!?????????????

[Billyni]

1 point from the last 2 games, considering the opposition, is criminal.

[Rev72]

Bit of a bottle job in my opinion this.

Absolute garbage

[WTF11]

And now we have "Leeds are falling apart again", predictable, if warranted.

[BelfastAndy]

Absolute lethargy and more wasted opportunities

[CalverleyBoy]

I'll do an update on the prediction league when I regain the will - not many points to add though. Leicester losing is the only consolation

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Wasted opportunity - poor decisions from Farke.

Sure he will cite poor referring decisions but needed to make changes at HT.

Bambi had a shocker, Rutter was so wasteful, Kamara was off form.

So much talent sitting wasted on the bench.

[WTF11]

Useless, toothless, devoid of any ideas as to how to attack, dull, monotonous, boring, pedantic, predictable, pathetic, totally lacking in energy, drive, determination and anything close to illustrating that the players realise where we are and what is necessary in EVERY game.

If we play like this for the remaining matches, and who would bet that we don't, we will go into the playoffs, running on empty and we all know how that will end.

Farke out.

[CalverleyBoy]

Blackburn next and yes they put five past Sunderland at Sunderland

[Rev72]

Should not rely on the officials but how the feck did they miss 2 nailed on penalties??

Sunderland are absolute sh1t and if you can’t beat that shower of sh1t then you deserve all you get.

Ipswich and Leicester top 2

Southampton play off winners

[BelfastAndy]

The timing of substitutions is really concerning. Bamford on pitch for 80mins? Like WT actual F?

[norfolk white]

I agree rev, we’ve got another season in the championship, in all honesty this is our level

[Oranje White]

The definition of stupid is doing the same thing over and over but expecting a different result. Farke is therefore stupid. Everyone can see Bamford is slow and costing us. Everyone except Farke, that is.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

100%

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Not sure how the younger squad players are supposed to develop if they don’t play - think Cresswell has 1 start and Joffy 2

[WTF11]

3 mins added time absolutely disgusting

What on earth does that have to do with the price of eggs? 3 minutes added to a wholef00king 90 shouldn't even be a consideration when what is at stake is borne in mind. Farke getting his panties bunched up and arguing with the match official because there were only 3 added minutes is akin to those who re-arranged the deckchairs on the Titanic, irrelevant

[WTF11]

I agree rev, we’ve got another season in the championship, in all honesty this is our level

Sadly, if that predication comes true, this won't be "our level".

Imagine a squad without;

Summerville, Rutter, Gnonto, Ampadu, Rodon, Piroe, Gray, Meslier, James, Roberts (if he was ever seen as a permanent addition), Gruev, Cresswell, Anthony, Joseph.

Because can you honestly suggest that after having the chance to get promoted this season so dismally squandered, there wouldn't be an exodus of those players that makes last years clear out look like a little bit of spring cleaning? The younger players particularly will have seen the "performance" from Farke and conclude that LUFC simply isn't where their future lies, despite them being crucial to any chance of survival in the Championship (yes, the Championship).

Thats what I've been banging on about when suggesting that the 1st team 11 seem oblivious to whats at stake, or maybe they just don't care, because they have eyes on the prize elsewhere.

[UbiqueLUFC33]

The timing of substitutions is really concerning. Bamford on pitch for 80mins? Like WT actual F?

Absolutely agree. Joseph should have started in front of Barndoor anyway but since he didn't then he should have been on at half time. Another tepid and sterile performance. ONE shot on target says it all.

[Rev72]

What on earth does that have to do with the price of eggs? 3 minutes added to a wholef00king 90 shouldn't even be a consideration when what is at stake is borne in mind. Farke getting his panties bunched up and arguing with the match official because there were only 3 added minutes is akin to those who re-arranged the deckchairs on the Titanic, irrelevant

Given the subs , free kicks , time wasting and the general poor performance of the officials I think it has quite a lot to do with the price of f*cking eggs , its called ineptitude which is what we were tonight but it doesn't help when the officials do it.

Oh and just for the f*cking record I paid 3 f*cking quid for a dozen f*cking eggs today!

Hope that f*cking helps.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Given the subs , free kicks , time wasting and the general poor performance of the officials I think it has quite a lot to do with the price of f*cking eggs , its called ineptitude which is what we were tonight but it doesn't help when the officials do it.

Oh and just for the f*cking record I paid 3 f*cking quid for a dozen f*cking eggs today!

Hope that f*cking helps.

Eggsactly

[Rev72]

Eggsactly

Think I may be cracking up hopey....

[WTF11]

Given the subs , free kicks , time wasting and the general poor performance of the officials I think it has quite a lot to do with the price of f*cking eggs , its called ineptitude which is what we were tonight but it doesn't help when the officials do it.

Oh and just for the f*cking record I paid 3 f*cking quid for a dozen f*cking eggs today!

Hope that f*cking helps.

Well, as well as being f**ked by LUFC, you were f**ked by whoever you bought the eggs from.

Eggs aside, we know teams will waste time, we know match officials are sh1te, and we know that despite that and other challenges, we have to score mire goals than the opposition, as simple as that. Yet for 90+ minutes this evening and for much of the game time over the last three or four matches we seem to be labouring under a misconception that keeping possession is the aim of the game, not winning. The players, from defence to attack, appear to have been coached in the fine art of how to keep the ball, not how to win games by scoring. The skill and guile shown earlier in the season has disappeared, and no amount of time added on seems likely to bring it back.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Agree with some of what you say but don’t blame the players completely but think a lot of the blame lies with Farke for ignoring what was in front of his face and not using the talents available to him on the bench.

We seem to be playing the same way and overloading on the left and not so much the right which makes it easier to defend against.

The modern game allows you to make an impact from the bench and we simply don’t use that.

Hey ho at least Leicester lost.

[Ozwhites]

Agree. With the lack of effort on goal, he either makes some changes for the next game...or he makes a lot earlier subs. Can't keep waisting time....and opportunities other teams are throwing us!...by tippy tapping across the park! But...anyone thinks he should be out the door at this stage is deluded. NO club would sack a manager with 4 games to go and within a point of the leaders. 😮 Off season a completely different scenario though if we fall flat by the end....

[asturianblanco]

Some proper miserable chunts on here, especially the effin bournemouth fan. 87 points with 4 games to play. we are terrible Farke out! :zzz:

[Monaco_Totty]

A recent survey conducted in the UK revealed people spend on average 10,000 minutes a year moaning.

So for some, that'll be 27.397260274 minutes a day.
So a days worth regularly vented on here then. 😩
Just saying.

[Ozwhites]

A recent survey conducted in the UK revealed people spend on average 10,000 minutes a year moaning.

So for some, that'll be 27.397260274 minutes a day.
So a days worth regularly vented on here then. 😩
Just saying.

If only it was just 27 minutes a day for certain ones!...😀

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Think Farke has been good for the club. He just got on with it this summer and has a clear way he wants to play and when it works it is great.

He is also having one of the best seasons we have ever had (which looks even better if you consider the first 8 or 9 games we had - where some thought we were doomed to relegation ).

The run since Christmas has been phenomenal but … it doesn’t mean there aren’t frustrations or things that could be done better.

I think I have been fairly consistent in saying I don’t like the lack of rotation and few and typically late subs.

There is no real proper pathway for those not in the u21s and not starting to get match fit. If we then need them they are not ready.

He also seems stubborn (which at times can be good) but at others can be counter productive. The same concerns were raised at Norwich.

However wrong Cresswell was for what happened earlier in the year Farke hung him out to dry. Whilst they have ‘made up’ since Cresswell has had zero game time yet Cooper has. You don’t play as many games as he did for Millwall and then become a bad player.

Joffy should be a good player at this level and potentially offers something different but think he must have had a total of 15 minutes on the pitch since November. Anthony is a quality player and gets hardly any time.

The whole Bambi v Joseph debate seems pretty clear and sensible pundits seem flummoxed too.

Yes we are having a great season but it could be an auto promotion season which might slip through our grasp as we don’t use our bench which is strong to our advantage and we don’t rotate players but play half fit players regardless.

I also think the tactics are inflexible and teams know how to play to negate us and Farke doesn’t adapt.

It’s not that we haven’t been good but with this squad we are potentially so much better.

[Ozwhites]

Yep, his record since he has been here has been exceptional. The figures don't lie. But I guess if the 49ers share your sentiments on the negatives...and expected the process to be completed successfully...then he may well be gone by the end of May. Depends on their benchmark of a pass mark. 🤔

[Rev72]

Watched the lowlights again and I tell you what we were a tad lucky to get a point , Jack Clarke had a couple of chances , 1 of which he should have scored.

Decent Ref sends Ballard off and gives 2 nailed on pens.

Must win Saturday against B'Burn.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Agreed Rev - suspect Ipswich and Foxes fans are just as nervous as us though. Could do with Ipswich at best getting a draw tonight.

Players that either look knackered or out of form

Bambi
Rutter
Kamara
Gray

James puts so much in he tends to look done after 60 minutes

Surely Piroe, Joseph, Shackleton and Roberts (who I thought looked good in his cameo last night) can step in.

The alternative is to bump Ampadu back to the middle of the park and put Cresswell in who is supposed to be super popular and has leadership qualities for the last few games.

Just met someone through work who plays golf at the hotel Leeds often stay at for London area games and he said he spoke to Cooper for a while and was super impressed by how nice he was and how well he spoke. Said his golf was pretty crap though.