Leeds United - v - Birmingham City ***Matchday Thread***

[BelfastAndy]

Championship leaders Leeds United are likely to be unchanged for their home game against winless Birmingham City.

Midfielder Pablo Hernandez (hamstring), defender Gaetano Berardi (knee) and strikers Kemar Roofe (calf) and Patrick Bamford (knee) are all still out.

Former Leeds boss Garry Monk returns to Elland Road for the first time in charge of Birmingham, having*lost there with Middlesbrough*last season.

Monk hopes to have midfielders Maikel Kieftenbeld and Craig Gardner fit.

Kieftenbeld missed Wednesday night's goalless draw at Sheffield United, while Gardner has been sidelined for the last two matches.

But Monk could opt to keep faith with Charlie Lakin, who made his first start for the club in midweek.

Match facts

Leeds have won only two of their last eight home matches against Birmingham City in all competitions.

Birmingham have not won consecutive league matches against Leeds since winning five in a row between February 2007 and April 2013.

For the 13th consecutive league meeting between Leeds and Birmingham at Elland Road, the hosts will have a different manager in charge - Bremner, Wilkinson, Venables, Reid, Carver, Grayson, Warnock, McDermott, Redfearn, Rosler, Monk, Christiansen and Bielsa.Birmingham have won one of their last 23 Saturday away matches in all competitions.

Leeds are looking to remain unbeaten in their first nine games of a league campaign for the first time since the 2009-10 League One season.

2 - 0 to us.

MOT.

[dogcopmarchingon]

Leeds 2--1

[OldWhiteTaff]

Not wanting to p1ss on anyones chips but the level of expectation that this will be an easy three points is to my mind pretty silly. By all accounts Brum were all over Blunts on Wednesday, hit both posts, forced a couple of excellent saves from Blunts keeper, and Blunts barely had a shot on target. Now I'm not suggesting Blunts are Barcelona but from what I've seen / heard Brum have played some good stuff this season and only poor finishing and / or terrible luck has let them down. Add to that the Monk effect and I'm expecting a really tough game tomorrow, and will gladly take a scrappy 1-0. Some of the comments on here and elsewhere show a level of over-confidence which is completely divorced from reality.

[Billyni]

Not wanting to p1ss on anyones chips but the level of expectation that this will be an easy three points is to my mind pretty silly. By all accounts Brum were all over Blunts on Wednesday, hit both posts, forced a couple of excellent saves from Blunts keeper, and Blunts barely had a shot on target. Now I'm not suggesting Blunts are Barcelona but from what I've seen / heard Brum have played some good stuff this season and only poor finishing and / or terrible luck has let them down. Add to that the Monk effect and I'm expecting a really tough game tomorrow, and will gladly take a scrappy 1-0. Some of the comments on here and elsewhere show a level of over-confidence which is completely divorced from reality.

I think from previous experience everyone knows it could go tits up spectacularly Taff. Personally, im enjoying a bit of over confidence whilst i have the chance. Hasn't come that often.

[OldWhiteTaff]

I think from previous experience everyone knows it could go tits up spectacularly Taff. Personally, im enjoying a bit of over confidence whilst i have the chance. Hasn't come that often.

Yeah fair play, I have to admit I'm really struggling to relax and enjoy it, I know I should cos it might not last, but I guess I'm finding it hard to leave behind the last 15 years, (or the '80s for that matter.....)

[Billyni]

Yeah fair play, I have to admit I'm really struggling to relax and enjoy it, I know I should cos it might not last, but I guess I'm finding it hard to leave behind the last 15 years, (or the '80s for that matter.....)

MOT mate. We are Leeds.

[Tichi1]

Not wanting to p1ss on anyones chips but the level of expectation that this will be an easy three points is to my mind pretty silly. By all accounts Brum were all over Blunts on Wednesday, hit both posts, forced a couple of excellent saves from Blunts keeper, and Blunts barely had a shot on target. Now I'm not suggesting Blunts are Barcelona but from what I've seen / heard Brum have played some good stuff this season and only poor finishing and / or terrible luck has let them down. Add to that the Monk effect and I'm expecting a really tough game tomorrow, and will gladly take a scrappy 1-0. Some of the comments on here and elsewhere show a level of over-confidence which is completely divorced from reality.

Good call mate - I said in a post yesterday that this game and the one against the Wendies would tell us a lot - this shower did the double over us last season, and Wednesday have battered us nearly every time at their gaff in recent seasons.

Don't think we where at it today but think the score flattered them - boring negative time wasting tossers!

Bad game for Peacock Farrel - two howlers in my opinion.... that sa9d the closing down before each goal was also pretty abysmal!

[WTF11]

Long ways from home at present and saw none of the game, so comments based on stats and some of text "commentary.",

Dominated possession and scoring chances, but failed.to convert. It happens, and will again.

We kept on at them.throughout, in previous seasons going 2 down to soft goals (So everyone says they we're!), we would have capitulated and let another two in, we didn't.

Folks need to get off Alioskis back, just as many (me included) have recognised that Philips and Klich are different players this season. Alioski may get caught offside but he gives it all and sometimes (as with the link today), last seasons performances get a reprise and a result.

We continue to score from all kinds of places and players, the "getting found out" of last season is much less likely (but I recognise it can and will happen, one for Bielsa to earn his keep over)

Sh1t to lose to Monk, but Brums league position is not representative of what they are capable of (and given the basket case of their ownership position, they are doing better than might be expected).

Other results went (mostly) our way, but a timely wake up call to anyone who thought we were untouchable

[Ozwhites]

The possession and shots certainly show that we weren't outplayed. On to Friday night....

[Tichi1]

Long ways from home at present and saw none of the game, so comments based on stats and some of text "commentary.",

Dominated possession and scoring chances, but failed.to convert. It happens, and will again.

We kept on at them.throughout, in previous seasons going 2 down to soft goals (So everyone says they we're!), we would have capitulated and let another two in, we didn't.

Folks need to get off Alioskis back, just as many (me included) have recognised that Philips and Klich are different players this season. Alioski may get caught offside but he gives it all and sometimes (as with the link today), last seasons performances get a reprise and a result.

We continue to score from all kinds of places and players, the "getting found out" of last season is much less likely (but I recognise it can and will happen, one for Bielsa to earn his keep over)

Sh1t to lose to Monk, but Brums league position is not representative of what they are capable of (and given the basket case of their ownership position, they are doing better than might be expected).

Other results went (mostly) our way, but a timely wake up call to anyone who thought we were untouchable

Where are you fella?
Brazil? Venuzuela? Cuba perhaps?
You need to get back and give a bit of support to struggling Eastleigh!