Thoughts from the game

[Monaco_Totty]

A mixed bag, agree mostly with Hopey and Norfolk.

I felt we looked more like a PL team (albeit with not much bite) but better defensively., always a good sign of a good manager's early impact. Rutter's header was brilliant as was a run in penalty box, It's not his fault re price tag or the fact we bought someone who isnt an out and out CF (Orta?). Yes midfield hit and miss. with poor distribution, something Firpo suffers with too (although he is starting to improve slowly)
We missed Wober, who looks a good CB.

Not sure what the coach can do upfront apart from playing 2 upfront or 4-4-1-1 Bamford has looked a spent force.

Working alongside folks from all over Europe most are avid followers of PL as well as teams from their own country & views are uttered often on tactics in operation of the better teams who seem to use 2 up front - which I've often stated we need before.

Maybe it's time to stop playing with lone striker up front malarkey.

Been doing it since circa Chris Woods - nobody been really dynamic in the role & Bamford up top ain't the answer now. Possibly why a lot of Leeds youth number 9's have struggled to adapt to the lone striker role as they've become separated from others in the team whilst struggling in playing that role.

I've recently watched Nantes playing in their French Ligue 1 games & also against Juventus & all teams I've seen basically play a 4-4-2 variant of the 4-2-3-1 by utilising the second striker slightly behind his partner to great effect.

Biggest drawback to using 'one up front' is you always need the right personnel as goals are hard to come by & teams now can easily mark the lone-striker out leaving the attack responsibility up to the rest of the creative players which at Leeds has been the issue for a while goal wise big time without Rodrigo.

Most top teams now play 2 up top, players at PSG are now playing 3 up top & hopefully JG can find the right combo to fit his obviously implemented improvements so far seen to get a 2 up top attack.

Given that in our last 4 matches we've scored 1 goal by Firpo I'd suspect JG will be implementing for more bodies in the box & getting more shots on goal like Fulham, who are encouraged & prepared to shoot while running into the box areas, as did Firpo against the Saints for us.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

The midfield 3 - if he keeps playing 433 or 4321- need to find the right balance.

Suspect he may go with pretty much the same line up v Fulham but swap out Roca, Rasmus and Rutter

[WTF11]

The midfield 3 - if he keeps playing 433 or 4321- need to find the right balance.

Suspect he may go with pretty much the same line up v Fulham but swap out Roca, Rasmus and Rutter

Agree with MT regarding 2 up front, we have been lacking in bite for a looooonngg time, even when Bamford was firing on all cylinders, and playing 1 up top not only makes the job harder, it gives defences an "easy(ish" target.

On the team for Saturday, if he does swap out Rutter as our "attacker" (I don't think he will ever be that, as long as he has a hole in his ar5e btw), who the hell does he replace him with?

[spaldy]

Agree with the front 2 idea.

You have to keep Rutter in. If nothing else to keep their back line from cheating up the pitch. He also generally has 2 defenders on him. Bamford often just has one. Bamford has a piano on his back so doesn't really worry defenses pinching up and isn't in place for the crosses from our wings who are very fast. Bamford never really had pace but it really seems to have fallen off the last season or so. I think it's a reason he misses a lot of first touches or sitters is because he can't get to the right spot in time.

we don't see training but wonder if Perkins is sharp at them. he really seems a threat in the short minutes he plays.

Rodrigo seems to be moving along pretty quickly. Maybe some small minutes this saturday if cleared.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Agree with the front 2 idea.

You have to keep Rutter in. If nothing else to keep their back line from cheating up the pitch. He also generally has 2 defenders on him. Bamford often just has one. Bamford has a piano on his back so doesn't really worry defenses pinching up and isn't in place for the crosses from our wings who are very fast. Bamford never really had pace but it really seems to have fallen off the last season or so. I think it's a reason he misses a lot of first touches or sitters is because he can't get to the right spot in time.

we don't see training but wonder if Perkins is sharp at them. he really seems a threat in the short minutes he plays.

Rodrigo seems to be moving along pretty quickly. Maybe some small minutes this saturday if cleared.

If fit I would give Sinisterra a go up top.

Don’t mind whether two up top of one with one behind.

So far he has been playing what seems to be an interchangeable 433 4231 formation.

[whitestomper45]

Working alongside folks from all over Europe most are avid followers of PL as well as teams from their own country & views are uttered often on tactics in operation of the better teams who seem to use 2 up front - which I've often stated we need before.

Maybe it's time to stop playing with lone striker up front malarkey.

Been doing it since circa Chris Woods - nobody been really dynamic in the role & Bamford up top ain't the answer now. Possibly why a lot of Leeds youth number 9's have struggled to adapt to the lone striker role as they've become separated from others in the team whilst struggling in playing that role.

I've recently watched Nantes playing in their French Ligue 1 games & also against Juventus & all teams I've seen basically play a 4-4-2 variant of the 4-2-3-1 by utilising the second striker slightly behind his partner to great effect.

Biggest drawback to using 'one up front' is you always need the right personnel as goals are hard to come by & teams now can easily mark the lone-striker out leaving the attack responsibility up to the rest of the creative players which at Leeds has been the issue for a while goal wise big time without Rodrigo.

Most top teams now play 2 up top, players at PSG are now playing 3 up top & hopefully JG can find the right combo to fit his obviously implemented improvements so far seen to get a 2 up top attack.

Given that in our last 4 matches we've scored 1 goal by Firpo I'd suspect JG will be implementing for more bodies in the box & getting more shots on goal like Fulham, who are encouraged & prepared to shoot while running into the box areas, as did Firpo against the Saints for us.

Yes Totty, I have always preferred 2 up front. Many clubs have been using 1 and everyone now realises why there is a shortage of target strikers.

Plus if you just play 1 up front its hard to sign good back up if your no1 is in form, so when he's injured or off form your usually fkd

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Yes Totty, I have always preferred 2 up front. Many clubs have been using 1 and everyone now realises why there is a shortage of target strikers.

Plus if you just play 1 up front its hard to sign good back up if your no1 is in form, so when he's injured or off form your usually fkd

Suspect he won’t against Chelsea to ensure we are solid defensively but who knows.

[Monaco_Totty]

Suspect he won’t against Chelsea to ensure we are solid defensively but who knows.

Would like to think that someone can emerge & make a sudden impact on our results.

That 'somebody' could be Darko Gyabi who provides a tidy-style in midfield box to box & has clever feet in tight situations - would hope he can be involved in Chelsea game at some stage as he makes things happen on the ball & at 6'5" makes his presence known at set-pieces.

[whitestomper45]

Suspect he won’t against Chelsea to ensure we are solid defensively but who knows.

That would be the expected view Hopey, just that like us, their confidence will be low, be good to be spreading doubts among them. To do that we need something different to Bamford who, it's been pointed out already moves to slow to arrive in box on time.

Rutter is quick and despite being only 20 gets on with it when it gets physical and has pace to maybe keep their defence honest.

[whitestomper45]

The Boss todays presser ....."I think it's a good option for us to play with two up front, with Georginio with Patrick, Patrick with Rodrigo, with Aaronson, with all the attackers we have in the club,”