Leeds United - v - Burnley ***Matchday Thread***

[cherrypie7]

Superb today from the lads. Battled and battled right to the end. Long injury list but we coped.
We play lovely football and get slaughtered, now we dig in and battle and get slaughtered ?!
No team in history can play well every game.
Surprised nobody has mentioned the pitch ? Horrendous playing surface. No pitches are like that anymore. A passing team are hugely affected whereas a long ball team with aggression are benefitted hugely. It isn’t the same for both sides in reality.
So well battled and an excellent 3 points given all the circumstances I say.
Pitch needs sorting ASAP

Sniffer you missed the my post just before yours, asking about the cut up pitch.

[Sniffer999]

Sniffer you missed the my post just before yours, asking about the cut up pitch.

Sorry Cherry just noticed pal. I had started reading your post but thought it was just about someone else slagging is off so stopped before pitch bit.
ALL the pitches are like carpets. Rain doesn’t affect them badly due to training systems so it’s a mystery as to why out pitch is so bad.
I could imagine Burnley intentionally making their home pitch like that but it’s a killer for us.
Lots of work needed or maybe a new pitch....or a new grounds man !?

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Sorry Cherry just noticed pal. I had started reading your post but thought it was just about someone else slagging is off so stopped before pitch bit.
ALL the pitches are like carpets. Rain doesn’t affect them badly due to training systems so it’s a mystery as to why out pitch is so bad.
I could imagine Burnley intentionally making their home pitch like that but it’s a killer for us.
Lots of work needed or maybe a new pitch....or a new grounds man !?

Pitch was bad for them too.

Yes sometimes teams have off days but few players seem to have increasingly poor games.

Klich has been below par - giving the ball away not as much energy woeful shooting seemingly lacking energy

Phillips - was decent defensively today but with the ball seems to mainly go sideways or back and put other players under pressure when he gives it them.

Dallas - not hit the highs or before.

Harrison - loses the ball a lot recently does not seem as effective pressing.

Alioski - gives the ball away a lot.


Not moaning but we have lacked energy and for want of a better word out mojo in a number of games recently.

Agree lack of squad depth coupled with injuries does not help but is we want to play possession football then when certain players who are there as much for defensive work rate are not doing it not sure why players like poveda start on the bench.

Shackleton even from RB brought more energy.

Very pleased we got 3 points today, glad we have a 3 game cushion to 18th but there were some frustrating things to watch today which are beginning to be a little deja vu.

Not a co-incidence Klich taken off early two games in a row or a Phillips subbed last week for tactics reasons.

Plus pints today

3 points
Ayling
Meslier
Struijk - he was good in the air too
Bamford - his running, movement and effort today was excellent and top pen
Rapha
Pablo
Poveda
Shacks

Will be interesting to see who starts in the quick turnaround for the next game.

[Sniffer999]

The old saying “it’s the same for both sides” in regards to the pitch is nonsense. I acknowledge the fact that both teams play on the same pitch obviously but how it affects them is not the same.
Leeds play a slick passing game which requires a good playing surface.
Burnley are mostly long ball merchants where deliveries into the box are usually from a stationary position.
A crap surface is so frustrating for the footballing side. It makes a massive difference.
We don’t want to have our own pitch like that !

[asturianblanco]

whats not to like? Won ugly against an old school physical side, clean sheet and thats with no defence, some of you will doubtless complain that we didnt play fancy football today! bring on WBA.

[spaldy]

Was a groundsman in a prior job

Suspect 2-3 inches of rain on a pitch thats had some freezing down below makes thier job almost impossible . They also cut the pitch very low which prevents deeper root growth.

[Ozwhites]

Jury probably still out on whether Struijk is a possible solution at the back, but he performed really well today. Won a lot of aerial challenges too, so believe he should have been tried a lot earlier than Cooper/Ayling combo in the middle.
1-1 would probably have been a fairer result given our very poor 2nd half...and not just saying that because I picked that score!
Meslier better start performing better with those high balls or I reckon we are a real chance of seeing our mate Kiko in between the sticks before long. Great reflexes with shot stopping...but all at sea and no confidence coming out for the crosses.

A great belated Xmas present anyway!

[Hugh_G_Rection]

Glad we got the three points but I agree with one or two others on here that we appear to have list a bit of our mojo the last few games.
Our passing and pressing just isn't quite clicking at the moment but we are still picking up points so can't complain too much.
I also disagree with pretty much everyone else in that I thought the referee got it spot on for the 'penalty' claim.
You can't claim to be competing for the ball if the ball is a foot and a half above your head at the point of impact.

[wortleygirl]

It would appear from reports in various media that Ashley Barnes has accused Meslier of "trying to 'smash' Ben Mee"

I personally find that this comment disgraceful and I would hope (but I won't hold my breath) that the FA charge him with bringing the game into disrepute.

I have heard of sour grapes but this takes the biscuit.

[WTF11]

It would appear from reports in various media that Ashley Barnes has accused Meslier of "trying to 'smash' Ben Mee"

I personally find that this comment disgraceful and I would hope (but I won't hold my breath) that the FA charge him with bringing the game into disrepute.

I have heard of sour grapes but this takes the biscuit.

Well, if true (see previous post on the subject of whinging), it would be just about par for the course, given the juvenile antics of just about every Burnley player, but Barnes was giving a masterclass on how to be a first class cry-baby.

Like you, I doubt that the FA would have the spine to take on this kind of behaviour/accusation, but we live in hope.

More to the point (perhaps) is the question as to why, in a sport which has substantially less physical contact than in rugby (either code), is it still permissible for players to "get in the face" of match officials as we saw yesterday (and see regularly in all matches)?. Same process should apply, when the ref makes a call, players accept, good or bad, or they get sin-binned and leave their team mates to suffer from their poor manners. Why not?