Brilliant

[WTF11]

Maybe all of us should switch our brain off now and again WTF and be more considerate.


Leeds Unites has a Welfare Officer,Kellie Barker,with responsibility for players aged 8 to 16 and helping those youngsters covers many issues and is certainly no easy matter.
One area worked on is Media and its use/effects of it.

Taking off all my official hats - I'll give you this to carefully consider and digest.
Public player criticism & public player abuse - fine lines indeed ...........

1.The confidence that Bielsa instills in ALL his players IS the reason why he gets the most out of average/poor players,IMO.This he has done at every club he's been at.
My mate Terry Connor has the 'view' (after considered opinions via experience) that as a Manager/Coach at any level you cannot criticise players when they make MISTAKES doing what you want them to do let alone punish them.
You should only criticise them when they do things you DONT want them to do and always in private.

2. For me that means - of course you can criticise players if they try to make passes they shouldn't be trying to do or if they're trying to take opposition players on in the wrong zonal areas of the pitch or if they cross the ball from the wrong areas or if they do not defend for the ball when required to tactically etc but NOT for MISTAKES when they're doing/trying to do the right things tactically for their Coach and own team players,IMO.
I know for fact that a young keeper of Leeds Utd (watching Kikos mistake at Brentford) would expect his Manager/Coach to back him publicly.

3. If you do criticise players for MISTAKES surely you're only showing that you don't trust your players and in Bielsas case that would mean you don't trust in your own philosophy.

I personally would NOT want a Manager/Coach from grassroots level (as many members of Mad are) or further upwards in the coaching levels to criticise any of my 4 kids publicly for making a mistake or to be told publicly that your not good enough as what message would that send to other squad members of which goalkeepers are unique members let alone a 'players worth' with respect to any resale values.
I know Yvon Pouliguen (Mesliers agent) was very impressed with the services Leeds provide regarding mental health & education on it and how Leeds would handle any possible abuse situation.
I note some have strong opinions on players performances but I would urge folks to just ease off on the wording over players performances and if they do feel justified to state various comments just think of the effects of any said comments.
Leeds promote the mental health charity Mind on their shirt,I also am very grateful for their support for my elder daughter,a daughter who twice self harmed as she couldn't cope with how the public reacted to her illness.Through support she is now well but please try to remember folks all Leeds players are giving their best TOGETHER.
MOT

"Maybe all of us should switch our brain off now and again WTF and be more considerate."

Of whom are you suggesting we should be more considerate Mrs O?

Of the players in the 1st team squad (the only ones I have ever criticised here or elsewhere), who are paid a kings ransom to kick a ball around the pitch of a Saturday, for around 75% of the year? I would hope that the players Leeds recruits are expected (by the club and supporters) to perform at a level commensurate with the division they are in, (and better, one would hope). As an example, I would expect that the club would expect a striker, provided with adequate service and sufficient scoring opportunities, would average something like one goal for every 5 - 6 opportunities at worst (most of the top scorers in the Championship are around 1 in 4)?

For a goalkeeper I appreciate it may be a little harder to provide quantifiable statistics, but surely our No. 1 keeper shouldn't commit the kind of blunders which have (consistently) resulted in us losing matches and in the course of the latter part of last season, any prospect of automatic promotion and ultimately the disaster that was his play-off performance?

I would never suggest that a coach publicly criticise a Leeds player, and have never done so. However that does not mean that the coach cannot take action to address areas of performance that are sub-standard. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, whilst Bielsa may take players to task in private, he has taken no action of note over the last 15 months, to address the sub-standard performance (particularly) at both ends of the pitch. In such circumstances, it is hardly surprising that supporters voice their concern, in whatever terms they see fit.

"If you do criticise players for MISTAKES surely you're only showing that you don't trust your players and in Bielsas case that would mean you don't trust in your own philosophy."

If by that you are referring to Bielsa, I agree, but this is a supporters forum, not Bielsas. After the calamitous mistakes by our keeper and equally abysmal scoring performance by our No. 1 striker, are you suggesting that we as supporters trust both, irrespective of performance and lack of any improvement?

Not sure where any of what you have posted relates to criticisms here or on other fora by supporters of Leeds United players who are not performing as expected. The language used is likely to escalate when reflecting both lack of action on the part of the club to address the issue, and lack of improvement on the part of the player(s) concerned. Cause and effect.

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Please dont patronise. Your post came immediately after the "exchange" between Pacaman and I. Dont be like Pete, if you mean to criticise someone have the decency to make it clear who you are referring to, I do.

As for where we are at seasons end, that is in Casillas hands I suspect (be afraid, be very afraid).

Assume you are being ironic given how you respond to others. In terms of requests to be civil it is not aimed at you specifically and this forum is not all about you no matter how much you may think it is.

We we are in second place with a three point gap, still playing decent football, good performances and yet sometimes it appear the sky is falling down from the vibe from some. We know the weaknesses, we know the strengths it is now just about beating the teams we should beat.

[WTF11]

Assume you are being ironic given how you respond to others. In terms of requests to be civil it is not aimed at you specifically and this forum is not all about you no matter how much you may think it is.

We we are in second place with a three point gap, still playing decent football, good performances and yet sometimes it appear the sky is falling down from the vibe from some. We know the weaknesses, we know the strengths it is now just about beating the teams we should beat.

No HO, I wasn't being ironic. Petes scatter-gun comment has clearly put a number of peoples noses out of joint, (intentionally or otherwise, hardly matters now), and if he, (or others) want to take me (or others!) to task, better to do so by providing nicknames as opposed to generalisations.

As for not being aimed at me, if that's the case I accept, and apologies if you were offended by my reply. As for accusing me of thinking that the forum is all about me, that's being "civil" is it?

We are "fortunate" to have the three point gap, not because of the teams performance as a team, but because of one particular individuals performance. I'm on record as having said that we were a greater threat when Bamford was on the pitch against Bristol City than when JKA was on, and I stand by that, but whether that is the case or not we were a hairsbreadth away from losing two points because Casillas head is shot, and were we to come up against a team that gives us real pressure (which we haven't had for some time), I fear the consequences.

As for the sky falling in, I don't know how long you have supported Leeds, but having done so for over 50 years, to see the prospect of my club returning to the highest level of competition in the country left in the hands (or feet) of a player who has already cost us that promotion once is akin to having the sky fall in. We do play decent football, so why is it that I (and I suspect about a million other fans (at ER and beyond) have the dread feeling that one goal is never enough and getting that one goal is like pulling teeth.

"Beating teams we should beat"....you mean like Wigan, at home?

If "we know the weaknesses", why oh why is nothing done to address them?

[norfolk white]

I have also supported Leeds for a bit less than 50 years, and the issues which cost us fatally last season I feel certainly haven't been addressed, even made worse by Pontus and roofe leaving, the same issues are there for all to see, I always feel we need to be 3-0 up before I can relax (that went out the window against Cardiff), goalscoring and goalkeeping are the issues, as of last season, as of this, at least 10 points if not more have been lost terribly because if this, our frustration and anger on this board related to this issue week upon week, and like other I fear this issue will see us drop shirt once again, I so hope not.

[spaldy]

we are so dominant against so many of the teams. hard to believe that we in the middle of a large pack in a title chase. we should be free and clear.

[george_kaplan]

we are so dominant against so many of the teams. hard to believe that we in the middle of a large pack in a title chase. we should be free and clear.

Careful mate, I see a bit of a criticism there, don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings huh You will be getting slotted in to the next therapy session!!

We was free and clear, talk about flow and ebb, we are used to this (we never get used to this). The old cliche’ “ours to throw away” is loud and clear. We still have a second throw of the dice, this implosion wasn’t at the very end so maybe time to right the wrongs?

[Ozwhites]

we are so dominant against so many of the teams. hard to believe that we in the middle of a large pack in a title chase. we should be free and clear.

No mistaking. We "should" be in exactly the same situation as Liverpool currently find themselves. Harsh...yes...but realistically....also yes.

[Rev72]

Good to see the children playing nicely for a change

[WTF11]

Good to see the children playing nicely for a change

Its just our "club" right now Rev, the others have taken their ball home!

[asturianblanco]

"Let's all try and be civil"???????

I differ in my opinion of what Leeds are, what they have been, and what they might be in future, but never in all my differences with anyone who posts here have i ever suggested those i differ with are not true Leeds supporters. Is that being "civil"?

In all the times I have differed, have I ever suggested that those I differ with SHOULDNT have their opinions, no matter how much I disagree with them or the strength of language I have used when differing? No! Is that being "civil"?

Just a couple of examples where "being civil" is precisely what I've been.

Care to look at what Pete, Pacaman, WS and a few others have "contributed" to the overall air of civility on this board?

I'm very happy we have clawed a few points gap back. I'd be delirious if we managed to get promoted. But be "civil" to some of the pond life who get their panties all tangled up because I dont worship the ground Radrizzani walks on, or have a few doubts about just how good Bielsa really is or (God forbid) suggest that the great white hope from Real Madrid was, is and will be an ongoing nightmare between the sticks, nah that's too much to ask.

"the great white hope from Real Madrid"
Are you racist? relating the boy´s shighteness to his skin colour? You should be banned for 6 games.