Getting hard to keep faith now

[norfolk white]

Seems bielsa wants to play beautiful football, bit like mr venger did at arsenal......not against that, but we are a poor man's arsenal.

[CromerWhite]

I feel a lot of sympathies with the OP and can understand the feelings expressed, especially when it comes to the money. We have made a bag full of cash and even with our losses in the past two years I don't see how FFP (fecking sick of hearing about it) can be the reason why we are not spending the cash we have brought in. Heard on some dodgy site that it could be we are keeping the money to pay for Costa but surely we didn't agree to pay the 15 million upfront next year when he signs permanently?

Wage bill as gone down so even with the wages we are now paying for the likes of Costa, Kiko and Bamford still don't see how that will swallow up all the cash?

I do think Costa was a real signature signing but knowing our luck he'll break a leg tomorrow! If not I think we have a even more attacking side than last year.

Defense wise I'm not to sure really, with JP going we are certainly weaker in that department compared to last year (White is unproven in this league but could be sh^t hot). I think it depends in part on the system we choose to play, we have been playing 3-4-3 preseason and if you think about it if we play that system this season we probably can get by with the defenders we have.

I don't think KP will be going anywhere this year but if no promotion this time round then he'll be gone next summer for about £2.50 and a boiled egg. If roofe goes we will need another forward, really can't see us going through a season with only one first team striker no matter how much we play players out of position (which MB is hinting at).

And talking of MB I genuinely feel it's unfinished business for him, if he's not happy with the recruitment and the team in general he will walk away and rightly so if the club have failed to commit to any promises they made (for all I know the only promise they might have made was to get rid of PJ).

So tin hat time for me, if MB stays and he's happy with the squad at the end of the transfer window then I think we will go up automatically. Think we are going to play some of the best football you will see in this league (again).

[whitestomper45]

100% agree, it's smelling more and more like all the other LUFC ownership 'models' of the last 15 years, taking cash through player sales and fan spend, spouting lots of meaningless platitudes about 'targeting the Premier League', and no actual serious investment to back up the BS, pocketing the cash instead. And of course once Radz does sail off into the sunset, (as he inevitably will), you can bet he'll take the ownership of ER with him..... Dan James is a perfect example, assuming he'd continued his form playing for the us, the worst scenario would have been we'd have sold him this summer for a profit. Short term 'cost of everything value of nothing' thinking as per usual.

And yes, re. MB, I said at the time (and got shot down for it), his obstinate inflexibility both in terms of players picked and tactics used probably cost us as many points as the lack of investment. And there's been nothing to suggest he's going to change that approach (unless perhaps a slight change of formation - 4-1-4-1 to 3-3-3-1 - we'll see if that happens / makes any difference).

It's incredibly frustrating that we can all see that we're so close to where we need to be, and that what feels like a relatively modest investment would get us there, and yet the club seem to have no ambition or intention to take that step. If it does go t*ts up over the next 3-4 months then it'll be possibly the biggest missed opportunity ever in the history of LUFC - kind of typical of this club as it's our centenary year.............

Bielsa turned a bunch of misfiring mediocrity into providers of the best football in years. Our wage bill has apparently soared, were linked with several forwards. Toon have just made 2 signings so maybe Gayle can be loaned out... depressing site at moment before a ball been kicked

[Tichi1]

Bielsa turned a bunch of misfiring mediocrity into providers of the best football in years. Our wage bill has apparently soared, were linked with several forwards. Toon have just made 2 signings so maybe Gayle can be loaned out... depressing site at moment before a ball been kicked

Couldn't agree more stomp!

[whitestomper45]

At least the sun is shining in Bristol Tich... MOT

[spaldy]

I don't disagree with many of your points Joel. Especially the point on on being a pet project for MB.

However, I'm going to go into the happy clapper camp and say that sometimes creative geniuses can change the dynamics. we are all thinking in terms of standard English football and having to go out and buy top dollar players that fit a certain position and play the same way that everyone else does.

What if MB's looking at it that he's going to change the entire way that football is being played in the championship. Every great offensive team such as the Brazilain National team, Barca, or Man City played different than all of the other teams in the division they played. They enjoyed the wealth of talent that we don't but the concept of attacking football was different that most of the teams that just sat back and filled the box against them such as the Big Sam approach. Maybe this year we'll punch it in from the mids or just overwhelm teams. it's a high risk play but it is worse than playing crowd the box and hoof ball (which does get you promoted but is horrible to watch).

With our midfield and ball handlers we could just overwhelm teams. I am deeply worried about our defense when teams counterattack but maybe we will put the ball in the net 3-4 times a game this year.

[Hugh_G_Rection]

With our midfield and ball handlers we could just overwhelm teams. I am deeply worried about our defense when teams counterattack but maybe we will put the ball in the net 3-4 times a game this year.

Whilst I admire the optimism, I have to ask who you think is going to put the ball in the back of the net 3-4 times a game.
We've just sold our top scorer and are now left with just one senior striker.
And he struggled with one a game towards the end of last season.

[CromerWhite]

Whilst I admire the optimism, I have to ask who you think is going to put the ball in the back of the net 3-4 times a game.
We've just sold our top scorer and are now left with just one senior striker.
And he struggled with one a game towards the end of last season.

So Roofe is gone then? Haven't seen anything to confirm this?

Good to see the under 23's are picking up where they left off last season, winning away at the moment.

[CromerWhite]

So Roofe is gone then? Haven't seen anything to confirm this?

Good to see the under 23's are picking up where they left off last season, winning away at the moment.

Should have said at home, preseason friendly on Leeds youtube site if anyone's interested.

[CromerWhite]

Should have said at home, preseason friendly on Leeds youtube site if anyone's interested.

Feck me should have stayed in bed,where away and now 2 up.