Blackburn Rovers - v - Leeds United ***Matchday Thread***

[Rev72]

Still in a healthy position in the league and a minimum of 4 points from the next 2 games keeps us in the mix for a play-off place.

A bad day at the office for all concerned today..a wake up call as well.


MOT

[alfinyalcabo]

Well,I become a Leeds supporter for the day and what do you do ..You go and lose to the Bastids .. At least you didn't lose 5-0 though.

[norfolk white]

You jinxed us

[alfinyalcabo]

You jinxed us

[cress]

Haven't seen the game so I don't know what happened but I saw people mention Roofe playing as a winger. Why?! The guy improved a huge amount this season as a striker. He was scoring goals and his work rate was exceptional. Why the hell did Bielsa put him out wide?

[hopelesslyoptimistic]

Rome wasn’t built in a day. Keep the faith as we are moving in the right direction.

Crazy how competitive this league is - 6 points from 5th to 16th.

[alfinyalcabo]

Rome wasn’t built in a day. Keep the faith as we are moving in the right direction.

Crazy how competitive this league is - 6 points from 5th to 16th.

So,you could well be in a relegation scrap in a couple of weeks Hopey ?

[OldWhiteTaff]

Positives learnt today - briefly .................. IMO

3. Points 1 & 2 we knew from last season - now Bielsa Defo,knows too.

5. Point 1 deduces Roofe must now start as striker only & Roberts as back up striker as neither are effective out wide if both on the pitch.

7.Again direct pace at us (Armstrong today) is a problem which can expose Pontus & Berardi to be stretched - again this was evident from last season as we know.Bielsa should know that but regardless he'll Defo know now.

Disappointed but we're on a journey and will need 6 points from next two games - so added pressure on players.Bielsa will have learned a lot today of his players in that the mentality is right but players ultimately can only do what their ability allows and when played out of position can be exposed as was the case today,IMO.
Phillips was class again and never gave up.
No rose tinted specs from me ........... long way to go yet but six shots should have produced more than a goal.

MOT

Yes, BUT, Bielsa watched all last season's games so he should know as well. Playing Roofe and Roberts was never likely to work - so why did it happen? The brave decision would have been start Jack Clarke on the right side of midfield (if Pablo was really not ready to start) with Roofe up front and Roberts back on the bench.
And ditto for Dallas, it's been glaringly obvious from each time he's been played left back, he is NOT a LB. So why did Bielsa play him there anyway? The brave decision would have been to start Alioski there, and that's what should have happened, but didn't.....
I worry that whilst Bielsa might be a great coach he's also extremely stubborn, and as such will persist with 'his ideas' even when they might not actually be right.
Unless there's a huge improvement against Ipswich and Forest I really fear we're not going to have the great season initial performances suggested we might. If I'm brutally honest we've looked pretty average for the majority of the last seven games, so something clearly needs to be changed.

[klix]

Rome wasn’t built in a day. Keep the faith as we are moving in the right direction.

Crazy how competitive this league is - 6 points from 5th to 16th.

Yes it is very competitive,Villa will creep up now they have got shut of that negative lump,Few blackburn fans around myself today i could hear them praising the way we play,bit more steel needed,but this league is crazy which makes it a great league

[MrsORichSenior]

Yes, BUT, Bielsa watched all last season's games so he should know as well. Playing Roofe and Roberts was never likely to work - so why did it happen? The brave decision would have been start Jack Clarke on the right side of midfield (if Pablo was really not ready to start) with Roofe up front and Roberts back on the bench.
And ditto for Dallas, it's been glaringly obvious from each time he's been played left back, he is NOT a LB. So why did Bielsa play him there anyway? The brave decision would have been to start Alioski there, and that's what should have happened, but didn't.....
I worry that whilst Bielsa might be a great coach he's also extremely stubborn, and as such will persist with 'his ideas' even when they might not actually be right.
Unless there's a huge improvement against Ipswich and Forest I really fear we're not going to have the great season initial performances suggested we might. If I'm brutally honest we've looked pretty average for the majority of the last seven games, so something clearly needs to be changed.

Don't panic OWT
So on the positive side we're two points off the automatic promotion places and coming out of an injury crisis that our 'rivals' have not yet had to encounter - would you have taken that position when the season started ?
For me slowly introducing the kids in as we go will be of a benefit going into the New Year.

Playing Sheff Utd in December will be a measure to what Bielsa is made of mentally and tactically.

MOT