19 Aug 2023 01:30:44
Differing views on game as usual. My three pennies worth.
Lots of heart and endeavour.
Farke 2. Terrible game management. If he has told Ayling to play higher teams will learn to target that side. Should have swapped cress for shacks last 15 min. Leaving Perkins off bench means you have to take off your chosen poor striker and replace with a poor midfielder.
Mezz 6. Def an improvement on last year. Good save and overall good distribution.
Ayling 5. Good goal and a couple of blocks at the end but too high and way too much time lying down.
Rodon 6 looked comfortable
Struik 5.5. Slowly improving on last year.
Byram 6. Looked good and if he stays fit will save us some dosh
Amps 7. Good on ball and always wanted it.
Shacks 5. Weak link and not good enough although he plays with heart.
Gray. 6. Ok game. Not convinced he is a starter yet.
James 8. One game dosent maketh a man but run them ragged. Unlucky not to score. As quick as hell. If he had an end game he'd be worth 80 mill.
Rutter 3 Think he touched the ball 4 times and wasted his big chance.
Gelhardt 3. League 1 standard at best. Rules of free kick. 1 beat the wall. 2. Get it on target. 3. Score. Say no more. Wasn't a pen either.

West brom another poor team. Don't see them as above mid table. Lucky goal. Should have been red on the half hour.
Ref was crap. Even commentator said no goal and way too many bookings for a game that wasn't really overall dirty.

So our easy easy start has see 2 points out of 9. Just beaten a lower league team and that's pretty much where we are at.

Over to you 40s.

1.) 19 Aug 2023
19 Aug 2023 06:19:25
On Greenwood, agreed he’s not been a great CM over the last 2 seasons, but he was brought into the Club as a promising young striker and unfortunately successive managers tried to mould him into a CM due to our lack of options there. He had, and still has, the attributes to become a decent CAM/ secondary striker, or even if CF if developed properly.

Agree Cresswell could have come on for Shack, enabling Rodon to add his height and physical presence further up the pitch - maybe then Meslier could have tried kicking the ball straight up to him rather than trying to hit Ayling on the wing, ending up kicking into touch and throwing away possession in the last ten minutes and helping Baggies wind down the clock.

2.) 19 Aug 2023
19 Aug 2023 08:36:01
I agree Rutter and Joffy were terrible up front, but hopefully we'll have an a new striker before the next game
Ailing was high up the pitch, but watching from the stands, it was clear to see he was rotating with Shackleton and to be fair, if he didn't push up then he wouldn't have scored his goal
Alot on this site have shouted that we need to improve the team from the back, we seem to be doing that and hopefully midfield, then upfront will get upgraded too before window shuts
We could have killed the game off in the first half, but didn't
I still think Leeds will improve dramatically, but patience is the tonic of today.

3.) 19 Aug 2023
19 Aug 2023 08:43:45
Very differing views on the game Aus.

I think Farke has done an amazing job to turn out a performance like that from the players he had available. I would give him 8/ 10

I agree Shacks shouldn’t be a starter (I am not a big fan) , but last night he put in one of his best performances, better than 5.5, and I am struggling to understand a 6 for Gray? A definitely starter for me and with Amps will be one of the best partnerships in the league, they controlled the middle against very good, strong seasoned professionals.

Ayling had a very good game, his new role is to push up the pitch, that’s why he was there, and that’s why he scored, we didn’t conceded because of his positioning this time!

Thought Pascal looked as accomplished as a CB as he has done for a long time, and having Rodon next to him might just give him the confidence to step on, think he had a great game, way better than 5.5.

Agree Rutter contributed nothing, but much of that was down to Joffy, who was simply terrible.

Think we must have been watching different games.

4.) 19 Aug 2023
19 Aug 2023 09:59:28
Generally agree Clue-but-
Byram- I wonder if he is staiying Left or is he destined to swap if/ when we get a recognised LB. (Is Drameh staying going? )
Gray- starter every time
James good game but like you Cluey "one swallow does not make a summer"
Rutter- either an Enigma of the highest proportions or just a total waste?
Gelhardt- So sad, so highly touted in the U23s but seems so out of his depth in the team?
With the dire straits we are in a draw is a victory. MOT.

5.) 19 Aug 2023
19 Aug 2023 10:43:08
Leodis, feel sorry for Dramah. Obvious he's not going to get his chance this season so for his sake
we should allow him to go and get some cash for him while we can.

6.) 19 Aug 2023
19 Aug 2023 10:53:32
I do wonder why we had 2 keepers on the bench, I know some of the young lads aren't ready yet but put a couple on the bench gives them a bit of experience and maybe we could put a striker on instead of a midfielder for 15 mins or so at least give us a chance to score.

7.) 19 Aug 2023
19 Aug 2023 11:05:55
Drama must be still carrying a slight knock?
If not and his attitude is an issue he wouldn't be on the bench.
Surely Farke would have played him at some point by now if fit?

8.) 19 Aug 2023
19 Aug 2023 11:14:30
I agree. Oh wait. Got a basil coming on ?.

9.) 19 Aug 2023
19 Aug 2023 12:27:58
Agrrr more with MG than Aus. Thought Gray looked solid and we it’s Amps a strong partnership is forging. Baby Shack too. Very busy and got I. Some good positions. Bill still looks shaky defensively though they neatly scored from a break when he went to ground too easy.