13 Jun 2019 10:07:42
In the second play off game against Derby we were missing, Roofe, Douglas, Alioski, Roberts, Forshaw, Leif Davis and effectively Pontus! That's quite a selection.
That allowed us to have Struick, Clarke, Bailey, Gotts, Brown, Bogusz and a probably unfit Pontus on the bench.
I'm assuming most on here would like to have Struick, Gotts, Bogusz and Clarke getting in and around the squad and bench at least, and I haven't mentioned Edmundson, Aapo, Oduor, Never mind at least a couple of the returning loanees!
This obviously assumes no sales, which there haven't been, yet!
It also assumes that none of the other loanees returning or other under 23 players make a case for themselves in preseason.
I accept that the key is keeping more players fit, but if all of these players are fit to start the season, there is already quite a choice and we know Bielsa will still only be looking at 18 plus an additional group then supported by the under 23s. The youngsters will only get a chance if there is room for them to play. Shackleton would only have played more last year if someone else played less!
Given Bielsas response to the frailty at key moments last year appears to be, possibly a new goalkeeper and definitely more attacking threat . The answer appears to be create better chances and score more of them and everything will be alright. If Bielsa is right, we are probably not going to see more than 3 additions and a goalie, they are going to be up front unless we need to replace players sold, and they are going to be loanees, with us looking for the best of the options and therefore probably not finalised until towards the end of the window. That in itself will create more opportunities in preseason for the likes of Edmundson, Bogusz, Kun and definitely Shakleton and Clarke. And we know with Bielsa, players like Klich can grab that opportunity.
So there we go, we can all relax, go on holiday, find our own hot tube of hope and positivity and leave it in the capable hands of Radz, Orta y Bielsa! Unless anyone thinks otherwise of course.
13 Jun 2019 10:28:12
of course old waldorf here thinks otherwise
last year we performed at our best and fell short, last year as great as we were as as awful as we were. said it before but the derby game wasnt the problem, the qpr, brum, ipswich, blackburn, hull and wigan games where the problem
so in short we fell short in a specatular record breaking fashion, why? becuase we was not good enough
so when rads says difficult summer that means going backwards or at best not going forwards
so if we don't improve how can this season be any better than last year when recording breaking leeds broke all the records we didn't want to break
if we keep all our players we need,
a center back to get cooper on bench,
a cover for left and right back to get rid of beradi
a centre midfield who can tackle and give the defence cover
a goalkeeper who can . well keep goal
an attacking midfelider to take weight off the 112 year old god that is pablo
a striker who can convert more of these chances
so need a few things from our difficult summer
so we can all go away, drinks ourselves into a coma on holiday, find our own hot tub of negivitivty and just hope we don't drown in it. unless anyone thinks otherwise of course?
13 Jun 2019 10:39:23
Good quick response Bermo! Looks like there are mainly two contrasting views, one held by Bielsa, Orta and Radz and another held by others less likely to be able to effect things!
Although there is some common ground, goalkeeper, attacking midfielder and attacking winger. For Bielsa, anyone bought in on the wings will also be expected to defend there. With Douglas, Alioski, Gotts, Davis, Dallas, not sure Bielsa will see a need for anyone else.
I’m not contesting that there isn’t another view or alternative plan but merely that given Radz, Orta and Bielsa are in place, it’s not going to happen.
Best book your break in Southend, over indulge in Watneys pale ale, pie and mash and cockles and prepare to come back with your prediction of mid table mediocrity!
13 Jun 2019 11:05:47
2 great opinions, 1 concern Spanish is the phrase 'leave it the capable hands of orta' far too many cheap bad buys to be trusted imo, MB should be telling them who HE wants,
13 Jun 2019 11:53:05
Fair point Richie, I think most of us would agree that the jury is still out on Orta and the recruitment machine. We seem to be able identify talent but not necessarily recruit it. Some good more lower key buys but less successful with the big ticket buys.
13 Jun 2019 12:04:51
My view is we will get a centre back and two wingers.
No goalie or striker
And that ain’t enough.
Not sure Berardi should go, he can cover too many positions.
I’d sell Clarke and bam for $22-$23 mill and then add top draw striker.
13 Jun 2019 12:19:15
Can see both Spanish and BW's view on this. Think if its 3 players in, a striker, winger and no.10 would be the choices. Next 2 in would be a centre half and an attacking midfielder . After that it would be another winger and a keeper. Think MB will know squad size and quality were our downfall last season. If we get 3 or 4 of these in in the Summer window and strengthen where needed in January I would accept that. Any less than this and failing to strengthen in every window could be Rads downfall again.
13 Jun 2019 14:07:59
A lot of the posts seem to have forgotten Roberts, think most would agree he progressed during the year and is going to play a part. Also Shackleton to fit in to the equation somewhere. Also just as some posters call for a new striker others ask for Edmundson to get an opportunity. If we have Roofe, Bamford and one other, how likely is that?
To give the youngsters a chance you have to create space for them in the squad. It brings risks but so does bringing players n on loan as last year proved.
13 Jun 2019 14:43:38
agree spanish roberts is going to be a big player for us this year i think, and unlike many i think cb is our most important place to cover, last year we was good going forward in the main but very soft at the back unless we cover at the back i predict another season without promotion
at the moment my prediction is 4-8th place finish and if we make playoffs of course we won't win them
as for the difference of opinions i believe rads and orta agree with me just if they have the money to do anything about it
MB is hard to read but he either has to agree with me or he is wrong again, he is a great manager but last year he was wrong and i hope this year he toes the line and listens to old BW aka Walrdof aka the cockney oricle. it will save him getting the sack unless he does.
13 Jun 2019 15:36:17
Bermo, Have you seen Pascal playing at all? What do you think of him?
Managers usually get the sack sooner or later but with Bielsa more likely to walk than get sacked.
Actually I see you as very similiar ro Bielsa, both very confident of your own ability and both very unlikely to change your mind! A marriage made in heaven! You could do a job share!
But it’s good to see you’re a slightly more optimistic than you were last season! The positivity pills are working!
13 Jun 2019 17:23:40
what a daft question course i haven't seen pascal play other than highlights of a few games on the web.
however i can tell this if he didn't get a game last season when we played beradi, KP, aling and cooper at Cb he is either not that good, not ready or the manager don't fancy him, either way i can't see him being the answer this season when he wasnt last season and the answer we had last season was poor
i am similar to MB apart from i know english football and leeds squad better which is why i was crying out for him to get players in to replace cooper and beradi let alone a few more bodies as unlike him i knew the squad was too small
im not more optomistic than last season last season i said we won't go up this year i am saying the same. not going up is not going up. if anything i am more pessermistic as i think we will lose our young gems as a result. siliver lining KP might be off which saves me having a heart attack every game. small blessings.
13 Jun 2019 19:19:40
Bermo, your quote. "I can't see him being the answer this season when he wasnt last season and the answer we had last season was poor"
So your basically saying if a young players isn't good enough one year then he will never be good enough?
Does this gem come from your knowledge of English football, or may be from your more intimate knowledge of the Leeds squad (a squad which you only seem to watch on TV, and only if it's related to the first team) ?
It's a wonder how Bobby Moore ever progressed at West Ham, or Tony Adams at Arsenal, or Paul Madeley at Leeds because sure as anything there were early years that they didn't get in the first team.
. and on the Phillips issue, Batty was average in his first season as a defensive midfielder. As was Paul Ince at West Ham. So i am not holding much credence to your continuous harranging of one individual player who is in the first season of learning the most complex role on the pitch.
We all now know you don't rate him, so is there any possibility you can move forward with more constructive criticisms of a different player.
May be each month you could enlighten us all with your constructive criticisms of different players. I can imagine them being looked forward to as much as Spanish's U23 reports.
13 Jun 2019 20:07:41
Spanish
Regarding your view on Roberts, above
Where does he play?
Firstly he played upfront when Roofe got his first injury, and Bamford was still out
Then he played the No10 role when Saiz was loaned out
I don't see that he is big enough, aggressive enough, or technically gifted enough to play the lone striker role
I don't see him creative enough to play the No10 role
I see a young, dynamic, forward thinking player who could thrive in the more open spaces of the flanks. He certainly looks like he has pace to burn
Just on the No10 role, my indifference to Saiz is recorded, but I think our performance went down hill once Saiz was loaned. I always remember him being marked by 2 of the opposition in every game such was his threat. Add that to the 2 that always seemed to be on Henandez, the maths would suggest the the opposition had 6 outfield players left to mark our other 8 outfield players. Could this be why we had a productive half season (and Klich scored so many) ?
I don't recollect the opposition being as worried about Robert's in that role.
13 Jun 2019 21:25:04
axe few issues with your post
firstly the dig about my knowledge from watching tv and not being at the game, this is rightous carp from fans who go to ground. i go to a lot of games and watch a lot of game, you get a better idea from watching on tv which is why those in the know like bielsa have hours of tv footage as scouting so let's drop that, i would ask about your knowledge when you only go to the games when this ain't the best way to anelise
secondly your comments regarding my comments on playing progressing. of course players progress what a dumb comment by yourself, i am aware players progress. My comment was this
last year our strikers were in poor form at times yet MB didn't use edmondson, so i don't see how he can go from MB sometimes not even putting him on the bench to a saviour and the striker to get us pormoted in just one season. probs unlikely. although i am sure he will progress
with our defenders i don't see how they can go from MB prefering a midget second rate right back in beradi over them in their natural position one year to being the answer to our defensive problems the next. probs unlikely
yes they will feature more, yes they will get better but the guys to get us promotion i doubt it and if they are why did they not feature more this year as they might of got us over the line for automatic promotion
finally you say about progression then slate roberts who is a young guy. how can you say this, he will get better have you not heard of players progressing?
13 Jun 2019 23:39:21
Bermo, I know that you watch the Leeds games on tv, that’s why I asked you, every under 23 game is available live on The Leeds app. Worth a look if you haven’t before.
Pascal was out injured at the start of the season so he missed pre season I think and took some time to establish himself into Carlos’s side. After Christmas he really settled in and became a regular playing sometimes alongside Aappo and Hugo, other times with Aappo with Hugo in front. Interestingly after using Aappo on the bench and team earlier in the season if needed, Bielsa had Pascal on the bench at the end of the season. Good strong guy, physical when he needs to be and brings the ball out well, tall and useful at corners at both ends. Like to see him have a chance in preseason and see how he does.
Axe,
Roberts still developing, not the finished product, but seems better coming through midfield and had some strong passages of play, but not consistent. Depends again on the kind of preseason he has and what he can show, also obviously who else we bring in that can play there.
Given the age of our under 23 squad players a year is a long time in their development and things can change quickly. Bielsa seems to like to identify possibilities early and then work with them. Last season was where he saw JC, Shakleton, Robbie Gotts, Leif and Aappo and they gradually had chances.
Ryan Edmundson, also had health and fitness issues that held him back and restricted his appearances before Christmas. He has really worked hard on his fitness.
These are some of the reasons why I’m quite excited about preseason and I bet some of these lads are as well. A year on, they have developed and Bielsa knows a lot more about them. They have also had a year of shadowing the Bielsa style and understand how the first team plays and what Bielsa expects.
Playing youth brings risks but so does going out and buying or loaning players. It has to be about doing both and making it gel. It’s probably the only plus for me about staying in the championship in that it is a more gradual move for some of the younger lads. Let’s see.
14 Jun 2019 06:59:32
Bermo
Bieslas TV analysis is from a lot of different angles, not just the singular image that a TV director derms the most entertaining
So I stand by my "carp" observation that you do not have all the tools required to have a better understanding of the Championship or the Leeds squad, how ever much to Witter on
Your just another poster, one that most take with a pinch of salt. However now and again your sanctimonious texts get right under my skin and I bite.
And finally.
Read my post again, slowly, use your finger under each word if you need to, but I do not attack Robert's at all. I have only seen a bit of him and I like what I see.
14 Jun 2019 07:06:33
Spanish
Thanks for the reply
Not having the opportunity to watch U23 games or the Leeds app, I am grateful for your posts on the younger players and their progress.
It was interesting to read your comment about Roberts looking better through the middle of the park. So different to my belief in giving pacy guys the wide areas to "open their legs and show their class". I will be more observant of this when I next watch him, cheers.
Also, I appreciate the positivity that comes from your posts. They certainly lift the mood on this site sometimes.
14 Jun 2019 12:04:10
Spanish, Axe, good posts!
14 Jun 2019 13:47:08
so you know how others take my views on here a lot, know a lot don't you. see i wouldn't know what others say about me on here as i only watch on tv and not from the stands
MOT.
14 Jun 2019 16:11:29
sorry spanish i apologise 100% i thouht the games where only live if you subscribe to lutv which i do every summer for pre season freindly only to cancle a week later when it is pony. i do see a lot of the highlights which i track and the odd game when shown on social media but will look out for them now so thanks for that and again my apologise
with regards to all the under 23s i think we have some great prospects but in reality only shacks, clarke and roberts broke into the team and while i think all three are great i worry the others might not be ready to make a huge impact on a promotion season although i think they will have a part to play and will be very good players might just be too soon to go from under 23s to automatic places in league.