28 Aug 2019 09:44:11
Wonderful night of cup football. 30k midweek, great atmosphere, all in a game that mattered a lot more for the Stoke boss and his team than it really did for us.
Great to meet Alf and DJ before the game in the legendary peacock and put faces to names. Need to do that again.
Great to see chances for Davis, Bogusz, Macalmont, and Shackleton as well as more game time for Clarke. In the first half we struggled to gel and create and fluid football but I think the formation contributed to that as well as the new players which at times was Weird. Clarke didn't look like he knew where he was playing, Shackleton had a few energetic runs but ditto and Costa was less threatening as wing back.
I was really struggling to work out how the players on the field were supposed to fit into whatever formation it was. Having KP in the back three with Mcalmont sat in front of him, just didn't work at all.
So Mcalmont, Shackleton and Clarke being hauled off at half time was an indictment of their impact but also the formation itself.
It was tough for Davis and Bogusz, but they are clearly in Bielsas plans and would have learnt a lot from the night. Davis seems to jump higher when in the opposition penalty box than he does in our own, but made some key contributions in the game, pass for the goal, key block at the end of the game. When he had White beside him, it helped.
Bogusz, worked hard, was marked heavily throughout and struggled with the different pace and class of the game but hung in there, and showed glimpses of what he can do. Think we will see a lot more of Davis and Bogusz, although probably from the bench.
Jack Clarke, what can you say? Position and playing with this experimental team didn't help and had a couple of encouraging runs but seemingly struggling to impose himself on any game at the moment. Lack of confidence or interest, don't know. Needs to be playing football every week even if it's under 23s and getting some form and rhythm back.
The really good bits, can't stop Eddie scoring and he took it nicely and probably could have had 2 more. White, is probably already more important to this team than Pontus was in terms of his impact and absence. Foreshaw, showed what we missed when he doesn't play and Costa really is class, just needs to be fully integrated into the team and playing regularly.
All in all, I would imagine Bielsa spent all night thinking about what he learnt from the game and how that impacts on normal games! Bench was on fire by the way, animated, furious all through the second half in particular and three yellow cards for the bench, I think!
28 Aug 2019 10:36:54
Nice post Spanish and picking up from your earlier Struick post, what last confirmed to me is that if we lose either or heaven forbid both of Coops and White for a lengthy period it will really hurt our automatic challenge. We will continue to outplay teams but will be very vulnerable to the sucker punch, particularly at set pieces . Struick despite his height is at the moment 6 th or seventh choice CB for MB . But you can’t expect to have a solid CB base in the championship without at least one of the CB’s offering height and physicality . Boring I know to keep reverting to it, but it’s the one big error from the Summer window . On a positive note Eddie is an absolute star and will play for England within a year or two . We are very lucky to have him!
28 Aug 2019 11:04:43
Really though Harrison made the difference when he came on, shame about the pen but it happens. Back to the job in hand and three points against the Swans is what matters.
28 Aug 2019 11:47:18
Bielsa bud agreed, White, Foreshaw and Harrison had impact at the back, midfield and front as needed!
Red hot, my frustration is that I feel Pascal could be part of the answer and if Bielsa had him on the bench it’s an acceptance that he could have come in in the first game. He is a CB and he is in line and could play at some point, so why not try him out particularly when he gives us height that we need. Others have had a chance why not Pascal and now the cup chance has gone again until Jan!
28 Aug 2019 12:56:43
For all we know Struick May have picked up a knock .
28 Aug 2019 21:28:53
at the end of the day it doesn't really matter going out of cup is sometimes a blessing in disguise but very worrying that MB thinks you can play three at the back with out a CB on the pitch and that he thinks phillips and beradi are the answer. to me it means promotion is kind of down to luck as we need luck coops and white don't get injured or suspended. i said it before but still really can not believe it and last night stoke. the poorest team in the league put two past us.
still maybe after a 100 years leeds luck will change. it is about time.
28 Aug 2019 23:26:30
Also puzzled Struijk didn't get a run out last night - unless he had picked up a knock, as RHC suggested. Chances are he could have helped prevent Stoke's first goal, and he could have been a big threat for us at set pieces (as he has been for U23s) , given that even KP managed to get on the end of some crosses into their box.
29 Aug 2019 08:27:08
If Pascal had a knock why not just tell us! Easy to mention post match and would help people understand his ideas and thinking.
29 Aug 2019 12:25:04
But he’s hardly going to run through every knock suffered by fringe players in his pressers . Up to the journos to ask the questions . Like why no Pascal with such an obvious lack of night in our central defence?