31 Dec 2021 20:12:21
A very happy new year to all the posters and the excellent Ed’s on the Site, here’s to a much improved 2022,
Keep the faith, we’re not even halfway yet.
{Ed014's Note - Happy New Year 92, hope it’s a belter for you all!
01 Jan 2022 01:47:22
Happy New Year 2022 Class
Be very interested indeed
if Class and any of the other half glass full posters in Bielsa we trust lads such as Clueless, OP, Richie, Cork, etc anyone
can give a reply articulating with reasoning and logic their belief on how and why LUFC's results and performances are going to improve this second half of season ( other than in the (very) unlikely event of LUFC signing some quality 1st team players in Jan window)
because even when we had most players available EARLIER in the season performances and results were also truly inadequate as they have been all this season so far under MB.
01 Jan 2022 09:43:50
Firstly Happy New Year BazVid
In regards your question, honestly No, that's why i'm not a top manager on 100k plus a week, personally as u know i'm a 'in Bielsa we trust' man, yes he makes mistakes don't we all, as yes he is set in his ways but, my points are this, imo i think he he deserves the chance to turn it round, and secondly, if Radz hit the button, Who is out there, with prem experience to turn it round, for me No to Lampard, No to Big Sam and no to Nuno, so unless chelsea sack Tommy Tuchie, i don't see a replacement out there, imo
Bazvid, would u rather watch bielsa football or the defence dross from others?
01 Jan 2022 11:45:04
Happy New Year to you too Richie
good on you for your honest appraisal.
Although no longer agreeing, I can just about still empathise a tad with the MB deserves more chances ( not a first chance as he has had almost 30 games pre season friendlies, EPL games and cup games though to do so to turn it around.
and I certainly agree about the main dilemma of who is better and available mid season to replace MB, furthermore this problem would be exacerbated as it would be VO choosing to do so and VO is equally at fault this season for LUFC demise
with regards to style of play yes I have enjoyed Bielsa football for the first 3 seasons, but honestly can you or anyone else say that they have enjoyed this season so far : we haven't played well in virtually every game, playing players out of position just doesn't work DJ up front? come on, the ridiculous amount of stupid defensive mistakes from overplaying at the back etc which I abhor,
apart from Raph there are no LUFC players ( this season ) that excite me, I really miss the creative talent, goals and assists of LUFC legend Pablo and even a Saiz type player. Gelhardt has potential to excite I guess.
There is a very good reason MB never stays long at football clubs and it has been clear ever since the Southampton and Brighton games etc that this is one season too many for MB ; I do believe LUFC will now finish 19th with him at the helm in what will be most definitely MBs last few months at most as LUFC coach whatever else happens from now.
01 Jan 2022 16:02:23
Firstly, a belated Happy New Year to one and all.
Baz, you may be forgetting that injuries, sickness and late involvement in pre-season for some key players, particularly in defence and at DM significantly disrupted preparation during that period, and that this continued into the first games of the season, going into the game at OT, without Llorente, KP and Firpo, and with Coops having only come back into the squad for the last game of pre-season. The constant changes in defensive personnel through pre-season and at the start of the season will significantly impacted our defensive stability, and with our play being built from the back, disrupted our patterns of play throughout the team.
We actually seemed to have found a little more cohesion by the 5th game, at the Toon and had we been given the stonewall penalty when James was fouled, would have gone on to win that game easily, with the home crowd ready to turn on their team - and could have taken momentum from the result. The injuries to Bamford and Ayling, and ridiculous red for Struijk in the previous game, started the run of injuries and other absences that continue even now. Even so we were unfortunate to loose the following game v Hammers.
So to summarise, even at the beginning, contrary to your suggestion, there were significant reasons for our underperforming. You have previously lamented our results in preseason. Given the absences of key players in defence and at DM, they were hardly surprising, particularly given the calibre of the last three opponents - actually the draw in that’s match v Villarreal was not too shabby given the circumstances.
As for reasons to take a more optimistic outlook than your current one, I’ll give it a go, but not sure you’ll be convinced.
Firstly, it would be truly extraordinary if our current run of injuries was to continue, so the balance of probabilities is that more of our current squad will be available, with less square pegs in round holes etc.
As a follow on to that, as we all know, Bamford is absolutely key to our patterns of play, and barring any repetition of the ridiculous knee-slide celebration of forthcoming goals, should hopefully return from the bench tomorrow and be fully involved from the league game v the Hammers.
Next it seems likely that we will bring in new players this month.
Currently there are no solid rumours of specific incomings, but very specific suggestions of loans for some of the u23s who have had first team minutes suggests intent to bring in new players for the first team - why otherwise would we countenance a reduction in our current back-up options?
I do not believe either Radz or 49ers would wish to risk relegation, and they will know that not strengthening this month would greatly increase that risk.
01 Jan 2022 20:23:37
Some fair and well made points from you Clu ;
both you and Class are adept at ( often) constructing well balanced posts.
02 Jan 2022 12:40:22
Cheers Baz. All the best for 2022. Hear’s hoping that this year our Club gives us more (positive) reasons to agree.