07 Apr 2024 14:57:22
You are the manager -
You are in charge for the visit of Sunderland on Tuesday, name your starting X1 (everyone is fit and available with the exceptions of Struick and Dallas) ;
Remember, you are the manager so it's your choice and the opinions of others do not count;
Here's mine -
Meslier
Roberts
Byram
Ampadu
Rodon
Gray
Gruev
Anthony
Rutter
Gnonto
Joseph
(Bench - Summerville, James, Cresswell, Klaesson, Firpo, Piroe, Kamara, Bamford, Gelhardt)
07 Apr 2024 16:33:36
Meslier
Roberts
Firpo
Cresswell
Rodon
Ampadu (C)
Gruev
Gnonto (in the 10)
James
Summerville
Joseph
Bench
Klaesson
Gelhardt
Anthony
Gray
Byram
Kamara
Rutter
Piroe
ABBAC (Anyone But Bamford And Cooper)
Rationale: Cressy can learn from JR (whilst he's still here) and for aerial threat set pieces. Roberts is a specialist RB. Gray, Rutter and Kamara have been off it so require resting. Can be reintroduced next game and probably get minutes in this game (from bench) . Gnonto intelligent player, can play 10 and can drift each way at his discretion. Tell Amps to put in a captain's midfield performance. Get the energy back up again.
07 Apr 2024 17:15:18
Brave manager to leave Summerville out of the eleven.
07 Apr 2024 17:18:02
That's a good line up Cleggy
I too would drop Summerville ( for at least this match) .
Only change i would make to your line up would be DJ instead of Anthony
(as DJ scores a lot of goals and makes a lot of assists at home matches) .
For the remaining 2 away matches I would have Summerville instead of DJ.
07 Apr 2024 17:57:33
Some very good suggestions there George.
Re Cresswell Leeds certainly miss aerial strength in defence
And we really never look like scoring from corners nor from free kicks
That's unacceptable.
07 Apr 2024 18:17:19
Couple of weird choices imo.
Firpo was one of our better players yesterday and offers a lot more attacking wise than Byram, Cleggy. We look a lot more potent down the left when he plays.
Starting Cresswell, who's played a little over a full game in the EFL this season is just insane tbh, George. Esp with Rodon and Amps, who have hardly conceded any when paired up. Very odd.
Mes
Roberts
Rodon
Amps
Firpo
Gray
Gruev
Cry
Rutter
Gnonto
Joseph
James to come on when opposing tired legs start. Kamara has looked out of sorts last couple, poss due to lingering sickness so I'd bring him on later in the game but but start.
Roberts looked lively when he came on so would definitely like him to start.
Not starting Firpo we don't get dangerous overlapping runs nor the ability to ping in left footed crosses from that side. Plus his overlapping runs in conjuction with Cry, who likes to cut inside often, offer us the opportunity to draw players off Cry when doubled up. Needs to start imo.
Wouldn't drop Cry either as he can have an off game and still create a goal or score a goal out of nothing, which he has done recently.
07 Apr 2024 20:02:19
All fair points guys - not going to criticise as you are the manager and you get to choose:)
07 Apr 2024 20:27:50
Dill Insane, huh? Looks like your selection only one off mine. Do you think Cressy is tired from all the matches he's played this season? I'd have picked David Alaba if I could have but he belongs to Real Madrid.
I'd like to see Amps return to midfield. I accept the ??????? defensive partnership yielded great results but that's while it lasted. Our midfield needs a reenergize imo especially Rutter.
Hardly think it's insanity to play someone whose energy tank is completely full especially when on this forum and other social media platforms the word "lethargic" has been doing the rounds.
✌️.
07 Apr 2024 20:46:14
100% with Dilli on that selection, as well as the rationale! Now is definitely not the time to throw Cresswell in / to the lions. Plus, many said that DF was off his rocker breaking up the Amps / Rodon partnership, but hey, let’s do it again but for someone with no real match time this season?!
07 Apr 2024 20:56:00
A duplication of Cressy first Championship start of last season yielded 2 goals for him I believe.
07 Apr 2024 22:43:32
My >10% correct prediction record means I wouldn’t dare test the gods in attempting to name the Team.
Young Jack Clarke will take some watching though, and will be very up for it of course, but I’ll leave team selection to our coach who has got it significantly more right than wrong.
Get it’s just a bit of fun but I’ll adhere to Aus’s wise words and season long mantra “in Farke we trust” ?.
07 Apr 2024 23:11:33
Mystified by Dill and Bright replies. Our midfield is lacking, Rutter off form. If Amps doesn't return there, can see us struggling. Assuming he does, you want LOL to partner Rodon? LMAO ?
How about play a physical, aerial, goal scoring central defender who isn't exactly tired right now?
Nope. Bad idea according to you. Illogical imo. He could provide team with a lift in both defence and midfield. It's a home game against a mid table side. When exactly does Cressy get a chance?
07 Apr 2024 23:47:12
Boom George ?! George spot on re Cressy and esp re ' lethargy 'of team!
Pretty sure Cresswell scored 6 goals for Millwall and he definitely had Wet Spams Antonio in his pocket in EPL and is more than able at Champo level.
Whatever the selection formula Leeds vitally need to go back to keeping clean sheets because they have conceded 5 goals and only got 4 points out of 9 in past 3 matches.
top 2 is a pipe dream on that form and goal concession.
07 Apr 2024 23:53:51
. and Sunderland game will be dificult.
DF will pick Bamford
An unconvincing Leeds win
Leeds 2 Sunderland 1
Ipswich 2 vs Watford 1
Millwall 0 vs Leicester 3.
08 Apr 2024 05:55:35
Yet you still have us down for a win without Cresswell and with Bamford and with no hope of top two with our current team selection leaking too many goals recently.
Apart from playing at Elland rd for what footballing reasons do you think we will win this game judging by Sunderland’s previous game against us?
Please don’t respond by saying we will be wearing our white shirt.
You also got the Coventry result wrong. !
08 Apr 2024 06:10:02
Fair enough fellaaaas! All just opinions! Will be intriguing to see what response we actually get from Farkey, AND the players, who I believe will ‘want’ to put some of their own wrongs to right.
08 Apr 2024 06:50:00
YES exactly OP . playing in the famous beautiful ? white shirts . they have magic powers. they turn us into Real Madrid .
Oh yes 16 wins 4 draws 0 defeats at home too.
08 Apr 2024 06:51:09
It's the away matches one should fear . Boro and QPR . we are back to December 2023 form and levels.
{Ed025's Note - it was 1 game Baz so how do you work that out? massive over reaction for me mate, its football and every team loses games its just the nature of the beast im afraid..
08 Apr 2024 06:54:34
Said the Cressy pick was insane, George. Which it is. The kid has played about 100 mins this season and I don't remember any of those minutes. He's not up to speed plus we have the best CB partnership in the league this calendar year in Rodon and Amps. So yeah, insane to make that particular change at this crucial stage of the season.
Scoring for another team in a previous season where he was actually playing regularly is a lot different than throwing a player in on the off chance when they've literally not played all season.
Might start Gelhardt up front because he scored in 2022 ??.
08 Apr 2024 07:21:04
Ed0025 Leeds United away form is one win in four away matches
Huddersfield 1 Leeds 1 ( didn't play well ) .
Wendies 0 vs Leeds 2 ( very lucky win . Wendies dominated first half)
Watford 2 vs Leeds 2 ( Leeds lucky to to get a draw )
Coventry 2 vs Leeds 1 ( deserved to lose )
Away form is dodgy again .
{Ed025's Note - but its 1 loss Baz, do you expect these teams to roll over because they are playing mighty Leeds United?, look at Leicester,s last half a dozen games mate...this is not an easy league, you have to suck up the odd poor performance because every team have them..
08 Apr 2024 07:25:11
Cresswell wouldn't be my first choice Dill ; but I would certainly trust him to play well at this level even without game time .
08 Apr 2024 07:38:33
6 crucial points dropped though Ed0025
Aimo . Leicester will now be Champions
2nd will be decided on Ipswich and Leeds away matches.
{Ed025's Note - thats a very defeatist attitude Baz...i just hope the Leeds players dont have the same mentality as you mate..
08 Apr 2024 08:10:24
Dill Our midfield is misfiring and lethargic. I'd like a skilful midfielder to boss it while Kamara, Gray and Rutter recuperate. Who else but Amps along with Gruev? Filling his void with LOL not good. Insane though. No POTS vote for you from me.
08 Apr 2024 07:52:17
That's the point Ed . Leeds players mentality has not been good enough away.
{Ed025's Note - i just think you like to moan Baz, how about getting behind the team and showing a bit of faith mate?..
08 Apr 2024 08:33:55
And that, my friends is why we have Farkey. Can you imagine putting all of us in a locked room and saying don't come out till you have picked a team. We would be in forever and this "debate" over a settled side. What would we be like in some of the seasons past with a losing team. Anarchy does not even come near it. As we are showing, there is no right answer let's just leave it to the man and as a great man once said - "in Farke we trust" MOT.
08 Apr 2024 08:38:29
I like to win Ed025 but yes OK ?
Well said George.
08 Apr 2024 09:18:22
I wouldn't trust him at this crucial point in the season Baz, I'm afraid. If he'd had the minutes beforehand I'd be ore open, but he's coming in cold and you could easily argue he wouldn't be match fit given he's not played a single minute of the past 10 games.
And glad you aren't picking the team George, pal. Introducing players that haven't played all season in THE MOST crucial juncture of the season is a recipe for disaster. Especially when we've had a CB partnership that's proved extremely solid this year. That's all I'll add. Don't think I need to elaborate more as has already been said in my previous posts.
08 Apr 2024 10:01:34
What Mr Dillinger is saying makes sense. Some of the rest, less so.
Ed is also spot on. The tiff in the sand pit at Tingley Nursery School also does not mean we are on the cusp of WW3! Let’s retain the “realism” many often allude to, eh?
08 Apr 2024 13:25:20
Just to clarify Baz, in terms of young Charlie Cresswell having “Antonio in his pocket” we lost that game to late goal by errr…Antonio.
It really was a strong performance by young Charlie on the day and I fully agree he is a genuine danger at set pieces, and personally, I would prefer Charlie to start games over Liam, but, I’m not for splitting Joe and Amps……. but for completeness, we lost the game and Charlie’s man (a very good striker in Antonio) got their winner.
08 Apr 2024 14:36:42
Err Just to clarify Class, re that last minute Antonio goal
Calamity Cooper went AWOL further up pitch on left hand side leaving Charlie having both Bowen and Antonio to deal with .
If Charlie didn't go to close down Bowen he had a free shot in box . Bowen then fed the unmarked Antonio
100% on Cooper that goal not Charlie.
08 Apr 2024 16:29:18
What Baz said.
08 Apr 2024 16:32:18
What's a recipe for disaster Dill is previous insufficient rotation causing that dynamic to occur in first place. It's plain to see a number of our squad are tired and at least one game's rest is required. But you play your crocked lethargic first team and see what happens.
08 Apr 2024 17:19:31
Bowen didn’t touch the ball Baz?
Declan Rice fed Antonio from right (ball nowhere near Bowen) wing who beats baby shacks, with Charlie left in no man’s land, irrespective of where Coops was, Charlie should be on his man and Antonio scored.
Hey ho, still doubt you are wrong, but there’s always a first time eh?
08 Apr 2024 19:08:09
Class pretty sure from memory both Calamity Cooper and Firpo had gone AWOL both way up pitch and out of position. and so there were at least 2 players for Cressy to deal with in box
So not ' irrespective 'at all!