23 Aug 2025 19:58:15
Mystifying team selection. It was obvious we would need an out ball as we’d be under the cost from the off - so why play Piroe rather than Nmecha? - and having been shown just how poor an error he’d made, why didn’t Farke rectify it at half time? Many have expressed concerns that Tanaka and Gruev might struggle with the athleticism and physicality of the Prem, so why play both of them from the start by bringing in Gruev for Ampadu - for this game Longstaff would have been the more sensible pick. Having Nmecha and Longstaff on from the start would also have helped combat Arsenal’s unparalleled threat from set pieces.
It’s to be hoped that that abject performance doesn’t dissuade possible decent end of window signings from joining us.
23 Aug 2025 20:55:33
Longstaff offered little to nothing when he did come on Clu.
No, for me the entire team were worse than pedestrian, almost like rabbits in the headlights.
Slow was no the word and the passing some of the worst I’ve seen at our club for a long time.
This was not an individual problem today, it was the mentality and total lack of of belief from the whole team.
I hope Farke has a sore throat in the morning from all the shouting he should be doing in the dressing room after the game.
He’s got his work cut out to get these players to understand they are now in the Premiership.
We were not going to beat Arsenal at their ground today but I truly hope we don’t see this kind of abject performance again this season.
This is not Leeds.
23 Aug 2025 20:56:36
Bang on Cluey!
What’s really worrying is Arsenal never needed to get out of second gear.
I realise it was a tough away game but the performance was dire and if Arsenal really went for it it could have been 7 or 8.
I had the summer recruitment at 6/ 10 before today now I’m thinking 5/ 10 at best. Keeper is terrible with his feet and never came for one cross just stayed on his line. I can’t see where the goals are coming from going forward and don’t think the latest signing Okafor is an answer. Unless Wolves and w ham are really as bad as they look so far we are deep in the shite.
I’m still positive though!
23 Aug 2025 20:57:17
Agree with that assessment Clu, we knew heading in to the game we are light years away from that squad but it was soon apparent that was very much the wrong team selection and wrong formation.
Saying that, even if we had packed the midfield and gone for a draw we’re still losing that game given the huge disparity in squads and financial clout. l
On the plus side, it may focus minds in the last few days of the window and we will be a very different animal at home.
23 Aug 2025 21:03:59
I agree OP, it was an awful performance. No excuses.
23 Aug 2025 21:07:02
Absolutely OP. It was pathetic. We hardly got over the half way line. The ONLY time we actually had intent an got a corner Pascal had an opportunity. But we then ran back in our corner and hid. That is not Leeds. That is not how we play, for crying out loud. We going to wet our pants every time we play a half decent team? Jeeez I am so disappointed.
23 Aug 2025 21:09:41
Longstaff came on to a field where the morale was totally sunk, but I find it strange you single him out on a display where usual suspects for seasons were smack bang in centre yet again
Swerve the obvious, James, Gruev, Stujuk, Piroe, and home in on the lad who played 5 minutes
Farke needs to sort his 1st 11, and that means dropping Dr oss from last season
Oh by way, we are Leeds didn't work to well this evening on points distribution basis
We will do unbelievably well to finish circa 15-13 this season
End of.
23 Aug 2025 23:00:59
Guys, it was a disappointing performance, no doubt. We were as nervous as hell and by the time we had started to get to grip with where we were, we were 2-0 down. I was most disappointed in truth [since defeat was almost assured before we started], in how unprepared we seemed to be. It was "rabbits in headlights, " for a long period. Arsenal were definitely a cut above, no doubt, but 2-3 of their goals were pretty spawny.
In my view, only really Bodle, Rodon, Stach and Gudmundsson, looked anything like, but even they struggled.
Our new keeper looks ponderous, and a second off the pace of the game. I would play Darlow; he's probably not as good a keeper, but I think he would be more use to the pace of the game.
Every team in this league has their target, Arsenal, City, Liverpool etc, theirs is to win it. The likes of us, is to avoid relegation. No one is writing City off because they lost at home to a team who hasn't won away all year; likewise we shouldn't write our team off because we lost the game, we were always likely to lose. What is important now, is to take lessons from the game, and build and learn. The owners might have seen today, that they need to keep dipping into their pockets for another week.
I think, for the next match, we really need to get players in [that we have] who have EPL experience, e. g. DCL, Harrison, Longstaff etc. Amps was a big miss also.
Onwards to the next one.
24 Aug 2025 06:50:43
Darlow only looked half good in the championship, he couldn’t distribute the ball well either. At distribution Meslier is far better by comparison.