Blackpool v Leeds Match Thread News/Reports/Ratings

[barryanorak]

47 points to go

[1964white]

Never heard so much crap from some people.

Kyle i respect your opinion but the likes of WR, East Yorks & myself give alot of our time shell out alot of money in the persuit to support our beloved team so i think our opinions are valid. I for one arrived home at 1am after a long day that started at 6.15 am working until lunchtime before heading off to the North West

I'm not too down today as i still think we will do quite well this season, I realise we will lose matches but it was the manner of the defeat that concerned me !

[1964white]

Reality check after last night, but we only lost 2-1 against one of the top teams. We may have been out played but that is a settled well managed team we came up against, just wait untill we take them to Elland Road!!
We played well against Wolves for long periods, so we do have what it takes to preform, we have a good manager and solid players, lets keep the head down work away and see where we end up in May, I bet it wont be too far off Blackpool
MOT

If Blackpool play like that Dezzy they will batter us again as they have done on the last three occasions

[The Subhuman]

I've read plenty of comments on here about the quality of players Warnock was bringing in, how they were proven top quality Championship players. How much better they were than the players Grayson brought in and the players who had left.

not from me you didn't, this team looks poorer than the one that started last season and that was poorer than the one we should have got promotion with the season before. Where's the creativity?

[HarryofOz]

not from me you didn't, this team looks poorer than the one that started last season and that was poorer than the one we should have got promotion with the season before. Where's the creativity?

I know I didn't read it from you them same can be said of a few others. Nonetheless, it's been the majority opinion.

[white.riot]

Here's a report from a bloke who lives in Blackpool but hails from Beeston and who I have known and attended games with on and off for many years. He took early retirement so has more time on his hands than me. Covers the ground nicely I think:

"Don’t let the 2-1 scoreline fool you. It hugely flattered us. The final score could and should have been 7 or 8-1.

Basically I watched us get torn to shreds by to be fair, is the best footballing side I’ve seen at this level for years. Whilst our inept display helped them show off how good they were, you have to say they are bloody good. We couldn’t get near Kevin Phillips all night. (I have always liked him as a player since I saw him play against us for Blunderland way back in 1999/2000) They dominated midfield all night. Our lads just could get anywhere near their pass and move style of play. They hardly ever wasted a ball all night. They had power, pace and skill all over the pitch. Even Stephen Crainey looked bloody good! Blackpool created and wasted chance after chance. Cut us apart at will. Indeed they hit the bar and missed two sitters in time added on!

Despite winning 1-0 at H/T, that is entirely due to their poor finishing and Kenny’s keeping. We couldn’t get the ball, and when we did, we immediately lost it again. After our goal, we couldn’t get back into their half until H/T! After they thumped the post in the first minute of the second half, we were really under the cosh, although we did have a couple of half chances after about 20 minutes to make it 2-0. But that was it. We were out-muscled in every area of the pitch to add to their pace, power, skill etc. Throughout they were a yard quicker than us. Our young right full back was knocked off the ball in his own half (fairly too), from which they equalised. Their winner came down that side too. Our heads had gone at this point and we looked well beaten – a fight back for an equaliser was never on the cards.

Individual players? No-one came out with any credit except maybe Kenny. Becchio was always isolated and any support for him was far too slow getting to him. In fact, we looked slow and cumbersome all over the pitch – no pace anywhere. (not surprising given Warnock keep signing players in their late 20s, early 30s?) White was crap and should have been substituted long before he was. The young full back, after a decent start, faded badly and Ince gave him a roasting. Lees was poor and the whole gambit of Pompey players looked like they had come from a poor team – which of course, they had.

We were miles off the pace all game and couldn’t raise our game at any point. Don’t think I’m exaggerating here lads – read the reports."

[leedsmad]

i respect alot of the opinions on here and we share the same passion in LeedsUnited. Fellas i understand the frustration and think it's mostly related with the Take over and lack of funds , (that has had a major impact in purchasing top notch players) . It's only the 2nd game of the year, for what funds Warnocks had to work with he hasn't done a bad job and the side should gel in months to come.
In saying all this i don't think we are gonna be knocking on the door to promotion (just being realistic) but i'm not prepared to put the blame on Warnock , cause he hasn't been given the funds from the beggining (Joel Ward ) for example , he's had to rely on players being sold or moved on to get some players in.
We are gonna get games like last night again and again through out the year , so if people thought we were a top notch team cause we beat Wolves on Saturday then last night was the reality dose.
Unfortunately we are gonna have to make do with what we got and keep supporting the lads as much as it hurts at times.
But when Leeds is in the blood this is what we have to go through, The day we get back to the Premier League i for one won't be taking it for granted as it's been 9years+ who knows how many more. Those are just my thoughts .M.O.T

[Emsley]

Folk who think it's "ok" to get walloped by Blackpool are missing the point.
This squad is gonna have to fight like feck to get in the play offs.
There is no way humanly possible without any decent subs that they can keep up this style of play all season.
A few cup games, one unlucky injury and we are in trouble.
yes I was optimistic after the wolves game, i thought we might win (by any means) at pool then go on to beat peter - this would of sent out a message to the rest of the division wouldn't it?
We lost that "come out swinging" effect last night.

I'm all for positivity - but swallow the bitter medicine folks.
It will be good for you in the end.

Anyone who is not in la-la land can see we are walking the finest of lines between a long hard slog to the play off's to been mid table nob rots.

There is only one way to get back to the prem, we need 4 or 5 quality players - now ask your self where are those going to come from?
Better getting praying the takeover liberation front is arriving sooner rather than later.
MOT.

[weasel]

Has Drury done something to upset NW? Can't believe that we get a left back that, despite his age, was well thought off by the fans of the club he left, and played in the Prem last season but isn't being selected. How must he be feeling to firstly be 2nd choice to a left winger (White) and now to a right back. I though the whole idea was to get a defence that had a bit of experience about them and would become a solid unit rather than relying on untested academy players (no matter what potential they may have). Last year we had the problems of too much inexperience at the back and not enough quality but despite a change of manager we seem to be going down the same route despite having more sensible options available.

I'm all for youth but the key is to throw it in at the right time and that would be when the rest of the defence has gelled (i.e. throw a Woodgate in alongside Harte, Kelly/Mills and Radebe).

For me the worrying thing about last night is that it sounds like too many players were not up for the fight. That was the sort of thing NW promised that the team would have. We can all accept a season of sh*te football if it leads somewhere and we see players battling for the cause. Hopefully we won't see a team full of journeymen simply there to pick up their last big wages.

Perhaps these players aren't the superstars that some suggested they were, hopefully they aren't as sh*t as some worry they are and perhaps in a few games they will gel into a reasonable team and have players played in the right positions....

[eastyorkshirewhite]

A nightmare performance on the Flyde coast last night.After last seasons game at Bloomfield Rd Warnock stated you will not see as bad perforformance her again from a Leeds team,well i have news for Colin we did,nt we saw a worse.As for Warnock tatics last night the least said the better he was out classed by Holloway.Last week we told he had put Pugh on the transfer list then what does he do brings him into the squad.Playing players out of position and what does Drury have to do to get a game.Well here goes with my marks some of you may not like them but in my opinion the are fair.

Kenny 8 Did well to keep us inthe game as long as he did
Byram 4 Showed effort but should not be a regular yet
Lees 5 Only because he scored the goaal lucky not to be sent off
Pearce 3 Not commanding enough
White 2 God only knows what his best position is
Varney 1 Did not have a clue
Austin 1 No where near the pace of the game
Peltier 3 Why is he not on the r/h side
Austin 1 Again was missing most of the night
McCormack 4 Struggled to get in the game but did not deserve to be subbed
Bechhio 5 Ploughed a lone trail up front was given no support or decent balls
Diouf 2 Hard to see what he did offer
Pugh 2 Why should he bother when told you can leave last week

Warnock 0 dont usually mark manager but last night he was clueless

[El Es Six]

Where's the creativity?

Sold to other teams. Seemingly without allowing the cash from the sales to be used to properly replace them and their creativity.

[OCAFC]

While I agree with you all that yesterdays performance was dire, I do not agree that it is the end of our season. The players we have are still yet to get used to each other. To come up against a class side like Blackpool, having had one main test against Wolves, is always going to be difficult. All these players do not just turn to s**t overnight because of a bad result/performance. I imagine they will dust themselves off and beat Peterborough on Saturday.

I don't think its ok to get tonked by any team but to state that a team is not good enough for promotion after two games is jumping the gun a bit. Just my humble opinion.

[Emsley]

A nightmare performance on the Flyde coast last night.After last seasons game at Bloomfield Rd Warnock stated you will not see as bad perforformance her again from a Leeds team,well i have news for Colin we did,nt we saw a worse.As for Warnock tatics last night the least said the better he was out classed by Holloway.Last week we told he had put Pugh on the transfer list then what does he do brings him into the squad.Playing players out of position and what does Drury have to do to get a game.Well here goes with my marks some of you may not like them but in my opinion the are fair.

Kenny 8 Did well to keep us inthe game as long as he did
Byram 4 Showed effort but should not be a regular yet
Lees 5 Only because he scored the goaal lucky not to be sent off
Pearce 3 Not commanding enough
White 2 God only knows what his best position is
Varney 1 Did not have a clue
Austin 1 No where near the pace of the game
Peltier 3 Why is he not on the r/h side
Austin 1 Again was missing most of the night
McCormack 4 Struggled to get in the game but did not deserve to be subbed
Bechhio 5 Ploughed a lone trail up front was given no support or decent balls
Diouf 2 Hard to see what he did offer
Pugh 2 Why should he bother when told you can leave last week

Warnock 0 dont usually mark manager but last night he was clueless

Is norris the new howson EYW? :mrgreen:

[CardiffWhite]

Yes, perhaps we need more time for players to gel, but we need more up front. Some pace and trickery (Beckford and Gradel please!). Also the lack of backup worries me. Can't understand why those involved in the take-over haven't resolved things and got it done yet. The next few days are so pivotal in terms of proper funding to be competitive for a promotion spot.

[El Es Six]

This started in February...

The problems Leeds are facing on the pitch started before quite a bit before then and are more than the responsibility/fault of the manager, whoever they may - Warnock, Grayson et al - and whatever their method for combating those problems are. Selling creative players and not allowing for investment in the squad/replacements then expecting the manager to get the team promoted is not a good or realistic plan.

Players other than "old boys looking for a last decent pay" either cost money, have to be loaned from other clubs, found and nurtured (then not sold when they produce the goods) or come through the academy (and not made to feel like they would be better off elsewhere cos the are not convinced the team is going anywhere due to other players being sold and not properly replaced!).

Short termism at a club like LUFC is simply a recipe for wasted years.

Short termism is cheap where as planning for the future costs money or at least makes you money less quickly than flogging playing staff or investing in other things. So why do you think we are going for the former and not the later? Who's in charge of money again?!

Our form is relegation since Colin arrived.

Also I think with a new squad/team (as we now have) we cannot immediately bolt last season's form onto this season's. That's unfair. We need to allow at least 3 home games and 3 away games before we can see a direction. 3 points from 6 does not constitute relegation form or in fact any form at all.

[eastyorkshirewhite]

Is norris the new howson EYW? :mrgreen:

No Norris is nowhere as good as Howson

[1964white]

The problems Leeds are facing on the pitch started before quite a bit before then and are more than the responsibility/fault of the manager, whoever they may - Warnock, Grayson et al - and whatever their method for combating those problems are. Selling creative players and not allowing for investment in the squad/replacements then expecting the manager to get the team promoted is not a good or realistic plan.

Players other than "old boys looking for a last decent pay" either cost money, have to be loaned from other clubs, found and nurtured (then not sold when they produce the goods) or come through the academy (and not made to feel like they would be better off elsewhere cos the are not convinced the team is going anywhere due to other players being sold and not properly replaced!).



Short termism is cheap where as planning for the future costs money or at least makes you money less quickly than flogging playing staff or investing in other things. So why do you think we are going for the former and not the later? Who's in charge of money again?!



Also I think with a new squad/team (as we now have) we cannot immediately bolt last season's form onto this season's. That's unfair. We need to allow at least 3 home games and 3 away games before we can see a direction. 3 points from 6 does not constitute relegation form or in fact any form at all.

Fair points El Es, not sure WR will think the same though !

[Gurj]

WR for you to say that we played poorly on Sat, even for you, is quite frankly a ridiculous comment - I dont give a sh1t if you were there and I watched on TV. We played well against a team that has a number of international standard players amongst them. Even a neutral fan would have said that after watching that game, hell even a couple of my friends here who are Wolves fans said it !!

You are and always have been and always will, by your own admission, anti NW so your posts will always be negative while he is around. If Wolves are that poor, how come they suddenly turned it around last night by thumping Barnsley ?!

We could beat Peterboro 24-0 on saturday and you would still flaming moan !

I so wish you had done us a favour and continued the Sabbatical...........

[1964white]

I so wish you had done us a favour and continued the Sabbatical...........

I do agree with you about the Wolves game Gurj as do many non-Leeds fans have also mentioned to me

but

Come on Gurj there is no need for that comment believe me i don't always see eye to eye with WR but i respect his opinions !

[El Es Six]

Fair points El Es, not sure WR will think the same though !

Thanks, I'm sure he won't! I'm not a Bates hater as such and I do think if he hadn't stepped in when he did we may not have a LUFC to talk about. But I've seen enough to know that his time has come to move away from our club, take his self-centred way of doing things with him, and allow someone (hopefully) with more vision to take the club forward.

Warnock gets a chance to show us what he can do with the players he has chosen (albeit with what I believe to be major constrictions) before I call judgment.