Leeds Utd v Watford Match Thread

[YorkshireSquare]

Love it how Farke talks to the players on the pitch whilst everything is fresh in their minds.

Like they will remember anything he's said by the time they are down the tunnel

Feels like it's a bit for show, like Guardiola dressing down a player on the pitch after every game

[Jaydog]

Predictable.

I follow the herd

[Jaydog]

How on earth did we get to the stage of grinding out a win after being 2 up from the start? Still, I’ll happily take the three and move on. This will be forgotten come May anyway.

Name of the game at times isn’t it.

[whiteswan]

Like they will remember anything he's said by the time they are down the tunnel

Feels like it's a bit for show, like Guardiola dressing down a player on the pitch after every game

I'm sure they will.
I don't agree with dressing down in public, I don't think for a moment that is what Farke is doing.

[Carrick Dave]

I follow the herd

Ramming the message home.

[Cjay]

Like they will remember anything he's said by the time they are down the tunnel

Feels like it's a bit for show, like Guardiola dressing down a player on the pitch after every game

Tbf he just reminds them to "pass ze ball to Jimmy and Georgie".

[Carrick Dave]

If we hadn’t got lucky in the first 10 I think we’d have been beaten tonight.

But we weren’t- woohoo!!

[Irish Ian]

Like they will remember anything he's said by the time they are down the tunnel

Feels like it's a bit for show, like Guardiola dressing down a player on the pitch after every game

Or perhaps it shows his man management is spot on.

[whiteswan]

Or perhaps it shows his man management is spot on.

That's what it feels like to me Ian

[Irish Ian]

That's what it feels like to me Ian

One thing about his tenure so far has been the unity of the squad. That seems to be one of his strengths.

[YorkshireSquare]

Or perhaps it shows his man management is spot on.

I don't think you can really extrapolate anything from it if you don't know what he's said.

Just not sure you can unpick that performance in 30 seconds on the pitch after the game. Sure they will do their debriefs and analysis work this week and we'll see the results at the weekend.

[SG90]

If we hadn’t got lucky in the first 10 I think we’d have been beaten tonight.

But we weren’t- woohoo!!

Depends, as we wouldn't have been so complacent thinking the game was won.

[YorkshireSquare]

If we hadn’t got lucky in the first 10 I think we’d have been beaten tonight.

But we weren’t- woohoo!!

We were all over them after the goals, after Ramazani went off it all changed.

Sat back, let them into it, didn't stretch them and let them dominate midifeld.

[DDB220]

It was a strange game and a muted atmosphere for large parts.

Getting 3 points from the odd disjointed or even poor performance is what tends to get you promoted. Assuming of course this type of performance proves to be a rarity.

Watford are a big pacey physical team. More quality around the opposition 18 yard box and they would be a handful for any team in this division.

We got paid a goalkeeper howler back in kind.

[weasel]

Strange match. For all we were under the cosh a lot Watford really didn't threaten. They didn't have a shot on target after getting their goal whereas we, despite not controlling the match had lots of great chances to get the 3rd.

Firpo getting yellow carded could turn out to be a good thing as it now means he misses the next match but both Bogle and Rodon will be playing. We'd be up Schmidt creek (see what I did there) if Rodon, Bogle and Firpo had all been suspended for the same macth whereas now Firpo will miss the match and then be back - meaning Byram can come in and then similarly Byram can then step in when/if Bogle gets a ban.

As for the match Watford were a very physical side but were allowed to be by the ref. We were given no protection as seen by the foul on Struyjk that only resulted in a booking and then the later foul on him that didn't even get a card.

This for me was an excellent result and a very encourgaing sign in that despite us being under pressure, more so than in any match this season, we weren't having to make last ditch blocks, having shots whistling past the post, our keeper making saves etc. We showed a very mature performance and could have been a perfect tactical performance if we scored the trhrid goal that we should have, several times.

Solomon should hopefully have got more match sharpness, James looked like he was also ready to start if needed. Aaronsen got a goal which will hopefully keep his confidence level up.

AO excellent again in midfield.

[Carrick Dave]

Depends, as we wouldn't have been so complacent thinking the game was won.

I think Cleverley had a very good game plan which they stuck to, but it was too late after the early lapses - if it had been 0-0 after 20 minutes I think their power and strength would have been enough.

We have more technical ability and create more, but don't convert as many as we should.

[Cjay]

Farke's here - tougher than it should have been?

I am really happy. I was worried after 10 minutes at 2-0. I have seen this so often in football. Last Friday was magic. Everyone praises us. National media. The manager says this is the best team by far, and then you go into the next game,e against a very physical, experienced team, and you find it easy to lead at 2-0. It nearly always leads to doing one step less, and the whole moment changes. Quite often after a start you drop points and perhaps we went to the lead too early/. This did not happen because we kept our foot om the gas in the first half.

Only thing missing was the third goal. Injuries. Manor played longer than I wanted him to. Could not see anything in the game in the first half. We started slowly in the second half. Lost some duels. Underestimated some bits. We pushed them back into their half after they scored. Big compliment to our supporters after that game. They were excellent.



Tanaka over 90 minutes even more progress

He was outstanding today. Lads are doing some jokes about Tiger Tanaka - a Bond villain. No, no he is James Bond. He saved the world today. Steel. Crucial and decisive duels. He was James Bond for us. He can keep going like this.



Ramazani blow

Twisted his anke. Have to wait and see. Deserve some luck.



Firpo fifth yellow

Tempted to bring Sam in earlier, but wanted to wait for the fifth change because of cramp around the pitch. Added time was crazy. We will find a solution to replace Junior Firpo.



Second-half adversity

Crucial. Next step in our development. Beat Coventry, but dropped deeper. Beat Plymouth last season after dropping deeper. Tonight we were on the front foot and had to be out there and pressing them. Did not give them chances. Wanted to go for the third goal. I like the reaction of my team.

[Tyzy]

Still optimistic after that?

[weasel]

Don't blame him for taking a shot,Joseph had his chance earlier

Indeed, James put it on an absolute plate for Joseph and he missed so why not have a go yourself, also would have been tricky to get the ball through to Joseph then as there were a few defenders in the way. Was a fairly decent shot too.

[1964white]

They’ve all pressed better… bloody hell, Joseph !

Indeed, something that was non-existent for the first 25 minutes of the second-half, it all changed once we had runners on the pitch up top, Watford were made to defend as opposed to us clinging onto a 2-1 lead.