Nottingham Forest v Leeds Utd Match Thread

[Cjay]

Yep. When you have a quality manager, the good players will step up and the ones who aren't good enough will obviously stand out.

Ayling, Forshaw, Harrison, BPF, Douglas are not good enough for a Bielsa team.

Personally i think we have a lot of average players, more then we should.

Bielsa has had them on the whole playing out of there skins and being part of a great team.

But as individuals are the likes of those you mentioned and others like Cooper, Berardi, Dallas promotion level players? Probably not.

We are going a bit like Cardiff, hoping to be better then the sum of its parts.

That was always the aim under Bielsa imo, hope he would be enough.

It has so far, just have to hope.

[SG90]

Personally i think we have a lot of average players, more then we should.

Bielsa has had them on the whole playing out of there skins and being part of a great team.

But as individuals are the likes of those you mentioned and others like Cooper, Berardi, Dallas promotion level players? Probably not.

We are going a bit like Cardiff, hoping to be better then the sum of its parts.

That was always the aim under Bielsa imo, hope he would be enough.

It has so far, just have to hope.

I agree, but they're more the "solid pros" than the individual match winners. The likes of Pablo, Clarke, Roofe, Bamford, Klich (when on form), Alioski are the ones who can carry us to promotion. We just need a Saiz replacement and hope Brown can come good.

[BGwhite]

I don't think there's any need to panic and I'm sure MB is by now aware of the mistakes made today and also very pleased with the response from the players after half time. They tore Forest apart with 10 men but then uncharacteristically fell apart for one reason or another. He knows that against Derby he will (hopefully) have another 2 players back although KP will be missing but slowly and surely he's finally getting a full squad to choose from which is a boost for everyone and on the back of a long rest. I'm sure they'll be well up for that game and a win will see them kick on BUT this is LUFC and the rollercoaster ride will continue to the end of the season.

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[HarryofOz]

I don't think there's any need to panic and I'm sure MB is by now aware of the mistakes made today and also very pleased with the response from the players after half time. They tore Forest apart with 10 men but then uncharacteristically fell apart for one reason or another. He knows that against Derby he will (hopefully) have another 2 players back although KP will be missing but slowly and surely he's finally getting a full squad to choose from which is a boost for everyone and on the back of a long rest. I'm sure they'll be well up for that game and a win will see them kick on BUT this is LUFC and the rollercoaster ride will continue to the end of the season.

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Agreed, though our sudden propensity to concede goals is a worry. Of course, injuries haven't helped, but a good defensive record comes down to more than just the men at the back.

[1964white]

Once again we dominate a game playing some lovely football, unfortunately our play was also littered with so many errors against a poor Forest team. After a joyous opening second-half period which sent the Leeds end into manic celebrations, at 1-2 I still felt Forest could stretch us & the possibility of tired legs kicking in may play a huge part on the outcome, sadly my fears came to fruition.

Positives

We played some lovely football.
Amazing comeback albeit the final result
Pablo Hernandez, we'd be lost without his quality
Jack Clarke our young star
The form of Alioski

Negatives

Phillips red card
Non-red card for the Forest defender who hauled Harrison down
Adam 'friggin' Forshaw howlers
Our defending
Ayling & Douglas very poor again
Roofe's missed one-on-one chances
No Halme or Davis used when leading 1-2 to see out the game
No game-changer on the bench, nothing unusual this season

Ratings

5 - Peacock-Farrell
4 - Ayling
6 - Jansson
1 - Phillips
3 - Douglas
2 - Forshaw
6 - Klich
7 - Hernandez (MOTM)

7 - Alioski
6 - Roofe
7 - Clarke
5 - Roberts

[Newport white]

Why so much negativity? We are top of the league and played a decent team off the park with ten men! 2 results have gone against us but let’s all get a grip even with injuries and being down to ten men we still look like a premier league team

[1964white]

Best team lost. We have only ourselves to blame.

Indeed Alex we conspire to our own downfall

How many more assists are we going to make for the opposition ?

[1964white]

Why so much negativity? We are top of the league and played a decent team off the park with ten men! 2 results have gone against us but let’s all get a grip even with injuries and being down to ten men we still look like a premier league team

Because we didn't see out the game for all our good play

Some of the errors committed were horrendous today

If only more than three or four players turned up we may start winning games again

[Cjay]

To balance out my pessimistic posts.

Murphy was offside for Forests 4th.

Robinson would have walked 9/10 as he was last man and denied a genuine goalscoring opportunity.

The team is still the best in the league imo, as a group.

Just got to stop the individual errors (sick of saying that).

And tbf we robbed Forest at Elland Road so yano, Karma.

[1964white]

This won't be popular but I lay this one firmly at the feet of Bielsa it was obvious from the Hull game, that Ayling and Forshaw were off the pace, Phillips is no CB, yet he continued with them.

We're all big fans of Bielsa but you are right mate, Ayling/Forshaw & you can throw Douglas into the mix too, all three were poor v Hull & even worse today at Forest

I did warn you all about Forshaw last week, he is walking liability

Why has Marcelo gone off Halme, didn't we win both games he played in ?

Surely a recognised CB playing alongside Pontus was the answer with Phillips moving back into his natural role would have given us a more balanced look at the back

Easy to be critical after the event but the writing has been on the wall for weeks, truth is we haven't too many options but that's another story !

[SG90]

I'm not being negative, but it's been obvious all season we've needed another CB and a GK and we need a Saiz replacement. I think we'll be back to our best v Derby, given the rest and players coming back. I don't think it's critical, but if we lose to Derby, I might start to worry.

[1964white]

We have to rest certain players in the cup. Couldn't give a fook if we go out tbh.

A must SG

I can't be ar*ed going which says it all what I think of the game.

My mates are getting up at 4.30am for that game next Sunday

[1964white]

If fit, I thunk Cooper should start v QPR, some game time before we face Derby.

Don't think Coops will be ready for QPR going from what came out of the horses mouth this morning

[Cjay]

“We don’t have any problems in defence. If you take out the goals that are scored at set-pieces, we are the team who have conceded the least." #lufc

Usually MB gives great answers but this is contradictory.

So we DO have problems in defence as we cant defend set pieces.

And Boro have conceded less in open play tbf to.

Open your eyes MB please.

[1964white]

Surely now Radz can see we need a GK, a CB and a Saiz replacement.No excuses.

Are you sure about that

[1964white]

“We don’t have any problems in defence. If you take out the goals that are scored at set-pieces, we are the team who have conceded the least." #lufc

Usually MB gives great answers but this is contradictory.

So we DO have problems in defence as we cant defend set pieces.

And Boro have conceded less in open play tbf to.

Open your eyes MB please.

Apart from Ayling, Douglas & Forshaw playing like chumps

With Berardi, Cooper & Dallas injured

Phillips set to miss three games

I think Marcelo must be kidding us as the problems are glaringly obvious of late.

10 goals conceded in our last 4 games

[1964white]

Not top 5 on my team sheet, I don't think we miss him much if he gets injured early and misses a number of games.

No way Faaip

One of the contenders for player of the season

[weasel]

Positives
Jack Clarke our young star

Negatives
No game-changer on the bench, nothing unusual this season

??? Where does that fella keep popping up from?

I think this season has been reasonably okay for game changers from the bench as for a while we had Saiz on the bench, obviously Jack Clarke too and also Bamford (and once he is fit again then unless we change formation we will have either him or Roofe presumably as a game changer.

I don't think the game changer thing is overly valid either given how many times we have come from behind to draw or win, think it is something like 17 points from losing positions so it shows we are capable of turning a match without the game changer.

[Cjay]

Forest took there chances, had some luck, took advantage of our errors.

Tbf to Forest they had a weakened team to so we have no excuse injury wise.

Did they deserve to win? Probably not on balance.

But if you have some luck and take advantage of individual errors then you will win more often then not.

Nice to see there fans standing up for Karanka to, they have a crackpot owner and there Chairman didnt crack a smile when they scored.

In fact he looked more pissed off when Forest scored then me.

[Cjay]

Apart from Ayling, Douglas & Forshaw playing like chumps

With Berardi, Cooper & Dallas injured

Phillips set to miss three games

I think Marcelo must be kidding us as the problems are glaringly obvious of late.

10 goals conceded in our last 4 games

MB has a bit of a blindspot when it comes to our defending, its often dodgy but we have so much of the ball it hasnt mattered so much.

One thing for sure, if we had invested in a quality goalie and cb in the summer then we would be top by a distance imo.

And thats so frustrating as its been that way for ages.