weasel wrote: ↑Sat Jan 26, 2019 10:11 pm
Again various players being knocked. This is not a team full of world superstars, this is not a team full of players that will produce outstanding performances every week. We have gone from a team that couldn't string 2 passes together under Heckingbottom to a team that largely comprises of the same players playing some great football at times and having a 3 point lead at the top of the table. If Heckingbottom had been left in charge and given Bielsa's transfer budget we'd have been predicting bottom 6. Appreciate these players who are giving it their all, playing badly or playing well this team gives their all for 90+ minutes every week. We didn't hit the heights today but we still bossed the second half and got another late winner. People moaning about KP yet Rotherham, for all the talk of aerial dominance, had 2 shots all game and they were from distance. One flew in and the other nearly did but if you limited the opposition to 2 shots from there every week then 9 out of 10 weeks you are getting a clean sheet. People knocking Alioski for missing a chance, conveniently overlooking the fact that he has been covering every blade of grass overlapping all match yet still had the energy to burst past static defenders into a centre forward position. Pablo gets his criticism yet even when his passes don't come off he continues to try to create great chances and also has worked his b*lls of this season when we haven't had the ball.
This team is a great team, they play for each other, they work for each other, they never give up. They are a special bunch - learn to love them, all of them.
Well said.
' "Football is about the people and the players,” he said. “Then there are those who will mingle in the middle: the coaches, executives and journalists. That last group represents the worst part about football" Marcelo Bielsa
Victory was imperative today, back to winning ways
Three/six points cushion over Norwich/Blunts with both to come to ER
Our much improved 2nd half performance & comeback
Klich scoring again, lovely finish for his 2nd goal
Pablo orchestrating & dictating our play
Casilla's save & steady debut
Harrison's best game for Leeds
We coped well with the Millers aerial bombardment from set-pieces & long throws
Klich song sounded good today
Also a new song which is gonna build I feel, only could make out a couple of lines
Negatives
A first-half shocker, another wasted 45 minutes
Missed two one on ones, not clinical enough
Where was our defensive midfielder for the Rotherham goal
Jack Clarke starting place now appears questionable
Ratings
7 Casilla 6 Ayling 7 Cooper 7 Phillips 6 Alioski 6 Forshaw 8 Klich 8 Hernandez 7 Harrison 6 Roofe 4 Clarke 7 Roberts n/a Shackleton n/a Davis
weasel wrote: ↑Sat Jan 26, 2019 10:11 pm
Again various players being knocked. This is not a team full of world superstars, this is not a team full of players that will produce outstanding performances every week. We have gone from a team that couldn't string 2 passes together under Heckingbottom to a team that largely comprises of the same players playing some great football at times and having a 3 point lead at the top of the table. If Heckingbottom had been left in charge and given Bielsa's transfer budget we'd have been predicting bottom 6. Appreciate these players who are giving it their all, playing badly or playing well this team gives their all for 90+ minutes every week. We didn't hit the heights today but we still bossed the second half and got another late winner. People moaning about KP yet Rotherham, for all the talk of aerial dominance, had 2 shots all game and they were from distance. One flew in and the other nearly did but if you limited the opposition to 2 shots from there every week then 9 out of 10 weeks you are getting a clean sheet. People knocking Alioski for missing a chance, conveniently overlooking the fact that he has been covering every blade of grass overlapping all match yet still had the energy to burst past static defenders into a centre forward position. Pablo gets his criticism yet even when his passes don't come off he continues to try to create great chances and also has worked his b*lls of this season when we haven't had the ball.
This team is a great team, they play for each other, they work for each other, they never give up. They are a special bunch - learn to love them, all of them.
Well put
Un Marcelo Bielsa, solo hay un Marcelo Bielsa. Gracias Marcello. Marsching on together.
Anonymous wrote: ↑Sat Jan 26, 2019 11:10 pm
Absolutely. Whatever the outcome of this season, I think we will look back on it, and this team, as something special.
Yes, it is nerve wracking at times, but that's because they've got us believing and hoping again.
Too true Sara. I was a nervous wreck the whole match, because of the belief and hope....
1964white wrote: ↑Sat Jan 26, 2019 9:59 pm
Am I seeing things, tell me you are joking Dan
Pablo ran the show in the 2nd half, we wouldn't have won that game if not for his quality play.
We are so reliant on Hernandez it's scary, we'd be ordinary without him
Sorry but I think he's unbelievably overrated. Gives the ball away all the time, slow on the ball, no physicality, think he's been poor the last 6 or 7 games tbh. Drifted in and and out of the second half as the first was so poor so maybe I missed something but didn't see anything in what I watched. Was class start of the season but think he's struggled lately.tbh. Just my opinion.
Not pretty at times. But a win is a win. Norwich dropped points. Sheff Utd dropped points and West Brom and Sheff Utd play each other next week. We have a cracking opportunity next week to really cement our place in the top 2 and drag out a gap to Norwich.
danhirons wrote: ↑Sun Jan 27, 2019 1:47 am
2 goals papering the cracks of a struggling team...
Struggling 3 points clear the top of the league.
We're not Wolves from last year, but we're running a good race. I don't know whether I caught more than 2 or 3 Wolves games last season, but I suspect they will have had the odd game where they struggled creatively because of the stifling tactics of the opposition... and they spent buckets on talent from top leagues.
We have a squad where the majority haven't finished in the top 10 in the Championship, of which most of us would happily have got rid of 90% of the squad for not being up to it. Yet we're first.
Bielsa has completely changed the team (/club?) and has done so almost entirely with hard training and tactics. We have some limited players, but they're all giving it everything this season and I think the majority of us believe very strongly that this is our year (though I am still scared if jinxing it!).
Can you not pick out any good points from today's performance?
faaip wrote: ↑Sat Jan 26, 2019 6:00 pm
I prefer the closing down you get from him as I think Phillips sits off too much. Phillips better on the ball but he does pass sideways an awful lot to inflate those pass stats. Like I say going to be interesting to see, assuming Coop and PJ, start who plays in front. I'd not like to call it.
Reckon we'll see Hernandez replace Clarke or Harrison (Clarke for me, just so the option is there from the bench) and then push Klich/Forshaw forward with Kalvin holding.
danhirons wrote: ↑Sun Jan 27, 2019 1:44 am
Sorry but I think he's unbelievably overrated. Gives the ball away all the time, slow on the ball, no physicality, think he's been poor the last 6 or 7 games tbh. Drifted in and and out of the second half as the first was so poor so maybe I missed something but didn't see anything in what I watched. Was class start of the season but think he's struggled lately.tbh. Just my opinion.
Cjay wrote: ↑Sat Jan 26, 2019 5:36 pm
Roberts- 6 . .Brought a spark that we had been lacking, took up good positions, got closer to Roofe so it atleast gave Roofe some support and the Rotherham defence someone to think about, although in the end he didnt create anything of note or have a shot so marked down for that.
From what I saw, his movement looked good - he pulled a defender away from the centre of the box for the second goal, which gave Klich the space to move into.
Not sure he's a 'natural' 10 though if we're looking for the creativity, but it does give defenders something to think about, as he's very direct and likes to get into the box.
Shame about Clarke's performance, but we are all expecting a lot from and 18 year old week-in-week-out now. His age (and position) lend themselves to inconsistency, but I can't see a half time subbing having much of an effect on his confidence tbh.
weasel wrote: ↑Sat Jan 26, 2019 10:11 pm
Again various players being knocked.
This is a Leeds/football forum so naturally our posters are going to be critical of players performances at times.
I'm sadden to read how two of my favourites Phillips & Hernandez who have done fantastically well this season are often maligned or totally ignored in our MOTM competition but it's all about opinions & everybody's thoughts make for good conversation.
In my mind I know KP & Pablo are key players, consistently good & we'd be poorer without them as I've seen every game this season
1964white wrote: ↑Sun Jan 27, 2019 8:27 am
This is a Leeds/football forum so naturally our posters are going to be critical of players performances at times.
I'm sadden to read how two of my favourites Phillips & Hernandez who have done fantastically well this season are often maligned or totally ignored in our MOTM competition but it's all about opinions & everybody's thoughts make for good conversation
There's a difference between criticising a player's performance in a particular match and complaining all the time about the lack of quality in the squad and the coach's decisions or tactics when we are top of the league.
Un Marcelo Bielsa, solo hay un Marcelo Bielsa. Gracias Marcello. Marsching on together.
Re Hernandez - Form is temporary class is permanent. He may not be at his best at the moment but I don’t feel we have anyone in the squad who could fulfil his role even when he’s only playing at 75%.
Re Clarke - He may have been poor yesterday but has had wow performances in the last few games - don’t think he deserves to be dropped due to one stinker
Re Casiila - Praise the lord !
HarryofOz wrote: ↑Sun Jan 27, 2019 9:03 am
There's a difference between criticising a player's performance in a particular match and complaining all the time about the lack of quality in the squad and the coach's decisions or tactics when we are top of the league.
True Harry
Even though I believe Marcelo has worked miracles with our limited squad of players he is not infallible as he doesn't always get it right himself, he got done by a rookie manager last week at Stoke, if he had a bit more quality at his disposal maybe we would have coped with their pace & strength although he isn't the first & won't be the last top coach to be out thought by a less inexperienced counterpart. That's football !
We're not Wolves from last year, but we're running a good race. I don't know whether I caught more than 2 or 3 Wolves games last season, but I suspect they will have had the odd game where they struggled creatively because of the stifling tactics of the opposition... and they spent buckets on talent from top leagues.
We have a squad where the majority haven't finished in the top 10 in the Championship, of which most of us would happily have got rid of 90% of the squad for not being up to it. Yet we're first.
Bielsa has completely changed the team (/club?) and has done so almost entirely with hard training and tactics. We have some limited players, but they're all giving it everything this season and I think the majority of us believe very strongly that this is our year (though I am still scared if jinxing it!).
Can you not pick out any good points from today's performance?
The last 5/6 games the performances have been consistently poor (except Derby). We scraped through against a really poor Rotherham side yesterday - the performance was poor (improved second half but we can't keep waiting until the second half).
Not saying Bielsa hasn't done a good job, he's just set the bar so high and the way we're playing right now is nowhere near that high standard and it's frustrating because we have a great chance to pull away from the pack but we keep dropping points. The way we're playing is frustrating too because we seem to labour through first halves often with no pace and desire to attack with speed, but slow build up play that defences can just put 10 men behind, then in the second half (sometimes when it's too late) we seem to play how we know we can. Just frustrating because I think we can do better.
Only just got this....I'm a bit slow....very funny
