Leeds United v Barnsley - MATCH THREAD

[1964white]

Anyone got the video of Mowetts attack on Costa? I missed it.....

I was livid Swannie, he's a little squirt.

Big Jack would have noted him down in his little red book had he been assaulted like that

[Byebyegeegee]

Phew, still coming to terms with that game. In the last 2 seasons we have been outplayed for perhaps 20 minutes or so in a few games, before regaining control and going on to dominate. Even games where it has been fairly equal, stats wise, have been very few and far between but I can’t remember us being outrun for 90 minutes. I kept thinking they would run out of steam but they just kept going, so very well played Barnsley! On that evidence and what happened against Wigan the other day, if Barnsley are relegated and Hull stay up then there is no justice.

We still won though - just, and now both WBA and Brentford have to win their last two games and we have to lose them both to not go up.

[BGwhite]

Sorry mate that is bunkum, we won the game cos we got lucky! even our goal was lucky!

Are you really suggesting that when Barnsley missed that open goal header, its cos of our extra resiliience, or the time and time again we lost the ball in our own half just to see Barnsley shoot wide was cos of extra resillience?

In truth, our team has not improved at all from last year, that is not a criticism, we were awesome then and we are now. Last year we got 1 point from our last 4 games and missed out on the autos because of that, this year we are playing the same way, only this year we are having the run of the ball. Last year the Swansea game would have ended 0-0 and we would have lost the Barnsley game alla Wigan last year, then with confidence low and nerves high we lost our last 2 games last season to to miss out, allowing Sheffield to go on an amazing run and take our spot, for Sheffield read Brentford this year. Take 1 point from our last 4 games this year and we would again have missed out and that could so easily have happened without the run of the ball

We were terribly unlucky last year, this year we have had the luck on our side and that is really the only difference. Yes we will go up this year, like with reasonable breaks we would have done last season.

Every team needs that slice of good luck, fortune, run of the ball call it what you like and we have certainly had our fair share this season which may or may not be the reason why we are on the brink of promotion but there is no denying we are where we are because of our never say die attitude and our desire to keep pushing for the win. Yesterday was one of the very few times in 2 years that we have been pushed back for 90 mins which was certainly not what anyone anticipated. We had to adjust multiple times during the game which is testament to MB and the players and we still held out due to some excellent defending and yes some very poor finishing but we were guilty of that ourselves and had we taken just one more of our chances it would've killed them off. Last season I think we'd have buckled under such pressure but let's take this good fortune into the next game and seal the title. Whether Derby run us ragged or not who cares as long as we're over the line holding that trophy up at the end of it.
Championys !!

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[WestgateRun]

I think the team were feeling the pressure last night. Hopefully, they will be more relaxed against Derby.

[Leeds1000]

One thing i think it showed yesterday, if Bielsa's tried and trusted system of 2 wide men and a enforcer infront of the back four breaks down we will struggle. Strange decision to put Ayling in the middle of a 3. We all love to see Ayling linking defence to attack. It turned out to be Beradi's type of game, roll up your sleeves for the battle.

If that happens in the prem against a good side we could have been hammered yesterday. No doubt it was a battling performance in the end, it just wasn't a Bielsa performance. Imo that's why Chris Wilder has done so well at SU this season they are a physical outfit who have pockets of flair. We have lots of flair but don't get cheap goals and i think that will hurt us in the prem.

[Boo Radley]

Sorry mate that is bunkum, we won the game cos we got lucky! even our goal was lucky!

Are you really suggesting that when Barnsley missed that open goal header, its cos of our extra resiliience, or the time and time again we lost the ball in our own half just to see Barnsley shoot wide was cos of extra resillience?

In truth, our team has not improved at all from last year, that is not a criticism, we were awesome then and we are now. Last year we got 1 point from our last 4 games and missed out on the autos because of that, this year we are playing the same way, only this year we are having the run of the ball. Last year the Swansea game would have ended 0-0 and we would have lost the Barnsley game alla Wigan last year, then with confidence low and nerves high we lost our last 2 games last season to to miss out, allowing Sheffield to go on an amazing run and take our spot, for Sheffield read Brentford this year. Take 1 point from our last 4 games this year and we would again have missed out and that could so easily have happened without the run of the ball

We were terribly unlucky last year, this year we have had the luck on our side and that is really the only difference. Yes we will go up this year, like with reasonable breaks we would have done last season.

Firstly, you make your own luck. Then the best of teams make the most of it. Are seriously going to suggest that Liverpool in some way are lucky PL champions? Yet there were a few games this year that opponents missed sitter after sitter in games against them only to be punished by a late goal, a kind refs decision. That’s sport buddy. What you do with luck is the fine line between winners and losers.

Don’t get me wrong, I honestly thought Barnsley deserved to win but the fact remains they didn’t. Bamford did excellent work to generate the own goal, then he did his usual and miss one excellent chance from Alioski’s cross and possibly should have had a penalty from that wild CB tackle. It could have finished 3-3.

Truth is that Bielsa made a mistake in how the team was lined out and we were on the back foot against a good football team. But we have now beaten them home and away. Fulham lost both games against them, they have taken points off many of the top teams (WBA, Swansea, Millwall away) but have lost too many by small margins to ensure they are in the difficulty they are in

To say last year’s team was better is not true in my opinion. Ben White is better than Pontus, Meslier is better in goals, Harrison is better, Ayling is better - I could go on. We worked hard throughout the pitch yesterday, on low energy, but we won. What they missed is irrelevant now. Yet another clean sheet - are they all by chance - no way, were some of them lucky - of course. But we’ve been consistent, we’ve been the best - the table doesn’t lie. And we’ve certainly better than what we were last year.

[BGwhite]

One thing i think it showed yesterday, if Bielsa's tried and trusted system of 2 wide men and a enforcer infront of the back four breaks down we will struggle. Strange decision to put Ayling in the middle of a 3. We all love to see Ayling linking defence to attack. It turned out to be Beradi's type of game, roll up your sleeves for the battle.

If that happens in the prem against a good side we could have been hammered yesterday. No doubt it was a battling performance in the end, it just wasn't a Bielsa performance. Imo that's why Chris Wilder has done so well at SU this season they are a physical outfit who have pockets of flair. We have lots of flair but don't get cheap goals and i think that will hurt us in the prem.

The current squad will struggle anyway mate. We don't have enough quality individuals to get us out of the mire should the system be failing. We're in for a long hard relegation battle imo UNLESS we get in some proper quality replacements . Yesterday Barnsley let us off the hook but most PL teams would have seen us off no bother.

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[Peter in Blackpool]

all i am trying to say is that last season we got 1 point from last 4 games that cost us promotion, if we had done the same this season we would again miss out on promotion. This will not happen now cos we won the last 2 games by riding our luck, or whatever. However, we could not claim bad luck had we only got 1 point and now need to win our last 2.....thats what happened last year when we failed, so close to it being repeated this year. Last year we did not get the run of the ball, this year we did, thats the difference this season.

MB teams notoriously finish seasons weakly, Leeds are no exceptions.

of course without MB we would have finished bottom half both seasons so no complaints from me

[Peter in Blackpool]

Firstly, you make your own luck.

no you don't. if that was the case i would make myself some good luck and win the lottery!

[BGwhite]

I don't think we can use the excuse of burnout for yesterday. They've had 3 months break . Games are always tougher when you're under the cosh and chasing the ball. It's probably done them good as long as MB doesn't run them ragged for the next 2 days. Derby will be completely different and watching Shrek run around after us for 90 mins will be fun to watch.

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[Peter in Blackpool]

I don't think we can use the excuse of burnout for yesterday. They've had 3 months break . Games are always tougher when you're under the cosh and chasing the ball. It's probably done them good as long as MB doesn't run them ragged for the next 2 days. Derby will be completely different and watching Shrek run around after us for 90 mins will be fun to watch.

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no we cant.

i think its more pyschological. After Swansea, the work is done, we can now relax with a couple of easy wins against bottom 6 sides.

Barnsley grew in confidence and refused to give us space to play in.

Hopefully that will give them a kick up the backside to go finish the season off at pride park, if we do, we will likely be beaten by charlton

[Boo Radley]

no you don't. if that was the case i would make myself some good luck and win the lottery!

“The harder I work the luckier I get” Samuel Goldwyn

[rrfierce]

all i am trying to say is that last season we got 1 point from last 4 games that cost us promotion, if we had done the same this season we would again miss out on promotion. This will not happen now cos we won the last 2 games by riding our luck, or whatever. However, we could not claim bad luck had we only got 1 point and now need to win our last 2.....thats what happened last year when we failed, so close to it being repeated this year. Last year we did not get the run of the ball, this year we did, thats the difference this season.

MB teams notoriously finish seasons weakly, Leeds are no exceptions.

of course without MB we would have finished bottom half both seasons so no complaints from me

We're finishing the season weakly?

[The Subhuman]

We're finishing the season weakly?

I think it's twice weakly.....

[weasel]

Some people need to get a grip. It was one bad performance in a season where we have several times been spoilt by the football this team produce. If this sort of performance had happened several times then maybe you worry as a manager but whenever we have lost before this season it hasn't been a performance anywhere near as bad as last night, we lost those games because our finishing let us down, our final ball was poor and the opposition took their limited chance(s). For whatever reason last night we didn't click. I don't see it as a pressure getting to us simply because the pressure has been on us for every match for a while now and we haven't played badly. I remember the game against Barnsley earlier in the season and despite us winning 2-0 Barnsley missed some very good chances. That match was the worst I'd seen us play defensively under Bielsa in terms of how the opposition had carved us open.

Bielsa will know what went right and what went wrong last night and win, lose or draw v Derby on Sunday I would have thought the performance will be back to normal.