Crawley Town v Leeds Utd Match Thread - Cooper returns as Bielsa makes seven changes

[1964white]

In s**t

[whiteswan]

Spurs reserve striker grabs a hattrick in 37 minutes

Are you watching Rodrigo?

At 3-0 the commentator said "Spurs are really up for this now". Our lot weren't. I said early on in our game that our lads looked disinterested.

[Cjay]

All true mate, my blood is still boiling.
We'll need to keep hold of Struijk, before loaning, as we've no CBs available.
The one good thing is that this performance has demonstrated this squad is nowhere near good enough for anything but mid-table to survival Prem (especially if injuries/suspensions kick in).
So the overhaul needs to begin now and continue in the summer, as we progress we'll have a squad that's good enough to compete at the top level = time and money and no sentimentality.
Stevie Wonder would be shocked by that performance, even with the sound turned off on his telly

thats it mate.

But is MB able to do that? Seems a bit sentimental.

Harrison, Cooper etc, would he ever drop them?

Those 2 would be two player we can definitely hope to improve on.

[1964white]

With pleasure 64.

[Smudge3920]

We have been accused of winning the championship because of covid... but honestly, the fact we have no fans in the stand has helped this year... developing this team has been hard enough...Hard for the fans to take I know...

[dezzy]

That really was shocking. Fair play to Crawley they put in a great performance. Kikos last game for us hopefully, a lot of poor performances but that guy didn’t even try to put his hand up for Meslier’s starting spot

[Cjay]

I agree. Ali would be if Koch and Llorente weren't injured. But if Struijk was on loan who'd have played CB with Koch, Llorente and Cooper out?

True but can never have a squad to cover every scenario.

But we seem to try to get by on the absolute bare minimum.

We lack quality even in the 1st 11 so its no wonder our 2nd string struggles.

MB has to take a lot of the blame, Struijk a cb was playing in dm while KP a dm was at cb, wtf is that logic?

[1964white]

Hector, BG and WR came very close to getting the score prediction spot on

They know what we are all about.....gutless wonders

[BGwhite]

I'd have been happier for us to put in a performance and win the match

So would I WR but we all know what's coming with this club. Maybe next year we'll be in a position to play better quality players in the cup but it still requires the know-how and skills to overcome any team and even if we'd played Marine today I doubt there'd be a different outcome.

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[LUFC_BOS]

Marcelo Bielsa has spoken to the media, following defeat to Crawley Town.

Three second half goals from the hosts gave them a comfortable win and passage into round four of the competition. 

The Leeds United head coach gave his views, after the match. 

“We couldn’t unbalance them when we attacked,” Bielsa explained.

“We had the ball for a long period of time but we couldn’t do much with it. 

“In the first half we played better than the opponent and the game was played how we wanted it to be played, even if we didn’t create much danger. 

“In the second half the game was played how the opponents wanted to play. They did create danger to deserve the goals that they scored. 

“The result generates a lot of sadness and disappointment for us."

I think a little understated , end of!

[1964white]

Let's just hope Marine turn over Spurs, take some of the attention away

No chance of that happening now mate, never was as Spurs go about their business professionally

[SG90]

thats it mate.

But is MB able to do that? Seems a bit sentimental.

Harrison, Cooper etc, would he ever drop them?

Those 2 would be two player we can definitely hope to improve on.

If the club think Ayling, Dallas, Cooper, Harrison, Bamford, Alioski are for the long term, then they are deluded imo!

[BGwhite]

The team he picked was fine.

Indeed the first half wasn’t horrendous.

Lads just didn’t step up, where was the desperate urge to be in the team for the Brighton game?

Maybe you've hit it on the head....those fringe players know that under Bielsa they won't get a chance anyway.

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[SG90]

Marcelo Bielsa has spoken to the media, following defeat to Crawley Town.

Three second half goals from the hosts gave them a comfortable win and passage into round four of the competition. 

The Leeds United head coach gave his views, after the match. 

“We couldn’t unbalance them when we attacked,” Bielsa explained.

“We had the ball for a long period of time but we couldn’t do much with it. 

“In the first half we played better than the opponent and the game was played how we wanted it to be played, even if we didn’t create much danger. 

“In the second half the game was played how the opponents wanted to play. They did create danger to deserve the goals that they scored. 

“The result generates a lot of sadness and disappointment for us."

I think a little understated , end of!

Yes, because of the three subs you made that unbalanced everything!

[1964white]

You dont mean MB move on?

No Ian

[Smudge3920]

Can someone please tell me how we can transform a makeshift championship team into a top 6 prem club overnight?...

We spent almost 100 miliion on 4 great players and never yet managed to be able to field all 4 let alone pick all 4 on any matchday... yet here we are 23pts ...12 pts above the relegation zone...and doing the best of any promoted club to the prem ever at this stage of the season!

[1964white]

I'm confident enough to say we'll never win a trophy in my lifetime. Closest was Coca Cola Cup final in 96.

I sincerely hope that is not the case for your sake SG.

I consider myself one of the lucky ones.

[gessa]

Can someone please tell me how we can transform a makeshift championship team into a top 6 prem club overnight?...

We spent almost 100 miliion on 4 great players and never yet managed to be able to field all 4 let alone pick all 4 on any matchday... yet here we are 23pts ...12 pts above the relegation zone...and doing the best of any promoted club to the prem ever at this stage of the season!

We can't mate and it is all work in progress but I think any signings now have to be to make the first 11 better, which in turn makes the squad stronger. It has to be quality although nothing can be guaranteed with any signing.

[DavidH]

This proves that though Bielsa is a top manager, he's not divine. He put out a decent enough team for the first half, which was making a fist of putting Crawley out of the cup. Then at the stroke of halftime, he made three substitutions that defy logic. If you're going to leave your main striker at home, why would you take off his first deputy when the job is still to be completed? Why take Cooper off, who looked comfortable in the first half, and replace him with Casey, an under 23, who is largely untested in the first team....when the job is still to be completed? The second half team looked like a trawler crew had been winched down to replace the crew on the Titanic. Headless chickens. It has to be a Bielsa mistake. What annoys me is that he made exactly the same error with Hull in the other cup competition. Gods don't make the same mistake twice.

[Smudge3920]

The one good thing is that this performance has demonstrated this squad is nowhere near good enough for anything but mid-table to survival Prem (especially if injuries/suspensions kick in).

I normally get where you are coming from mate in your posts, but this comment has me baffled?

We are basicly mid table in the prem in spite of the injuries we have carried all season... we get anymore we are in a world of hurt... And are you saying mid table first year back is somewhat a failure?