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

[1964white]

Exactly the point mate...lack of depth.

Today's game confirmed we lack depth contrary to his opinion

[Smudge3920]

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.

Completely agree mate...

[Cjay]

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!

If we still are considered a "makeshift Championship team" then thats a savage indictment of Victor Orta mate.

If after 2 3 years we havent enough quality in the squad to beat a league 2 side whose best player only came on near the end then VO has some questions to answer.

[BillyBremner]

At least we can concentrate on Premiership survival now !

[Smudge3920]

Today's game confirmed we lack depth contrary to his opinion

Who's ?

[Cjay]

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.

In fairness to Bielsa he has already said signing players who can improve us would be good (obviously )

So he does want improvements now its just can the club get them?

[SG90]

If we still are considered a "makeshift Championship team" then thats a savage indictment of Victor Orta mate.

If after 2 3 years we havent enough quality in the squad to beat a league 2 side whose best player only came on near the end then VO has some questions to answer.

Completely agree. How much has he wasted on complete dross? I don't trust him with any more money.

[1964white]

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?

Preparing for the Brighton game without Kalvin I suspect, there's a saying in football 'one game at a time'. In the end this game was just a training practice that totally backfired on us!

[Smudge3920]

If we still are considered a "makeshift Championship team" then thats a savage indictment of Victor Orta mate.

If after 2 3 years we havent enough quality in the squad to beat a league 2 side whose best player only came on near the end then VO has some questions to answer.

Just seems to be the general opinion on here we are just that mate...hence my comment...Rodrigo and Raph just starting to appear regularly...Kock. Llorentte yet to establish...Kock was and making a difference, we have suffered since his injury...Costa for whatever reason going downhill the rest basicly the squad we had in the championship...

[gessa]

In fairness to Bielsa he has already said signing players who can improve us would be good (obviously )

So he does want improvements now its just can the club get them?

Bielsa has a strict criteria of player he wants which could and probably does, lower the players available to us.

[CHAPELALLMAN]

Yes, I was expecting more from Casilla. I don't consider him an Non-person like some and he's an experienced keeper who's been with us for two seasons.

It was telliing that when Casilla shouted at his defenders they just ignored him - he has lost the confidence of his defence on top of himself and his manager He seems to earn around 2m a year by the way....

[1964white]

At least we can concentrate on Premiership survival now !

Welcome Billy on a very bad day

[Chilli D]

System failure for me, players ambling about aimlessly because they didn't seem to know where they, or each other, were playing, all pace and purpose lacking.

Put it down as an experiment too far. Not going to jump to any conclusions about individual performances, with the exception of Casilla, who I would have expected to save at least two of the goals.

In the end it didn't really matter, because we created nothing up top. I think Marcelo will be embarrassed, because he'll realise he got it wrong. Credit to Crawley for seizing their opportunity.

Spot on Sara

[SG90]

Jack Clarke coming on

[1964white]

Who's ?

Marcelo's

[CHAPELALLMAN]

Bielsa has a strict criteria of player he wants which could and probably does, lower the players available to us.

It goes back to the question - is Orta up to making the right decisions on transfers ? It seems probable that Costa can now be labelled as an expensive mistake. I'm starting to doubt whether that core of players that Bielsa inherited has ever been really improved upon.

Anybody who is capable of letting Erling Haaland slip between his fingers has to be questioned IMO. By the way, Haaland is now valued at 135m....

[1964white]

In fairness to Bielsa he has already said signing players who can improve us would be good (obviously )

So he does want improvements now its just can the club get them?

I bet you anything our next signing will be another one for the U23 squad

[Smudge3920]

Marcelo's

[SG90]

I bet you anything our next signing will be another one for the U23 squad

That's who we're looking at. 2 from Derby, 2 from Man City, 1 from Wigan and 1 from Ipswich.

[SG90]

It goes back to the question - is Orta up to making the right decisions on transfers ? It seems probable that Costa can now be labelled as an expensive mistake. I'm starting to doubt whether that core of players that Bielsa inherited has ever been really improved upon.

Anybody who is capable of letting Erling Haaland slip between his fingers has to be questioned IMO. By the way, Haaland is now valued at 135m....

His job has never been under threat or question despite the poor return.