West Bromwich Albion v Leeds Utd Match Thread

[White Riot]

West Brom didn't have to nullify us, we barely made it over half-way.

We played for the draw.

It didn't suit WBA at all ironically because they aren't a possession based team so in that sense it worked.

It's a point and a clean sheet.

But we look absolutely clueless offensively, same as vs Boro and we desperately need to replace Summerville and Georgie with players able to do what they could.

Don't hold your breath for any replacements coming in Cjay.

Unless the 49ers go into meltdown at the last minute and give Radz a call

We can always send up the Orta signal and Orta will arrive in Delboy's 3 wheeler to charm the knickers off some non-league chairman and get us the English version of JKA for £200 million with a 50 pence release clause

I watched WBA in the play offs last season, and they were just as awful as today. Corberan was scared to go for the win against the Saints.

They were tripe, and he's another careful, boring coach. As I remember they only had a go in the second half of the second leg after conceding.

So people, please don't try and tell me WBA are a good team with a good coach, they aren't, and they won't be.

Leeds were there for the taking today, but Corberan as per was too scared to seize the opportunity.

[Sean_Nile]

Do they exist anymore?

Angry letters of course they do, I get them all the time from utility companies.

[Jaydog]

I will kick it off with saying it is a good point. Last season the matches v WBA were turgid affairs and I very much expected it to be like that today and so it proved. WBA want to play this way and it makes it hard for us so a draw is a decent result - I believe we are one point better of than at this stage last season.

We saw a sensible approach. We tried to win the games with our subs but didn't go gung ho and lose the game. This for me is due to us not yet being in the position of being 10 points behind the top 2 and having to gamble - which was the case for most of last season.

So we take the point and move on to the next match.

Already said this. The idea that the season is as good as over is a bizarre reaction. I wouldn't want to be in the company of some people on here if an actual crisis happened.
We have been here before with Farke. His reaction to a bad run is to play it safe and try and secure some confidence going forward. That is a sensible approach.
The Sky people actually called his subs as him trying to win the game.
Friday will be interesting to say the least.
Now wheres my porno mag…..

[Finnatic]

Or an angry letter of complaint written to a porno mag?

Dear Sirs, why do you keep putting black dots over the best bits ?
Annoyed (West Yorks)

[Kennyb41]

Yeah not surprised if I'm honest.....

Being objective think we all knew the clusterf**k that orta left in terms of contracts would bite us but expected the worst of it last year. Seems like we're now worse off with the expensive dross returning and the quality leaving.

We have probably 5 first team players I'm happy with in terms of top two promotion worthy players for the money they're on/value. Last couple of performances aside.

Bogle, James, Ampadu (Gruev but far too defensive minded with both playing), Rodon, Struijk.

Gnonto despite the name/age is still developing and feel he is not at the stage summerville was to really deliver end product.

Meslier good shot stopper but far better out there for the money he's on. Should have been sold for a profit and wages off the books.

Firpo on massive wages, fine going forward at times (nothing outstanding) but defensively very very poor. Out of position more often than not, sees danger late and literally stops running if a player gets past him. Another one who needed to go and wages off the books.

Joseph is out best striker but asking a lot for him to dominate in this league at his age. Still smal l framed and gets pushed around a lot physically. This will change but will we see it on the pitch or cash in.

Rothwell is a midfield cog and good cover but can't rely on him to create for us. More of an attack minded version of Ampadu/Gruev for me than playing alongside them.

Past the above I'm struggling who I'd want in a promotion chasing side.

Yip.

At the moment we've too many 'ordinary' players, and too many that need help to make them tick.

We've too many that would be 'ok' in a good team.

Rodon, Ampadu etc, they're not great players individually, but they can look a lot better and stand out and perform more with more quality around them, we've way too many 'bang average' now. Any sort of injury list now and we're fcked.

[weasel]

As you say, considering the last couple days, it was a fairly comfortable afternoon although we threatened very little but because we looked solid, WBA created as much as we did.
Gave the ball away in most attacks that we started or made the wrong pass/through ball.

Had Summerville and Geo been injured rather than sold, we’d class it as a good result.
We do need to get other creative players on board in the next fortnight though.

I would hope that this week the team can train and work out the best way to move forward whether that is buying a no.10 or using an existing option. One option could be to buy a winger and see what Gnonto is like there. There is also the option of keeping Piroe there but playing more as a two man forward line.

[Barlow Boy]

Dear Sirs, why do you keep putting black dots over the best bits ?
Annoyed (West Yorks)

[weasel]

Dear Sirs, why do you keep putting black dots over the best bits ?
Annoyed (West Yorks)

Cockney rhyming slang but do you mean t*ts or cl*ts?

[Jaydog]

Angry letters of course they do, I get them all the time from utility companies.

No i mean porno mags. Do you get angry letters from them.

[weasel]

Already said this. The idea that the season is as good as over is a bizarre reaction. I wouldn't want to be in the company of some people on here if an actual crisis happened.
We have been here before with Farke. His reaction to a bad run is to play it safe and try and secure some confidence going forward. That is a sensible approach.
The Sky people actually called his subs as him trying to win the game.
Friday will be interesting to say the least.
Now wheres my porno mag…..

Reminded me of the Norwich first leg play-off. Went for a draw, hoped to nick a win but didn't try to force a win and risk losing because of it.

I do think though that if we had been playing a different team it probably wouldn't have been quite as bad a game. I feel even with Rutter, Summerville and Gray we wouldn't have been given much space to play and would have likely come out with a similar result.

[1964white]

Farke's here - feelings?

Many positives to take. We are happy when we win with offensive fireworks, but that was not the case today. This outcome after a difficult week, I am pleased.

We were flying after pre-season and football can change the world around you. Delivered fireworks against Portsmouth, but the outcome was a draw. A joke. It does something and all of a sudden you concede goals, lose important player and a poor game on Wednesday.

We had to react today. Step by step. Have to be rock solid and structured at the back. Return to best behaviour in defending and we did that today, Not many teams will come away from here with a clean sheet. They are the tallest side in this league. Carlos's teams are always well structured. Tactically on a high level. Pleased with this outcome.

Lacked creativity behind Mateo. In the last week, I would have expected Georgi and Cree here. Cannot press a button after conceding six in the last two games. Many compliments to my players and their reaction today. A priceless point. I have not won here many times over the years. Last year we lost here.




Expecting players to be more adventurous?

You hope to have a moment of magic (nice of DF to tell us his philosophy). We had two good openings and chose to shoot when we should have played or played the wrong pass. The belief was not there in these areas. Would hope we would have a top performance, but did not expect it.

Step by step you have to win back confidence and rhythm. Need to be better. Not easy here. Seven days ago we had the highest xG in the last 50 games I have had with Leeds. We will return to offensive fireworks in due course


Bogle?

Could see this in the first half. Good going forward. Chose a back pass when he could have gone forward sometimes. Coming out of a difficult season with relegation. Not an easy start for him after being involved in two games. First taste of a difficult week with us. New player. Under the spotlight. Fought his way back.


How much is this week attracting players?

Many jobs this week. We had recruitment meetings. Ongoing talks with players. Bit more time. Play on Friday. Hopefully to concentrate on this topic, but I always have good people to help me. I cannot run around with my own wallet. Blessed with so many good people. Sometimes I have to convince players and be spot on in the talks with them.


Attack not firing - important a clean sheet?

Yes. Even for the defenders and goalkeeper. We know we had the best defence until game day 42 last season. Most clean sheets. Brilliant pre-season. Does something to the confidence, this last week.

Important the players can build on this. They need to believe on our strength in defending.

Many positives
More like, only a few positives.

Chose a back pass
We often play the unnecessary back passes.

But I always have good people to help me
Truth is, they are not helping you.

[Kennyb41]

HOORAH !!! Thank fck fer this ....I wouldn't have posted my long winded effort if i'd known ...

[Kennyb41]

Btw, Piroe was a feckin disaster today, and if his biggest fans were honest, they'd say so.

This guy is a complete luxury, he needs it handing on a plate to him to finish, he hasn't a fckin Scoobie when and where to run, when to close down, when to go to the man with the ball and when not to, a feckin schoolboy team could have him running around daft in seconds chasing shadows. Why and what the fck DF sees in playing him in front of either Rothwell or Aaronson is beyond me, he is fcking clueless, and along with Joseph today the biggest reasons by far everything was dull and continually broke down.

DF HAD to go back to the defence today away from home against one of the better sides, coz a heavy loss here and heads would've dropped like fck, after the upheaval week it was 'start over again time' and DO NOT LOSE, only a fcking idiot would've thrown caution to the wind to win, cowardly he was not, sensible yes, but we needed to get a grip again and back on the right footing.

I haven't a feckin clue what he's gonna do with Piroe, but he ain't the answer, too stupid and slow for the lone role, and way too thick behind, that guy needs every fcker else working for him, so he can babyline some goals in, stick 3 Bellinghams or Fodens behind him and let him tap them in.

Joseph is quite simply too raw, still needs more experience at this level, either start him in easier games to blood him in slowly or keep throwing him on for more and more minutes as a sub.

Fair play to DF, he had to get a grip and start from the back, Gruev was told not to go up top nowhere near as much as recently, so that's what you lose attacking wise, but you gain defensively.

What the fck do fans want ffs ?? Goals and clean sheets ?? What fcking planet are you on with these players, we got goals for and against with a 3-3 but out come the pricks crying abart 3 goals against, now today it's coz we didn't score 3, fcking grow up and get real with what's happening.

James - Piroe - Gnonto - Joseph is not what they or us are used to, they will not gel instantly, coz they are pretty crap really, it's not like they're top top experienced players that know the game well and can make it work any which way, you can't just throw shite like that together and just 'give them a ball' ffs

The defence were pretty solid.
Bogle tried to get forward when he could.
Firpo perhaps the same.
Pascal and Rodon looked better.

Ampadu and Gruev were obviously told to play more conservatively.
Gnonto and James missed Rutter and looked deserted basically on their own with not much connecting around them coz of Rutter.
Piroe was feckin diabolical, like a feckin cat drawn to the ball, they knocked it around him daft.
Joseph tried but it wasn't happening, not particularly his fault coz of the set up, it wasn't the day to play him, or Piroe for that matter.

We desperately desperately desperately need a 10, if not 2.

I think if he started that game again today with PB up top and either Aaronson or Rothwell in the 10 we win it, not comfortably, but it would be a better 'team' performance going forward.

[1964white]

Agree Leon. A case could definitely be made for needing 7-9 players.

We have 18 squad players, we are allowed 9 on the bench, 20 in our match day squad.

So, we are at least six down. We lack quality in at least four positions of our first XI.

[Kennyb41]

Reminded me of the Norwich first leg play-off. Went for a draw, hoped to nick a win but didn't try to force a win and risk losing because of it.

I do think though that if we had been playing a different team it probably wouldn't have been quite as bad a game. I feel even with Rutter, Summerville and Gray we wouldn't have been given much space to play and would have likely come out with a similar result.

A pretty drab affair today, jeez i wish he'd sneaked a goal, but if i'm honest i was dreading one for them in the dying seconds.

He had to go back to the drawing board, Rutter's been doing a helluva lot of the groundwork and at the forefront of anything exciting and positive attacking wise,

But he had to shore it up, for confidence if nowt else. In the friendlies you could see him going with a different set up from the back going forward and aiming for Rutter, it's quite possible all his plans have to be reset now.

[1964white]

This season will defined by the next 2 weeks... We don't have a squad to compete at even a mid table level.

Totally agree Faaip.

If things don't improve quickly, time to criticise the 49ers for prolonging our stay in the championship.

[Tyzy]

Farke didn't want us to get off to a flying start so it's all going to plan

[Kennyb41]

I would hope that this week the team can train and work out the best way to move forward whether that is buying a no.10 or using an existing option. One option could be to buy a winger and see what Gnonto is like there. There is also the option of keeping Piroe there but playing more as a two man forward line.

Oh jesus Weasel, you can't play Piroe in a 10, i think the only way forward to try and get something out of Piroe is to get him in a 2 up front somehow (don't ask me how) After today i just don't see it happening with him at all, maybe DF should watch some Swansea Videos of him and see what they did with him, coz i've no idea. Paul needs to tell us what Aaronson can do and where he might fit in.

[1964white]

Was it just me? or did I see patches of Jesse ball at times....
It looked like there were about 7 of our players chasing the ball at times...

I may have imagined it whilst drifting off though...

No, you were watching football you'd see in a school playground.

[1964white]

Jeez wouldn't it be a dream to start 2 matchday threads, one where optimistic, honest, know what they're fcking on about, no hidden agenda type posters could go and properly discuss the wrong/right tactics, plays, players, decisions....and another where the negative, have an agenda, know sweet fa could go and post all their drivel.
Posters then could choose which one to visit, and even better if the thread creator could control it
Jesus ya get pissed off with the shite you've to scroll thru

Ffs Weasel, create a thread where likeminded folk can visit each to their own, it would then be their own fault where they go.

I suspect you didn't even watch the game, Kenny boy & stopped being so critical of other folks opinions.