Blunts v 10 Men Cyberkop

[rss1969]

Team selection, especially with this squad....is not rocket science.

Our best eleven are a long way from a top six side. Some good individuals but not a shread of consistency.

A loan player has sort of saved our season from real shiteness.

Disagree, the best eleven have never been on the pitch together and the team (whoever was picked) have been handicapped by the management teams lack of tactical awareness, pragmatism and ability.

Today, we’ve gone to a ‘play off rival’ had more possession, more attempts, more passes etc. and were unlucky to lose. On a different day with a different ref. we’d have got at least a draw.

This manager is a big step up from before on today’s evidence. Just need to sort the team selection out.

What?

We were 2nd best today. We had a 15 minute spell 2nd half, other than that they were better.

Sharp was head & shoulders mom and the only clear cut penalty was Pennington on Clarke who never touched the ball from what I have seen.

Their player should have seen red for that challenge but how DE Bock did not get at least one yellow is beyond me.

We defended better in the second half but were lucky to go in 1-0 half time, as usual we lost the game due to being outrun and outmanoeuvred. We had been under pressure for a good 7/8 minutes when rudely awoken by a quick free kick for their winner.

Heck has a lot on his plate with the fixture list coming up.

[welshwhite]

Team selection, especially with this squad....is not rocket science.

Our best eleven are a long way from a top six side. Some good individuals but not a shread of consistency.

A loan player has sort of saved our season from real shiteness.

Disagree, the best eleven have never been on the pitch together and the team (whoever was picked) have been handicapped by the management teams lack of tactical awareness, pragmatism and ability.

Today, we’ve gone to a ‘play off rival’ had more possession, more attempts, more passes etc. and were unlucky to lose. On a different day with a different ref. we’d have got at least a draw.

This manager is a big step up from before on today’s evidence. Just need to sort the team selection out.

Its good to have a positive outlook and I give you credit for that. Myself I'm a realist, I see us as a team that's taken 2 points out of the last 21.

I'm not a negative person but my friends call me Mr Reality.

[the flying pig]

15th place almost within our reach.

[Phil LUFC]

Would much rather see Forshaw in the deeper role O'Kane played. I don't think he's as shit as some people but was at fault for both goals today (along with Roofe on the first).

I do think O'Kane's shit, as it goes. He obviously talks a decent game behind the scenes, seems a bit more intelligent than the average footballer, obviously came across well to The Heckster in the week... who fell for it and made him captain. I agree with Eric, there's not much point in having a go when it's the new fellah's first match, but the fact that he's taken a three-day look at it and picked O'Kane as his first captain [albeit Cooper isn't available anyway], worried me prior to kick-off. Imo, O'Kane simply isn't up to it and shouldn't be playing for us any more. I guess we had to rest Vieira and so he got another chance due to lack of personnel, but captain? Fuck off, Heck. Forshaw is surely better suited.
So, O'Kane's last contribution was a stupid red card. His two main contributions today were a shit header for their first goal and a penalty for for their second. He's a cunt.

Giving the captaincy to somebody who got himself needlessly sent off in his last game was a poor start. Leaving Pablo out also wasn't inspiring.

As for o kane he just has very little intelligence on the field.

The Heck did say post match Pablo had been injured and didn't train this week until Thursday.

[Oheddieeddie]

]

Team selection, especially with this squad....is not rocket science.

Our best eleven are a long way from a top six side. Some good individuals but not a shread of consistency.

A loan player has sort of saved our season from real shiteness.

Disagree, the best eleven have never been on the pitch together and the team (whoever was picked) have been handicapped by the management teams lack of tactical awareness, pragmatism and ability.

Today, we’ve gone to a ‘play off rival’ had more possession, more attempts, more passes etc. and were unlucky to lose. On a different day with a different ref. we’d have got at least a draw.

This manager is a big step up from before on today’s evidence. Just need to sort the team selection out.

Its good to have a positive outlook and I give you credit for that. Myself I'm a realist, I see us as a team that's taken 2 points out of the last 21.

I'm not a negative person but my friends call me Mr Reality.

Aye always good to a bit of non negative realism.

So Yeboah, what youre saying then is that after 1 match you can tell our manager is a step up, and this despite you accusing him of picking the wrong players, also making the wrong man captain, and losing the match

Facepalm

[Yeboah]

OEE, yep we were competitive for once. Manager gets a pass on players for now given he’s been in the job 2 minutes.

Better team in 2nd half and PH interview after game was far more realistic and honest than anything TC ever rambled on about.

Mind you, you’d have been a step up on him....

[Oheddieeddie]

Dunno, joking apart I thought he sounded a bit dazed in the interview.

Yes we were competitive but actually it seems to me that much of that was having 11 on the pitch for a full game, and actually we've often been competitive with 10 men in spells recently ..see milwall

You could argue that the heckler has demanded discipline I guess, but equally they had a penalty and another shout turned down at the end, that's often a red to many refs and De Bock should have been De Booked 3 times.

The Heckler might turn out to be good, who knows, but it's too soon to say was my point particularly as we lost, and you have pointed out the errors of captaincy and team selection which you said amounted to playing with 9 men

[LSD&2Es]

Pablo coming on made a big difference, and going 2 up top changed things again. Would like to see more of Ekuban and PML as a pairing.

Would a 4132 work when everyone is back, allowing us to play more through the middle with Forshaw, Pablo and Samu in front of Philips /Vieira. Would certainly allow us to sack off Roofe and Alioski from the wings and use them more tactically

[Wing Wizard]

Heck couldn't tinker too much after only three days with the squad but I'm sure he will have learnt a lot today.

First lesson should be Roofe should never start on the wing, he was awful and since now we have the WBA lad and Ekuban back up front I hope we never see him again.

Forshaw should be captain, in terms of maturity he was head and shoulders above everyone else today, after he got booked early on did you see him diving in like Cooper or Berardi? No, he controlled his aggression but was still able to influence the game.

O'kane doesn't have what Forshaw has hence he gave away a clear penalty. He's not a good as Vieira or Forshaw so should be on the bench. at best.

Aliioski needs to add crossing, beating a man and not diving to his repertoire or he can fuck off back to Macedonia.

Phillips should never, ever be picked ahead of Pablo in the No. 10 role.

The team needs creativity hence the impact Pablo made when he came on. When Saiz is back my guess is Heck will alternate between him and Pablo, I don't think he will play both at the same time.

Dallas, and I know he has his detractors on here, is a good squad player and at the moment is worth a place on either wing.

[Tommy]

Actually thought Dallas did well today.

[Clacton white]

First lesson should be Roofe should never start on the wing, he was awful and since now we have the WBA lad and Ekuban back up front I hope we never see him again.

Forshaw should be captain, in terms of maturity he was head and shoulders above everyone else today, after he got booked early on did you see him diving in like Cooper or Berardi? No, he controlled his aggression but was still able to influence the game.

O'kane doesn't have what Forshaw has hence he gave away a clear penalty. He's not a good as Vieira or Forshaw so should be on the bench. at best.

Don't know - I think first lesson - never put O'FuckingKane in a Leeds shirt again .

[Phil LUFC]

Pablo coming on made a big difference, and going 2 up top changed things again. Would like to see more of Ekuban and PML as a pairing.

Would a 4132 work when everyone is back, allowing us to play more through the middle with Forshaw, Pablo and Samu in front of Philips /Vieira. Would certainly allow us to sack off Roofe and Alioski from the wings and use them more tactically

Feels too open and/or narrow to me, the full backs would have to provide width but with very limited defensive cover.

There's only really 2 ways to get a front two and a #10:
4D2: Forshaw, Phillips and Vieira, no place anywhere for any of our wide players.
352: Alioski and Dallas wide (maybe Le Bock), Saiz or Hernandez at #10. There's also Brian's Sheff Wed system here with Saiz and Hernandez playing off 1 of the strikers.

[Mustafaster]

In what strange universe does Sacko get to be a professional footballer and play for Leeds?
What malevolent astral conjunction at his birth brought it about?

[ddwhite]

Got to go ydy due to a cancellation and forgot how hard this league/game is at places like BL
Understandable negativity from our fans from the off due to losing early goal but... didn’t feel like much support at all maybe the ticket rules should be changed along with a few of the squad.. can’t help anything with EVERYONE being so dispirited and lacking in confidence ? Allow a few fresh faces in the crowd to change the mood ?
Team toughts..
keeper - kept us in it with few great saves so maybe not the liability he was not so recently perceived to be
Dallas - did ok at RB but was understandably caught out a few times.. great ‘bonus’ threat going forward obvs deserves a place in the team
Pennington - thought he did ok really decent actual footballer in the defence helps but made too many crap decisions
Pontus - the enigma.. the goal that header deserved would have changed everything and I’m fairly sure we’d have won that 3/4-1 if it wasn’t for that world class save. Easy to take him for granted he had a good game
Kelly (think about it) - a proper left back played with confidence and v Berardi esque looks a good buy
OKane - captain FFS wrong decision entirely.. he was untouchable when we were top of the league but so far off the pace ydy. A real shame
Philips - where to play him don’t think even he knows probably needs dropping for a bit of a think as he’s still v young. Nowhere near good enough on the day
Forshaw - an underwhelming signing maybe but an incredible force ydy.. even on a booking didn’t shy away, hardly put a foot wrong and strength reminded me of Batts
Alioski - he’s a wing back really and helped Dallas so no wonder not enough forward product his diving is an embarrassment to us all
Roofe - his fault for first goal the lazy fuck oh dear he’s like a petulant child no maturity and looked like he went off before he was taken off. Put anyone else in ahead of him at the moment. Top scorer though !
PML - many avenues of criticism possible but he scores goals and that header from so far out past that keeper was fucking brilliant
Sacko - please please fuck off
Pablo - perfect. changed it through talent confidence skill endeavour and an imperious attitude to the game. We are truly fucked without him
Eckie - “the only man from Barnsley with a full time job” got his first loss out of the way. Heaven help Bristol city
Overall we deserved a point then everyone’s happier but when you’re in a rut and the EFL are clearly conspiring against you then it’s going to take us ALL to turn it round
MOT x

[eric olthwaite]

I have no ideas what ‘ydy’ means.

[Blackwhite]

I have no ideas what ‘ydy’ means.

You'll know tmrw.

[Andymac-47]

I have one of the biggest critics' of Lassoga on here, but looking back to yesterday I do believe there is a good player in there somewhere. His goal yesterday proved this.
The Eckle did not inspire me yesterday with his selections especially the captain decision, whether he was trying to experiment or what, fuck knows.
I agree with most on here with regards Alioski, he loses the ball far too easily and needs to be dropped to the bench.
Happy with Forshaw, hope he doesn't turn to shite in a month or two.
We could have won yesterday if we had someone to help Pablo.

[dirty leeds]

I have no ideas what ‘ydy’ means.

You'll know tmrw.

When all your troubles will seem sfa.

[dirty leeds]

We all revise what we think as games go by and things develop. Nowt wrong with that.
So, looking at the squad we have post-Jan window, I'd say our genuinely good players - those who ought to be in a team that's looking to go up next season - are:
Pontus
Pennington
Forshaw
Hernandez
Saiz
Lasogga*

That's a decently strong spine. The keeper? I'd still prefer an upgrade but maybe he's not as shite as he used to be. His play with ball-to-feet is very good for this league. It's the other stuff he needs to keep getting better at - or we get shut.
Ayling ought to be fine when he's back next season for RB.
De Bock maybe also good enough on t'other side. I mean, he doesn't fill my heart with glee, but he does look sensible and adequate, and left-footed.
So we look to have a fairly solid back four in the making.
And, yes, I've decided Pennington is someone we should look to buy in the summer, because he complements Pontus' tougher style and he can bring the ball out and pass it, and he can play on the right side in a three, should we adopt that system. [So can Ayling.]
I'm hopeful about Ekuban. Like LSD@2Es, I think a partnership up top of Lasogga/Ekuban could turn out to be good for us - would definitely like to see us try it, anyway. Which probably means 3-5-2 or [perhaps more likely with The Heckler] 4-4-2. Lasogga is a very good finisher at our level. His movement into space between defenders is excellent. He just needs to be fit and motivated. He really believes he can score goals from anywhere, and when you see how good his long shots are, you know he's right. Could easily be our top scorer next season. Ekuban's running and physical presence alongside will help create even more openings for him. Probably.
Out wide? Well, let's hope Roberts turns out to be good, because we have a lot of players who are lacking at the moment. Alioski can be good but is flimsy and unreliable. Sacko is headless. Dallas isn't quite good enough even though he tries hard. [May have more of a future as a wingback.] Roofe will have to go: he'll never make it with us. Pablo makes a decent job of playing on the left of a three, but it's not ideal [and means we only play one up top when he does].
Next to Forshaw? Could be Vieira if he can get fit again - might be next season. Phillips? I'd like him to improve into that player but I don't think he will. O'Kane can fuck off. I'd be happier if we brought in another as good as Forshaw and played Vieira/Phillips as understudies.

Thoughts?

* Just realised, he probably won't be here next season as he's on loan and we can't offer him the dosh. Who knows, though? Maybe he'll fancy it and we can pay him enough after all? Anyway, a doubt.

[Andymac-47]

"Flimsy" the perfect word for Alioski. I have a 5 year old niece that could push him off the ball.