Two games today, both against Ajax. The first friendly sees us take on Jong Axaj (their youth team) at 1pm, and an evening kick-off sees us playing their senior team. Good opportunity for some players to get some minutes.
Line-up for the 1pm game (tactical shape may differ. it's a confusing one).
---------------Van Den heuvel
Drameh----Kenneh---Cooper---Moore
---------------------Forshaw
Poveda----Roberts----Phillips---Costa
-------------------Greenwood
Christy, Miller, Summerville, Jenkins, McCarron, Allen, and Dean on the bench.
An odd team considering theyre playing a youth team. First pre-season minutes for Cooper and Phillips, and more for Costa, Poveda, Roberts, and Forshaw. Kris Moore is a talented young defender from the U18s. A CB, I believe, but seems he might be playing LB, unless we are operating a back three, but then idk who would be LWB.
The game is available to watch on LiveNow, Facebook, and Twitter for free. Kicks off at 1.
Leeds vs Ajaxes
posted on 4/8/21
Don't think it helps with all the changes we've had to make to the back 4 line up either. Think it's gone something like this in 2 games:
Ayling Llorente Strujik Firpo
Shackleton Ayling Strujik Firpo
Shackleton Ayling Strujik Dallas
Shackleton Ayling Koch Dallas
Shackleton Ayling Strujik Dallas
Shackleton Ayling Strujik McCarron
Ayling Koch Strujik McCarron
posted on 5/8/21
I think Ayling adds so much more at RB and Dallas is better in CM than Klich at the moment.
posted on 5/8/21
I didn't watch the game yesterday evening, but against Betis I thought we looked much better in midfield with Klich there. Would have done more had we had our best attack on for that period.
posted on 5/8/21
Did McCarron look any good in the game time that he got yesterday?
posted on 5/8/21
comment by Lubo - Struijk of Genius (U14008)
posted 3 minutes ago
I didn't watch the game yesterday evening, but against Betis I thought we looked much better in midfield with Klich there. Would have done more had we had our best attack on for that period.
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I agree. Klich been our best central midfielder in preseason
posted on 5/8/21
Klick looked knackered last night.
McCarron looked okay i thought. Been impressed with him.
posted on 5/8/21
Looking at the highlights they all looked a bit knackered last night.
I guess we are a week and a bit away from the first game so fitness levels will improve by then. Ajax are ahead of us on fitness and it showed.
posted on 5/8/21
Agree with Stoopo, we looked knackered. Love to know how can we expect to be at full fitness in a week and a bit. Having said that, the scoreline was flattering to Ajax.
posted on 5/8/21
Two of the goals Meslier is indirectly responsible for – both of which came from poor passes out to players under pressure. This is an area that Meslier needs coaching on as it was a weakness last season. Equally, our backs tended to put pressure on Meslier by backpacking to him when under pressure.
posted on 5/8/21
comment by All the Bielsa ringing (U19827)
posted 1 day ago
comment by Kebablegs (U17699)
posted 36 minutes ago
Think we all prefer to see our side win, even in friendlies but we don’t have a good history pre season under Bielsa.
18/19 we drew with York city and Southend and lost to Oxford. A couple of weeks later we witnessed the miracle against Stoke city.
19/20 we lost to skum 4-0, and al-lttihad 4-2 and went on to be promoted.
20/21 Stoke beat us 3-0 and we finished 9th in prem.
Trust in Bielsa
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Agree, we've had poor pre-seasons followed by good seasons and good pre-seasons followed by poor seasons. I don't think they are a reliable indicator.