With Brighton and Brentford in decent form, last 2 matches that a couple of weeks back we thought might yield points now looked difficult fixtures.
We got cut open at will at times and one particular chance early on exposed how much of a liability Llorente is with a poor clearance and then Firpo whose positional senses is non existent to allow Brighton to stroll through our defence.
Gelhardt working hard, Rodrigo looking mobile but final ball not right and we go one nil down, it could have been more.
Second half different proposition, more stuff working, more positive and could easily have equalised.
Despite free kick and one chance Raphinha didnt contribute that much, we should have been using him much more effectively this season.
Gelhardt works hard and does enough to disrupt the opponents as you could imagine Bielsa to say.
One image of board sitting together, Lowy, AK and Orta (leaning towards other 2 and away from Marathe) and Marathe summed up what looks like AR camp (with no AR) and 49ers camp.
Credit to Leeds for not giving up despite really demotivating times of late and great for Struijk who hasn't had much to shout about this season.
I really don't rate him that much, but never begrudge a player getting to experience a moment like that and one thing I do like about Struijk is that I feel he's an honest player. Sometimes players are snide, with little digs, I dont see that in him and the celebrations were great.
But, that goal was only possible after some great persistence and skills from Gelhardt,
There was no way he was getting that cross in, but he did and it;'s this quality which means teams have to be extra careful about him and it gives others opportunities.
It does make you questions why he has not been given more minutes, but when you've spent 25 mill on James club clearly feel they need to play that marquee signing.
I feel a little sorry for Rodrigo that he's not been played up front, h;es got the strange role that is not quite up top, not quite midfield, clearly has something but as with Raphinha we dont quite get the best out of it.
Suspension of James gives Gelhardt chance to show what he has as now more likely to play 90 minutes.
And maybe, just maybe, that twist of fate might give us chance to stay up.
It's out of our hands, am kind of accepting whatever happens, but one final note on Marsch who attracts a lot of criticism f(from myself included) for his public persona and hype.
Actually with so much negativity from results and things feeling like a foregone conclusion, we can want hear a more realistic voice, but really we need someone to try and lift the players, keep the focus and remind us to have belief. He's in an incredibly tough place, has never complained and although I'm accepting of relegation, I do hope for his sake that his approach succeeds and after all his efforts to try and keep everyone positive that he gets some sort of reward for it.
Thoughts after final home game
posted on 16/5/22
I watched the Everton v Brentford game yesterday and if Everton had kept 11 men on the field it might have been a very different story.
Rico Henry when allowed space was very dangerous and Eriksen is just Eriksen, best player on the pitch with a killer pass.
But we did show yesterday in the second half that if we get at teams of this quality level things can happen - we just might survive yet!
I'm not giving in until the mathematics tells me otherwise.
Please foe once let it be our day next Sunday.
posted on 16/5/22
thanks for that jonty and shaun, still dont get twitter as im old skool lol. wheres my teletext. I dont think brentford are anything special but our problem is to many players in first half yesterday looked either nervous or uninterested and didnt try to get into the game. Second half looked like jesse decided to resort to bielsas tactics and we looked a lot better and if we are to have a chance to stay up next week its how we should be playing. Someone did say yesterday could we not get bielsa back to help out for that game and while just a silly comment it still made a lot of sense. Hoping that burnley fail last 2 games wont be enough for us i think but 3 points v brentford most likely will be and if we had nicked the 3 points yesterday i reckon we would be safe now or only need at most a draw. The joys of being a leeds fan and i have a funny feeling our fate will be decided in the last few minutes of the season next week. Someone will do something in last few minutes to either save themselves or throw survival away. Wouldnt be any other way when leeds are involved so im hoping at start of next weekends match we still have it in our own hands and not depending on others so need burnley to lose v villa on thursday and hope whatever team jesse picks and whatever tactics he uses fights their hearts out and runs through walls the way they did for bielsa and keep us where we belong. Gonna be a long week and a lot of nail bitting but hopefully the footballing gods will shine on us and remove that team of cloggers burnley from PL
posted on 16/5/22
Brentford will massivley up their game, they'll be right on it and their fans will be backing them, screaming and crying at every good tackle on their players, they have Erickson will will pull the strings and Toney + a few other very dangerous players, they will time waste and cheat at every opportunity, like they always do against us.
We will HAVE to get tactics right from the off, we need to scrap this narrow formation and play our most dangerous players where they need to be.
All depends on what happens on Thursday, but lose there and it could well be curtains.
posted on 16/5/22
Brentford aren't that good .. Brighton are better imho and we could well have beaten them on Sunday (ok they could well have beaten us too ).
I think Palace will win at Goodison, which will really put the cat among the pigeons. The racist abuse dished out to Brentford players' families by some oh-so-charming Evertonians might well really fire up Viera and his players to make a point .. and they are a decent outfit.
Will Burnley get anything at Villa? Recent form suggests not.
Maybe Pontus will try to pull the shirt off Raphinha's back and not get away with it as he did with Richarlison ..
I'm feeling a darned sight more positive than I did at half-time yesterday
posted on 16/5/22
The midfield was a disgrace first half. Whether player or tactics can't ever remember someone getting on the ball. They didn't protect the defence nor do anything in an attacking sense
Better after the break. We finally got Phillips onto the ball
I'd honestly be tempted to sacrifice a more attacking option for Brentford. They could us apart. Maybe Shacks, Llorente, Coops, Firpo in defence. Phillips Koch Klich in midfield. Will fill it out a bit. Then Raphinha Rodrigo and Gelhardt up top.
posted on 16/5/22
Yes first half was horrendous at times. They got behind our back four so many times it was scary. No cover from Phillips at all. In fact he looked well off the pace most of the game. I hope both he and Raphinha give us one last massive effort on Sunday before they move on.
Brentford looked good against ten men yesterday but surely our lads will be up for this game.
posted on 16/5/22
We’ve won 4 home games all season. 3 against teams in bottom 3. Dreadful
1-0 v Watford
1-0 v Crystal Palace
3-1 v Burnley
2-1 v Norwich
posted on 16/5/22
comment by A14... 152-0 T20 + Tea was fantastic پاکستان زِنده باد (U2805)
posted 3 hours, 44 minutes ago
We’ve won 4 home games all season. 3 against teams in bottom 3. Dreadful
1-0 v Watford
1-0 v Crystal Palace
3-1 v Burnley
2-1 v Norwich
----------------------------------------------------------------------
And we have beaten West Ham and Wolves away. I would prefer to be playing Brentford at their place. They have lost at home to Norwich and Newcastle, and Brighton. They are beatable and our wide players can cause them problems. We should have killed them at Elland Road. Let's finish the job at their place.
posted on 17/5/22
comment by All the Bielsa ringing (U19827)
posted 11 hours, 45 minutes ago
comment by A14... 152-0 T20 + Tea was fantastic پاکستان زِنده باد (U2805)
posted 3 hours, 44 minutes ago
We’ve won 4 home games all season. 3 against teams in bottom 3. Dreadful
1-0 v Watford
1-0 v Crystal Palace
3-1 v Burnley
2-1 v Norwich
----------------------------------------------------------------------
And we have beaten West Ham and Wolves away. I would prefer to be playing Brentford at their place. They have lost at home to Norwich and Newcastle, and Brighton. They are beatable and our wide players can cause them problems. We should have killed them at Elland Road. Let's finish the job at their place.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Agree, should have killed them but didn’t;
Just like West Ham at home
Southampton at home
Newcastle away
Leicester home
Wolves at home
The list goes on…..
posted on 17/5/22
comment by A14... 152-0 T20 + Tea was fantastic پاکستان زِنده باد (U2805)
posted 12 hours, 18 minutes ago
comment by All the Bielsa ringing (U19827)
posted 11 hours, 45 minutes ago
comment by A14... 152-0 T20 + Tea was fantastic پاکستان زِنده باد (U2805)
posted 3 hours, 44 minutes ago
We’ve won 4 home games all season. 3 against teams in bottom 3. Dreadful
1-0 v Watford
1-0 v Crystal Palace
3-1 v Burnley
2-1 v Norwich
----------------------------------------------------------------------
And we have beaten West Ham and Wolves away. I would prefer to be playing Brentford at their place. They have lost at home to Norwich and Newcastle, and Brighton. They are beatable and our wide players can cause them problems. We should have killed them at Elland Road. Let's finish the job at their place.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Agree, should have killed them but didn’t;
Just like West Ham at home
Southampton at home
Newcastle away
Leicester home
Wolves at home
The list goes on…..
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The point is, Afridi, that this is Brentford, not Real Madrid. They are beatable and it isn't so long ago we killed them at Elland Road. If we play like we did in the second half against Brighton, we can take all three points.