Radz speaks

comment by Elsbels - El Jugador (U21658)
posted 12 minutes ago
comment by Jonty (U4614)
posted 3 hours, 5 minutes ago
Thanks for sharing.



Talks about a very good youth academy for talent....yet we got relegated.


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I think once again it is really unfair to single out the U23's. An excellent squad of young pros who were very much stitched up by a manager whose small squad philosophy proved our undoing.
If they'd been allowed to develop in the correct way there's no way they would have been relegated.
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I didn’t single out the U23s, AR did.

No Jonty, you did, your phrase, "yet we got relegated". No context on that at all.

That squad was more than good enough to compete but game after game they were chopped and changed about, if you'd bothered to watch one game you would have seen, players were given a half to keep their fitness up and then at half-time wholesale changes were made players who were not ready were slotted in to positions they were not familiar with. It was a mess not because of the lack of quality but because of the small squad mentality.
I feel a real sense of anger at Bielsa about how those kids were treated. Loved him for what achieved in getting us up but he should have taken more care with those lads.

I think tonight's result against an albeit very poor Derby shows what could have been achieved. Radz is right, there is a good bunch of lads there.

comment by Elsbels - El Jugador (U21658)
posted 8 hours, 2 minutes ago
No Jonty, you did, your phrase, "yet we got relegated". No context on that at all.

That squad was more than good enough to compete but game after game they were chopped and changed about, if you'd bothered to watch one game you would have seen, players were given a half to keep their fitness up and then at half-time wholesale changes were made players who were not ready were slotted in to positions they were not familiar with. It was a mess not because of the lack of quality but because of the small squad mentality.
I feel a real sense of anger at Bielsa about how those kids were treated. Loved him for what achieved in getting us up but he should have taken more care with those lads.

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AR wasn’t asked about the academy, he volunteered it.

The only person singling it out, to try and make himself look good was AR.

Responding to his comments on all topics, is not singling out the academy.

If as you say, you feel real anger towards Bielsa then I would say you’re in a minority.

comment by Jonty (U4614)
posted 11 hours, 18 minutes ago
comment by Elsbels - El Jugador (U21658)
posted 12 minutes ago
comment by Jonty (U4614)
posted 3 hours, 5 minutes ago
Thanks for sharing.



Talks about a very good youth academy for talent....yet we got relegated.


----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think once again it is really unfair to single out the U23's. An excellent squad of young pros who were very much stitched up by a manager whose small squad philosophy proved our undoing.
If they'd been allowed to develop in the correct way there's no way they would have been relegated.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I didn’t single out the U23s, AR did.
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The U23s were weaken by providing players for the first team. The first team needed players because they were far too few of them.
The small squad theory was tested to destruction and found wanting.
The Premier league is the best, the hardest league to succeed in the world.
The number of hard competative matches is a lot. Leeds have to buld a squad for the first team and the u21s and u18s included. It takes time and not every player will fit in. Other comparable clubs have made some problematic buys, as well.
H Wilkinson said only one out of three transfers in are imediately successful.
The club's achievements should be put in some sort of contex, something with due respect you seem to be unable to do adequately.
Hopefully by the close of the transfer window a bac up goal keeper central striker and a left back will arrive.
I watched the u21s play Derby u21s and there was some very good performances notable Joseph and Gyabi, but there were others.
Though he let two goals in the 16 year old goalie holds promise.
The context is that the team playing last night had J Debayo aged 16, A Gray aged 16, K Carole just turned 18 D Ombang aged 17, M Joseph aged 18 and D Gyabi aged 18, i do not think the team had a player apart fronm D James playing for match fitnest that was over 20. That is the standard they should be judged by.

comment by Jonty (U4614)
posted 3 hours, 15 minutes ago
comment by Elsbels - El Jugador (U21658)
posted 8 hours, 2 minutes ago
No Jonty, you did, your phrase, "yet we got relegated". No context on that at all.

That squad was more than good enough to compete but game after game they were chopped and changed about, if you'd bothered to watch one game you would have seen, players were given a half to keep their fitness up and then at half-time wholesale changes were made players who were not ready were slotted in to positions they were not familiar with. It was a mess not because of the lack of quality but because of the small squad mentality.
I feel a real sense of anger at Bielsa about how those kids were treated. Loved him for what achieved in getting us up but he should have taken more care with those lads.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
AR wasn’t asked about the academy, he volunteered it.

The only person singling it out, to try and make himself look good was AR.

Responding to his comments on all topics, is not singling out the academy.

If as you say, you feel real anger towards Bielsa then I would say you’re in a minority.
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Is it possible to compartmentalise anger, I think so. Yes supreme gratitude for Bielsa's achievements but he wasn't right about everything and the way the kids were treated were poor, I don't believe Bielsa used them as canon fodder for murderball but they certainly were not nurtured in a way a coach should do.

How were they not nurtured in a way a coach should do?

Did Bielsa not attend their sessions or watch their matches?

Did Bielsa not afford them opportunities to join first team training?

Did Bielsa not give them opportunities in match day squads?

I think the worst possible thing Bielsa did was to not allow players out on loan, so that the squad had opposition for training sessions (murderball) but you're saying you don't believe this happened, so what exactly di Bielsa do that has made you, in your own words, have "a real sense of anger".

Bielsa gave more first team opportunities to youth than any other team in Prem and more than any other manager of Leeds for at least 20 years.

Jonty, you say "Talks about a very good youth academy for talent....yet we got relegated". There is nothing wrong with the academy, the team fell short not because of the personnel but the way they were used. Excellent crop of good young players.

It isn't all about the first team and shouldn't be for kids of that age. Watch some of the games before passing judgment because I don't think in this context you know what your are talking about.

"Excellent crop of good young players."

This is said pretty much every season and pretty much every season, half of them are shipped out.

When is last time I player came through the ranks (not bought in) and secured a spot in first team?

It could have been Shackleton, but he's been shipped out, so last one was Philips, who made his debut in what, 2015?

I think people underestimate how destructive Cellino's time was for academy and how long it takes to build back up.