When we last got relegated from the Prem we had a ragtag bunch of loanees and were a pale imitation of the Leeds side that a couple of seasons before were taking English football and Europe by storm.
Fast forward 20 years, a much more expensively assembled team but just as woeful a performance.
I thought we only had 10 men on the pitch for the last 30 minutes we were so tepid, just sitting back torn apart at will.
Firpo is reverting to form, Kristensen looks like a bit of a cartoon character interpretation of a player, Struijk out of his depth, Meslier got slaughtered by commentary team, but has an awful defence in front of him.
Cooper is sorely missed, lets hope him and Wober back soon.
Midfield....why didnt we play one this evening?
Roca and McKennie anonymous, Forshaw, made no difference.
We've gone from Philips and Klich to this.
Sinisterra looks like he'll score with every shot, but departing the pitch with yet another injury, Rodrigo back from injury, Bamford out with injury and I genuinely think we have to look at or medicals before transfers....how do we keep signing these crocks?
Aarsonson as lightweight as ever, Harrison blowing lukewarm after blowing hot for a couple of games.
Summerville is a bit part player and not quite living up to his decent run earlier and when Rutter comes on and you hear record signing you're thinking, we effectively swapped Raphinha for this.....
Such is the ineptitude in our board, that we find ourselves in the same position they told us last year wouldn't happen again.
Seeing AR, Orta and Kinnear sitting there made me feel ill.
Goal difference now a real factor and the players looked genuinely shocked at the end of that, one can only hope that Gracia can somehow lift them for our next match, a trip to the capital where we rarely return with any spoils.
Was Bielsa last season keally the problem? his players played their best under him, hugely expensive players this season have not delivered and 2 managers later our position is just as bad.
There is something rotten at Leeds and it has nothing to do with Bielsa.
So 20 years on we look just as dire and a million miles away from that side that made Klopp go "WOW" when we returned to the Prem a couple of years back and played out a thriller with Liverpool.
Thoughts from today
posted on 18/4/23
Been saying since near day one that I just dont see the great player that others see in Struijk, I think he's completely average at best and I said the same about Aaronson, just runs around a lot and also didnt see what was so great about Roca.
We always seem to justify these signings, based on......the club they were at or the price tag or just hoping we finally got a good one.
Players who are out of teh side are always suddenly the answer and then a few weeks later the player they replaced is now the answer.
All of this because we just have a really average squad and its hard to accept.
The JKA mistake is completely symptomatic of our issues.
Does anyone genuinely think Bielsa asked the board to bring in JKA?
The tail is wagging the dog.
We bring in a stupid amount of young players hoping we'll make a profit on them which denies existing academy players a chance, we've been doing that for years and now, we have zero home grown players having come through academy, we sold Philips last year, and the closest we have, Shackleton, Cresswell and Drameh's futures don't seem to be a high priority for Leeds.
I think we have to be careful in pinning hopes on Summerville and Gnonto after bright starts, it places too much expectation on them and one has to ask if they are so good, why cant they get more time.
As for Gracia, that is telling as well that we got turned down at every corner and this was the best we could do. No disrespect to him, its the board that are the problem with every single managerial appointment bar Bielsa.
Everything Bielsa did for us is nigh on gone.
I remember posting in his early years, what comes next? How do we follow that act, how do we maintain the legacy?
The club should have been working with him to groom a successor, they should have offered him Director of football role to handhold his successor into place, I think our current situation is so heartbreaking because we see and feel what he did for us and we know, that as a club we find it incredibly difficult to get promoted, we do down, it's years before coming back up.
One final note on Meslier. he was brought in as loan cover for Casilla, he would have gone back to L'Orient at end of that loan if it wasnt for Camilla's racist outburst.
What a debut v Arsenal in FA Cup and he is responsible for helping keep us up last season with some of his saves.
It's not easy when you have such a woeful defence in front of you and his confidence must be shot.
I'm not sure I see him as a poor keeper, I don't believe he's the root of our issues and we only have to look at what came before - Casilla, BPF, Wiedewald, Lonergan to realise how ineffective Orta's scouting is.
Combine that with his record of CB signings - Llorente, Koch, Struijk, Pennington and then inability to sign Ben White permanently.
And full back signings - Kristensen, Firpo, De Bock, Douglas, Borthwick-Jackson.
And it's hard to see any keeper being successful behind this succession of poor defenders.
We need massive change at club at end of season, owners, manager and half the squad.
posted on 18/4/23
RE Drameh, again, he might turn out to be very good. Aren't we idealising how good he is though?!
posted on 18/4/23
Agree with you completely on Struijk Jonty. don't see a player there at CB, defensive mid or left back Time and time again, I point to the games where Cresswell and Struijk played in the same game for the U23's and Cresswell was the better CB. Millwall haven't been playing to the same level since Charlie's injury forced him out of the squad, definite future England player of that I have no doubt.
I read that if we were to offer Cody an extended contract he would refuse, no doubt he improved Cardiff last season and Luton this.
Shackleton has never been close to being good enough, Leeds boy and therefore overhyped, maybe it's because I have no emotional attachment to the city that I can see that and other's fail to.
posted on 18/4/23
One final point Jonty, on the eve of the coronation, it seems to border on treason to accuse Camilla of being racist.
posted on 18/4/23
Rutter is 'R(Utter) Rubbish !
posted on 18/4/23
comment by Elsbels - El Jugador (U21658)
posted 45 minutes ago
Agree with you completely on Struijk Jonty. don't see a player there at CB, defensive mid or left back Time and time again, I point to the games where Cresswell and Struijk played in the same game for the U23's and Cresswell was the better CB. Millwall haven't been playing to the same level since Charlie's injury forced him out of the squad, definite future England player of that I have no doubt.
I read that if we were to offer Cody an extended contract he would refuse, no doubt he improved Cardiff last season and Luton this.
Shackleton has never been close to being good enough, Leeds boy and therefore overhyped, maybe it's because I have no emotional attachment to the city that I can see that and other's fail to.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dont think anyone, as overhyped him ever 🤷🏻♂️
A good prospect, but you cant have the amount of injuries he has had at his age, to progress.
Cody, will never play for this club again.
The one at Rotherham, i think is a better long term better than cresswell.
posted on 18/4/23
"Dont think anyone, as overhyped him ever 🤷🏻♂️
"
I raise you one Lewis Bate.
posted on 18/4/23
Bate is another one who has been hit by the injury bug at Oxford.
Good young pro, has a future. Possibly not with us. Ever present until he did something to his hand.
posted on 18/4/23
comment by LIW Rad a %#@% and so is Orta (U8453)
posted 2 hours, 5 minutes ago
comment by Elsbels - El Jugador (U21658)
posted 45 minutes ago
Agree with you completely on Struijk Jonty. don't see a player there at CB, defensive mid or left back Time and time again, I point to the games where Cresswell and Struijk played in the same game for the U23's and Cresswell was the better CB. Millwall haven't been playing to the same level since Charlie's injury forced him out of the squad, definite future England player of that I have no doubt.
I read that if we were to offer Cody an extended contract he would refuse, no doubt he improved Cardiff last season and Luton this.
Shackleton has never been close to being good enough, Leeds boy and therefore overhyped, maybe it's because I have no emotional attachment to the city that I can see that and other's fail to.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dont think anyone, as overhyped him ever 🤷🏻♂️
A good prospect, but you cant have the amount of injuries he has had at his age, to progress.
Cody, will never play for this club again.
The one at Rotherham, i think is a better long term better than cresswell.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Disagree on almost all you say there Wakey, people were on here over and over going on about good Shacks was, never premier league level and if he'd been bought in from another club people would have slated him, Leeds lad so he was given the benefit.
Agree on Drameh but because the club have made a pig's ear of how he has been handled. Him and Summerville always looked good together.
Hjelde is doing OK at Rotherham but as a left back (though he can play centre back).
Cresswell has been playing in a much better side and has dislodged a crowd favourite before fracturing his eye socket.
Seen a lot more of both him and Hjelde than you have I reckon. Cresswell has what it takes not so sure about Leo.
posted on 18/4/23
If we get relegated, I was hoping we'd see:
Drameh RB/Cresswell CB/Monteiro CB/Hjelde LB
At some point at least. Drameh's not staying with us.
And might be in the Premier with Luton. Mental.