On the 6th February one year ago, we played Forest away, and lost 1-0. Sinisterra, Roca, Harrison, Wober and Adams all played. Forest scored early and we blew one chance after another. The Forest keeper, Navas, played a blinder on his debut, and Forest held on for a vital win. They never looked back after that.
This time last year, I felt despair. The system was wrong, the coach was wrong, and the players? It’s easy to blame them for not showing pride in the badge, for not feeling the way about Leeds that we do, but they had been trained to play in a particular way. Hindsight tells us it didn’t and couldn’t work. Heads dropped. Injuries made matters worse. By the end of the season, I felt nothing for the players who represented the team I love.
The turnaround engineeered by Farke is phenomenal. Who has not fallen back in love with this team, with players we never wanted to see again, just a few months ago? Rutter, Gnonto, Bamford, Firpo and Struijk have all been rehabilitated while the new arrivals have bedded in seamlessly. Farke has galvanised our squad and most importantly, restored self-belief in players who had none.
Early days, I know, but do you find yourself looking forward to games, instead of dreading them? And are our players beginning to feed off our amazing support instead of fearing it?
This team feels like it just beginning to show what it can do. We have 16 games to complete our rehabilitation, maybe a few more. Who’s to say we can’t do it? It’s Vorsprung durch Farke - progress, Farke style.
Vorsprung durch Farke
posted on 7/2/24
THOF - Thanks for the update on the travel for the Plymouth game.
Must admit back when the rats were jumping ship preseason I was fearing the worst.
The 49ers appear to be doing a decent job, although it's hard to tell whether they actually have any money...books are almost balanced since their takeover.
posted on 7/2/24
comment by steross17 (U6898)
posted 12 minutes ago
THOF - Thanks for the update on the travel for the Plymouth game.
Must admit back when the rats were jumping ship preseason I was fearing the worst.
The 49ers appear to be doing a decent job, although it's hard to tell whether they actually have any money...books are almost balanced since their takeover.
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and the food in the stands is a huge improvement (although overpriced) .... the chicken and chips ....
posted on 7/2/24
Just read that Chelsea were allocated 6,298 tickets for tonight, love that about the FA Cup...I imagine it will be a similar amount should Chelsea progress, either way a fantastic reward for our fans!
posted on 7/2/24
Top 3 sides in the champ were relegated last season. Bottom 3 in the PL (excluding Everton’s points deduction) were promoted last year.
Maybe we’re not better, maybe there’s just a gulf in class. Maybe Farke would relegate us with this squad next year like he did with Norwich.
Hey, I have the feelgood factor too. Just putting it out there.
posted on 7/2/24
comment by milkyboy (U12731)
posted 1 hour, 15 minutes ago
Top 3 sides in the champ were relegated last season. Bottom 3 in the PL (excluding Everton’s points deduction) were promoted last year.
Maybe we’re not better, maybe there’s just a gulf in class. Maybe Farke would relegate us with this squad next year like he did with Norwich.
Hey, I have the feelgood factor too. Just putting it out there.
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If you look at the true bottom three - Sheff U, Burnley & Luton I think we can safely say our income is much higher than all of them. Maybe even all three put together?
With proper ownership and management we should be able to hold our own in the PL.
posted on 7/2/24
comment by Stoopo (U4707)
posted 54 minutes ago
comment by milkyboy (U12731)
posted 1 hour, 15 minutes ago
Top 3 sides in the champ were relegated last season. Bottom 3 in the PL (excluding Everton’s points deduction) were promoted last year.
Maybe we’re not better, maybe there’s just a gulf in class. Maybe Farke would relegate us with this squad next year like he did with Norwich.
Hey, I have the feelgood factor too. Just putting it out there.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
If you look at the true bottom three - Sheff U, Burnley & Luton I think we can safely say our income is much higher than all of them. Maybe even all three put together?
With proper ownership and management we should be able to hold our own in the PL.
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My opinion is that we are better than our team last season, with proper management last season's team should have never gone down. I expect us to be in a game with either Chelsea or Villa.
posted on 7/2/24
comment by steross17 (U6898)
posted 15 minutes ago
comment by Stoopo (U4707)
posted 54 minutes ago
comment by milkyboy (U12731)
posted 1 hour, 15 minutes ago
Top 3 sides in the champ were relegated last season. Bottom 3 in the PL (excluding Everton’s points deduction) were promoted last year.
Maybe we’re not better, maybe there’s just a gulf in class. Maybe Farke would relegate us with this squad next year like he did with Norwich.
Hey, I have the feelgood factor too. Just putting it out there.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
If you look at the true bottom three - Sheff U, Burnley & Luton I think we can safely say our income is much higher than all of them. Maybe even all three put together?
With proper ownership and management we should be able to hold our own in the PL.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
My opinion is that we are better than our team last season, with proper management last season's team should have never gone down. I expect us to be in a game with either Chelsea or Villa.
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Looking like Chelsea at the moment but still plenty of time.
The problem is that, should we go up, we will need to invest a lot, Meslier remains a concern, both in terms of will he stay at the club and is he the required standard.
Archie is undoubtably a talent but he has struggled against stronger, faster, more skillful wingers and he isn't a right back.
Firpo has improved but has yet to show he can do it other than at championship level.
We have Struijk and Cresswell as our centrebacks, business will need to be done there. I am assuming that Ampadu will revert to midfield
Midfield looks OK.
Up front we could lose, Summerville even if we are promoted, likewise Rutter and possibly Gnonto. Do we have a premier league ready striker?
Then there's the mess of what happens with the likes of Aaronson, Roca, Harrison, etc, none of whom, I presume will return.
And no under 21's of note to come through.
Better than we were last year, and better than Bielsa's team I think, but if we go up a lot of work required to stay up.
posted on 7/2/24
Surely saying better than Bielsa's team and better than last year if we go up Farke is doing things right and good at his job!..
He went up twice with Norwich and it could be argued his problem with them was the same as Bielsa with us, not getting the right backing!..
Having said that, I think the 49ers won't hang around if promoted, I'd think the people they're bringing in the background now will do things the right way, and I think Farke will get better backing from the 49ers than he or Bielsa got in their last Premier sleepover!..
And our better players, one of the hardest things for any promoted team to do is to hang on to them, but I think the backing that'll be there will make it easier to hold onto them or if not than replace them!..
Loaned players coming back, I'd take Harrison no problem, but the rest can sod off!..
posted on 7/2/24
Look, I don’t know the numbers , but even if 49ers were happy to throw in loads of money once in the EPL, won’t the FFP rules or whatever you call them, cap the amount they can spend anyway to a sum which will be far lower than any existing EPL team, simply based on averaging earnings power ? 🤷♂️
The rules as I perceive them seem to make it impossible for promoted teams to compete. Maybe that’s why Leeds are trying to limit spend as much as they can this year, to ‘save’ it for EPL?
We already know that if we don’t go up, we’re a selling club, big time, just to stay within EFL financial limits
posted on 9/2/24
Farke just won Championship Manager of the Month, so it looks like we’re doomed again!
Cue ten losses in a row….