The thing I found so galling watching yesterday's game - and most of the recent
games - was the absolute lack of commitment in most of the players. I lost
count of the number of high balls into the middle of the park that none of our
players even challenged for. They just stood back and watched Brentford head it
to another Brentford player. The same applies to tackles - I can't remember a
single crunching tackle by any of our players in the middle of the park. Then
there's the whole issue of pressing. In the first part of the season, when we
were winning, I seem to remember us pressing the opposition back four as soon
as they received the ball. We're not doing that any more. Brentford had all the
time in the world to play up towards the centre circle before they had to worry
about getting past a Leeds player. When we did gain possession, our players
weren't showing for the pass. The man on the ball had too few options. We need
a sports psychologist to instill some real aggression and courage in our
players.
To me, the only players to emerge with any credit from yesterday were Berardi
and Saiz. Berardi's not the world's greatest full back, but he put in some
decent crosses yesterday, and he at least brings the fire. Saiz obviously has
the talent and competitive spirit to thrive in the Championship. Even so, a
couple of times in the last few games he's maneuvered himself into a great
shooting position and then opted not to pull the trigger.
Like others, I've been looking at the squad and trying to figure out a first XI
ad a formation that would give us the best chance of victory. It's hard,
because, as others have noted, over the summer we stripped out the entire spine
of the team - Green, Bartley, Bridcutt and Wood - and replaced them with
players who are not as good (Wiedwald, Pennington, Klich, Lasogga). As I have
mentioned before, we lack a real leader in the middle of the park. Vieira
might evolve into that player, but he's not there yet. We also lack physical
size in midfield. I think it'd be worth trying Shaughnessy (he's 6'3") in
midfield (where he played for Reading) alongside Vieira. I think we also need a
formation change that gives us more options in midfield and attack. Some
version of 3-5-2 or 4-4-2 might leave Lasogga less isolated up front.
Not all of this is TC's fault. The whole "director of football/head coach" set
up is one I have huge reservations over. I can't imagine Don Revie (or Bill
Shankly or Brian Clough or Alex Ferguson) allowing a "director of football" to
decide which players were going to be available to them. Victor Orta has to
take some responsibility for the hopelessness that so many of the new players
have displayed. I hope I'm proven wrong, but players like Wiedwald, Klich,
Cibicki and Grot are not going to get us promoted. (The same could be said of
some of the players left over from last season - O'Kane springs to mind.)
These are difficult days. There's no point sacking TC unless we have someone
clearly superior lined up. I do not think Grayson fits that description.
(Remember we went through a similar loss of form after the Old Trafford FA Cup
win.) And frankly, sacking the manager - sorry, "head coach" - who's taken you
to 10th and replacing him with the manager who took a rival club to 24th
doesn't make much sense. It's hard to know if there are troubles in the
dressing room, and if there are, to what extent they are the fault of TC. If I
were Radrizzani, I'd be trying to find out the answer to that question. I'd
probably give TC the next few games, but I'd also be putting a list together of
managers who might be available for the right price.
MOT
Sean
-----Original Message-----
From: {broken-address} Richard Walker
<[email protected]>
To: Peter Castlehouse <[email protected]>; '{broken-address} Nicholas
Armit' <[email protected]>; 'Leeds List'
<[email protected]>; 'Graham Farr' <[email protected]>
Sent: Sun, Nov 5, 2017 3:57 am
Subject: Re: [LU] Tonights commentary
Good spot Pete. I watch Philips closely too and I told my old man who was
watching with me to watch Philips. He really does nothing and his only
contribution was a Jonathan Douglas outside of the foot pass to Saiz in the
first half. He has a reputation of being a box to box player and a tough
tackler and I have seen that in him in the odd game but week in week out this
guy is doing nothing but yet we can't see it. 6 goals has masked the fact he
isn't fit to play in a team seeking promotion. He's not the only one to blame
though. From: Peter Castlehouse <[email protected]> To:
'{broken-address} Nicholas Armit' <[email protected]>;
'Leeds List' <[email protected]>; 'Graham Farr' <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, 5 November 2017, 1:01 Subject: Re: [LU] Tonights commentary If
the team had a David Batty-esqe midfield leader, the whole team wouldn't have
been allowed to give up, and we'd be in a much better situation than we are
now. I made a point of watching Phillips in the first half, and he spent
almost all that time drifting towards the Brentford player with the ball, then
when the ball was passed, drifted towards where the ball had been directed, yet
he still didn't manage to get closer than ten yards to any Brentford player.
Complete and utter waste of time, and should be sent out with the reserves for
a month. Maybe then he will start fighting to play and fight to keep his
place. Suppose you could say that for the whole team really...Pissed
off-----Original Message-----From: Leedslist
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of {broken-address} Nicholas
ArmitSent: 05 November 2017 11:56To: Leeds List <[email protected]>; Graham
Farr <[email protected]>Subject: Re: [LU] Tonights commentary Well they did
fight back again until Lonergan's second mistake. On Saturday, November 4,
2017, 5:27:18 PM EDT, Graham Farr <[email protected]> wrote: Interesting
that they said Tue night Gary Rowett told his players at half time in Derby
game....equalise and you won’t see Leeds again....ie...no fight in this
team.Sent from my iPhone________________________________NOTICE: This e-mail
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