However, Bielsa is revered as a tactical genius based on decades of actual work in the game...whereas we are a bunch of gobshites who often watch some of a game through beer goggles. Let’s just all stop pretending we know better, because we don’t.
> On 27 Feb 2019, at 16:36, seanscribe--- via Leedslist <[email protected]> > wrote: > > I think we are seeing that some of Bielsa's strengths are double edged, in > that they also contain the seeds of our ultimate demise. To wit: > - His loyalty to his core group of players. This doubtless results in > reciprocal loyalty on the players' part and motivates them to run through a > proverbial brick wall for him, but it seems to blind him to the need for > change - and the availability of other options - when members of that core > group show clear signs of mental fatigue and loss of form (indeed, it just > serves to reinforce the mental and physical fatigue). Just a few examples of > this are the failure to find a place in the team for Shackleton when Ayling's > form has been so poor recently; the insistence on restricting Jack Clarke to > second-half substitute appearances when he was already clearly the most > dangerous player in the squad; the failure to even find a place on the bench > for Edmondson when our team is clearly bereft of a consistent goalscorer in a > division in which goal difference is likely to be crucial. > - His obsession with leaving no statistical and informational stone unturned > in his preparations. This led straight to Spygate. Of course it's ridiculous > that the League fined the club two hundred thousand quid for breaking a rule > that doesn't exist, but any Leeds supporter over the age of 15 could have > told Bielsa that if he sent a Leeds employee to observe other clubs' > training, and that employee was discovered to be doing that, our enemies > would pounce on it and use it as a stick with which to beat us. This was > dumb. It created a massive distraction at a crucial time of the season and > cost the club a not inconsequential sum of money. > - His openness and honesty, when combined with his insistence on sticking to > only one style of play. By needlessly announcing his first XI for every game > two days before kickoff, he gives the opposition manager 48 hours in which to > plan how to counter us. Is it any surprise that as the season has gone on, > more and more managers have figured this out? This is an absolute own goal. > If I were Radz I would have told him to stop doing it months ago. > - His insistence on working with a small squad. Bielsa's previous experience > in Europe was managing sides in La Liga and Ligue 1. Both of those leagues > have a 38-game season (in slightly warmer climes). The Championship has a > 46-game season, much of it played through in the (mostly north) English > winter. In addition there are two knockout cups and preseason games, meaning > the first team is playing more than 50 games per season. For several players > (Jansson, Klich, Douglas, Peacock-Farrell, Dallas, etc) there is the added > burden of playing in (and traveling to and from) regular international games. > The Championship - and English football in general - generally involves a > much more physically demanding style of play than is the case in the Spanish > and French top tiers. In addition, Rob Price himself acknowledged recently > that players at the peak of fitness that Bielsa favors are more likely to get > injured. Plus, we are Leeds United - we have injury crises that last years > (cf: The O'Leary years). This all seems to argue for a larger squad than > might be the case in Bilbao or Marseille. But not only did Bielsa insist on > keeping the squad small, as players left the squad (Pearce, Saiz, etc.) they > weren't replaced. I understand that it's easier to build camaraderie with a > smaller squad, but are Bielsa's motivational skills so limited that he'd be > unable to handle a squad with a few more players in it (let's say a creative > midfielder, a dominant central midfielder and a proven, uninjured > goalscorer)? I find that hard to believe. The results of all this are now > clear for all to see. > If Bielsa (or Corberan, if Bielsa leaves, as seems likely) could find a way > to bend a little on the above points, and if Radz can find the cash to buy > more quality while retaining players like Clarke and Jansson, then I'd say we > have a good chance of going up next season. Otherwise, it'll be more of the > same. > Cheers! > Sean > > > -----Original Message----- > From: David Smail <[email protected]> > To: leedslist <[email protected]> > Sent: Wed, Feb 27, 2019 10:17 am > Subject: Re: [LU] On the other hand. > > It wasn't ONLY a "bummer of a result" Our lack of cutting edge is becoming > more and more evident. For all our possession, undoubted fitness, and > willingness, teams know they can let us have the ball for long periods in > the safe knowledge we're unlikely to find an end result. There was only one > well worked move from us that nearly ended in a goal. It's becoming mildly > embarrassing that our same old same old approach isn't yielding many goals. > And then to cap it off, MB always states that with so much possession and > domination, we didn't take our chances. I thought QPR were worthy of their > win last night - they had a sparkle from time to time that we didn't. > > > > I think Brown, Roberts and Douglas are all poor, especially Brown - get him > back to Chelsea and lose the other 2 quickly. How did any of these 3 manage > to be signed - it's back to Doukara days. > > > > I think we'll do well to take a point from WBA on current form. I still see > Norwich and Sheff U for auto promotion and a possible place for us in the > play offs with WBA joining Norwich and Sheff U in promotion. > > > > Not all doom and gloom though - it's been an incredible season and the best > we've seen LU for some time. > > > > Dave > > > > > > > > > > > > > > A very fair point Sean - MB is unlikely to be here for more than another > season > > at most. I hope he has now learnt he has underestimated the resources > required > > for this 'project', and will want to give it another go having bought 4 or 5 > > > quality players. It's not all over this season by a long chalk, but last > night > > was a bummer of a result. > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leedslist mailing list > Info and options: https://mailman.gn.apc.org/mailman/listinfo/leedslist > To unsubscribe, email [email protected] > > Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/leedslist/ > > RIP Jimmy WAC-COE > _______________________________________________ > Leedslist mailing list > Info and options: https://mailman.gn.apc.org/mailman/listinfo/leedslist > To unsubscribe, email [email protected] > > Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/leedslist/ > > RIP Jimmy WAC-COE _______________________________________________ Leedslist mailing list Info and options: https://mailman.gn.apc.org/mailman/listinfo/leedslist To unsubscribe, email [email protected] Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/leedslist/ RIP Jimmy WAC-COE
