The LUFC Breakfast Debate (Mon 29th Oct)

[Ellandback1]

Good Morning Everyone

Kemar Roofe earnt Leeds a share of the spoils on Saturday, albeit by punching the ball into the net from 2 yards.

Had the ball not hit Roofe's fist, I doubt it would have gone in (knowing Leeds luck).

How many of you would rather Roofe had come clean to the ref, and said it had come off his hand?

Would it have been the right thing to do - surely its cheating otherwise?






Yet again, Leeds dominated the possession, but were found wanting when it came to shots on target!

Has Bielsa got our tactics right?

Do we need a plan B?





Luke Ayling will go for scans on his injured leg that he picked up at the Forest game. It is however believed to be a long term injury.

You'll recall the right back missed the entire second half of the season- that injury was sustained against Forest too.

Ayling will join Berardi on the treatment table allowing more game time for Bielsa's favourite player Stuart Dallas!





I know hindsight is a wonderful thing but perhaps the hierarchy should listen more to the fans, especially when asking the management to sign an extra defender. We are not even in November yet, and are down to bare bones!

Square pegs in round holes again!

[Eireleeds1]

Morning all. I take little notice of all these stats that get bandied about these days. They didn’t have them in the dons day. Only stat that counts are goals scored

[gessa]

Morning all. I take little notice of all these stats that get bandied about these days. They didn’t have them in the dons day. Only stat that counts are goals scored

Agree Eire, stats can give a very false picture.

I'm not sure it is hindsight Ell, we all knew before a ball was kicked we were 3 players light.

Roofe is a conundrum, yes technically it is cheating but so is a lot that goes unpunished in the game, non so more than the ref in the Brentford game, all the diving that goes on week in week out is worse, as that's intentional, Roofe just threw himself at it to get the ball in, about time it went right for us.

Biesla is a stickler for training, perhaps he could give them an extra hour a day practicing getting shots on target from outside the box.

[Dalton]

Morning all,

Will talk about the plan B. Surely, this has to be players who are unknown quantities in the championship who therefore can surprise defenders and do some damage.
players like Jack Clarke.
Like I have mentioned before. Preston and Ipswich at home aside. We havent scored twice in the league since August.
Surely a more mixed bag approach of posession and dribbling, taking on the opposition would help?

I would start Clarke and soon

[The Subhuman]

We have a plan B

Ball was going in but yes it's cheating but this within the leagues power to stop

Shots on goal is a really bad stat, it tell you absolutely nothing...a 30 yard drive that comes back off the bar is an off target shot a mis hit grounder the keeper kneels to collect is a shot on target..a better stat that should be used is chances created

We're one of the deeper teams in the division in terms of depth so no worry there...Not buying the square peg theory...We knew MB would re-train players to play in different positions, Dallas and Beradi have a lot of experience playing multiple positions. Our under 23's are dominant and there's a few there that are probably close to the first team...

We're playing well so I'm not sure what the issue is?

[HarryofOz]

I don't think there is a problem with our tactics. We are playing the same way as the start of the season and we were scoring goals for fun then. Things are just not quite clicking in the final third at the moment. I think missing Douglas is a big factor as he is clearly our best left back, defensively and in giving us something in attack as well.

In an ideal world maybe Roofe should have admitted it, but in the world of professional sport, it would never happen. And as I've said before, cheating is cheating, and while Roofe will be condemned, there is no real difference between what he did, and a player committing a professional foul, which seems for some reason to draw praise in 'he had to do it', 'he took one for the team' rather than the condemnation that is directed towards players who dive or score goals with their hands.

[Dalton]

Agreed Harry. Time wasting, rolling around on the floor, prof fouling etc etc on one side
a hand ball goal on our side

may be equal out.

Surely one of these days a 3/4 or more goal performance will happen.

Even some managers say "Leeds will take some teams to the cleaners"

[1964white]

Good afternoon Matt & everyone

We are playing well so the goals will flow at some stage, I feel one of the championship teams are in for a battering in the next few weeks.

My main concern is our defending at corners, apart from the odd set-pieces we are defending very well

As for Roofy he did what all good strikers do & gambled throwing his body at the ball, he actually went in with one of his legs outstretched, whether he made contact & then the ball bounced onto his arm I'm uncertain even after watching re-runs of incident.
Thankfully the officials gave us the benefit of doubt as I reckon the ER crowd would have gone bonkers with the referee who had already agitated our fans with some of his leniency towards the time-wasting/fouling tactics of the Forest players

[1964white]

Remember what happened last season when we lost Ayling at Christmas time.

I'm not suggesting & can't see it will occur again because we have Bielsa at the helm this time

However, wing-backs are an important part of our game so Ayling's absence could affect the flow of our game down the right flank

[danhirons]

We need to sign a new right back now in January definitely - preferably on loan. Berardi is good as a back up but not a permanent starter.

[Cjay]

No he shouldn't have said anything to the ref, would Grabban? Course not and wouldn't expect him to.

Dont think we need a plan B, we need a player willing to just drive at the defenders. Its no coincidence every time Clarke has come on we have been chasing a goal and got one imo. He offers something none of our senior players do.

Rather see Robbie Gotts replacing Ayling then Dallas, fed up of Dallas.

Bielsa wanted a small squad, he always does, just use the youth team till January.

[Chilli D]

Afternoon All,

I'll start with Roofe's goal.
I've watched the replay many times and I still can't positively decide if it just flicked off his knee before hitting his arm. I think it did.
Either way, there is no way he deliberately tried to cheat. He threw himself at it to make sure it went in and it hit his arm, which he readily admitted after the game.
Some decisions you get away with and some you don't. I don't think there has been any statement from the officials but I get the feeling the linesman didn't give it because he thought it was already over the line?

To the game itself:
We totally dominated possession once again but as has been the case in recent weeks, the end product was found wanting.
Only when young Jack Clarke came on did we manage to get behind their well marshaled back four and create some panic.
It would have been a travesty if we had lost.
I don't think there's much wrong with the tactics but people need to be braver and have a shot.
Clarke did with virtually his first touch.

The injuries:
Heartbreaking for Ayling if it's serious and it looks as though it is.
We may well revert to a back three now with Jamie Shackleton in the right wing back position.
We need Barry Douglas back more than ever now although Tom Pearce did very little wrong on Saturday and his substitution was purely tactical.

Chilli

[whiteswan]

Good afternoon Matt & everyone




As for Roofy he did what all good strikers do & gambled throwing his body at the ball, he actually went in with one of his legs outstretched, whether he made contact & then the ball bounced onto his arm I'm uncertain even after watching re-runs of incident.
Thankfully the officials gave us the benefit of doubt as I reckon the ER crowd would have gone bonkers with the referee who had already agitated our fans with some of his leniency towards the time-wasting/fouling tactics of the Forest players

I agree 64. I don't think it was a deliberate hand ball. He went with his leg and as he lunged with his leg his hand ended up next to his leg. He did have one or two good looks over at the linesman though before he went off to celebrate.

[1964white]

No he shouldn't have said anything to the ref, would Grabban? Course not and wouldn't expect him to.

Dont think we need a plan B, we need a player willing to just drive at the defenders. Its no coincidence every time Clarke has come on we have been chasing a goal and got one imo. He offers something none of our senior players do.

Rather see Robbie Gotts replacing Ayling then Dallas, fed up of Dallas.

Bielsa wanted a small squad, he always does, just use the youth team till January.

Robbie Gotts looks a decent prospect whenever I've seen him play

Don't know if he is ready for first-team football if he is play him

[lufc1304]

Roofe took a chance, threw himself at it and some part of him forced it over the line. Might have got away with a handball, but he certainly didn't set out to cheat.

Don't think we need a plan B, things just aren't falling for us the way they did earlier in the season. It'll click again and some team is going to get a pasting.

Said it on the Ayling thread, not ideal but we do have cover. Carrying another RB just in case doesn't make sense, especially when MB likes a small squad with 'multi-function' players. Dallas, Shackleton, Gotts and Coyle (at a push), we'll be alright

[The Subhuman]

Gotts is a right sided attacking midfielder or winger ...so those complaining square pegs shouldn't be advocating him starting at RB...

[lufc1304]

I thought he was playing as a right wing back, faaip.

I've no issue with utility players, we knew that MB was a fan, makes sense when we haven't the funds to carry 2 or 3 starting players for each position.

[The Subhuman]

I thought he was playing as a right wing back, faaip.

I've no issue with utility players, we knew that MB was a fan, makes sense when we haven't the funds to carry 2 or 3 starting players for each position.

May have been playing there but it's not his natural position, I'm ok with wherever MB needs them to play and I think Gotts has a lot of talent. I'm just saying he's not a natural RB/RWB just like Shackleton and Dallas. MB switches systems depending on how many the opposition play up front so the job can change game to game

[1964white]

Gotts is a right sided attacking midfielder or winger ...so those complaining square pegs shouldn't be advocating him starting at RB...

I've only seen him play as an attacking FB so i assumed that was his natural position