January Transfer Rumours And Squad Discussion

[1964white]

100% agree. He would be amongst my candidates for player of the year this season.

Hernandez, Phillips, Jansson or Roofe for me

Long way to go yet !

[dezzy]

100% agree. He would be amongst my candidates for player of the year this season.

Hey hold your horses

[weasel]

Well let's have a look at some of the other candidates. Start with Roofe who has had a great season but has still missed some chances he should have buried - if a centreback misses a tackle/header and the opposition score then no matter what else he does he will be remembered for the mistake (if Roofe's early misses had proved costly v QPR he wouldn't have had anyone giving him high ratings). Hernandez has had several poor matches but then popped up with a moment of magic - a centreback can't have a poor game and then become m.o.m. by making a great tackle in the 85th minute. Phillips has done well but by and large has been in a position where he can get away with a bad pass/tackle as he has people covering around him - his error led directly to the QPR goal. Jannson has made as many, if not more, mistakes as Cooper but they seem to always be forgotten as he is the golden boy. Cooper has been near ever present in a constantly changing back 4 and novice keeper yet we have a pretty decent defensive record. Yes he has had bad games in previous seasons, silly red cards etc but this season he has consistently played well - yet for some fans that isn't enough. Support the team, support the players.

[The Subhuman]

I'd be ok with Coop on the ballot, at least as good as PJ this season for different reasons

[Cjay]

Pablo Player of the year so far imo.

13 games 7 goals 6 assists in the league, not sure what more he could do.

[danhirons]

If Ayling and Berardi are back soon then the right back position is ok. Otherwise I’d like to see a keeper come in, a cab and a winger. Rest is ok for me. But problem is aside from a winger, the cab and keeper would have to be back up and so we probably won’t be able to attract anyone worth it

[dezzy]

Well let's have a look at some of the other candidates. Start with Roofe who has had a great season but has still missed some chances he should have buried - if a centreback misses a tackle/header and the opposition score then no matter what else he does he will be remembered for the mistake (if Roofe's early misses had proved costly v QPR he wouldn't have had anyone giving him high ratings). Hernandez has had several poor matches but then popped up with a moment of magic - a centreback can't have a poor game and then become m.o.m. by making a great tackle in the 85th minute. Phillips has done well but by and large has been in a position where he can get away with a bad pass/tackle as he has people covering around him - his error led directly to the QPR goal. Jannson has made as many, if not more, mistakes as Cooper but they seem to always be forgotten as he is the golden boy. Cooper has been near ever present in a constantly changing back 4 and novice keeper yet we have a pretty decent defensive record. Yes he has had bad games in previous seasons, silly red cards etc but this season he has consistently played well - yet for some fans that isn't enough. Support the team, support the players.

Certainly on the ballot, Phillips Pablo are the front runners for the title though, Roofe also.
Great post

[dezzy]

If Ayling and Berardi are back soon then the right back position is ok. Otherwise I’d like to see a keeper come in, a cab and a winger. Rest is ok for me. But problem is aside from a winger, the cab and keeper would have to be back up and so we probably won’t be able to attract anyone worth it

Why would they have to be back up?

[1964white]

Well let's have a look at some of the other candidates. Start with Roofe who has had a great season but has still missed some chances he should have buried - if a centreback misses a tackle/header and the opposition score then no matter what else he does he will be remembered for the mistake (if Roofe's early misses had proved costly v QPR he wouldn't have had anyone giving him high ratings). Hernandez has had several poor matches but then popped up with a moment of magic - a centreback can't have a poor game and then become m.o.m. by making a great tackle in the 85th minute. Phillips has done well but by and large has been in a position where he can get away with a bad pass/tackle as he has people covering around him - his error led directly to the QPR goal. Jannson has made as many, if not more, mistakes as Cooper but they seem to always be forgotten as he is the golden boy. Cooper has been near ever present in a constantly changing back 4 and novice keeper yet we have a pretty decent defensive record. Yes he has had bad games in previous seasons, silly red cards etc but this season he has consistently played well - yet for some fans that isn't enough. Support the team, support the players.

As long as one of Pontus or Cooper are still standing......we'd miss Pablo & Roofe more right now as was proven earlier this season when we only mustered ten points from eight games without them.

God help us if we lose Pontus especially with Cooper crocked

[1964white]

Pablo Player of the year so far imo.

13 games 7 goals 6 assists in the league, not sure what more he could do.

Would really struggle without Pablo, he makes us tick

[SG90]

Not suggesting we should throw away millions on unnecessary players.

Just that cream rises to the top, there are better squads in the league and id expect those sides to find form (indeed Stoke and Villa are starting to).

And our rivals will strengthen (god knows how Villa can) but they will, Stoke, WBA, Boro, Derby youd expect especially the first 3 to spend.

We have been in good positions before and failed to do that, under Monk, under TC and under Grayson.

We know that Berardi and Ayling are out till late January, we know that Philips isnt a cb and BPF is a liability at corners (i dread the villa game for those reason). Villas attack really could give us a kicking.

Cooper will forever be average, he will always have a mistake in him.

Even if we spent on a quality goalie and cb then thats enough.

Striker or winger was more a hope then a need ie if a Mirtovic like player becomes available.

Its not like we have spent lots of cash the last 3 years, our net spend is roughly 6-8million.

Wood, Cook, Vieira and Taylor thats about £35million in fees.

We have spent roughly 43mil.

We can lose £39mil.

Apparently we are £15-20mil in credit with FFP, we have never been in a better position league wise at this stage.

Isnt it worth a bit of ambition to try and make the most of it before even more parachute payment clubs arrive ?

I get what you're saying, but splashing the cash doesn't guarantee anything and we've got a tight knit squad, I don't want egos coming in and ruining everything.

Not sure Villa will be splashing the cash, they're already over ffp and have an enormous wage bill they need to cut.

I'd be happy with a couple of experienced heads at GK and CB, Heaton on loan and Huth on a pay as you play deal until the end of the season. Then if possible and money is available, Ibai Gomez and Gary Medel, as they'd improve us and are Bielsa players, so they can slot in straight away.

Everyone goes on about Mitrovic, but Bamford scored 2 goals less than him from January onwards and he was mostly a sub. Maybe he's our Mitrovic.

[gessa]

Pablo Player of the year so far imo.

13 games 7 goals 6 assists in the league, not sure what more he could do.

13 games, 13 goals 25 assists.

[The Subhuman]

Would really struggle without Pablo, he makes us tick

He needs Saiz, his performances without him were patchy at best. PJ leads atm, Roofe for me is second, Pablo third, Coop 4th. Klich 5th

[The Subhuman]

13 games, 13 goals 25 assists.

Paint his left knee green, then extract his wisdom teeth,
Form a string quartet, and pretend his name is Keith!

[Cjay]

I get what you're saying, but splashing the cash doesn't guarantee anything and we've got a tight knit squad, I don't want egos coming in and ruining everything.

Not sure Villa will be splashing the cash, they're already over ffp and have an enormous wage bill they need to cut.

I'd be happy with a couple of experienced heads at GK and CB, Heaton on loan and Huth on a pay as you play deal until the end of the season. Then if possible and money is available, Ibai Gomez and Gary Medel, as they'd improve us and are Bielsa players, so they can slot in straight away.

Everyone goes on about Mitrovic, but Bamford scored 2 goals less than him from January onwards and he was mostly a sub. Maybe he's our Mitrovic.

I understand that but if the scouts do there work they should be able to find the right players to fit in as players and people.

If rumours are to be believed egos could become a problem anyway with players wanting big money for half a season of form.

Villa are an odd one, they should seemingly be unable to spend but there new owners have said they can and will in January. I think Villa have the finances and people to tie the EFL in knots, money talks and if Man City can lead UEFA a merry old dance Villa can the EFL to imo.

The Villa owners arent like Radz or most championship owners, wealthy but not super rich. The villa pair are super rich, worth like £8bill between them and one of them has a family worth 3 times that. That sort of money can help a lot unfortunately for us.

Understand your point but what if Bielsa goes in the summer? He may, then what, thats a huge opportunity missed. Thats my main concern, I'm not sure Bielsa will give us another season.

At his age, doesnt need the money, the language barrier, maybe he will just want to go home.

Id rather give him the quality he needs now and hope he can do it.

Money guarantees nothing, but a bit of ambition can go a long way.

And next season its a new FFP period, there will be more parachute clubs, more money being thrown about and i dont see Radz as the type of owner to do that FFP or not.

[hector]

Paint his left knee green, then extract his wisdom teeth,
Form a string quartet, and pretend his name is Keith!

[BGwhite]

If Leeds don't get promotion and MB leaves I'm afraid that will probably mean a few more years in the 2nd tier. AR will sell up and the whole process will start again without our main players.This season represents the best season in 15 yrs to get back up and AR,MB and everyone else needs to realise this by doing everything necessary to achieve promotion.

Sent from my XT1032 using Tapatalk

[weasel]

Understand your point but what if Bielsa goes in the summer? He may, then what, thats a huge opportunity missed. Thats my main concern, I'm not sure Bielsa will give us another season.

At his age, doesnt need the money, the language barrier, maybe he will just want to go home.

Id rather give him the quality he needs now and hope he can do it.

The trouble is that it seems Bielsa doesn't want new players so giving him players he doesn't want is probably more likely to make him walk out. Nothing about Bielsa, or his past, suggests he wouldn't be saying he didn't need players if he felt he did. I feel he would much rather get players in during the summer so he can train them and as such if we missed out on promotion he would evaluate which players to get rid of and what was needed and we would be stronger next season.

[dezzy]

If Leeds don't get promotion and MB leaves I'm afraid that will probably mean a few more years in the 2nd tier. AR will sell up and the whole process will start again without our main players.This season represents the best season in 15 yrs to get back up and AR,MB and everyone else needs to realise this by doing everything necessary to achieve promotion.

Sent from my XT1032 using Tapatalk

If the worst came to the worst and that did happen, Radz has built Leeds up from a poorly run and funded club from the bottom up, we were a broken club, being sold from gangster to gangster, hoping to make it lucky and we got promoted and cash in, but if it fails I’m sure not losing money!
Radz is involved to make money, he’s invested in the club far beyond the squad, where he’s invested more in players than other owners.
I think there would be lots of interest in buying us?

[Cjay]

The trouble is that it seems Bielsa doesn't want new players so giving him players he doesn't want is probably more likely to make him walk out. Nothing about Bielsa, or his past, suggests he wouldn't be saying he didn't need players if he felt he did. I feel he would much rather get players in during the summer so he can train them and as such if we missed out on promotion he would evaluate which players to get rid of and what was needed and we would be stronger next season.

Thats fair about Bielsa and i do believe if we dont make signings then that will be largely down to him, not that i think Radz would fund much but i do think if Bielsa demanded it Radz would have no choice.

At the same time though maybe that stubborn streak is why Bielsa hasnt been as successful as maybe he should have been in terms of silverware.

Bielsa is a fantastic coach, a wonderful tactician but (and it is sad to say) he isnt a proven winner on the scale someone so intelligent and revered should be.

This is a man who could have had the biggest jobs in world football, he was the blueprint Barcelona looked at in a coach with Cruyff when picking there successor for Pep.

He is so influential to the point that the best coaches in Europe have seeked him out for advice and based there own ideas on his.

And yet in Europe he has never won a trophy, he has never had one of the top jobs.

Of course that probably is down to his own stubbornness and controlling personality, admirable really in that respect.

I think there is a clear indication of Bielsa's personality in his past clubs January dealings, Marseille, Bilbao, no signings in January. I'm sure both squads probably could have done with some, but Bielsa is loyal and has his close group.

But maybe Bielsa could do with being a bit more receptive and maybe that is where Orta can come in.

We know the club wanted a cb in the summer, Bielsa refused. We know the club wanted the likes of Angus Gunn and David Stockdale, we know the club wanted Florian Jozefzoon.

A 1st choice winger, cb and Goalie.

Bielsa is as loyal as they come and while admirable it is a quality that imo may partially explain his own shortcomings in terms of silverware and we must remember we are aiming to win something, be it promotion or even a title.

This is not an area Bielsa has achieved success in for over 20 years, what worked in Argentina 25 years ago may not work in The Championship now.

Not a downer on Bielsa, he has been amazing so far but think its only right to look at this fairly.

The club (and Bielsa) wanted a 1st choice goalie and a good winger in Jozefzoon (Gunn and Stockdale wernt being targeted as backup for BPF).

The club wanted a cb, Bielsa refused on that.

Bielsa clearly agreed in the summer a winger and goalie were necessary.

That shouldn't change now imo, loyalty is fine but as Bielsa himself said (paraphrasing) "if a player is better then we have then thats possible".

His loyalty to the squad shouldn't change that imo, should always look to improve if possible.