Pontus....our lucky charm !

[herefordbornleedsboy]

Monk very cryptic about Pontus and his reason for not including him today against Brighton....
Any thoughts or rumours circulating?

[YorkshireSquare]

Interesting, possibly more interesting him being on the bench.

Thought Coops did ok though. Apart from trying to score his obligatory own goal of course.

[1964white]

Lots of rumours flying around on our journey home which I'll take with a pinch of salt for now

I really hope it's nothing & if there is a problem I'm pretty sure it will be resolved swiftly

[Norm]

We can only hope it's a minor wrist slap, if that even - at least he was on the bench so is not a pariah.

[weasel]

Might have just been something as simple as a bit of a bug - didn't feel 100% but even at say 70% was a better option on the bench than the academy lads.

[HarryofOz]

Might have just been something as simple as a bit of a bug - didn't feel 100% but even at say 70% was a better option on the bench than the academy lads.

But according to Hertfordborn, Monk was cryptic about the reasons for dropping him. Why be cryptic if he was sick.

I'm not saying that it's all going to end in tears, but I would think that it's unlikely to be something as simple as Pontus being sick.

[rab_rant]

Could be yellow cards and suspension.
Could be he was the weekest link against Brighton the last time.
Could be a reprimand since he has been a naughty boy throwing his shirts to the crowd
Could be he has got himself a silly haircut and is too ashamed to play
Could be he is saving himself up for the Internationals
Could be he has gotten tired of all the adulation and singing of his name
Could be the full english breakfast has finally got to him
Could be Monk punched him in the dick to stop him from showboating and taking unnecessary risks

[John in Louisiana]

Could be yellow cards and suspension.
Could be he was the weekest link against Brighton the last time.
Could be a reprimand since he has been a naughty boy throwing his shirts to the crowd
Could be he has got himself a silly haircut and is too ashamed to play
Could be he is saving himself up for the Internationals
Could be he has gotten tired of all the adulation and singing of his name
Could be the full english breakfast has finally got to him
Could be Monk punched him in the dick to stop him from showboating and taking unnecessary risks

[60sUnited]

'Could be Monk punched him in the dick to stop him from showboating and taking unnecessary risks'

He is certainly prone to a bit of that !

[1964white]

'Could be Monk punched him in the dick to stop him from showboating and taking unnecessary risks'

He is certainly prone to a bit of that !

Yes but he doesn't give goals away unlike previous CB's as was almost the case yesterday, firstly had the magnificent Green & then the wonderful Berardi not got our No.6 out of jail when he nearly skied the ball into his own net we may have been thinking very differently today

[The Subhuman]

Not his fault though, ball was deflected a second before it got to him...

[1964white]

Not his fault though, ball was deflected a second before it got to him...

Maybe it all happened so quickly, Coops stuck a leg out & we got lucky due to an instinctive save from Green & then the solid Berardi clearing off the line

Another incident in the 2nd half where either Bartley or Cooper left Murray in oceans of space, they were nowhere to be seen as Green once again came to our rescue. Pontus would have zapped that gap in the hole of our defence

[Ken Pow]

What did Garry actually say that was cryptic?

[1964white]

Screenshot 2017-03-20 at 12.59.26.png

[gessa]

What did Garry actually say that was cryptic?

On Jansson: he was fit and available. Monk said he will "always do what's best for the group, be that the opposition or my principles."

[MissSurreyWhite]

"I will always put the group first, and I try and make my selections on the team based on the setup and principles that we adhere to," said Monk. "You've seen in the past, many times, that I'll make changes if I feel it's best for the group, and I've done it throughout the season - whether that be tactically, through suspension, through injuries or whether it's just that I feel that that's what that game needs. I will always make decisions on what is best for the group, and tonight, that happened to be one of the decisions,"

Pontus believing his own hype?
Not concentrating on our game but Sweden's?
A kick up the bum?
....

"SIDE OVER SELF" always Pontus. Seems like Mr Monk knows our history.

[weasel]

If Pontus was fit then it was a huge call and a very brave one by Monk given the amount of criticism he would have got (no doubt some muppets would have also been screaming for him to be sacked) if we had lost.

In this day and age where Managers get sacked so easily it is good to see a manager stick to his principles. Players have far too much power and are too quick to stop playing if they have a fallout with the manager (ala Leicester) as they can simply wait a few weeks and then they get a new manager.

[MissSurreyWhite]

Sounds like a good bit of man and team management to me.

[Norm]

MissSurreyWhite wrote:

Sounds like a good bit of man and team management to me.

The only thing he could have done better is say nothing, but I'm sure he'll learn.
He's got the right instincts.

[1964white]

Leeds United defender Pontus Jansson has declared that he is ready to fight to regain his place in the starting line-up after being dropped for the 2-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at the weekend.
As reported by Swedish outlet Fotboll Skanalen, Jansson said: “It was the coach’s decision altogether, he said it was his way of looking at it and his decision. I respect it fully and we won the game so we can not blame him for that. He stands behind his decision.

“He gave me an explanation, but it stays between me and him. This between coaches and players. I stand behind it one hundred percent.

“I’m ready to fight when I get back, now I’ll make a good show for the national team.”