The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Tuesday 28th Jan) - Are Leeds in a better position for promotion than this time last season?

[Ellandback1]

Good Morning. Its Tuesday 28th January, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road...


Bielsa's Pre Match press conference

Marcelo Bielsa's press conference including spending time with Ben White to get him ready to play in a midfield role plus Shackleton and Roberts are back to full fitness.

Nketiah scores on Gunners debut

Eddie Nketiah scored on his Gunners debut helping knock out fellow Premier league opposition Bournemouth of of the FA Cup. Arteta gave particular praise to Nketiah...

Eddie Nketiah was terrific. He was on the wing then three seconds later he was in the middle and scoring a goal. This shows me he will score goals and the way he worked without the ball was excellent.

How have Leeds done in the transfer window?

Leeds have finished their transfer activity for the 2019/20 season with three incoming players. Has the club met your expectations?
Are Leeds in a better position for automatic promotion compared to this time last year?

Serie B outfit Chievo have parted with highly rated shot stopper Elia Caprile for an undisclosed fee. The 18yo has penned a three-and-a-half-year deal.





Ian Poveda has penned a four and a half deal with the Whites for a nominal fee believed to be 1m, and a 30% sell on clause. The England U20 attacking midfielder / winger could end up to be the bargain buy of the Championship.





Marquee signing Jean-Kevin Augustin has been capped at every level from Under-16s to Under-21s for his Country. The striker was instrumental in helping France win the European Under-19 Championship in 2016, where he was the top goal-scorer and player of the tournament. Augustin has the pedigree to play at a higher level. It was only after an intervention from Bielsa, that the 22yo agreed to spend the rest of the season in West Yorkshire. Should the Whites get promoted, there is a compulsory purchase clause where Leeds will have to part with 15m for the former PSG and Leipzig player.

[Irish Ian]

Morning folks.

Are we in a better position than last time?

Yes with a maybe,

No with a but

Seriously I think adding to the attacking options suggests yes.

This time last season we were shuffling between two injured strikers in Roofe and Bamford and lacked creativity out wide.
I hope these two lads make us less reliant on Pablo as well.

I hope Eddie one day returns to us, he has the makings of a Leeds legend.

[Ratscoot]

Morning EB et all

I’m really pleased with our three signing as for quite a bit of the window I was concerned we’d get no one

A young prospect goalkeeper is never a bad signing only time will tell

Ian was in the City first team squad so can’t be too bad a player and I’m sure the Bielsa factor will improve him

Jean seriously looks the part, has a reputation but still has something to prove and what better place then at Leeds

So overall I’m pleased, could have done with another quality CB but then we are going to score 3 or 4 goals a game now so we’ll be alright

[mothbanquet]

Better position than last season? Can't possibly begin to answer that one but it's clear to see these new signings have injected some much needed optimism into the club and the squad itself must also be feeling it too, like the cavalry has arrived.

[weasel]

I think Eddie has become a better allround player thanks to Leeds. Despite him not getting many games it was a good learning curve for him and probably also important that he was out of his comfort zone being away from London.

I think the team is far better than at this point last season. We have a better keeper (albeit a little dodgy in the air at times), we have 2 fit strikers, an improved Harrison, an upgrade from PJ in White (certainly in terms of being a better fit in the way Bielsa wants us to play) and we are playing better. Despite the poor form we are still playing well. When you throw in that nearly everyone is fit too and we are in a great position to kick on again. If the 2 new lads can add goals and assists to the team then this team should be unstoppable - after all the only real problem it has had all season has been turning dominance into goals. They also add some much needed pace which can make the team even more threatening as pace can create space for others to exploit.

[Sara]

Good morning!

Not sure where this story that Bielsa 'intervened' to secure the signing comes from. What Bielsa actually said was: “I didn’t speak to him before signing, for me the player has to have the wish to be part of Leeds."

I do think we're in a stronger position. I worry about the games without Kalvin, but apart from that we've done all we can to address the scoring issues, which is what has been holding us back. The new signings take the pressure off Bamford, and also off the Millwall game tonight, to some extent. Even if they aren't ready to play yet, there is the sense that reinforcements have arrived.

I don't care what Nketiah does at Arsenal, it's irrelevant. He didn't do it here, and then he decided to leave. It's all about Big Kev now!

[rrfierce]

i don't think eddie decided to leave - arsenal recalled him.

[rab_rant]

Reinforcements. I hope it is not Davey Crockett and Jim Bowie to the Alamo

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk

[The Subhuman]

I'm going to hate the big Kev epithet ...I'll be going the JK route I think.

[Sara]

i don't think eddie decided to leave - arsenal recalled him.

Thought Bielsa had said it was Eddie's decision, but that could be wrong. Same difference either way though.

[The Subhuman]

We did miss an opportunity with Eddie. Still no idea how he didn't start over Paddy for most of the season...

[Sara]

I'm going to hate the big Kev epithet ...I'll be going the JK route I think.

Bit too Harry Potter for me...

[The Subhuman]

I was thinking Jamiroquai ..JayKay, but anything is better than Big Kev..

[Sara]

I was thinking Jamiroquai ..JayKay

The big hats might obscure his vision in the box.

[The Subhuman]

lol

[Irish Ian]

Jakey will do for me.

[1964white]

We did miss an opportunity with Eddie. Still no idea how he didn't start over Paddy for most of the season...

Eddie looked lively v Bournemouth last night

[1964white]

Really impressed & looking forward to seeing our new signings

I believe we are now strong offensively as we have now added power, pace & trickery to our squad giving us a different dimension to our play once the new boys settle in.

Still feel we are vulnerable defensively, DM & CB positions are a concern especially if key players are missing & the LB spot is a real worry for me.

We do have two better keepers than we started with in 2018.

Hopefully we'll score more goals than the opposition now!

[leic white 63]

deffo in a better position .
the other teams chasing are nowhere as strong as last year.

[lufc1304]

Really impressed & looking forward to seeing our new signings

I believe we are now strong offensively as we have now added power, pace & trickery to our squad giving us a different dimension to our play once the new boys settle in.

Still feel we are vulnerable defensively, DM & CB positions are a concern especially if key players are missing & the LB spot is a real worry for me.

We do have two better keepers than we started with in 2018.

Hopefully we'll score more goals than the opposition now!

All of this. We look to have more options going forward, with the two new recruits offering pace, trickery and, in JKA's case, hopefully some finishing prowess. But I do think we are a couple of injuries/suspensions away from being vulnerable defensively. I trust MB to come up with solutions, should that be the case, but it is a worry. Hopefully we'll deny the opposition the ball and convert chances so regularly that we won't have to worry about our defence!!!