LUFC arent a soft touch.

[Cjay]

Seems to be this idea that we are a soft touch.

Easy to score against, a mess defensively.

Opposition fans think their teams just have to sit deep and pick us off on the break.

We seem to get more respect offensively but defensively we are seen as a bit of a joke.

Well offensively we are certainly no joke.

5th in the league for goals scored.
2nd for woodwork struck.
3rd for big chances missed (behind only City and Liverpool).
3rd for shots per game (behind City and Liverpool).
And joint 2nd for shots on target per game (same as Liverpool, behind City and Manure).

I dont think any of that is a particular surprise, we are unique as a newly promoted side in that our attacking play and chance creation is up there with the best teams in the league.

I strongly suspect very few if any newly promoted sides could say that in their first season.

What probably isnt as well known though is just how good we are from open play.

Everyone talks about our attacking play and how exciting it is, but in open play we are exceptional given our newly promoted status and relative pauper status at the moment in the league (17th most expensive squad).

Only the 2 Manchester clubs have scored more open play goals.

Thats a pretty incredible achievement.

Do you know what else.

If people were asked to name the best counter attacking side in the country lots of names would appear.

Leicester, Manchester United, Wolves, Liverpool, City, Spurs,West Ham?

Not many people would say us I'm sure.

Yet we are top for counter attacking goals scored (6, 1 more than Manchester United in 2nd).

As an open play attacking side we truly are extremely dangerous as the stats show, you could make the case that aside from Manchester City we are the most impressive open play attacking side in the league.

However, the idea that we are a soft touch who are easy to play on the counter is a myth.

We have actually only conceded 2 counter attacking goals this season which is the same as our opponents on Monday, West Ham.

Given the difference in styles and the fact that we are a far more attacking side than West Ham and do leave ourselves open to the counter that shows real powers of recovery on our part.

Furthermore contrary to the soft touch narrative, in open play we are 11th for goals conceded.

Less than West Ham.
Less than Everton
Less than Newcastle
Less than Sheffield United.

Less than a lot of teams who are far more defensive and less brave in open play than we are.

We have done all this despite our injury issues (something the media rarely mention) as we know we are 3rd for games missed through injury with only Palace and Liverpool having more and those 2 have had time to build far deeper squads.

Despite the idea we are a soft touch, in open play we are offensively as good as anyone and defensively better than most.

Our issue as we all know is set pieces which is a real issue, we are top for those conceded.

We are also top for Penalties conceded and have conceded 2 own goals.

21 of our goals conceded are from those 3 stats.

To put into context we have conceded 4 more goals from set pieces, pens and own goals than City have in total.

So that is an issue we will have to fix, but from open play we are doing fine and yes that includes defensively.

It may look like chaos at times but it works for us.

[John in Louisiana]

Excellent post, Cjay

[gessa]

Great post CJay....perspective

[Irish Ian]

Good post.

They way I have been thinking since the Villa game.

We are the newly promoted side, been away from the top for 16 years, fielding a side who apart from our new signings only one player (KP) was on the radar of Premiership clubs.

And yet how many of the premiership sides set themselves up to counter our play? Most of them.
Surely it should be the long standing Premiership sides who should be coming to impose their footballing philosophy on Leeds? Us being the new kids, but instead they bring their time wasting negative tactics to the fore because most of them are afraid that they will be exposed.

[danhirons]

Soft touch from set pieces then?

[Cjay]

Soft touch from set pieces then?

Yes but we knew that

We are naive at set pieces imo, dont employ blocks for example.

[danhirons]

Yes but we knew that

We are naive at set pieces imo, dont employ blocks for example.

True!

Feels like we have been better recently though...don't want to jinx it!

[billysboots]

Wonder if Kotch will make a difference on set pieces?

[Cjay]

Good post.

They way I have been thinking since the Villa game.

We are the newly promoted side, been away from the top for 16 years, fielding a side who apart from our new signings only one player (KP) was on the radar of Premiership clubs.

And yet how many of the premiership sides set themselves up to counter our play? Most of them.
Surely it should be the long standing Premiership sides who should be coming to impose their footballing philosophy on Leeds? Us being the new kids, but instead they bring their time wasting negative tactics to the fore because most of them are afraid that they will be exposed.

The majority of the Premier League are a dreadful watch imo.

The amount of counter attacking dull sides does my head in.

I know its a results business but its also about entertainment and apart from a handful of sides very little actual entertainment exists.

Norwich for all there faults and the simple fact they weren't good enough to play their style effectively in the Prem atleast tried to play good football.

But the majority of promoted sides stink the place out.

Even Wolves went from that high pressing attacking side to the Pulis lite kick and rush defensive side they are now fairly quickly because they realised really quickly that they werent good enough to play possession based attacking football at this level.

I actually dont think we get the credit we deserve weirdly.

People compare us to Wolves, Sheffield United, Newcastle etc other newly promoted sides and say "oh Leeds arent as good as them".

We are a far superior side to all of them imo, if they had tried to play our style all would have gone down. They all prioritised defensive stability and being hard to break down which is far easier than what we do.

We are unique as a Newly promoted side and it doesnt get mentioned enough.

Cant compare us to other newly promoted sides because almost all newly promoted sides are dull and defensive.

How many Prem sides play good football? Us, Liverpool, Man City, Brighton, Southampton maybe? Fulham?

Isnt many.

[Smudge3920]

Excellent post Cj... the kind of post I like to read...great job.

[1964white]

Yes but we knew that

We are naive at set pieces imo, dont employ blocks for example.

We have improved at set-pieces particularly since Struijk came into the side, the lad wins a lot of headers.

[1964white]

The majority of the Premier League are a dreadful watch imo
Isnt many.

Never a truer word said

Leeds & Citeh the only two teams worth watching imo!

[1964white]

Wonder if Kotch will make a difference on set pieces?

Klitch Kotch

Pretty sure once Koch & Llorente get plenty of games under their belts our defensive woes will be less apparent Billy.

[Byebyegeegee]

Top of the league for penalties conceded, now why does that not surprise me? I wonder where we are in the penalties awarded league? Definitely not top of the league in that I suspect!

[Velotrax]

Klitch Kotch

[CHAPELALLMAN]

The majority of the Premier League are a dreadful watch imo.

The amount of counter attacking dull sides does my head in.

I know its a results business but its also about entertainment and apart from a handful of sides very little actual entertainment exists.

Norwich for all there faults and the simple fact they weren't good enough to play their style effectively in the Prem atleast tried to play good football.

But the majority of promoted sides stink the place out.

Even Wolves went from that high pressing attacking side to the Pulis lite kick and rush defensive side they are now fairly quickly because they realised really quickly that they werent good enough to play possession based attacking football at this level.

I actually dont think we get the credit we deserve weirdly.

People compare us to Wolves, Sheffield United, Newcastle etc other newly promoted sides and say "oh Leeds arent as good as them".

We are a far superior side to all of them imo, if they had tried to play our style all would have gone down. They all prioritised defensive stability and being hard to break down which is far easier than what we do.

We are unique as a Newly promoted side and it doesnt get mentioned enough.

Cant compare us to other newly promoted sides because almost all newly promoted sides are dull and defensive.

How many Prem sides play good football? Us, Liverpool, Man City, Brighton, Southampton maybe? Fulham?

Isnt many.

It's a balance between results and entertainment. A disgruntled Ayling stated after the Arsenal match that the team are about results rather than entertainment, and there is no pleasure in being considered to be the great entertainers buts losing lots of matches. I tend to agree with Luke.

Regarding the 'soft touch ' perception held by some, I think that's inevitable to some extent given the stats - half the games lost ( 13 out of 26 ) and the fourth highest number of defeats in the division. Even Fulham in the bottom three have lost fewer matches. On the other hand the team have won only one game less than Liverpool, so I guess this supports the inconsistency label. In terms of goals conceded, with 44 it's the joint 3rd highest number in the PL. Therefore you can't really blame those people who believe that the team are a bit of a soft touch, whilst also conceding that they also have lots of attacking flair.

With just 17 goals conceded Guardiola has shown how this concept of playing the game can be executed with both attacking flair and defensive solidity, however clearly you need a lot of capital to do that....

[HarryofOz]

ROFL - such comments from one of the handful of people who regular rubbish the club.

[Cjay]

ROFL - such comments from one of the handful of people who regular rubbish the club.

Me?

I have posted many positive things over the years

[HarryofOz]

Me?

I have posted many positive things over the years

I have no doubt about that. Just ignore my post, it was mean-spirited.

I agree with everything you said in the opening post of this thread.

[The Subhuman]

There's a generation gap I assume with most of the older members having had several goes round on this merry go round we call Leeds. We've seen it before, we know what happens if we try to get away from the Leeds ethos and become a money based club..Those who have become fans and for whom this is basically the first time in the top league want to push on quickly and replace the reliable players who got us here with high priced talent...

You can see why there would be a clash..I think you need to be London or North West to go the money route..