The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Tuesday 11th May) - Do Leeds consolidate or push on for Europe?

[Ellandback1]

Good Morning. It's Tuesday 11th May, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road...


Do Leeds consolidate or push on for Europe?

How will Leeds fare in their remaining games at Turf Moor, St Marys and home to West Brom? They currently sit in 10th place on 50 points, two points behind the Gunners, five behind Everton and six points behind Spurs in seventh place on 56 points. Last season Spurs finished 6th on 59 points. Unfortunately even if Leeds were to equal the points tally, by winning their remaining games, they would be hard pushed to move more than a couple of places. If only we had beaten Brighton!

With three games left, we are only seven points away from League Champions Liverpool. I dare say Messrs Orta and Bielsa have already identified their Summer targets, but what should be their aim? Consolidation or pushing to the next level? However you look at it, we are only 13 points away from a Champions League place! If we hadn't conceded the most penalties in the top flight (10) imagine where we could be now?





McCoist in love with Leeds

Former Rangers and Scotland legend Ally McCoist has declared his love to Leeds Utd and the way they play. He also revealed that he would be gutted if the Argentine left the hot seat at Elland Road. The conversation came about whilst discussing the vacancy at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and the 65yo's name came up.

If you’re Spurs, you clearly want to get the best available. Two of the best available would be Brendan Rodgers and indeed, Bielsa. I would be gutted if Bielsa left Leeds because I love the job he’s doing. I love Leeds, I love the way they’ve played the game this season, the way they’ve entertained us, they’ve been a great watch.

Former England legends hail Leeds winger

Former England legends Rio Ferdinand and Glen Hoddle have lorded Leeds winger Jack Harrison's performances this season, and believe the 24yo will only get better. The BT Sports pundits were discussing his display following Leeds mauling of Spurs last Saturday. Ferdinand, who has has not been shy this season to jump on the Leeds bandwagon said...

He scored against Liverpool at Anfield earlier in the season and he has just continued in that vein of form. As a wide player he is comfortable coming inside and playing off both feet. He never stands still this kid, he is always on the move and his energy levels are through the roof.

I just love his desire. I think all of the players in a Leeds shirt on Saturday showed it but the way he plays, he is direct and if you are a full back playing against him you are not going to get a rest at all. When you have got the ball, he is in your face and then when he receives the ball he is about getting to the byline and creating opportunities. I thought he was the most dangerous player."

And then it's about obviously decision making. When you are a wide player you have got to make the right decisions and critical times and at the moment he is getting it right more often than not.

Former England Boss Glen Hoddle added...

The great asset he has got is he has got two feet. He's got a right foot and a left foot and it doesn't matter if he is on the right side or the left side but if he is on the left side he can come back on his right. He has got options there. He's got pace and he has got a turn of pace, that's the difference.

Some players have got pace but this kid has got something where he can go slow and then turn into something really quickly and that catches defenders out. I think so. I think he is only going to get better. He's got talent and if you have got talent you can see where it can go in the next two or three or four seasons.

He is going to be a top player him because he can play one and two touch and that is the sign of an astute player, a good player. "If he can run with the ball as well and beat players that is an added bonus. He's got both strings to his bow.

Is it about time Leeds signed Harrison permanently from Citeh? Surely £10-12m is a steal?

[mothbanquet]

Europe

On reflection, I think this conversation has gone off on a bit of a wrong tangent. Why is it being framed as a choice?

Wanting to push for Europe doesn't mean we've got all the pieces of the quality puzzle yet, nor the quality in depth, and it all comes down to finishing as high in the table as we can which is always going to be the case regardless.

On the flip side, if we are good enough and find ourselves in those spots, I can't for the life of me imagine anyone at the club thinking, "Ooh heck, we're heading for Europa League qualification at this rate, we'd better throw a few games to avoid it."

As I said before, I wouldn't be at all shocked if we got into the Champions League, went to play Bayern Munich away and Bielsa put out 9 U23s, captained Roberts and put Kiko in goal. He has his own way of managing the season, showing either complete and some would say insane levels of faith in his academy players, or showing such ruthless gumption as to sidestep other competitions if he feels the risk to our main campaign objectives is too great. Only he knows for sure.

At the end of the day, either we're good enough or we're not and there will be pros and cons to either outcome. I don't think there is any way of 'aiming' for consolidation without selling ourselves short, nor for Europe without giving our all in every game. And we know which one comes more naturally to this team. All we can do is put trust in Radz and everyone below him that they handle whatever comes our way sensibly and with due diligence. Based on the past 3 seasons, I feel very optimistic that they will. Let's continue to enjoy this crazy ride.

McCoist

ALAW. That is all.

Harrison

Oh Jacky boy. You were my most maligned player 2 seasons ago, last season you forced me to eat my words and this season half my humble pie has come up overnight. You can be unplayable or you can be anonymous and rarely in between. I still maintain that we're not really going to get much if any better for £10mil. Not unless we want to buy Mbappe's big toenail.

[Chilli D]

A couple of stunning revelations by Glenn Hoddle:
Jack Harrison has two feet, a left foot and a right foot!
If only we all had that!

[The Subhuman]

A couple of stunning revelations by Glenn Hoddle:
Jack Harrison has two feet, a left foot and a right foot!
If only we all had that!

Almost fell into the trap ...

[White Riot]

A couple of stunning revelations by Glenn Hoddle:
Jack Harrison has two feet, a left foot and a right foot!
If only we all had that!

Cleva fella is Glenn

[1964white]

A couple of stunning revelations by Glenn Hoddle:
Jack Harrison has two feet, a left foot and a right foot!
If only we all had that!

Hoddle constantly speaks in riddles.

[SG90]

Regardless of where we finish next season, we need to look to improve the squad and not just rest on our laurels and think we will have a repeat. The average age needs to come down too with the intensity we play at.

Spurs would be terrible for Bielsa. He doesn't fit clubs who demand big money superstar signings and he wouldn't be allowed a bad run before he's eventually booted out. No PL club suits him like we do.

[White Riot]

We should always be aiming to improve ourselves as a club and we've seen evidence that the club, team and individual players are improving during the tenure of Radz and Bielsa.

We should always aim to get as high as we possibly can, which is ultimately to win silverware.

I believe that Bielsa, the management team and the players are very ambitious and will be looking to challenge themselves. Bielsa and the players have shown that they have the ability to adapt and succeed at the top level of English football. So it's a natural progression that they would be seeking to enter Europe and challenge themselves on that stage as soon as possible.

It will also help Bielsa and the players to improve when they're facing more varied and talented opponents, and I actually think European football will help them to develop and instill further confidence that they are good enough to challenge at top table domestically and internationally. Playing for their national sides will also help them

If the burn out factor is a myth then it shouldn't be any problem facing more matches should it?

Good to hear that the pundits are espousing the virtues of Leeds and Bielsa. I remember the early 2000s, at the time of the Bowyer/Woodgate incident and the financial meltdown, where I dreaded hearing the latest bad news about us and all and sundry were queuing up to put the boot into us. I still can't stand Rio Ferdinand and a number of others though, that 6-2 defeat at Scum hurt a lot for me and it didn't sit well that Rio, Lineker and Gobby, etc were having a laugh at us and spouting their braindead shite. They've had their words rammed down their dirty gobs and we've done tremendously well during out first season back at the top table.

Harrison was tremendous on Saturday and MOTM for me, although that was a really difficult choice after such a great team performance. The week before I was sick to death of the lot of them after that weak and inept performance at Brighton. He's worth a punt at 10-12 million, I hope he develops into a consistently great winger for Leeds and England, there's a good role model for him there in Raphinha, the guy has immense talent, but also never gives up trying even when we were getting hammered.

Let's get some more quality players in and take this league by storm, we've already shown the desire and attitude i.e. we fear no one.

[Irish Ian]

Europa League wouldnt be good for Leeds this time. There is no money it.
Also we benefitted from others distracted by Euro involvement and we need to continue to capitalise on that as we grow.
Also remember Leeds borrowed money in lieu of future TV money so we want to continue to progress domestically by producing entertaining football and rising up the league next year

Perhaps two marquee signings and another two promoted from within and we could make top 4.

No distractions.

[White Riot]

Regardless of where we finish next season, we need to look to improve the squad and not just rest on our laurels and think we will have a repeat. The average age needs to come down too with the intensity we play at.

Spurs would be terrible for Bielsa. He doesn't fit clubs who demand big money superstar signings and he wouldn't be allowed a bad run before he's eventually booted out. No PL club suits him like we do.

Completely agree SG. No way that MB will leave when we're on the threshold of greatness.

[mothbanquet]

Spurs would be terrible for Bielsa. He doesn't fit clubs who demand big money superstar signings and he wouldn't be allowed a bad run before he's eventually booted out. No PL club suits him like we do.

Another Lazio in the making with Levy there. I was struck watching that Spurs documentary how hollow and soulless that stadium was, how little camaraderie there was between the players and how artificial Levy seemed. Compared to Take Us Home's genuine story of a community reborn, filled with passionate fans and personal glimpses of players who are every bit as much of that community and journey as the fans, the Spurs one felt like a sterile PR piece.

After getting to know Bielsa as we have, it isn't hard to see which story he wants to be a part of and why.

[SG90]

Does anyone know if returning loan players like Gotts and McCalmont are eligible for the last 3 games?

[SG90]

The one place I'd like to see some intent and ambition next season is in the cups! Tired of throwing them away easily with too many daft changes. Let's have a go at at least one of them, if not both.

I'd rather finish 11th and win a trophy, than finish 8th and win nothing.

[Chilli D]

Does anyone know if returning loan players like Gotts and McCalmont are eligible for the last 3 games?

Those two plus Edmondson, Stevens and Hosannah will be coming back from their loans. I wonder what the future holds for them?

[Byebyegeegee]

A steady progression is what we need next season, I’d be happy with a few places higher finish per season until we are ready to fight for European places in our 3rd or 4th season in. A serious cup run would be nice too.

I’ve always rated Jackie Harrison. I still believe his ability to control and keep the ball when receiving a pass from any angle or trajectory, even when surrounded by opposition players, is as good as I’ve ever seen (they don’t call him cushion feet for nothing) and, despite his final ball often being either a poor cross or a poor shot, at today’s prices he’s worth every penny of £10m imo.

[Smudge3920]

Do Leeds consolidate or push on for Europe?
At the start of this season, my goals were, consildate this year and stay up...next year, remain constant in the prem, aming for a league position 2 to 5 places higher, based on my assumption that we would finish between 17th to 14th, also next year a strong challenge for one of the domestic trophy's to start stretching us... I still think a big effort for a domestic trophy should be high on the list, ... but you have to look at what has happened, how the players (new purchases also) have bought into the Bielsa system... finishing in a champions league position next year, with the right additions just might be a natural course of events! and it will happen... as said earlier , if we are winning we will never throw games

McCoist in love with Leeds
Good to see the amount of love and praise that has been thrown at Bielsa and the team this year.

Former England legends hail Leeds winger
And so they should...he gets better all the time ...if we do not sign him, it will be a big mistake IMO.

[mothbanquet]

In other news, referee Graham Scott has been chosen to officiate our game v. Burnley, so we can look forward to Tarkowski decapitating Dallas and swooning to the ground long enough for it to go unpunished and forgotten...

[Leeds1000]

I'm with SG on this one. Consolidate in the League and take the cups seriously for a change. It would be great for the club to reach another Cup final (its been a while) and a trip to Wembley for the fans. We are still too inconsistent to be talking top 4 just yet but who knows for the future. Everything in small steps.

McCoist is only saying that because apparently his fellow pundit Cascarino got fan mail from two Leeds fans for suggesting Bielsa should go to Spurs. I thought hate mail may be too strong.

Harrison sums up the inconsistency. Dire one week, good the next. Imo he's a good middle of the road PL winger, exactly where we are. Can he be forced out of Citeh? Will he be looking for improved terms? Will he want to try his hand at Citeh? Is Bielsa staying and for how long? He may be asking himself some of them questions before he commits long term?

[The Subhuman]

Are we too inconsistent when we're at full strength?

[Leeds1000]

Are we too inconsistent when we're at full strength?

For top 4 i would say yes. Its been proven we can compete with and even beat the best (Citeh) but like a lot of clubs around us it only takes a couple of injuries to key players and we don't quiet have the squad depth to replace them like for like yet.