The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Thursday 2nd December) - Leeds have scored 11 goals fewer compared to this point last season

[Ellandback1]

Good Morning. It's Thursday 2nd December, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road...


Leeds have scored 11 goals less compared to this point last season

Leeds are only two points worse off than what they were at this point last season, prompting many Leeds fans to reminisce of last seasons top half finish. The main difference between the comparisons comes down to goals. Whilst the defence is a lot more resolute, goals have been harder to come by this season (we had conceded eleven more goals at this point last term but scored eleven more). Whilst much of this can be blamed on injury, Leeds have lacked a creative edge this campaign, as Phil Hay points out:-

The points comparison is right and a good point but there is a very stark difference between goals and creativity last season and this. The effort is still there, no question, but the quality has regressed. Staying up is the name of the game now though and last night was a very important result.

Struijk doubt for Brentford clash

Pascal Struijk faces a spell on the sidelines following the ankle injury he picked up during Leeds 1-0 win over Crystal Palace midweek. The versatile defender was replaced at half-time by Junior Firpo whilst his injury was assessed by the Elland Road medical staff. Unfortunately, he has been unable to train since, and has joined Cody Dramah and Robin Koch on the treatment table.





No fall out between Phillips and Bielsa

Elland Road journalist Phil Hay has assured Leeds fans that the relationship between Kalvin Phillips and Marcelo Bielsa is as strong as it's ever been. Several sources, including Sky pundit Jamie Redknapp insisted there was a rift between the duo following Phillips being hauled off at half-time at the Amex last weekend.

To the initiated, Phillips in the thick of battle is not how a fall-out with Bielsa works. A fall-out with Bielsa looks like Pontus Jansson flogged to Brentford or Pablo Hernandez replaced by Jack Jenkins and then consigned to the bench for months.

Phillips started against Palace and began the night by going straight through Conor Gallagher, the midfielder who Bielsa placed at the top of his list of transfer targets in the summer. It was as robust a challenge as Phillips liking an Instagram post that accused Redknapp of knowing “f*** all” about the backdrop at Elland Road. Sometimes plain English is the answer to everything.

[Aussieleeds]

Our best striker has missed most of this season.
Our best defender missed most of the first part of last season.
Mystery solved.

[Sara]

11 fewer.

[Chilli D]

11 fewer.

[White Riot]

That's bad news about Pascal Struijk, especially when you consider that means Firpo is in at left-back

Hopefully Pascal is back soon and doesn't get lost in our Bermuda Triangle physio room. It took Forshaw two years to find his way out

Good KP has nailed that load of bollocks on the head immediately

Statistics can be deceiving, I don't believe they paint the full picture. For instance, they don't tell you that Mane should have scored 10 on his own at ER, or that Brighton should have been 4 or 5 up at half time. A poor ManU beat us 5-1. So are we really that much better defensively, or is it just that teams have wasted tons of goal-scoring opportunities against us?

Yes, we've looked more like our old selves in the first half against Spurs and against Palace, and better defensively on those occasions. But let's not just brush the woeful performances against Scum, Liverpool, Southampton, Burnley, Brighton, etc, under the carpet just because we got an injury time penalty win the other night.

Against Palace we looked resolute, determined and well organized. But we still lacked composure and a cutting edge in the final third and I seriously doubt that Bamford and Ayling are gonna solve that completely, whenever they return. Why, when Bamford's absent, does Bielsa persist with Rodrigo and Roberts? We've got a natural predatory striker in Joffy sat on the bench, who will tuck chances away that Rodders and Tyro won't.

That midfield is crying out for a creative ACM, we've had Rodrigo, Roberts, Klich and even Foshaw in there and they are not producing goals and assists, hence we're 100% dependent on Raphinha for any goal threat. Like Joffy, Bate is meanwhile kicking his heels waiting for a chance to show how things should be done.

[Leeds1000]

Leeds have scored 11 goals less compared to this point last season.

Lord Bamford? How many has Raph got? More reason to shop at Joffy's?

Struijk doubt for Brentford clash.

Firpo oh oh Firpo oh oh. The one thing you can say about Firpo is it will be entertaining.

No fall out between Phillips and Bielsa.

He did look happy to be playing back in midfield. And he even got forward more than usual. Him and Forshaw should offer the back 4 more protection. Just not sure where the creativity is going to come from thru the middle? Bate seems to like a forward pass?

[Overman]

An over reliance on one striker who then gets injured. Then add Roberts and Rodrigo to the equation, not difficult to see why the goals have dried up. Thank the gods for Rapha, otherwise things would look far worse.

[CHAPELALLMAN]

There have to be questions asked about the recruitment. For me Victor Orta has been the weak link for far too long now.

I questioned whether Costa should be given a permanent contract at the time, however the consensus on here was that he deserved a contract beacuse he was part of the championship winning team.

I think I was the only person on here to question making Harrison a permanent signing, but most were saying on here at the time that he was a bargain at 10m and it was a no-brainer to sign him. In the end I reluctantly agreed to give him the benefit of the doubt. Now I wonder whether it was Harrison playing in empty stadiums or the fact that he was playing for a contract which accounts for his form last season. Give a guy a multi year contract in his mid 20s on 40 or 50k a week and he is set up for life. Where does the motivation come from then ?

Last season I was happy to reserve judgement about the previous summer's signings, but I think that it's obvious now that Rodrigo was an expensive mistake. I think he earns 100k a week, or £5.2 m a year, on top of the £27m transfer fee. I can't understand what the Koch signing was all about - was he signed as a centre back or as a DM ? Anyway, regardless, in a season and a half he has made just 17 appearances. He's on nearly £2m a year salary, but is the forgotten man of the club. Firpo is on £2.8m a year salary with a £12.8m transfer fee.

Then you have JKA, Casilla, Wiedwald, Sacko, Grot, de Bock, Anita, Ekuban, Roberts, Ideguchi, Douglas. I'm sure I have missed some out.

[BGwhite]

I've heard Joffy is decent, why not give him a run,just a hunch like.

Sent from my moto g(9) plus using Tapatalk

[CHAPELALLMAN]

I've heard Joffy is decent, why not give him a run,just a hunch like.

Sent from my moto g(9) plus using Tapatalk

That would be too simple

[mentalcase]

I've heard Joffy is decent, why not give him a run,just a hunch like.

Sent from my moto g(9) plus using Tapatalk

The cynic in me says he will get a run out in March, when Bamford has another injury and Boberts has finally been relieved of his superstar status.

[BGwhite]

That would be too simple

Very often simple works but the management seem hell bent on complicating matters. If a striker is injured replace him with another one who quite literally can knock them in from anywhere and usually doesn't need half a dozen chances before doing so. The lack of goals IS THE reason why we are in a perilous position and Rapha can't do it all on his own. Bout time someone woke up !

Sent from my moto g(9) plus using Tapatalk

[CHAPELALLMAN]

Very often simple works but the management seem hell bent on complicating matters. If a striker is injured replace him with another one who quite literally can knock them in from anywhere and usually doesn't need half a dozen chances before doing so. The lack of goals IS THE reason why we are in a perilous position and Rapha can't do it all on his own. Bout time someone woke up !

Sent from my moto g(9) plus using Tapatalk

I agree with you BG. Mr Bielsa doesn't really do simple though when complication can be the order of the day...

Am I right in saying that the no 9s combined have scored 3 goals so far this season ? One for Paddy and two for Rodrigo. I'm not even sure whether Rodrigo was playing as a 9 or a 10 when he scored his two goals, so the true total may be lower than 3 goals in 14 games. Have I missed any out ? Without Raph we would be totally stuffed this season.

[Byebyegeegee]

There must be a correlation between the fact that we have scored 11 fewer but conceded 10 fewer goals compared to this point last season, we are be playing less expansively, more defensively minded this season which probably also accounts for the dearth of chances created.

Our football seems to have been more of a struggle this season, we certainly aren’t playing as fluently or as prettily as we did last year - it may be that the opposition have now got to grips with our style of play and are able to nullify it. Like adopting a very high press so that we are constantly rushed in defence and are unable to pick our forward passes easily to start attacks and often end up just having to hoof the ball forward.

I don’t suppose Kalvin would ever admit publicly that there had been a falling out between him and Bielsa but then again I can’t imagine Kalvin falling out with anyone he’s seems too nice and grounded for that - it seems to me that he leaves all his aggression on the pitch.

[1964white]

We conceded eight goals in the two games v Manure & Liverpool.

Twelve goals in our other twelve games.

[White Riot]

There have to be questions asked about the recruitment. For me Victor Orta has been the weak link for far too long now.

I questioned whether Costa should be given a permanent contract at the time, however the consensus on here was that he deserved a contract beacuse he was part of the championship winning team.

I think I was the only person on here to question making Harrison a permanent signing, but most were saying on here at the time that he was a bargain at 10m and it was a no-brainer to sign him. In the end I reluctantly agreed to give him the benefit of the doubt. Now I wonder whether it was Harrison playing in empty stadiums or the fact that he was playing for a contract which accounts for his form last season. Give a guy a multi year contract in his mid 20s on 40 or 50k a week and he is set up for life. Where does the motivation come from then ?

Last season I was happy to reserve judgement about the previous summer's signings, but I think that it's obvious now that Rodrigo was an expensive mistake. I think he earns 100k a week, or £5.2 m a year, on top of the £27m transfer fee. I can't understand what the Koch signing was all about - was he signed as a centre back or as a DM ? Anyway, regardless, in a season and a half he has made just 17 appearances. He's on nearly £2m a year salary, but is the forgotten man of the club. Firpo is on £2.8m a year salary with a £12.8m transfer fee.

Then you have JKA, Casilla, Wiedwald, Sacko, Grot, de Bock, Anita, Ekuban, Roberts, Ideguchi, Douglas. I'm sure I have missed some out.

You're right Chapel, some questionable recruitment, you can add Izzy Brown and Lewis Baker to that list.

Tbf he's picked up some gems in Raphinha, Meslier, Struijk, Bate and Gelhardt. But lots more misses than hits.

He's spunked a lot of money on that list you wrote.

[The Subhuman]

There must be a correlation between the fact that we have scored 11 fewer but conceded 10 fewer goals compared to this point last season, we are be playing less expansively, more defensively minded this season which probably also accounts for the dearth of chances created.

Our football seems to have been more of a struggle this season, we certainly aren’t playing as fluently or as prettily as we did last year - it may be that the opposition have now got to grips with our style of play and are able to nullify it. Like adopting a very high press so that we are constantly rushed in defence and are unable to pick our forward passes easily to start attacks and often end up just having to hoof the ball forward.

I don’t suppose Kalvin would ever admit publicly that there had been a falling out between him and Bielsa but then again I can’t imagine Kalvin falling out with anyone he’s seems too nice and grounded for that - it seems to me that he leaves all his aggression on the pitch.

Noooo that's common sense, can't be doing with that here, who said Bielsa doesn't have a plan B. Plan B is play 2 defensive hard working centre mids

[The Subhuman]

I think MB is now Kalvin's new nan

[BGwhite]

I agree with you BG. Mr Bielsa doesn't really do simple though when complication can be the order of the day...

Am I right in saying that the no 9s combined have scored 3 goals so far this season ? One for Paddy and two for Rodrigo. I'm not even sure whether Rodrigo was playing as a 9 or a 10 when he scored his two goals, so the true total may be lower than 3 goals in 14 games. Have I missed any out ? Without Raph we would be totally stuffed this season.

I dunno where Rodrigo was playing either...neither did he at the time . I reckon they just fill a position on the field that is vacant at that particular time and if they find themselves with a goal-scoring opportunity then just take a pop and see how your luck is.

Sent from my moto g(9) plus using Tapatalk

[CHAPELALLMAN]

"Tbf he's picked up some gems in Raphinha, Meslier, Struijk, Bate and Gelhardt. But lots more misses than hits."

That's my view really White Riot. The frequent mistakes have cost the club a hell of a lot though.