Marching On Together

Good Morning. It's Friday 31st March, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road...


Koch will decide his future during Summer break

During a recent interview with German media outlet 'Spox' Robin Koch refused to be drawn, regarding speculation linking him away from Elland Road this Summer, insisting he wants to remain focused on the task at hand. The 26yo has just over twelve months of his four year contract remaining, and could leave this Summer for far less than his true value, if he doesn't extend his current deal.

Refusing to comment on his long future doesn't bode well. He reveals that tentative talks are underway, but uses the excuse of having to focus on the relegation battle. Spurs, Newcastle, and a host of top Bundesliga clubs are interested in his services, with a fee of around £11m being banded around (due to the length of his contract).

During the season, I want to distract myself as little as possible with future planning. Initial talks are currently underway between the club and my agent. Towards the end of the season, and during the summer break, I will deal with it. Now, my focus is 100 per cent on our games and goals. I’m convinced that we will not be relegated. The position in the table doesn’t reflect our performance. We play a lot of good games, but we forget to score.

Will Leeds lose their best players this Summer

After two seasons of desperately trying to keep their heads above water, the players at Elland Road would be forgiven for questioning the clubs lack of ambition. Your average top flight footballer isn't that difficult to work out. They want to earn a lot of money, be successful, and play for their Country. Unfortunately for Leeds, one out of three isn't going to cut it.

A case in point is Robin Koch. His performances for Leeds have (on the whole) been good, but he continues to be ignored by Hansi Flick, at least partly because of Leeds perilous position. It's fair to say that Diego Llorente is a fringe player. By offering him such a lucrative long term deal, his team mates must surely be questioning Leeds ambition, and secondly a pay rise of their own.





Bookies predict Leeds safety as odds widen

Southampton (4/11), Bournemouth 8/13) and Nottingham Forest (1/1) are firm favourites for the drop according to new odds from Leading bookmakers Bet365. With 11 games and 33 points up for grabs, there's still all to play for between now and the visit of Spurs. Everton are next at 13/8; then Leeds and Wolves at 3/1. Leicester City and West Ham are both 4/1. Who would you like to see get relegated from the clubs at the wrong end of the table?

Would like Everton and Wolves to go down, West Ham or Leicester for the other spot. Have friends who support Forest, Southampton, and Bournemouth.

Everton & Wolves definitely.
Not bothered about the other one as long as it isn’t us

SaraM wrote: ↑Fri Mar 31, 2023 8:57 am Would like Everton and Wolves to go down, West Ham or Leicester for the other spot. Have friends who support Forest, Southampton, and Bournemouth.

Despite a recent slight improvement in form, I think Bournemouth and Southampton will definitely go down, then it's one from seven.
My tip would be Forest.
Our upcoming games against Forest, Leicester, West Ham, Palace and Bournemouth are massive.

If true about Koch deciding his future innumerable then he won't be here

After two seasons of desperately trying to keep their heads above water, the players at Elland Road would be forgiven for questioning the clubs lack of ambition.


That statement is just so pathetic

I think I'll just stick to picking up the streams on game day

The position in the table doesn’t reflect our performance. We play a lot of good games, but we forget to score."

I like that. We forget to score. I just imagine the changing room after the game. Oh no we forgot to score again. Doh

The majority of our players/agents will seriously be considering their options if we are relegated.

Our board will also make decisions which players they wish to retain & who should move on, looking at the situation from a financial aspect.

Teams in the biggest trouble

1 - Bournemouth
2 - Notts Forest
3 - Southampton
4 - Crystal Palace - In free fall
5 - Wolves - Can't score
6 - Everton -
7 - West Ham -
8 - Leeds - We have the best front line in the bottom half and we can score goals
9 - Leicester - my favourites to pull away, good team, they score goals and form is turning

Irish Ian wrote: ↑Fri Mar 31, 2023 9:49 am After two seasons of desperately trying to keep their heads above water, the players at Elland Road would be forgiven for questioning the clubs lack of ambition.


That statement is just so pathetic

I think I'll just stick to picking up the streams on game day

That line rankled with me too, I think it's purely a section of fans driving an agenda, the players won't give a s**t what someone else earns and two difficult seasons after 16 years in the doldrums was to be expected... Took Brighton 3 bad seasons to become Brighton of today and to be honest they're maybe the Leicester or West Ham for next season... If you're not top 6 maaybe 7, you're in a relegation fight from the start of the season.

Robin Koch will of course decide what he would like to do during the summer break. He can't do it any earlier.

We have shown ambition and spent plenty of money we have just not recruited with the right players and we played more than half this season with a manager way out of his depth. This talk of players wanting to leave makes me laugh, they are the ones on the pitch, they make the mistakes and decisions that cost us points.

Koch is a likeable bloke but he is nowhere near irreplaceable, could say the same for most of the squad tbh. They just need to remember they are contracted and will leave if the right offers come in.

I still think we go down but if we do stay up I’d like to see, Everton, West Ham and forest go. Forest especially only because it would be intriguing to see what happens with their huge squad full of players many won’t want all on loads of wages

WhiteRose wrote: ↑Fri Mar 31, 2023 10:46 am We have shown ambition and spent plenty of money we have just not recruited with the right players and we played more than half this season with a manager way out of his depth. This talk of players wanting to leave makes me laugh, they are the ones on the pitch, they make the mistakes and decisions that cost us points.

Koch is a likeable bloke but he is nowhere near irreplaceable, could say the same for most of the squad tbh. They just need to remember they are contracted and will leave if the right offers come in.

I still think we go down but if we do stay up I’d like to see, Everton, West Ham and forest go. Forest especially only because it would be intriguing to see what happens with their huge squad full of players many won’t want all on loads of wages

Could not disagree more, we have a squad loaded with talent. The issue was always the intransigent manager unable to understand his system was never going to work. Koch would take some replacing make no mistake, especially if we don't want to pay mega money or not recruit from the continent

I don't really have any preference who goes down just as long as Leeds are not one of them. it is horrible to be relegated so I don't wish this on anyone. We are all football fans with our own fierce loyalties and for that we are actually one big tribe.

Koch stay or go...I think any talk of players staying or going is irrelevant until we know which division we are in. We also have the small matters of manager and ownership to sort too. A lot can change in the next 10 to 12 weeks.

faaip wrote: ↑Fri Mar 31, 2023 10:53 am Could not disagree more, we have a squad loaded with talent. The issue was always the intransigent manager unable to understand his system was never going to work. Koch would take some replacing make no mistake, especially if we don't want to pay mega money or not recruit from the continent

Totally agree

Irish Ian wrote: ↑Fri Mar 31, 2023 9:49 am After two seasons of desperately trying to keep their heads above water, the players at Elland Road would be forgiven for questioning the clubs lack of ambition.


That statement is just so pathetic

I think I'll just stick to picking up the streams on game day

The Breakfast Debate came about to create debate. There's no right or wrong answer - just opinions.

For a club the size of Leeds, in a City where there's only one real football club, to be struggling the way we are for the last couple of seasons is unacceptable especially when you see smaller clubs like Fulham, Brentford and now even Brighton accelerate past us.

If you were in Robin Koch's shoes, what would you be thinking?

struggling for survival for the last couple of years isn't good enough

faaip wrote: ↑Fri Mar 31, 2023 10:09 am That line rankled with me too, I think it's purely a section of fans driving an agenda, the players won't give a s**t what someone else earns and two difficult seasons after 16 years in the doldrums was to be expected... Took Brighton 3 bad seasons to become Brighton of today and to be honest they're maybe the Leicester or West Ham for next season... If you're not top 6 maaybe 7, you're in a relegation fight from the start of the season.

Are you telling me that if Orta offers Koch less than when he's given Llorente, that Koch is going to be happy about that?

faaip wrote: ↑Fri Mar 31, 2023 10:53 am Could not disagree more, we have a squad loaded with talent. The issue was always the intransigent manager unable to understand his system was never going to work. Koch would take some replacing make no mistake, especially if we don't want to pay mega money or not recruit from the continent

Well i agree to disagree then. Whilst we do have talent. We generally have issues at right and left back. Don’t have a reliable striker and have a total lack of any creativity or goal threat from central midfield which has been the case for a while. Central defence was only recently addressed in January.

Ellandback1 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 31, 2023 11:30 am The Breakfast Debate came about to create debate. There's no right or wrong answer - just opinions.

For a club the size of Leeds, in a City where there's only one real football club, to be struggling the way we are for the last couple of seasons is unacceptable especially when you see smaller clubs like Fulham, Brentford and now even Brighton accelerate past us.

If you were in Robin Koch's shoes, what would you be thinking?

struggling for survival for the last couple of years isn't good enough

Nothing yet... but he could be seeing the exciting front line ahead of him and the partnership he has with Wober that may not be easily replicated next team up

Ellandback1 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 31, 2023 11:32 am Are you telling me that if Orta offers Koch less than when he's given Llorente, that Koch is going to be happy about that?

Orta might not be here but I doubt that will happen tbh and it's up to RK and his agent to negotiate, not for fans to adversely speculate