The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Thursday 23rd January) Dominant Leeds destroy Norwich

[Ellandback1]

Good Morning. It's Thursday 23rd January, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road...


Dominant Leeds destroy Norwich

Leeds returned to the top of the Championship with a dominant performance against an injury ravaged Norwich City side, who, without the services of Borja Sainz (suspended for six games for spitting at Sunderland's Chis Mapham) looked anything but play-off contenders. The game burst into life straight from kick-off, as Daniel Farke's men executed a breathtaking move, straight from the Thorp Arch training ground manual. Brenden Aaronson, Jayden Bogle, and Dan James combined brilliantly to set up Manor Solomon at the near post. His first time effort, smashing the ball into the roof of the net, sent the packed out crowd into jubilation.

Leeds dominated possession for the rest of the first period, creating further chances through Joel Piroe, who forced a save from Angus Gunn. While the referee's notebook saw plenty of early action, with several yellow cards being handed out to both sides, Leeds maintained their control, with Gunn pulling off a fantastic save to deny Bogle's late volley at the end of the half to keep the score at one nil.

The second half saw more of the same. Leeds were dominant, but always needed a second goal to kill off any hopes of a Canaries comeback. The double substitution of Tanaka and Byram for Gruev and Firpo had the desired effect. Leeds doubled their lead soon after as Solomon turned provider, crossing for James to volley home from the back post for his 7th of the season on the hour mark. With 16 cleans sheets already this season and a goal difference of 34, their prognosis looks bright; yet only a three point gap separates them from third, and another potential lottery play-off scenario; and we all know how that is likely to go!





Duo could be dropped for top of the table Burnley clash

Despite what turned out to be an easy win, two Leeds performances left a lot to be desired, prompting calls on social media for them to be dropped on Monday when Leeds travel to Burnley. The Clarets, buoyed by a dominant 5-0 victory over Plymouth Argyle, are seemingly hitting their stride. They already have the tightest defence in the football league, and now it seems they may have found their goal scoring touch too. They remain the only side (apart from Boro in the Caribou Cup) to win at Elland Road this season. The imminent arrival of big money signing Morgan Whittaker will give Scott Parker's team further options up front, so Leeds will need to be at their very best if they are to maintain top spot.

Brenden Aaronson and Joel Piroe have come in for a lot of criticism lately, with reports of lacklustre performances, but with few options at 9 and 10, there has become an over reliance on Manor Solomon and Dan James to perform. Plenty of names have been linked with January moves to Elland Road, but time is running out. are Leeds willing to gamble on their current squad's ability to secure promotion, or will they seek reinforcements before the window slams shut?

[mentalcase]

Morning all
Another win, clean sheet and 3 valuable points, keep winning, let the others look where we are, top of the league.
An easy victory, should have been more , but, we know LU don't do high scores too often and take their foot off the gas when ahead, preferring to push the ball about and tire out the opposition before adding another goal or 2.
I don't see what others on here see about Aaronsen, if DF needs a runner and very little else, then I suppose that's why he's in the first 11.
A full 5 days now to rest and recuperate and plan for the big game on Monday, a tough game, but certainly winnable.

[Irish Ian]

Morning all.

Easy win,no jeapordy, tedium on stilts.

Not a game we will remember but 3 points easily acquired

[John in Louisiana]

Another day, anther Aaronson bashing.

[Currie14]

Didn't Aaronson provide the sublime pass that Dan ran onto to cross for the first goal? Can be knocked off the ball too easily and prone to a dive but try re-watching games with only Brendan as your focus and you will be surprised. He's not a £25m player but very handy to have at this level.

[Sean_Nile]

Brenden Aaronson, a paragon of indefatigable energy and ceaseless determination, stands as a living embodiment of relentless endeavor on the pitch. The sheer vigor with which he operates transcends mere athleticism, elevating his movements to an art form of perpetual motion.

His boundless stamina and unyielding durability render him an ever-present menace to opponents and a cornerstone of Leeds United's tactical philosophy. A maestro of the high press, Aaronson orchestrates chaos with surgical precision, dismantling opposition structures and reclaiming possession with an almost divine intuition.
Every blade of grass bears witness to his tireless efforts, as he traverses the field with a fervor that leaves both adversaries and spectators awestruck.

In the grand tapestry of Leeds United, Aaronson's presence is nothing short of indispensable, a shining luminary who earns his place as the first name etched onto the team sheet.

His contributions go far beyond the tangible; he injects an almost celestial dynamism into the squad, weaving his energy into the very fabric of the team's identity. Whether crafting incisive attacking opportunities or embodying a never say die attitude, Aaronson's influence reverberates across every facet of the game.

His unwavering commitment and infectious spirit elevate those around him, transforming Leeds United into a collective force that thrives on his relentless drive. In Aaronson, the beautiful game finds a champion of unparalleled zeal, a figure whose impact will undoubtedly be etched into the annals of Elland Road folklore forever.

[CUSSIE01]

I must have been watching a different team than everyone else recently. Joseph ( and Paddy light years ago ) get a lot of praise for running around and they don’t put in a 10th of the effort or meaningful contribution that Aaronson does. His inch perfect pass to James helped create the 1st goal and must be a nightmare to play against & 7 goals & 2 assists isn’t a bad return either. He’s not a natural 10 and has his faults but I’d rather have him in the team than out.

Crucial 3 points and onwards to Burnley.

[Carrick Dave]

Didn't Aaronson provide the sublime pass that Dan ran onto to cross for the first goal? Can be knocked off the ball too easily and prone to a dive but try re-watching games with only Brendan as your focus and you will be surprised. He's not a £25m player but very handy to have at this level.

He got in my MOTM top 6 for that pass alone.

Still slows the ball up when he carries forward and is unaware of opponents around him so gets dispossessed a lot, but makes up for those deficiencies with the quality and persistence of his pressing.

Those who claim he just runs around a lot fail to understand that our renowned press only happens because we pressurise the opposition quickly and high up the pitch, which means chasing hard and relentlessly and fast. That's where Aaronson shines, he's constantly active.

Not perfect but he fits our style perfectly.

[GreennWhite]

It seems we are NEVER happy on this forum Even when we are top of the league, winning games and in a better position than this time last season we still are not good enough or doing enough to keep some fans happy
IF we do go on and get promotion what are some fans going to be like next season when we are getting beaten a lot more times than we are winning. Why cant some people just enjoy what we have right now instead of having to complain so often.
LIFE IS SHORT AND ITS ONLY FOOTBALL

[CUSSIE01]

It seems we are NEVER happy on this forum Even when we are top of the league, winning games and in a better position than this time last season we still are not good enough or doing enough to keep some fans happy
IF we do go on and get promotion what are some fans going to be like next season when we are getting beaten a lot more times than we are winning. Why cant some people just enjoy what we have right now instead of having to complain so often.
LIFE IS SHORT AND ITS ONLY FOOTBALL

That was going so well until the last sentence, “ only football “ bah.

[Pullhard]

IF we do go on and get promotion what are some fans going to be like next season when we are getting beaten a lot more times than we are winning.

Probably the same reaction as when we were getting battered in the 2nd season following promotion last time round.

Fond memories of the 5-0 and 6-0 beatings .... not.

The joy of the Marsch, Big Sam and the rest of the managerial merry go round .... not.

Hopefully we have a plan this time beyond Bielsa genius, and the money to back it up.

It would be a good problem to have in May. I'm optimistic we will get promoted and optimistic the 49ers will pull through when we get promoted.

[Sean_Nile]

He got in my MOTM top 6 for that pass alone.

Still slows the ball up when he carries forward and is unaware of opponents around him so gets dispossessed a lot, but makes up for those deficiencies with the quality and persistence of his pressing.

Those who claim he just runs around a lot fail to understand that our renowned press only happens because we pressurise the opposition quickly and high up the pitch, which means chasing hard and relentlessly and fast. That's where Aaronson shines, he's constantly active.

Not perfect but he fits our style perfectly.

[GreennWhite]

Probably the same reaction as when we were getting battered in the 2nd season following promotion last time round.

Fond memories of the 5-0 and 6-0 beatings .... not.

The joy of the Marsch, Big Sam and the rest of the managerial merry go round .... not.

Hopefully we have a plan this time beyond Bielsa genius, and the money to back it up.

It would be a good problem to have in May. I'm optimistic we will get promoted and optimistic the 49ers will pull through when we get promoted.

I also think we will go up this season and as you say hopefully the owners give the manager the money to buy new players that give us a fighting chance to stay up.
Thats all we want a fighting chance, then if we fail, we hold are hands up and say we simply were not good enough. But like a lot of things in football, you just never know, we might surprise some people, even a few of our own fans, and stay up

[GreennWhite]

That was going so well until the last sentence, “ only football “ bah.

OK, hands up, i got that the wrong way round , Its only football, and life is short. Either way its still the same, some folks need to learn to chill out a bit more.

[mentalcase]

I get that Aaronsen puts a shift in, he runs around a lot, a lot, a lot, the press helps, but come on, these are footballers, they ought to bloody well run around, a lot.
What next, footballer passes to team-mate
Footballer assists for goal
God forbid, footballer SCORES whoopee, it's their job.
I do give credit where due, but not for simply running around.....a lot.

[Barlow Boy]

I get that Aaronsen puts a shift in, he runs around a lot, a lot, a lot, the press helps, but come on, these are footballers, they ought to bloody well run around, a lot.
What next, footballer passes to team-mate
Footballer assists for goal
God forbid, footballer SCORES whoopee, it's their job.
I do give credit where due, but not for simply running around.....a lot.

One of the phrases I hate most about any player…….“he puts a shift in”.

FFS, he’s getting paid thousands and thousands of pounds PER WEEK. The very least he can do is have a go.

[mentalcase]

One of the phrases I hate most about any player…….“he puts a shift in”.

FFS, he’s getting paid thousands and thousands of pounds PER WEEK. The very least he can do is have a go.

Correct BB, boils my urine as well, it's your job, do it, and hopefully get better.
I don't understand why folk get giddy when a footballer finds a team-mate or puts in a good tackle, like a footballer, I was well trained to do my job, a professional, I had to concentrate and make decisions in a split second, it came as second nature, we all had each others backs, we didn't give high fives because because we did something we are expected to do, in fact if we did something wrong you'd know about it, endless piss-taking is a must.

[Prisoner37]

It seems we are NEVER happy on this forum Even when we are top of the league, winning games and in a better position than this time last season we still are not good enough or doing enough to keep some fans happy
IF we do go on and get promotion what are some fans going to be like next season when we are getting beaten a lot more times than we are winning. Why cant some people just enjoy what we have right now instead of having to complain so often.
LIFE IS SHORT AND ITS ONLY FOOTBALL

Walking away from the ground last night had me reminising about watching the Revie team. That team had fantastic players but their greatest asset was churning out results using possession based football. I guess in those days you had the rougher side of the game to keep the crowd entertained if a game was otherwise dull. It was a similar approach to Farkeball as I remember it. If the Revie team went 1-0 up it was usually game over, just as it is now.

Just putting my tin hat on having dared to compare DF with The Don.

[andrewjohnsmith]

Another day, anther Aaronson bashing.

I hadn't heard any complaints about Aaronson until the breakfast debate

[Barlow Boy]

Correct BB, boils my urine as well, it's your job, do it, and hopefully get better.
I don't understand why folk get giddy when a footballer finds a team-mate or puts in a good tackle, like a footballer, I was well trained to do my job, a professional, I had to concentrate and make decisions in a split second, it came as second nature, we all had each others backs, we didn't give high fives because because we did something we are expected to do, in fact if we did something wrong you'd know about it, endless piss-taking is a must.

It’s ridiculous mate.

You were in a far more important job than I ever was, but even I went into work wanting to help my colleagues and do my best for the company who were paying me handsomely.

It’s the least I should be doing, and the least my bosses expected of me.