Do we start our strongest team vs Chelsea (EFL Cup) - Poll of the Day (7th Sept)

Post by **1964white** » Mon Sep 07, 2026 7:24 am

Do we start our strongest team vs Chelsea (EFL Cup)

Jammy 07 · Post by **Jammy 07** » Mon Sep 07, 2026 7:43 am

Definitely not.

There's quite a few of our players that are desperate for some game time so let's get them on the pitch and especially the three new signings who haven't featured yet.

weasel · Post by **weasel** » Mon Sep 07, 2026 8:00 am

I went for the 2 or 3 changes as it was the nearest to what I would go for as think there will be quite a few changes but still strong. Somewhere between the 2nd and 3rd option.

Chilli D · Post by **Chilli D** » Mon Sep 07, 2026 8:41 am

Pretty sure there will be more than 2 or 3 changes but not wholesale.
GG is only just back after injury so I expect Bard will start.
Longstaff should be given a start.

Carrick Dave · Post by **Carrick Dave** » Mon Sep 07, 2026 9:41 am

Wilson, Longstaff, Nmecha, Bard, Zetterer, Elvedi should all start, so number 3.

At lease we have a decent bench nowadays.

CUSSIE01 · Post by **CUSSIE01** » Mon Sep 07, 2026 10:15 am

Went for 2/3, Chelsea will rest players because they’re obviously far better than us & could probably play their U18’s and win.

If we field a strong team this game is there for the taking and just keeps building momentum & confidence. The celebrations after the Forest game showed how much a win can galvanise a team.

Post by **1964white** » Mon Sep 07, 2026 1:03 pm

How many players will Chelsea rest?

Post by **1964white** » Mon Sep 07, 2026 1:05 pm

The domestic cups are the trophies we should be aiming for.

weasel · Post by **weasel** » Mon Sep 07, 2026 1:54 pm

1964white wrote: ↑Mon Sep 07, 2026 1:05 pm The domestic cups are the trophies we should be aiming for.

I think/hope that we now have a decent squad whereby we can rest players and still feel a strong XI without it being a group of 11 individuals thrown together. Key is probably getting the balance right and having people like Ampadu in the starting line-up to knit a team together.

John in Louisiana · Post by **John in Louisiana** » Mon Sep 07, 2026 2:56 pm

Went with option 3. I can see at least six from the Brighton game being replaced.

I think we give the new backup keeper a run out along with Wilson, Bahoya, Aaronson, Bard, James, Longstaff, and James all possibilities.

White Riot · Post by **White Riot** » Mon Sep 07, 2026 3:53 pm

Strongest team.

The lads have only played 4 matches, so we should be looking to get minutes into legs and get the new and old players gelling together.

Trafford, Elvedi, and Wilson should start.

Full match to give MB and JMB a trot out.

But, DF was talking very seriously about the club showing ambition and intent. We're very unlikely to even challenge for the league title yet, so pushing hard in the cups is our avenue for silverware, and gives us more fixtures to keep the squad happy.

We got to the Cup semi last season, and despite falling short, that should have opened everyone's eyes to the possibilities.

We are not here to just exist, we're here to compete for and win trophies, as was the belief and expectation during the Revie era

BlackHillsPaul · Post by **BlackHillsPaul** » Mon Sep 07, 2026 4:30 pm

We should play our strongest team. The questions is, WHAT is our strongest team??? I would venture to say that it involves a 3-5-2. So this would be my starting eleven:

--------------------------------Trafford--------------------------------

------------------Elvedi---------Bijol----------Muha---------------

Bogle----Ampadu-----Tanaka------Stach-----Gudmundsson

--------------------------DCL----------Okafor-------------------------

Irish Ian · Post by **Irish Ian** » Mon Sep 07, 2026 4:34 pm

I'm unsure the chief has 11 first choice players.

It looks like the MF will be a horses for courses pick with Tanaka and Brendy boy coming in and out of the team
Then there is the two new wingers whom haven't found their place yet as well.

BlackHillsPaul · Post by **BlackHillsPaul** » Mon Sep 07, 2026 4:34 pm

White Riot wrote: ↑Mon Sep 07, 2026 3:53 pm Strongest team.

The lads have only played 4 matches, so we should be looking to get minutes into legs and get the new and old players gelling together.

Trafford, Elvedi, and Wilson should start.

Full match to give MB and JMB a trot out.

But, DF was talking very seriously about the club showing ambition and intent. We're very unlikely to even challenge for the league title yet, so pushing hard in the cups is our avenue for silverware, and gives us more fixtures to keep the squad happy.

We got to the Cup semi last season, and despite falling short, that should have opened everyone's eyes to the possibilities.

We are not here to just exist, we're here to compete for and win trophies, as was the belief and expectation during the Revie era

YES!!!!! More of this attitude please! We play to game to win things. Otherwise, why bother?

White Riot · Post by **White Riot** » Mon Sep 07, 2026 5:34 pm

BlackHillsPaul wrote: ↑Mon Sep 07, 2026 4:34 pm YES!!!!! More of this attitude please! We play to game to win things. Otherwise, why bother?

Exactly Paul

I'm lucky enough to have supported Leeds United since 1967 and lived through the years when we were imo at the pinnacle of club football.

So, it's hard for my generation to ever accept "I hope we do ok, I hope we don't get beat, I hope we don't get relegated".

f**k that!

We're Leeds United and I want us to be feared, and respected, as we once were. When you get battered down, and derided for decades, then I think people can lose sight of how great we are, and just accept failure meakly.

Post by **1964white** » Mon Sep 07, 2026 6:27 pm

White Riot wrote: ↑Mon Sep 07, 2026 5:34 pm I'm lucky enough to have supported Leeds United since 1967 and lived through the years when we were imo at the pinnacle of club football.

There are not many on here who were fortunate to see that Revie team evolved into one of the all-time greatest teams in the world, James.

Post by **1964white** » Tue Sep 08, 2026 9:05 am

It's no good chucking in too many of the bench players & expecting us to put in a decent performance.

It's not as if we are playing the likes of Derby, Norwich, Birmingham or god forbid Crawley Town.

After the Chelsea game, we have two matches in the next 30 days.

We need to be competitive!

Post by **1964white** » Wed Sep 09, 2026 1:10 pm

Bump this thread up as there might be a few more votes to come before kick-off tonight.