Leeds Utd 2-2 Cardiff City - Match Debate

[Ellandback1]

Sunday 8th January 2:00pm | Cardiff City Stadium
FA Cup Third Round


The Bluebirds welcome West Yorkshire's finest to the Cardiff City Stadium on Sunday lunchtime, as Leeds face their fourth game in eleven days. The two sides last met in the FA Cup at this very point eleven years ago, when Scott Young's 87th minute strike, sent David O'Leary's side crashing out, at the 3rd round stage. Leeds have not beaten Cardiff City in their five attempts. You have to go back to September 2016, when Chris Wood and Pablo Hernandez gave Garry Monk's Leeds an unlikely 2-0 victory in the Welsh Capital.

The FA Cup may be a welcome distraction for the fans, but with both clubs hovering dangerously close to their respective drop zone, Messrs Hudson and Marsch can't afford to lose any more players to injury. The hosts are without Cedric Kipre, Gavin Whyte and Callum Robinson (all illness) whilst Mahlon Romeo (hamstring) and Jamilu Collins (ACL) are also ruled out out. Kion Ete (hamstring) could return after injury.





Leeds Manager Jesse Marsch makes seven changes to the side that started against West Ham mid-week with Struijk, Aaronson, Summerville and Gnonto the only survivors. Illan Meslier is missing with a minor muscle injury replaced by Joel Robles. Roca and Harrison would have started but are on the bench following late fitness tests. Firpo and Kristensen will start at wing-back with Struijk and Llorente completing the defence. Gyabi, Greenwood come into the midfield whilst Gelhardt also starts. New signing Max Wöber makes the bench as does Sonny Perkins and Matteo Joseph.



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[Lufcheidi]

It's going to be a 4.00am set off for me and I want the team to turn up too. I'll decide whether they do at the end of the game!

[The Subhuman]

Personally I'd go with

Meslier
Kristensen
Wober
Gyabi
Koch
Cooper
Aaronson
Roca
Rodrigo
Gelhardt
Harrison

[1964white]

It's going to be a 4.00am set off for me and I want the team to turn up too. I'll decide whether they do at the end of the game!

Good luck Heidi, I truly hope they turn up for our 6,500 fans.

I suspect Jesse will play a similar team that played at Wolves a couple of months ago.

[1964white]

Personally I'd go with

Meslier
Kristensen
Wober
Gyabi
Koch
Cooper
Aaronson
Roca
Rodrigo
Gelhardt
Harrison

I reckon :

Robles
Kristensen
Llorente
Wober
Firpo
Gyabi
Forshaw (if fit)
Greenwood
Harrison
Gelhardt
Joseph

[The Subhuman]

I reckon :

Robles
Kristensen
Llorente
Wober
Firpo
Gyabi
Forshaw (if fit)
Greenwood
Harrison
Gelhardt
Joseph

That team probably loses, too many changes for me .. and a new defensive partnership could be problematic

[1964white]

That team probably loses, too many changes for me .. and a new defensive partnership could be problematic

I remember a similar problematic debut for Rio playing alongside Woody & Lucas at Leicester in 2000.

Awful night, seem to be long journey home I recall.

[Irish Ian]

Subs named second.

Robles. that Norwegian dude whose name has escaped me..
Drameh. Rasmus.
Cooper. Llorente
Struijk. Llorente
Wober. Firpo
Forshaw. Gyabi
Adams.Gyabi
Harrison. Aaronson
Geldhart. Greenwood
Gnonto. Greenwood
Summerville. Aaronson

Full rests for Rodrigo, Meslier, Roca and Koch.

Hopefully the Jimmy / Willy combo will bear fruit.


If someone could get that list off to Jesse he will need it before the press conference.

Suggested teamtalk. Intro to How Green was my Valley, read by Huw Edwards.

Actics Kick it towards their net. ... Hard!

[Chilli D]

Whatever team we field should be enough against the lowest scorers in the Championship (only 20 goals scored in 26 games).
But we should have beaten Newport, Crawley and Histon......

I think the team will be something like:

Robles
Kristensen
Llorente
Wober
Firpo
Summerville
Gyabi
Greenwood
Harrison
Gelhardt
Joseph

[1964white]

But we should have beaten Newport, Crawley and Histon......

And Rochdale & Sutton

[1964white]

Four of the bottom seven clubs currently in League 2, have knocked Leeds out of the FA Cup.

Several other League 2 clubs have knocked us out of the EFL Cup, Play-offs or when we were in League One

[Irish Ian]

From the Guardian.

A seismic 2002 shock revisited
This weekend marks the 21st anniversary of the third round tie in which Cardiff City, then a third tier side, famously dumped out high-flying Leeds United at Ninian Park. A huge giantkilling, it came to be recognised as the first of many dominos to fall in the subsequent decline, a financial meltdown that led to the phrase “doing a Leeds” entering the football vernacular and the club itself entering League One at the lowest ebb of their 16-year absence from the top flight. Enmity has simmered between fans of the two clubs and in 22 subsequent meetings, Cardiff have notched up 14 wins compared to Leeds’ return of just three. While the FA Cup is unlikely to feature prominently on Jesse Marsch’s list of priorities, any failure to take his first ever match in the competition seriously will not be tolerated by Leeds fans travelling to the Cardiff City Stadium.

[VinnysTattoo]

Oh how I hate FA Cup games against lower opposition.

Fall on your derrière after slipping on a banana skin and all the country is there to laugh is a sentence that seems to have been repeated endlessly.

A decent cup run would breed confidence but I’m not holding my breath.

[WhiteRose]

On ITV as well, they used to relish our annual humiliation, think it was vs Histon where they actually interviewed the opposition manager mid way through the second half - don’t think I’ve see it done before or since

[Muppet the Cat]

It's going to be a 4.00am set off for me and I want the team to turn up too. I'll decide whether they do at the end of the game!

Fair play, Heidi, 4am ………..with traffic I reckon we’ll (the good lady wife is coming as well) need to leave the house at 12.15ish

[Chilli D]

On ITV as well, they used to relish our annual humiliation, think it was vs Histon where they actually interviewed the opposition manager mid way through the second half - don’t think I’ve see it done before or since

ITV are obviously hoping for a cup upset which is why they are showing it. The 2002 game will obviously get plenty of mentions before and during the game.

[weasel]

I'd be looking at picking a reasonably strong side whilst giving some players some minutes.

GK Robles - Would be happy with Messlier in net but think it is a good opportunity to give Robles a game to keep him sharp if we need him in the league.
LB Firpo - Seeing as he is fit we really need to see if he can prove to be good enough. THrow him in and hope he has a good game and can kickstart his Leeds career.
RB Ayling - I much prefer seeing Ayling in the side than the other options. I think he looked a little rusty still, on Wednesday, so would pick him to build up full math sharpness. If not I would give Drameh the run out against his former loan side.
CBs Wober and Llorente. Usually with a defence I would be advocating not chopping and changes as stability usually improves any defence. However I am totally unconvinced by Koch and we need to see what we have with Wober. Llorente should play better on his favoured right side of defence.
DM Gyabi - Let's see what we have got with this lad.
CM Roca - Would have been Klich but he is no longer with us so going for Roca so we don't see too many changes. A steady head to guide Gyabi.
LW Harrison - Looked bright against West Ham and means Summervile can have a breather.
RW Gnonto - Deserves to stay in the side and is full of confidence.
AM Gelhardt - He needs more than 5 minutes at the end of every game. Woefully underused this season.
FW Joseph - would be tempted to play Rodrigo but the risk is too great as if he got injured them we would be in huge trouble.

[1964white]

I'd be looking at picking a reasonably strong side whilst giving some players some minutes.

GK Robles - Would be happy with Messlier in net but think it is a good opportunity to give Robles a game to keep him sharp if we need him in the league.
LB Firpo - Seeing as he is fit we really need to see if he can prove to be good enough. THrow him in and hope he has a good game and can kickstart his Leeds career.
RB Ayling - I much prefer seeing Ayling in the side than the other options. I think he looked a little rusty still, on Wednesday, so would pick him to build up full math sharpness. If not I would give Drameh the run out against his former loan side.
CBs Wober and Llorente. Usually with a defence I would be advocating not chopping and changes as stability usually improves any defence. However I am totally unconvinced by Koch and we need to see what we have with Wober. Llorente should play better on his favoured right side of defence.
DM Gyabi - Let's see what we have got with this lad.
CM Roca - Would have been Klich but he is no longer with us so going for Roca so we don't see too many changes. A steady head to guide Gyabi.
LW Harrison - Looked bright against West Ham and means Summervile can have a breather.
RW Gnonto - Deserves to stay in the side and is full of confidence.
AM Gelhardt - He needs more than 5 minutes at the end of every game. Woefully underused this season.
FW Joseph - would be tempted to play Rodrigo but the risk is too great as if he got injured them we would be in huge trouble.

Same with Adams.

One quality fit striker & main central midfielder is not enough in the best league in the world.

[The Subhuman]

We're away, against a team known to raise their game v higher opposition. I guess it depends if you want to win or not which will decide the outcome... The more changes and the less continuity in defence and the greater the odds of an upset.. I'll take the as the over if goals against is at 1.5

[whiteswan]

Oh how I hate FA Cup games against lower opposition.

Fall on your derrière after slipping on a banana skin and all the country is there to laugh is a sentence that seems to have been repeated endlessly.

A decent cup run would breed confidence but I’m not holding my breath.

Me too Vinny, they always seem to be away as well with manky mushy pitches