Middlesbrough v Leeds Utd Match Thread

[White Riot]

We are carrying passengers with the selection of Ayling & Harrison both woeful, is it any wonder why we are not winning matches especially as other players are not in great form too.

I was surprised he played them in this match, poor form seems to have spread around a lot of our first teamers. Maybe just a lack of confidence, or they're feeling the pressure. I'm saying this will happen again as I don't believe it will, but a number of these players are the same ones who bottled it under Gary Monk two seasons ago, when playoffs was nailed on. Bielsa needs to get these guys up and running again starting with smashing Swansea in midweek. By then we should know the spygate outcome

[1964white]

I wonder if the Phillips v Forshaw pendulum has swung a bit more in favour of Phillips .

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Apart from a few headers & interceptions Jansson & Cooper didn't have a lot to do with Phillips holding his position protecting them

[The Subhuman]

Swansea will be tough, one of the top 3 teams I've seen against us this season and they'll raise their game obviously.

[The Subhuman]

Middlesborough stopped playing when they scored...but up to that point way too much room in front of our back 4. They could have been three up

[White Riot]

Think ur asking far too much of the team there Scoring the first goal has become vital for Leeds. It opens the game up for their style but for ages Leeds have rarely scored first which is making games so much harder especially when chances aren't taken .Leeds could possibly have won today had they converted good chances but this has become the achilles heel which may prevent automatic promotion.

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Well I'm always optimistic mate

Yeah, scoring the first goal could settle us down a lot, as was the case early in the season and recently vs Derby. I'm really hoping that they start ticking again, Brown, Shackleton and Pablo could help a lot with this. Our strikers, Roofe, Bamford, Roberts and hopefully Brown really need to find some clinical form and that will get us up. We've had a long run of games where we're not taking chances and conceding daft goals, that has just served to boost the confidence of our opponents, even Rotherham

[White Riot]

Swansea will be tough, one of the top 3 teams I've seen against us this season and they'll raise their game obviously.

Yeah, they did look good against us, at a time when we were in good form. I just feel that we are due to hit form again and give somebody a walloping. Spygate/Dan James/big gob McBurnie, should add to our desire to punish this lot

[White Riot]

Middlesborough stopped playing when they scored...but up to that point way too much room in front of our back 4. They could have been three up

That's typical Pulis though, game there for the taking and he pulls all his giants back into their own box - got what they deserved

[The Subhuman]

Just making the point defending was much easier today than against Norwich.

[White Riot]

Just making the point defending was much easier today than against Norwich.

Definitely, Norwich looked slick on the ball and caused lots of panic at the back. The other factor for me was Forshaw was like a chocolate fireguard against Norwich, Phillips provides more of a shield for our centre of defence. Also, nobody seemd to put the bite on Norwich in midfield, Phillips give us that bit of physicality and toughness we need that when the game is a battle, or we're looking to knock passing teams out of their stride.

[The Subhuman]

Definitely, Norwich looked slick on the ball and caused lots of panic at the back. The other factor for me was Forshaw was like a chocolate fireguard against Norwich, Phillips provides more of a shield for our centre of defence. Also, nobody seemd to put the bite on Norwich in midfield, Phillips give us that bit of physicality and toughness we need that when the game is a battle, or we're looking to knock passing teams out of their stride.

It was Phillips that lost the ball for their goal, then ambled back and so was out of position...I didn't think Phillips was very good today until Boro took their foot off the gas

[Cjay]

Thought we did better today then we did vs Boro at Elland Road.

Couldn't open them up at Elland Road.

Today Bamford missed a great chance, Jansson hit the post, Roofe had 2 good chances (may have been more but streams were difficult).

Pretty pleased and credit to the players who must have been worried about Clarke, showed great character to fight till the end.

If we get everyone fighting fit, Bamford, Brown, Klich, Hernandez, Clarke.

Then we can still win the league.

Not convinced Klich was fit or Pablo.

Clarke clearly had issues.

Bamford was rusty.

100% fit then we are as dangerous as anyone.

[Mick Jones shoulder]

Shackleton for Ayling and Hernandez for Harrison Wednesday. Brown for Klich as he looked like he did a hamstring. Bring on Swansea and let's muller them.

[1964white]

Had the pleasure of chatting with our very own LeedsAlex before boarding our coach.
Unfortunately didn't see Gurj amongst our 4,500 fans on a very cold windswept day in the north-east. I was really wrapped up, snug in my new parka

Positives

Our team never gives up.
101st minute equaliser from Yorkshire's Pirlo, ecstatic scenes in the Leeds end
A deserved point in the end.
Kalvin Phillips back in his rightful position, MOTM.
Although some sloppy passes from Pablo, he did play some delightful passes too, Hernandez makes us tick.
Castilla very cool under pressure.
90 minutes for Patrick Bamford, he needs game time to sharpen him up.
Brown on the bench.

Negatives

Jack Clarke's illness.
Too many chances wasted again.
No clean sheet.
Ayling's shocking form.
Harrison although defended well, like a headless chicken going forward.
Klich poor, maybe carrying a injury.
Poor crosses into their box.

Ratings

7 Casilla
3 Ayling
7 Jansson
7 Cooper
7 Alioski
8 Phillips
3 Clarke
6 Roofe
4 Klich
4 Harrison
5 Bamford
Subs
7 Hernandez
6 Roberts
6 Shackleton

[1964white]

Thought we did better today then we did vs Boro at Elland Road.

Couldn't open them up at Elland Road.

Today Bamford missed a great chance, Jansson hit the post, Roofe had 2 good chances (may have been more but streams were difficult).

Pretty pleased and credit to the players who must have been worried about Clarke, showed great character to fight till the end.

If we get everyone fighting fit, Bamford, Brown, Klich, Hernandez, Clarke.

Then we can still win the league.

Not convinced Klich was fit or Pablo.

Clarke clearly had issues.

Bamford was rusty.

100% fit then we are as dangerous as anyone.

Good summary Cjay

[Cjay]

Good summary Cjay

Boro were decent but aside from 1 shot i cant remember Kiko making a save.

[weasel]

Was the sun bright in Boro today - looked like Casillas had a bit of a problem with it in the first half and judging by the players's shadows it seemed like it would have been strong. Why keepers don't wear hats these days baffle me, as a Sunday League Manager I would always put a cap in the kit bag in case it was ever needed.

Small margins today and if Boro had taken a couple of their earlier chances it could have been a Norwich scoreline again. Equally because they didn't we could, and should, have won with the amount of decent chances we had in the second half.

[1964white]

Boro were decent but aside from 1 shot i cant remember Kiko making a save.

I didn't rate them tbh apart from a 20 minute period in the first-half I thought they were a big lumbering average outfit

[1964white]

Was the sun bright in Boro today - looked like Casillas had a bit of a problem with it in the first half and judging by the players's shadows it seemed like it would have been strong. Why keepers don't wear hats these days baffle me, as a Sunday League Manager I would always put a cap in the kit bag in case it was ever needed.

Small margins today and if Boro had taken a couple of their earlier chances it could have been a Norwich scoreline again. Equally because they didn't we could, and should, have won with the amount of decent chances we had in the second half.

The sun & the gale-force conditions were a problem for both teams

Good point you rarely see keepers wearing caps

[HarryofOz]

The sun & the gale-force conditions were a problem for both teams

Good point you rarely see keepers wearing caps

I heard a report on the BBC that Arbroath's match in Scotland was abandoned because the wind was so strong that a goal kick blew back for a corner.

[The Subhuman]

Flint missed a sitter from a Casilla's error...