Leeds Utd v Bolton Wanderers Match Thread

[onemoreslogan]

Hernandez played very well today. I wish Klich would get his confidence back.

[HarryofOz]

We won. That is what counts. That is a fact. To say that we would have lost playing a supposedly better team is an assumption. We are at the top of the league going into the pointy end of the season. Of course it would have been nice to win by more goals, but that is football.

[Cjay]

Hernandez played very well today. I wish Klich would get his confidence back.

Agree with this, Klich didnt play badly imo, just doesnt look as creative or threatening goal wise as before.

[Cjay]

[HarryofOz]

I swear that I read more positive comments when we lose. Then it's all about how me missed chances (which we did today as well) that if only we'd scored would have changed the entire game.

[SG90]

At this stage of the season, getting wins is the most imperative thing, however we do it. Bolton were never going to roll over like they did last week, usual turning into Real Madrid when they play us of our opponents. In other years, we'd draw that, but the players look like we can handle the pressure better now. The goal difference will sort itself if we win. Big 6 points from our last two at home.

[Genghers]

I repeat Hernandez and clarke are the only two with good brains. The rest of the lot should be shipped off to some other championship team when promotion is won. Alioski and Ayling need a stick up their arse.

Get rid of Pontus and Cooper, who were by and large excellent today. Get rid of Phillips who has probably been player of the season so far. Get rid of Klich because he hasn't scored many goals since the early stages of the season.

Bamford is crap, despite having scored a couple since coming back from back to back injuries and is now our only experienced striker.

We beat a team who were set up not to concede and I'm happy with the points.

[weasel]

We won. That is what counts. That is a fact. To say that we would have lost playing a supposedly better team is an assumption. We are at the top of the league going into the pointy end of the season. Of course it would have been nice to win by more goals, but that is football.

Definitely. There are only easy games because circumstances help you out. Bolton are fighting for their lives and probably had their pride hurt against Norwich, it may even be a simple case that they play better away from home at the moment because the atmosphere for their home games is toxic with protests against their board - reminds me of when Leeds fan were protesting against Bates and Cellino and made our home matches so much harder as the atmosphere was so negative and our players were so scared to make a mistake that they inevitably did.

I mentioned earlier in the week how we had opened the scoring more times against top 7 teams than against other teams, kept more clean sheets etc so certainly no reason to suggest we would have struggled against a 'better' side as the game would probably be more open which would suit us. Credit to Bolton they came and gave it a go, which is what they needed to do given their league position. Again if we had been more clinical we win comfortably albeit Bolton had chances too.

[The Subhuman]

I had us winning by a goal today as teams always approach us differently. We have the target on our backs especially at Elland road. Plus teams always play better after they've been thrashed.

But I don't like the balance and we lack creativity middle of the park. Defence still looks vulnerable, Kalvin still sits too deep and fails to come out to close down the runners, he's done this all season, passing was off today too.

[Genghers]

I swear that I read more positive comments when we lose. Then it's all about how me missed chances (which we did today as well) that if only we'd scored would have changed the entire game.

Absolutely.

Same stats would be rolled out as well:
69% posession.
21 shots (11 in the box).
8 on target, 5 blocked.
8 corners.
552 to 189 passes with 78% accuracy.

Dominant.

[SG90]

No one rolls over against us. Other teams don't have to play against 11 behind the ball like we do, which is why we don't score as many.

[Cjay]

Wins a win.

But a poor performance is still a poor performance imo.

Desperately miss Jack Clarkes flair and ability to make space for others by beating players.

[The Subhuman]

Casilla - 7..Solid backed up with a couple of nice saves

Ayling - 7 - Better game but still wayward passing and taking the wrong option in attack
Alioski - 7 - What we get from Alio is a lot of junk with a moment of magic or a goal, poor distribution today but could have scored from two crosses

PJ - 7 - Did ok, defended well for the most part
Cooper 9 - Outside of one error where he was caught from behind he was dominant in defense and read the game extremely well.

Klich - 8 - I though he was key today tbh, not got his shooting boots back but did most everything else well, won the ball back high up the pitch for our second
Hernandez - 8 - Some wonderful creativity went to waste with a lack of forward movement, had to hang on to the ball too long at times
Harrison - 7 - defended well, seems to be last man when we have a set piece and does that well. Good header in the first and had a good game generally, needs to move the ball quicker but is getting better
Phillips - 6 - Poor passing today, out of position too many times and then fell asleep in defense 2/3 times allowing opportunities
Roberts - 7 - Had a good game but doesn't suit the AMF position. Drew the pen and looks a better prospect as a complimentary striker.

Bamford - 5 - Missed 3 sitters for me, way more profligate than Roofe has ever been, looks slow and struggled against the quicker defenders. Hopefully this is just rust but this is game 5 now?

Dallas - 6 - Didn't do much in his 10 minutes ..
Shack - not on long enough

[SG90]

All we can do now is win games. We win every game now until the end of the season, then we go up as champions as no one could finish above us. Points > goal difference.

[weasel]

Wins a win.

But a poor performance is still a poor performance imo.

Desperately miss Jack Clarkes flair and ability to make space for others by beating players.

It is the reason why Clarke's price tag and worth is so much. The ability to beat someone and get into space is so crucial. Like you say we have no one similar, Hernandez can beat a man with skill but no longer has the pace to the really take advantage of the space. The reason we were all in for Dan James too.

[SG90]

It is the reason why Clarke's price tag and worth is so much. The ability to beat someone and get into space is so crucial. Like you say we have no one similar, Hernandez can beat a man with skill but no longer has the pace to the really take advantage of the space. The reason we were all in for Dan James too.

Are there any similar players to Clarke in the u23s?

[Cjay]

It is the reason why Clarke's price tag and worth is so much. The ability to beat someone and get into space is so crucial. Like you say we have no one similar, Hernandez can beat a man with skill but no longer has the pace to the really take advantage of the space. The reason we were all in for Dan James too.

Clarkey is special, anyone would miss a player like him, even at his age , on form he is one of the best wingers in the league already.

Agreed, unfortunately there isnt really anyone similar.

Hernandez can do it but age limits it, he isnt going to run away from anyone anymore and prefers to use his brain over his dribbling skill these days.

Clarke Odour maybe in the u23s, very quick and has a trick or two, but isnt as developed in his head as Jack, suffers from tunnel vision imo, probably why he hasnt been called up.

Only seen him once but Bogusz clearly can beat a man, but its way to early for him.

Only really Izzy Brown would be viable, but thats only if he is the Izzy Brown pre injury, the one ive seen in the u23s isnt so keen to run at people, probably through fear which is understandable.

[1964white]

That was a game where we should be improving our goal difference by 3 4 5, not 1.

If only we could shoot/head the ball on target. in the end our winner was a fluke & goalkeeping error.

Our crossing was woeful too

[1964white]

Would have been a cake walk if Ba,ford took half his chances ...still badly off form for me

Indeed

[1964white]

Phillips is probably MOTM

I very much doubt it