Millwall v Leeds Utd Match Thread - Post match reaction

[whiteswan]

I'l probably have to watch Oakland get mullered by the Bears tomorrow at Tottenham Stadium too

Hope not faaip. I'll be rooting for your Raiders

[whiteswan]

Are you going to the game faaip? I'll be watching on SKY.....live at 5.00 pm

[The Subhuman]

Are you going to the game faaip? I'll be watching on SKY.....live at 5.00 pm

No well out of my price range.

[1964white]

We can still dominate virtually every team in the league. The only team so far that we couldn't, West Brom, we fought tooth and nail to keep them out, showing real grit and determination

Dominating teams count for nothing if you don't put your chances away

Our potentially creative and goal scoring players are either out injured (Pablo), lacking game time (Eddie and Costa), or out of form (Bamford). Those are all things which can change and improve

May do Sara, I won't hold my breath. Alioski playin left back is our second highest scorer with three goals, although he did score his goal yesterday after being pushed forward positionally

We have other players waiting to return to fitness (Cooper, Ayling, Forshaw, Shackleton) who are all first team starters normally

Yes they are a big miss as beyond are first fifteen players we are weak & vulnerable

We also have U23s (Bogusz, Edmondson, Gotts, Clarke) who may step up and offer something different

I doubt any of those four will make an impression in our first team, they may look good in our U23's but we are talking a different level in the championship. Edmondson was woeful v Brum U23's the other night. I like Robbie Gotts & Bogusz but whether they are good enough is questionable. Shackleton will be the only kid to impress in our first team this season imo!

I honestly think, if we had Pablo, Eddie, Costa and Bamford all match fit and in form, we'd be tearing teams apart every week.

We are missing Pablo big-time as I knew we would, we always do as we have no one of the same calibre/quality who can fill his boots. Some on here were even talking about resting him a couple of weeks ago

[SG90]

We are missing Pablo big-time as I knew we would, we always do as we have no one of the same calibre/quality who can fill his boots. Some on here were even talking about resting him a couple of weeks ago

That's because he's 34 and should have been managed correctly, rather than expecting him to play 90 mins for 46 games. He's been overplayed and is now injured as a result.

[SG90]

When is Nketiah going to be bang in form if he never plays? Yesterday was the perfect opportunity to play Bamford at 10 and Nketiah, but predictably Ayling comes in despite being nowhere near fully fit.

[Oscar]

The red card and penalty changed the game massively no doubt about it and both were horrendous decisions, however, we did nothing to help ourselves in that first half. We just gifted Millwall the first half giving the ball away in our own half, wingers running the ball out of play and giving silly free kicks away around the box. All the things you don't do when you are down to 10 men, yes the 10 men didn't help matters but the first half was totally unacceptable.
Second half was better but that was more down to Millwall sitting back (why wouldn't they? man advantage and 2-0 lead no reason to take risks) and the substitutions coming on with a point to prove to try and get themselves into the starting 11. It wasn't even that great yes we got the ball into dangerous areas but created nothing after we scored and the last 10 minutes was a joke almost felt like a pre season friendly for some of those players no urgency at all.

At least half the squad are performing well below their usual levels and letting Bielsa down badly, not saying Bielsa is blameless but players take the vast majority of the blame.
Yes we are only 2 points off top 5th in the table but the signs aren't good we've scored 1 goal from open play since Stoke away August 25th, at least 2 teams Preston and West Brom are both playing better football than us, last 3 games we've stopped creating chances and our success has been built on White and Phillips defensive ability if one of those players gets injured or suspended we will start to concede goals too. Look at our form since Stoke away Won 2 Drawn 1 Lost 3 sure we went on poor runs last season but we still created chances and were genuinely unlucky at the minute we can't even claim that the 2 games we have won Barnsley and West Brom we were lucky to win.
Players have got to step up

Player Ratings:
Casilla 7 - Made a few routine saves and some good distribution.

Ayling 5- Started at RB moved to CB allowed Bradshaw to get in front of him on 2nd some woeful passing out the back.
White 6- Mostly composed but almost gifted Millwall a 3rd goal late on with a poor square pass out the back.
Berardi 5- Shouldn't have been sent off but should have defended the situtation better in the first place.
Alioski 7- Defended well at LB and got us back into the game from LW.

Phillips 6- Improved in the second half but just never really got into his usual rhythm.

Costa 5- Poor lost possession far too easily and never got involved.
Klich 6- Much better second half but way off the pace in the first half still showing glimpses of his quality but sloppy passing letting him down.
Dallas 5- Another player who lost the ball far too easily even when switched to RB looked way off the levels he has been at.
Harrison 6- Good assist and did look better in the second half and was causing problems but final delivery was poor again.

Bamford 6- Had no service but effort was their and again showed glimpses of quality.

Substitutions:
Douglas 7- Always available on the overlap and used the ball well.
Nketiah 7- Did well some nice skill and hold up play no creativity from the players around him sadly.
Roberts 7- Got on the ball and didn't take the easy passes and hide showed tenacity ridiculous he's getting so few minutes when we are desperate for a player like Roberts in the middle.

[SG90]

When are the u23s going to get a chance they never are. Shack only played as Forshaw was injured. Other than that, no one else has had a chance.

[1964white]

That's because he's 34 and should have been managed correctly, rather than expecting him to play 90 mins for 46 games. He's been overplayed and is now injured as a result.

There's no alternative SG, we can only blame our recruitment in the summer for that.

God help us if White gets injured we're screwed then, the second goal conceded yesterday was because we had a novice CB marking Bradshaw.

If Phillips sustains a long term injury our season is definitely over

Bamford is also crucial in the Bielsa's set-up

Great spine when all are available but toothless if any are missing as we have insufficient back-up

Could see this coming before the season started, eight games in & reality arrived

[SG90]

There's no alternative SG, we can only blame our recruitment in the summer for that.

God help us if White gets injured we're screwed then, the second goal conceded yesterday was because we had a novice CB marking Bradshaw.

If Phillips sustains a long term injury our season is definitely over

Bamford is also crucial in the Bielsa's set-up

Great spine when all are available but toothless if any are missing as we have insufficient back-up

Could see this coming before the season started, eight games in & reality is here

Yes I said in the summer the most important signing was the one who made Pablo a bit part player. I was shot down for saying our recruitment was abysmal.

[1964white]

The red card and penalty changed the game massively no doubt about it and both were horrendous decisions, however, we did nothing to help ourselves in that first half. We just gifted Millwall the first half giving the ball away in our own half, wingers running the ball out of play and giving silly free kicks away around the box. All the things you don't do when you are down to 10 men, yes the 10 men didn't help matters but the first half was totally unacceptable.
Second half was better but that was more down to Millwall sitting back (why wouldn't they? man advantage and 2-0 lead no reason to take risks) and the substitutions coming on with a point to prove to try and get themselves into the starting 11. It wasn't even that great yes we got the ball into dangerous areas but created nothing after we scored and the last 10 minutes was a joke almost felt like a pre season friendly for some of those players no urgency at all.

At least half the squad are performing well below their usual levels and letting Bielsa down badly, not saying Bielsa is blameless but players take the vast majority of the blame.
Yes we are only 2 points off top 5th in the table but the signs aren't good we've scored 1 goal from open play since Stoke away August 25th, at least 2 teams Preston and West Brom are both playing better football than us, last 3 games we've stopped creating chances and our success has been built on White and Phillips defensive ability if one of those players gets injured or suspended we will start to concede goals too. Look at our form since Stoke away Won 2 Drawn 1 Lost 3 sure we went on poor runs last season but we still created chances and were genuinely unlucky at the minute we can't even claim that the 2 games we have won Barnsley and West Brom we were lucky to win.
Players have got to step up

Spot on Oscar

[SG90]

We might be two off the top, but I can't see us going on a long winning run again or turning around deficits like last season. This is the same team from January onwards last year, not August-December. We lose far too many games for all our "dominance". Norwich only lost 6 all season, we've lost half that already.

[1964white]

Yes I said in the summer the most important signing was the one who made Pablo a bit part player. I was shot down for saying our recruitment was abysmal.

Others may have shot you down SG, I didn't

I could see we were vulnerable from day one, all this round pegs in square holes idea does my head in. I've never been happy when previous managers played players out of their natural positions so why should I be over the moon now. I remember Grayson playing Howson on the right-wing at Brammall Lane, woeful decision as Jonny never got in the game, we were crap & as a consequence we lost the game.

Only Phillips & Dallas have adapted to their new positions.

[The Subhuman]

Yes I said in the summer the most important signing was the one who made Pablo a bit part player. I was shot down for saying our recruitment was abysmal.

We spent 15 M on a player to make Pablo a part time player..Costa is a right sided creative mid as is Hernandez..

[The Subhuman]

When's the funeral for LUFC, I'd like to pay my respects..

[gessa]

Just read elsewhere.
The last 4 games the Man Utd supporting ref as officiated us, we have had 4 red cards.

[1964white]

Another wasted trip South, our record in London is atrocious. I think our last victory in the capital was v QPR when Roofe scored a hat-trick with two assists from Cibicki, I maybe wrong!

At least we had a good pub stop-off & did a bit of sightseeing from our coach, the likes Buckingham Palace, London Bridge, Thames, Battersea Power Station, various football stadiums & hundreds of red buses, the place is permanently buzzing.

Positives

We woke up for 30 minutes after half-time.
Early second half goal gave us hope.
Another goal for Alioski
Kalvin Phillips
Ben White
Stuart Dallas

Negatives

Not a penalty.
Playing with ten men as a consequence of the referee's poor decisions.
Typical EFL referee.
The absence of Pablo yet again.
Playing round pegs in square holes as we haven't got adequate back-up once we incur injuries.
Ayling is not a CB.
Same with Dallas not a CM (did ok though).
Wall got round the back of us far too easily.
Only one decent cross from Jack.
Only one shot on target, created little else
Why sub Phillips who was pulling the strings for us in our best period of the game. Woeful after KP was subbed.
Why bring on Roberts alongside Klich in midfield, hasn't Bielsa learned his lessons from the West Brom game, we got worse!
Barry Douglas why?
Costa still needs to step up a notch a two.
Subs making no impact again.

Ratings

7 Casilla
5 Ayling
8 White
5 Berardi
7 Alioski
8 Phillips MOTM
5 Costa
7 Dallas
6 Klich
6 Harrison
6 Bamford
Subs
5 Douglas
5 Nketiah
5 Roberts

[1964white]

Alioski's goal

[The Subhuman]

We take 1 point from the next two games last season, a good chance to get back in front on last season again

1. W - W - 3-3
2. W - D - 6-4
3. W - W - 9-7
4. D - W - 10-10
5. W - W - 13-13
6. D - L - 14-13
7. D - W - 15-16
8. W - D - 18-17
9. L - L - 18-17
10. D - W - 19-20
11. W - L - 22-20
12. L -
13. D -
14. W -

[The Subhuman]

Been a tough season so far, teams are playing an anti football to curb us and we have a non scoring striker not making it easy for us. He should be close to double figures by now. Ref lost us this one, always difficult to play for that long away from home with 10 men but even harder if it's a massive c**k up from the ref. We'll see if the FL look at that incident, my bet is they won't

Should have had a pen when Jack had his legs taken from under him later that half which could have made it 1-1, 11 players we don't concede that second. We lost a very good defender and replaced him with a wing back who's seldom played CB for us and it showed.

Football is probably the only game on the planet where a clearly inferior team can shut up shop and beat a superior one..I doubt the USA get close to beating the likes of the Al Blacks/SA/England at the WC, A minor league baseball team would get routed 100 times out of 100 v a pro one. You're not winning much at a velodrome if you're part time cyclist v the worlds best, but if you're a poor/part time football team you can go out and get a result against a top 5 or much much better team...We've seen it happen over and over again...

Wimbledon did it in the cup final years ago, Sunderland did it to us...THIS IS FOOTBALL FOLKS, we're entitled to nothing in this league and all the time we're feeling entitled and arrogant as fans the football gods are going to kick us in the nuts...