Leeds Utd v Middlesborough Match Thread - Costa replaces Roberts, Nketiah on the bench

[SG90]

Fulham won't go away, but we're starting to build a bit of a gap. 5 points to 3rd, 8 points to 4th and we've got the best goal difference. Unfortunately I could see Fulham and West Brom spending big in January, while we sign no one. I hope not, but that could be where we lose it.

[SG90]

Kenneh played the other night for the u23s, maybe put him in for KP next week.

[Irish Ian]

Kenneh played the other night for the u23s, maybe put him in for KP next week.

Boss has already said that White takes over DM next week.

[SG90]

Boss has already said that White takes over DM next week.

Sigh. Does he ever learn?

[rab_rant]

Boss has already said that White takes over DM next week.

Brilliant... let's hope we can see some more of those killer defence splitting passes that set up Bamford to score more goals

[1964white]

That's more like it

Positives

The scoreline represented the performance.
Won in a canter, game over with 25 minutes to go.
Nice not feeling like a bag of nerves for 90 minutes.
Scored in the first three minutes.
Two goals before half-time.
At last we had our shooting boots scoring four goals.
Three points.
Pablo making us tick again
Klich's best game in a while
Klich's wonderful 2nd goal
Bamford's all round game.
Costa's first league goal.
Eddie back.
We actually created a goal from a corner.
Kalvin almost scored from a free-kick but for a good save from the smoggies keeper.
Five consecutive victories.
Scored eleven conceded two goals in those five wins.
Unbeaten in eight games.
Conceded only three goals in our last eight games.
Top of the league again.
Forty points from nineteen games.
Still five points clear of 3rd place Fulham.
Eight points gap between us & 4th place.
Highest win over the smoggies since 1978.

Negatives

Kalvin's yellow card for a needless challenge, misses the Huddersfield game

Ratings

8 Casilla
8 Ayling
8 White
8 Cooper
8 Dallas
8 Phillips
8 Costa
9 Hernandez
9 Klich
8 Harrison
9 Bamford

[The Subhuman]

WOW!!!!!!!!!

Why wow?

[mothbanquet]

That's more like it

I heard Bielsa's pre kick-off team talk went something like; "So there's this bloke called Leon who thinks you lot ain't been scoring enough..."

[HarryofOz]

Why wow?

Winning 4-0 is wow.

[1964white]

I heard Bielsa's pre kick-off team talk went something like; "So there's this bloke called Leon who thinks you lot ain't been scoring enough..."

It worked Moth

[mothbanquet]

It worked Moth

That it did, brother. Get working your magic for the dog botherers…

[rab_rant]

That it did, brother. Get working your magic for the dog botherers…

I have it on good authority that Bielsa will put Kiko in for Phillips, and
to give Nketiah some time on the pitch he will be in goal for the game
against Huddersfield.

It is the Bielsa way... he likes square pegs in round holes. It wins him games.

[mothbanquet]

I have it on good authority that Bielsa will put Kiko in for Phillips, and
to give Nketiah some time on the pitch he will be in goal for the game
against Huddersfield.

It is the Bielsa way... he likes square pegs in round holes. It wins him games.

You see only the small picture, Rab my man. Why play square Eddie peg in that round keeper hole when he can be owner? Think Bielsa, think beyond the pale...

[The Subhuman]

Winning 4-0 is wow.

ahh ok, thought you were responding to the MB press conference

[HarryofOz]

ahh ok, thought you were responding to the MB press conference

Aha, fair enough

Re Bielsa's press conference (I assume you mean the announcement about Ben White), I have utmost faith in both MB and BW to get the job done well.

[1964white]

That it did, brother. Get working your magic for the dog botherers…

I'll be there working the oracle

[1964white]

I have it on good authority that Bielsa will put Kiko in for Phillips, and
to give Nketiah some time on the pitch he will be in goal for the game
against Huddersfield.

It is the Bielsa way... he likes square pegs in round holes. It wins him games.

[1964white]

Aha, fair enough

Re Bielsa's press conference (I assume you mean the announcement about Ben White), I have utmost faith in both MB and BW to get the job done well.

I said to one of the lads on our coach that Bielsa will probably play our new 'Madeley' in front of Cooper & Berardi. Ben White has enough quality to play most positions I guess. I did say in my match report White was not only superb defensively but he was our best midfielder v Reading

My mate reckoned Marcelo will play Dallas as our defensive midfielder.

[HarryofOz]

I said to one of the lads on our coach that Bielsa will probably play our new 'Madeley' in front of Cooper & Berardi. Ben White has enough quality to play most positions I guess. I did say in my match report White was not only superb defensively but he was our best midfielder v Reading

My mate reckoned Marcelo will play Dallas as our defensive midfielder.

Ben White as a very classy footballer. Apt enough to call him our current-day Madeley.

Assuming Bielsa does play all three - Cooper, White and Berardi, then the choice would be between Berardi or White as the defensive midfielder role, and I think playing and Cooper and Berardi at the back with White in the DM role, is better than Cooper and White at the back with Berardi in the DM role.

i don't think Dallas will be given that role, but you never know.

[SG90]

The worry for me is we have 7 games in a month coming up and Bielsa has never shown any indication that he will rest or rotate players. Last year we had 4 games in 9 days and played the same team in every game. The players were running on empty against Hull and Forest and you could see that's when the momentum changed, going into the New Year with a couple of defeats and jaded players. I suspect Phillips will be the only player not to start all 7, except for injuries.