Leeds Utd v Cardiff City Match Thread

[rab_rant]

[Gandalf]

Still bewildered after yesterday's result but onwards & onwards to Craven Cottage next Saturday as we look to address yesterday's failings.

Positives

Some of the best attacking football we've witnessed at ER.
Two goals in the first eight minutes.
Another stunning break for our first goal.
Costa's overall display & a lovely strike.
Two goals for Paddy.
Klich's delightful chip, so unlucky if that goes in for a fourth goal the game would have been over.
Pablo's pass for Costa's goal.
Dallas cross for Bamford's first goal.
A point in the end which is better than nothing.
We didn't lose although it felt like a defeat.
Eleven games unbeaten.
17 goals in our last eight games.

Negatives

Two points chucked away
Missed chances, even so at 3-0 it should have been sufficient.
A defensive shambles for all three goals.
We struggled to cope with their constant long throws & crosses.
Cardiff three on target, three goals.
First time we've conceded more than two goals this season.
Bielsa's subs, not great.
Taking off Bamford with 20 minutes to play with just a two goal lead proved to be very costly.
Why Struijk on for Berardi and not a forward.
We need a big commanding CB against teams like Cardiff, Millwall, Sheff Wed, etc.
Missed Cooper in all three of the above games although Coops came on to steady the ship at Hillsborough.
I feel sorry for Ben White, far too much responsibility on such young shoulders.
We are crying out for a decent CB in the January window as right now Cooper is injury-prone.
God help us if White suffers a long term injury.
Strurijk is not ready for championship football yet.

Ratings

6 Casilla
7 Ayling
5 White
5 Berardi
8 Dallas
8 Phillips
9 Costa MOTM
8 Klich
8 Hernandez
6 Harrison
8 Bamford

Why the username change on the dark side ?

[1964white]

Why the username change on the dark side ?

Only a slight change of username Gandi

I had a problem with my passwords recently, managed to resolve the problem on all the sites I visit apart from the dark side where I was required to register again, hence 64white

[1964white]

Oh my friend Oscar who thinks Tyler Roberts is our best player & Casilla didn't have a good game at Huddersfield (I think)

I'll have words with him next time I see him at a game

[1964white]

Extended highlights

[1964white]

Little Jack's excellent highlights

[The Subhuman]

Spoken like the hoopy frood that you are, faaip!

Cheers, you seem like a gal who really knows where her towel is

[John in Louisiana]

I see a lot of bemoaning the lack of mental strength yet here we are, losing our heads.

Bad result given the first 60 minutes, obviously gutting but we’ve just won seven on the bounce. The mental strength will be shown next weekend and how the players respond to this.

Hear! Hear!

Not that the players read these posts, but they don't need to be hearing from us that they lack mental fortitude. They're highly professional athletes and will shrug this off if we let them.

Now let's go beat Fulham. I can assure you that's where the players' focus is.

[DavidH]

I watched the match (stream) and like everyone else, was sickened by the loss of the points. My own view of what happened was that having powered into a 3-0 lead, and looking like we were indeed capable of matching the 7-0 pasting of Southampton that time, we got cocky. I noticed that unlike before the goals were scored, some of our players did not immediately track back when the ball was lost and Cardiff charged towards us. I suspect, they had got it into their heads that this was going to be easy, and lost focus. Once Cardiff scored, we looked like cats on a hot tin roof. Not following the script. At this point, we could be seeing the start of a meltdown, or we could be just about to witness the maturity in our team now, as they go on another run. The point is, it's just too soon to positively identify either scenario. Babies and bathwater. Keep them both in the bath at this stage.

[The Subhuman]

Welcome David, I think you have to assume the latter with little evidence to assume the former. We didn't lose either and our unbeaten run is still intact.

[1964white]

I watched the match (stream) and like everyone else, was sickened by the loss of the points. My own view of what happened was that having powered into a 3-0 lead, and looking like we were indeed capable of matching the 7-0 pasting of Southampton that time, we got cocky. I noticed that unlike before the goals were scored, some of our players did not immediately track back when the ball was lost and Cardiff charged towards us. I suspect, they had got it into their heads that this was going to be easy, and lost focus. Once Cardiff scored, we looked like cats on a hot tin roof. Not following the script. At this point, we could be seeing the start of a meltdown, or we could be just about to witness the maturity in our team now, as they go on another run. The point is, it's just too soon to positively identify either scenario. Babies and bathwater. Keep them both in the bath at this stage.

Welcome David to MOT

I'm over it now, looking forward to visiting Craven Cottage on Saturday one of my favourite grounds

[Irish Ian]

Welcome David.
I enjoyed your comments.Did you get the stream from here?
If so join in the hysteria on match day. They even put up with my insane ramblings.

[The Subhuman]

Yes... but I write the fourth worst poetry in the universe.

Radio or TV?

[Irish Ian]

It has been rumoured that Bielsa has been using Vogon poetry as the basis of his press conferences this season.

Prove me wrong!

[The Subhuman]

Pen and paper. Sometimes ends up as song lyrics, although not sung by me.

I kinda meant what's your medium for HGTTG, I guess books too but they always seemed an afterthought to me. Has to be radio and I still listen regularly

Favourite spaceship? Has to be the Starship Bistromath

[hector]

The LP was my first intro to it all, then the TV. the film was a big no no for me though (apart from Alan Rickman as Marvin)

I have also read the books more than a few times.....

The radio series was a late arrival in my collection, however I have to agree, it is by far the most comprehensive version, with many additions (or should that be omissions from the rest of the mediums?)

It still all sounds as good as ever when I listen

[rab_rant]

Yes... but I write the fourth worst poetry in the universe.

VOGON!!!!!

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk

[Irish Ian]

Roofe scores again

[weasel]

Roofe scores again

Hard to judge the quality level of the Belgian League, not knocking Roofe but doubt it is even championship level apart from the top couple of teams. Will be interesting to see where Roofe ends up next.

[weasel]

I watched the match (stream) and like everyone else, was sickened by the loss of the points. My own view of what happened was that having powered into a 3-0 lead, and looking like we were indeed capable of matching the 7-0 pasting of Southampton that time, we got cocky. I noticed that unlike before the goals were scored, some of our players did not immediately track back when the ball was lost and Cardiff charged towards us. I suspect, they had got it into their heads that this was going to be easy, and lost focus. Once Cardiff scored, we looked like cats on a hot tin roof. Not following the script. At this point, we could be seeing the start of a meltdown, or we could be just about to witness the maturity in our team now, as they go on another run. The point is, it's just too soon to positively identify either scenario. Babies and bathwater. Keep them both in the bath at this stage.

Indeed as I suggested at 3-0 up the intensity levels dropped, only natural especially given how in control we were and how easily we were creating chances. The first 2 substitutions while being correct in terms of giving people game time also helped lessen the intensity as Bamford and Harrison do so much hard work closing down the opposition in their half. While Alioski and Eddie are good players they are more dynamic players to give great energy going forward rather than maintaining the pressing shape. It is an important lesson to not just Bielsa but the fans that no game is done and dusted in this league. I bet 99% of the fans would have been suggesting resting certain players with the game seemingly in the bag and I am sure Eddie would have been considering his future (with us) if he hadn't been brought on and we simply ran out comfortable winners.

No mental issues for the players in this match. I doubt they even knew the WBA score as they would have been at ER getting ready. Even if they did it is hardly like there is huge mental pressure on them to go back top of the league at this stage of the season. If we had appeared edgy and nervous from the start then maybe there could be an argument that they were playing under pressure. We looked like we were struggling far more against Hull when we were overhitting or underhitting passes and struggling to keep possession. Anyone suggesting the teams have a problem with mental strength needs to remember how we bounced back after the Millwall defeat to win against WBA with a determined performance and resolute defending.

We have no need to go into panic mode. The defence is still the defence that has kept clean sheets in half their matches this season and also has only conceded more than 1 goal in a match twice this season (and both times against our bogey sides). We have played the physical sides, we have played the sides with tricky strikers and the record is good. I would have been more concerned if Cardiff had been able to put us under sustained pressure and were pinging shots in but that wasn't the case, they scored with their only efforts on targets with fairly isolated attacks.