Birmingham City v Leeds Utd Match Thread - Nketiah Starts, Bamford Out!

[1964white]

Tony Dorigo on LUTV analysing our defensive frailties

[1964white]

i think you can add klich to that list . not been at the races recently.

Will do 63, Klich is half the player without Pablo pulling the strings

[BGwhite]

Obviously quite a few can't see it or through their favourites on here.

We conceded ten goals between August & mid-December, come the festive period we gifting goals like Santa Claus conceding 11 goals in 3 weeks, ironically since we lost Pablo we've had to make changes to our back five causing total mayhem!

Clean sheets have gone out of the window.

The form of our four most consistent stars Casilla, White, Cooper & Phillips has dipped significantly.

Our wing-backs/wingers are either rounded with ease or caught out of position leaving acres of space for the opposition to run into getting round the back of us far too easily.

Time to get back to basics !

Maybe this is a wake-up call to Bielsa. Leeds only need a couple of injuries and the pack of cards collapse simply because he then has to shuffle the pack around putting players into unfamiliar positions which they clearly aren't suited for which effects the whole system. He also will very reluctantly it seems put in a player from the 23s who just happens to play in the position vacated by the injured player...even against teams who we should beat quite comfortably therefore when we are very stretched with injuries he has hardly anyone he can call on with first team experience. Ayling,Berra, Phillips are definitely not cb's. Dallas is not a midfielder however he is quite versatile in other areas and is vital to the squad. Ali is not a midfielder but again is versatile in the left or right wings/backs. Collect injuries like we do and it significantly disrupts our style and the way players think because they have 'strangers' playing alongside them. PB was out yesterday which left us without a striker on the bench which I find pathetic for any club let alone one going for promotion. If we do happen to stumble into the PL Bielsa will need to change his crazy philosophy otherwise we'll be down before we can say 'we are back' !

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[dezzy]

Never seen them in the away end before!

Bearing in mind we were allocated less than 2,000 tickets which were on the tracker system, those four must have got their tickets from the club or Eddie himself

I’ll add his family being at the Brum game to his tweet after the last game to feel a bit more confident he will stay, he’s up to speed with training and has undoubted talent, here’s hoping!

[1964white]

Maybe this is a wake-up call to Bielsa. Leeds only need a couple of injuries and the pack of cards collapse simply because he then has to shuffle the pack around putting players into unfamiliar positions which they clearly aren't suited for which effects the whole system. He also will very reluctantly it seems put in a player from the 23s who just happens to play in the position vacated by the injured player...even against teams who we should beat quite comfortably therefore when we are very stretched with injuries he has hardly anyone he can call on with first team experience. Ayling,Berra, Phillips are definitely not cb's. Dallas is not a midfielder however he is quite versatile in other areas and is vital to the squad. Ali is not a midfielder but again is versatile in the left or right wings/backs. Collect injuries like we do and it significantly disrupts our style and the way players think because they have 'strangers' playing alongside them. PB was out yesterday which left us without a striker on the bench which I find pathetic for any club let alone one going for promotion. If we do happen to stumble into the PL Bielsa will need to change his crazy philosophy otherwise we'll be down before we can say 'we are back' !

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I want to use my saying but no doubt will be ridiculed so I'll hang fire

Can't argue with any of that BG

As good as that result was yesterday, there were more holes in it than my grandfathers vest

[dezzy]

Maybe this is a wake-up call to Bielsa. Leeds only need a couple of injuries and the pack of cards collapse simply because he then has to shuffle the pack around putting players into unfamiliar positions which they clearly aren't suited for which effects the whole system. He also will very reluctantly it seems put in a player from the 23s who just happens to play in the position vacated by the injured player...even against teams who we should beat quite comfortably therefore when we are very stretched with injuries he has hardly anyone he can call on with first team experience. Ayling,Berra, Phillips are definitely not cb's. Dallas is not a midfielder however he is quite versatile in other areas and is vital to the squad. Ali is not a midfielder but again is versatile in the left or right wings/backs. Collect injuries like we do and it significantly disrupts our style and the way players think because they have 'strangers' playing alongside them. PB was out yesterday which left us without a striker on the bench which I find pathetic for any club let alone one going for promotion. If we do happen to stumble into the PL Bielsa will need to change his crazy philosophy otherwise we'll be down before we can say 'we are back' !

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If we stumble into the premier league??

[weasel]

If we do happen to stumble into the PL Bielsa will need to change his crazy philosophy otherwise we'll be down before we can say 'we are back' !

Take 'Crazy' Bielsa away from this team and I doubt we would even be in the play-offs.

[BGwhite]

If we stumble into the premier league??

It will go the distance.

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[1964white]

Take 'Crazy' Bielsa away from this team and I doubt we would even be in the play-offs.

Very true I believe we all realise that.

I do think he would have to slightly change his philosophy to a certain degree in the premiership though.

[BGwhite]

Take 'Crazy' Bielsa away from this team and I doubt we would even be in the play-offs.

You are most definitely right there but having such a small squad in the PL just won't do.

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[rich_leeds64]

I think that yesterday was one of those freak games where several players were not at their best but others stepped up hence the chaotic goal scoring at both ends. I’m sure Marcelo will sit the squad down and analyse things and we hopefully won’t see this type of game again.

On a positive note, at least we never gave up and got the winner deep into injury time. This coupled with the results from yesterday should be the biggest confidence boost we need going into the new year.

[1964white]

It will go the distance.

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Not necessarily BG.

If we can get back to basics defensively & avoid any more serious injuries there's no reason why we can't achieve promotion in a canter!

[BGwhite]

Not necessarily BG.

If we can get back to basics defensively & avoid any more serious injuries there's no reason why we can't achieve promotion in a canter!

We are talking about the same club aren't we ? You know as well as I do that that is just not how it pans out

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[leic white 63]

positively this season there 's not a team chasing us in the calibre of a norwich or a sheff utd .

[1964white]

We are talking about the same club aren't we ? You know as well as I do that that is just not how it pans out

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But we are a different set-up since Bielsa's arrival

First taste of championship football for Marcelo last season, a learning process you could say!

This season we appear a better unit in what is a poorer league imo!

Don't get me wrong I'm not blinkered enough to realise there are elements of out game & squad I'm concerned about however I do believe we are the best team in this league all down to Marcelo's managerial skills

[1964white]

positively this season there 's not a team chasing us in the calibre of a norwich or a sheff utd .

Can't see a Villa coming from nowhere too!

[weasel]

You are most definitely right there but having such a small squad in the PL just won't do.

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Definitely which is why I think there would be 3 or 4 signings of players good enough to be in the squad straightaway, part of an elite 18 that Bielsa likes.

The strengths of this team are also the weakness. Having a square peg in the round hole may mean that that player is only going to be say 75% useful, but is that 75% useful better than a player more suited to the position but isn't as good as the player usually in the position and is short of match fitness? Would that player only then be 70% useful? Also in playing the square peg player it keeps them match sharp so that if they then go back into their normal position they are then at 100% match sharpness.

You also produce more rounded players. Ayling for example isn't a midfielder but in the build up to one of our goals he is charging through midfield with the ball. Harrison isn't a full back but his role means that he has to defend a lot and cover that position. If we had a mass of injuries at full back then Harrison would at least have some familiarity if he had to drop in at full back. All of our players are slowly getting more used to the fact that they can pop up anywhere on the pitch so need more understanding of other positions. As such they aren't square pegs in round holes, but pieces that have had their sharper edges rounded so whilst they don't fit perfectly they can be put in to do a job for a while. Obviously long term injuries can upset plans or if 2 or 3 specialists in that position are injured at the same time (i.e. Pablo and Roberts or if White and Cooper were both injured) but if injuries are short term then we are likely stronger using the odd shaped pegs.

I do think we will look to sign a player that can play winger & no.10. I feel Bielsa felt Clarke could do this, hence training him as a no.10 in the summer, but for whatever reasons Bielsa wasn't impressed.

[1964white]

Take 'Crazy' Bielsa away from this team and I doubt we would even be in the play-offs.

You played as a CB in your football days Weasel.

What do you consider are our defensive problems are over the last three weeks?

How do we eradicate the errors?

Any solutions?

[NorfolkWhite]

Very true I believe we all realise that.

I do think he would have to slightly change his philosophy to a certain degree in the premiership though.

just been a stat on TV that Wolves have only used 19 players this season and they are playing in Europe, we must be running at a similar number.

[Chilli D]

i think you can add klich to that list . not been at the races recently.

Klich looks mentally and physically tired in my opinion but it's not surprising as I think he's played just about every game this season?
A fully fit Shackleton would be an adequate replacement but he'll need some U23 game time first.