Leeds Utd v Wigan Athletic Match Thread - Unchanged Starting XI for Leeds, Berardi on the Bench

[SG90]

We saw what happened when Bielsa finally started Nketiah, which everyone had been clamouring for - the team as a whole performed less well, until Bamford came on at half time.

Our strength is that we are a team, which relies on everyone playing their part. It doesn't therefore follow that putting on one player who is individually 'better' than another will improve the performance of the team as a whole.

Some teams rely on one or two individuals to pull something out of the hat, but we are not like that. It is a percentage game that if we dominate possession and create the most chances, we will win the most games. Even now, we have won the most games.

I don't know why Bielsa didn't introduce our new signings yesterday, and I'm not in a position to say he was right or wrong, but within the logic of his system he will have had clear reasons, as he did with Nketiah. To attribute his decisions to 'stubbornness' or 'arrogance' is simply wrong imo. He does adapt what he is doing all the time, there is constant change within games.

At the end of the day, you're either on board with the approach or not. That isn't to say it's infallible or beyond criticism, but that berating Bielsa for not picking a particular player in a particular game is kind of missing the point. That's my take, anyway.

The system doesn't work without an enganche/no.10 driving through the middle. Dallas is not a no.10 and never will be. That's why you play Shackleton or Poveda.

[1964white]

Last season I came away from the Wigan home defeat absolutely devastated, the worst I felt since 1975. I knew then we had blown any hopes of promotion.

Yesterday I was dejected however this time we have time to get our house in order & put things right. Yes the points margin has evaporated but we need to dust ourselves down, have a bit of a shake up & go get a result at the City Ground. Forest are not that good, if we put our best foot forward we can win that game, it's all about doing the right things like defending efficiently & being clinical in front of goal.

Football is a simple game, unfortunately Leeds have a habit of making it look complicated

[SG90]

Just goes to show Dan James probably wouldn't have played last season anyway.

[BGwhite]

We saw what happened when Bielsa finally started Nketiah, which everyone had been clamouring for - the team as a whole performed less well, until Bamford came on at half time.

Our strength is that we are a team, which relies on everyone playing their part. It doesn't therefore follow that putting on one player who is individually 'better' than another will improve the performance of the team as a whole.

Some teams rely on one or two individuals to pull something out of the hat, but we are not like that. It is a percentage game that if we dominate possession and create the most chances, we will win the most games. Even now, we have won the most games.

I don't know why Bielsa didn't introduce our new signings yesterday, and I'm not in a position to say he was right or wrong, but within the logic of his system he will have had clear reasons, as he did with Nketiah. To attribute his decisions to 'stubbornness' or 'arrogance' is simply wrong imo. He does adapt what he is doing all the time, there is constant change within games.

At the end of the day, you're either on board with the approach or not. That isn't to say it's infallible or beyond criticism, but that berating Bielsa for not picking a particular player in a particular game is kind of missing the point. That's my take, anyway.

You make valid points Sara and I totally agree BUT with a few minutes to go and desperately needing SOMETHING /SOMEONE to change the game to snatch a goal why have Shacks and Poveda not been thrown on. ? The system hasn't worked all game so it's desparate measures time..not stick to the same way of playing which obviously isn't working. If Bielsa had done this he can at least say he's tried something different then maybe the fans wouldn't get on his back.

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[1964white]

And I thought it was only me

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Even though under Marcelo we have been watching the best football we've seen in nearly twenty years.

I've enjoyed our football.........yes I'm as frustrated as all of our fans

[BGwhite]

Even though under Marcelo we have been watching the best football we've seen in nearly twenty years.

I've enjoyed our football.........yes I'm as frustrated as all our fans

Sorry 64, the game is about winning surely. If this is what it's come to ie watching us outplay teams and be happy to lose then sadly the game is no longer for me. I'd take playing boring 1-0 to the Arsenal football but winning trophies all day long .

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[1964white]

Oh dear, another game we shouldn't have lost far too many errors all over the park.

Positives

We were the better team but that doesn't say a lot as Wigan are a set of big lumps with little quality
Klich, at least he tried to drive us forward.
White the only defender who seems to know the art of defending.
We created chances.
Harrison's little dribble & unlucky shot hitting a post.
Also Jack's cross for Bamford's flying header blocked by a defender.
Roberts fit again.

Negatives - FAR TOO MANY!!!

Lost three of of our last four games to poor/average teams, not a single point
So many missed chances....same old problem
How did Jack miss yet another open goal.
Bamford's first-half shocking effort
Alioski, Dallas & Costa all shooting over the bar.
Costa shocker, did he actually beat the first man once with his crossing.
Alioski's two inept crosses when we were in a great position
Another scrappy goal conceded, clean sheets seem to be a essential aspect of defending of the past.
Kiko flapping like a bird at the back post.
Ayling misjudging the pace of the ball trying to run it out for a goal-kick, conceding a corner TWICE.
We concede far too many senseless corners.
Pablo not on song.
We lack a leader.
Team selection.
Why was Augustin not even on the bench.
We started & finished with Dallas whilst we have three midfielders in Poveda, Shackleton & Roberts on the bench.
So Big Kev & Poveda are not fit enough to play a part but the injury prone Roberts who has been injured for three months comes on as a sub.
When we required something different, nothing happened.
We miss Phillips who orchestrates play from the back.
Have we learned any lessons over the last eighteen months?

3 Casilla
5 Ayling
7 White
6 Cooper
4 Alioski
5 Dallas
4 Costa
7 Klich
5 Hernandez
6 Harrison
4 Bamford
Sub
6 Roberts

[1964white]

Sorry 64, the game is about winning surely. If this is what it's come to ie watching us outplay teams and be happy to lose then sadly the game is no longer for me. I'd take playing boring 1-0 to the Arsenal football but winning trophies all day long .

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Agree BG I'd prefer us to win games, but I do enjoy the style of our football even though I despair & feel totally frustrated the way we lose games we shouldn't. How we lost to Sheff Wed, QPR & Wigan god only knows there is a pattern though

[Cjay]

System has failed here like elsewhere.

We have a weak defence because the wrong players are at the club.
If he can’t fix this he has to adapt,
Good managers are more than a one trick pony. I get what he is trying to do but we never looked comfortable yesterday.

Radz needs to have words with Bielsa.

So much has been invested now

Would agree that in some cases the wrong players are at the club.

But i dont think the system is failing.

The system is working, we create the most chances, we concede the fewest.

Is the system failing or are the players failing the system?

The system cant make the players finish their chances for example.

[Irish Ian]

Would agree that in some cases the wrong players are at the club.

But i dont think the system is failing.

The system is working, we create the most chances, we concede the fewest.

Is the system failing or are the players failing the system?

The system cant make the players finish their chances for example.

Surely though the manager has to work with the tools he has rather than the other way around?
If the players he has at his disposal don't fit his plans then something has to change?

Conte went to from 3-4-3 to 3-5-2 at Chelsea because of the skill sets of the side.
If Bielsa continues with Bamford as the lone striker more days like yesterday are inevitable, we may create more chances but despite the high numbers quoted most are just half chances.

[Cjay]

Surely though the manager has to work with the tools he has rather than the other way around?
If the players he has at his disposal don't fit his plans then something has to change?

Conte went to from 3-4-3 to 3-5-2 at Chelsea because of the skill sets of the side.
If Bielsa continues with Bamford as the lone striker more days like yesterday are inevitable, we may create more chances but despite the high numbers quoted most are just half chances.

MB has done the best he can with what he has available imo.

A lot of these players are lower league players pushing 30 for a reason, this is their level.

I honestly dont think any other manager could do better as frustrating as it is.

MB is to loyal to some, it may be his downfall.

Imo we made an error last season, we needed a bit of a clearout, i think their is a loser mentality in this squad and handing out long term contracts rewarding failure was wrong.

We should have kept players like Jansson, Klich, Pablo, Phillips even Dallas and built around them.

Certain players i dont think have the right mentality for a promotion charge and its those id have liked to see replaced.

MB is to loyal and not having JKA on the bench yesterday and only using Roberts was ridiculous.

MB isnt without blame but more needed to be done in the summer imo, i really do think the pressure is to much for some of our players and that should have been addressed.

[Irish Ian]

MB has done the best he can with what he has available imo.

A lot of these players are lower league players pushing 30 for a reason, this is their level.

I honestly dont think any other manager could do better as frustrating as it is.

MB is to loyal to some, it may be his downfall.

Imo we made an error last season, we needed a bit of a clearout, i think their is a loser mentality in this squad and handing out long term contracts rewarding failure was wrong.

We should have kept players like Jansson, Klich, Pablo, Phillips even Dallas and built around them.

Certain players i dont think have the right mentality for a promotion charge and its those id have liked to see replaced.

MB is to loyal and not having JKA on the bench yesterday and only using Roberts was ridiculous.

MB isnt without blame but more needed to be done in the summer imo, i really do think the pressure is to much for some of our players and that should have been addressed.

Yes I agree with that, I dont think we have enough motivators in the side.

Lets hope Poveda and JKA are more determined characters.

[White Riot]

MB has done the best he can with what he has available imo.

* I think he's got the best he can out of the players he's picked, but he's not used the resources that have been available to him = JKA, IP, Gotts, Shacks, Berardi, etc. He carries on flogging a dead horse, no better eample of this than Dallas CDM, and Bamford up front*

A lot of these players are lower league players pushing 30 for a reason, this is their level.

*Some of them aren't even up to this level*

I honestly dont think any other manager could do better as frustrating as it is.

*I think another manager would surely have shook things up - eg Corberan, add to the names above Meslier, Edmondson, Boguzs. Which other manager would go with complete loyalty to Bamford ? And also have such faith in him and the rest of our non-finishers that he thinks its unnecessary to have a striker on the bench. No other manager would do this.*

MB is to loyal to some, it may be his downfall.

*Definitely, and sounds like the story of his career. If nobody in this side can finish then surely we have to change it up. Otherwise these guys are guaranteed a start whatever they do. Who is going to score the goals out of this lot?*

Imo we made an error last season, we needed a bit of a clearout, i think their is a loser mentality in this squad and handing out long term contracts rewarding failure was wrong.

*Correct, a number of these guys were here and bottled it over the past three seasons: Ayling, Berardi, Cooper, Dallas, Phillips, Pablo.*

We should have kept players like Jansson, Klich, Pablo, Phillips even Dallas and built around them.

*I would have kept Jansson and Roofe, over Cooper and Bamford any day. But MB likes his faves and seems like their faces didn't fit*

Certain players i dont think have the right mentality for a promotion charge and its those id have liked to see replaced.

*Yep, but he's stuck with the players he trusts, regardless of the fact that they failed last year, and many of them the two seasons prior to that, White is a good un and Phillips and Harrison have improved dramatically, but the rest of them have gone to their highest level.*

MB is to loyal and not having JKA on the bench yesterday and only using Roberts was ridiculous.

*Yes, absolutely criminal not to have JKA on the bench. I would've had JKA and Poveda on as subs. Roberts did ok, but maybe Shacks could've provided a spark.*

MB isnt without blame but more needed to be done in the summer imo, i really do think the pressure is to much for some of our players and that should have been addressed.

*He should take plenty of blame. Yes, he's developed these players as far as they can go, but if we're saying our biggest problem is not converting chances then why did he not use Eddie, when Bamford has shown time and agin he's not up to it. MB loves this small squad, and that strategy failed last year. We needed to keep Roofe and get another striker, instead we sold Roofe and replaced him with Eddie who MB wouldn't play. We have a goal-scoring crisis going on all season, ans last, Orta brings in two weapons in JKA and IP and Bilesa sticks his head in the sand again.*

I'm sincerely hoping Bielsa can fix this. However, the evidence I've seen says that's very unlikely.

For a genius coach, and his expensive entourage:

Why can we not defend set-pieces?

Why can we not score from set-pieces?

Why is he unable to instil composure and confidence into his faves in the attacking third?

The answer for me is that Bielsa and his favourites are not capable of delivering promotion for our great and much loved club.

[1964white]

Why can we not defend set-pieces?

Why can we not score from set-pieces?

Why can we not score from penalties?

[White Riot]

Another thing that really gets my goat is that Radz acme out when he sacked TC and said @He was warned to rotate his squad over Christmas, and he didn't, culminating in Newport hoofing us out the Cup" = paraphrased.

Well, if that was the correct thing to do? Why the heel does Bielsa get away with playing the same 11 for the past 76 matches, when the same issues are there every week ie Cant score ! Can't defend set-pieces ! Can't score from set-pieces!

But, obviously our non-deleivering genius can't be wrong, can he?

[White Riot]

Why can we not score from penalties?

I know, another prime example. I always say "You've gotta laugh or you'd cry", but honestly 64, this is like watching the same movie every week and hoping for a happy ending eg Se7en = Gwyneth Paltrow's head will not get chopped off if I keep watching it on Saturday afternoon and Tuesday evening every week

[The Subhuman]

Another thing that really gets my goat is that Radz acme out when he sacked TC and said @He was warned to rotate his squad over Christmas, and he didn't, culminating in Newport hoofing us out the Cup" = paraphrased.

Well, if that was the correct thing to do? Why the heel does Bielsa get away with playing the same 11 for the past 76 matches, when the same issues are there every week ie Cant score ! Can't defend set-pieces ! Can't score from set-pieces!

But, obviously our non-deleivering genius can't be wrong, can he?

TBH TC had to be sacked, Rads probably just used the first justification he could think of..If I listed all Leeds managers in all my years supporting them then TC would be right at the bottom

[1964white]

I know, another prime example. I always say "You've gotta laugh or you'd cry", but honestly 64, this is like watching the same movie every week and hoping for a happy ending eg Se7en = Gwyneth Paltrow's head will not get chopped off if I keep watching it on Saturday afternoon and Tuesday evening every week

It's so frustrating WR

You would think players in a team that has been in the top two all season could :

Score penalties
Score from corners particularly your No.9 & CB's
Score headed goals
Score from set-pieces/worldies
Score open goals
Not invariably miss the target by skying the ball over the bar or wide of the posts
Cross the ball more efficiently
Not concede when the opposition has one or two attempts on goal

These are stats that generally relate to teams who are fighting relegation

[White Riot]

It's so frustrating WR

You would think players in a team that has been in the top two all season could :

Score penalties
Score from corners particularly your No.9 & CB's
Score headed goals
Score from set-pieces/worldies
Score open goals
Not invariably miss the target by skying the ball over the bar or wide of the posts
Cross the ball more efficiently
Not concede when the opposition has one or two attempts on goal

These are stats that generally relate to teams who are fighting relegation

Yep, it's grimly reminiscent of last season's fall from grace.
I remember Izzy getting the call against Derby with about 10 minutes to go - plan B finally materialised

[White Riot]

Radz's new documentary can be called "Leeds United - Marcelo's Second Capitulation - An Honourable Failure."