Leeds United v Wolves - MATCH THREAD - Cooper pulls up during warm up!

[lufc1304]

Totally agree.

From early on it felt like a game against a top Championship team from the last two seasons. We played some very slick football but never opened them, and especially not through the centre.

I thought Koch was majestic, Struijk was excellent and Meslier was spot on in everything asked of him. Theses are all important advances for us as they were tested last evening.

Costa started well and some of the link ups on the right looked promising. However it became apparent that we didn’t have any way in on goal from either wing. Wolves/Portugal knew what they were facing and managed each attack a bit too easily, as Portugeuse defences usually do.

I think the criticism of Harrison is a bit harsh as he faced the best right back we’ve come across so far in Semedo. He was excellent. Philips looked really out of sorts and this further weakened our centre. Picking up an unnecessary early booking didn’t help.

As White Riot said, not having a 10 meant they could concentrate on the wings and Bamford in the centre. Rodrigo struggled to find a place that he could receive and still do damage. Klich had some wonderful touches and passes but was still too peripheral to cause damage.

What did worry me is how light we often appeared in our tackles. We often try to flick a ball off an opponent when a solid foot in in front of the ball would be far better to stop a run at our defence. Also for the first time we looked tired after a massive running display. Ayling in particular looked shot by the end, but it was after another huge effort from him.

Wolves are a very good team. They are at this longer than us, and their experience told in the end in a very tight game. There was no disgrace in this loss. Aside from earlier positives, Raphinha and Poveda looked bright and we will learn. We just need a threat in the centre. Maybe Raphinha with his speed, two good feet and Brazilian flair may be the 10 we need - because this is the gap in our make up now.

Excellent post, pretty much sums up my thinking on the game. Could have gone either way, and it took a nasty deflection to win it for a team which makes up practically half of the Portuguese national side and has finished 7th the last two seasons in the Prem. Always disappointed to lose, but there was enough last night again to suggest we will be fine.

[Byebyegeegee]

Wolves’ performance is a blueprint for a lot of other teams we will play this season, i.e. they will sit back and defend in numbers for most of the match and try to hit us on the counter. Then for 25 or so minutes at sometime during the game (in this case just after halftime) they will step it up, put us on the back foot and probably score, because we are still trying to attack in numbers.

Conclusion - we must learn how to score (hopefully more then one goal) against packed defences and be more clinical with our chances/half chances because we are not going to change our all out attacking style.

[White Riot]

Totally agree.

From early on it felt like a game against a top Championship team from the last two seasons. We played some very slick football but never opened them, and especially not through the centre.

I thought Koch was majestic, Struijk was excellent and Meslier was spot on in everything asked of him. Theses are all important advances for us as they were tested last evening.

Costa started well and some of the link ups on the right looked promising. However it became apparent that we didn’t have any way in on goal from either wing. Wolves/Portugal knew what they were facing and managed each attack a bit too easily, as Portugeuse defences usually do.

I think the criticism of Harrison is a bit harsh as he faced the best right back we’ve come across so far in Semedo. He was excellent. Philips looked really out of sorts and this further weakened our centre. Picking up an unnecessary early booking didn’t help.

As White Riot said, not having a 10 meant they could concentrate on the wings and Bamford in the centre. Rodrigo struggled to find a place that he could receive and still do damage. Klich had some wonderful touches and passes but was still too peripheral to cause damage.

What did worry me is how light we often appeared in our tackles. We often try to flick a ball off an opponent when a solid foot in in front of the ball would be far better to stop a run at our defence. Also for the first time we looked tired after a massive running display. Ayling in particular looked shot by the end, but it was after another huge effort from him.

Wolves are a very good team. They are at this longer than us, and their experience told in the end in a very tight game. There was no disgrace in this loss. Aside from earlier positives, Raphinha and Poveda looked bright and we will learn. We just need a threat in the centre. Maybe Raphinha with his speed, two good feet and Brazilian flair may be the 10 we need - because this is the gap in our make up now.

Excellent analysis Boo

We are definitely still learning at this level, but Meslier, Koch, Strujik, Poveda and Raphinha offer some real hope that we can continue to compete now and in the future.

Yeah, maybe Raphinha, or Poveda can be converted into a 10. Bamford and Rodrigo doesn't work for me. Should be one or the other as a 9, depending on which one is in better form/finishing well.

[White Riot]

Excellent post, pretty much sums up my thinking on the game. Could have gone either way, and it took a nasty deflection to win it for a team which makes up practically half of the Portuguese national side and has finished 7th the last two seasons in the Prem. Always disappointed to lose, but there was enough last night again to suggest we will be fine.

Very much agree mate.

On the Portugal stuff, I made a comment last night that Nuno has asked his players to keep their international kit on against us.

[White Riot]

Wolves’ performance is a blueprint for a lot of other teams we will play this season, i.e. they will sit back and defend in numbers for most of the match and try to hit us on the counter. Then for 25 or so minutes at sometime during the game (in this case just after halftime) they will step it up, put us on the back foot and probably score, because we are still trying to attack in numbers.

Conclusion - we must learn how to score (hopefully more then one goal) against packed defences and be more clinical with our chances/half chances because we are not going to change our all out attacking style.

Correct mate.

The opening half was like every team we've played at home in the previous two seasons. So that blueprint is well established now.

I was hoping we'd got away from that, but it seems like only the big boys actually come out to play from the start against us.

[White Riot]

Although we helped their cause by constantly giving the ball away, the fluency of our passing disappeared after our lads had there cuppa at the break!

Maybe Lampard has managed to get JT or one of his other w**ker pals to slip some Bromine into our half-time cuppa?

[CHAPELALLMAN]

Think Raphinha is an interesting one.

According to Phil Orta and Bielsa were tracking him independently of eachother but it was thought he wasnt attainable so he wasnt on our winger list as an option for MB.

The fact MB rates him enough to track him off his own back with his own contacts suggests he is a fan.

We didnt spend £21mil on a winger the boss wanted for him to sit on the bench. He will be a 1st 11 player eventually imo.

Where does that leave Harrison?

Poveda clearly is one of MB's core group now.

Where does that leave Costa?

Will MB stick with his original core pair or will Raph and Poveda slowly force there way into his first 11?

Id say they are different.

Costa and Harrison dally a bit to much for me, they look for the overload option whereas Poveda especially is just forwards CHARGEEEEEEEEE.

Raphinha is fast and that imo is what Harrison hasnt got, his touch is great he has a trick or two and is capable of real quality but he lacks the pace traditional wingers have.

Kewell had it, Giggs had it, the ability to slow a fb down and then speed past him, no tricks just kick and run.

Costa lacks the tricks Harrison has but Harrison lacks the blistering speed, you really need both as a winger vs a packed defence.

Poveda and Raphinha seem to have both, just my view.

However, Costa and Harrison do the pther stuff MB likes better than the other pair.

I agree re Harrison and Costa. Harrison has started nearly every game under Bielsa's tenure and it's time to try something different. Harrison usually flatters only to deceive when he shows those flashes of skill. I don't think he has what it takes to be a top winger, and over the course of a season he is unlikely to contribute more than 4 or 5 goals.

[Cjay]

I do think it might be a good idea to give Harrison a chance to play in the attacking midfield role where having pace is less of a need. I'd like to Bielsa try Costa and Raphinha on the wings with Harrison in the attacking mid role and Rodrigo up front, and if Costa can't be consistent, Poveda eventually replacing him.

What about Harrison as a full back?

Ive long held this belief that is where he will end up. Largely because he reminds me of Dallas.

We spent years waiting for Dallas to find some consistency in his end product, his biggest asset was his energy. Eventually it became apparent that Dallas would never make it as a winger.

But his energy and ability to follow instructions gave him a career as a fb where end product is much less necessary.

[Cjay]

Exactly how I feel Cjay. We came up against a decent and well organised side and were a bit unlucky. It could easily have been a 1-0 win for us.

We were a bit crap in the second half, but you have to acknowledge that there are two teams on the pitch and Nuno had probably given them a bollocking.

Biggest issue for me is the lack of creativity and end product, that needs sorted quickly.

Agreed i think that is the only concern from last night.

The game was reminiscent of many previous Championship games. We are all over the opponent, many great situations without creating a great chance, eventually we seem to run out of ideas and get hit with a suckerpunch.

We have had a great start but even the boss has said it, we havent been as creative as usual and we have been far more clinical.

Our team is still largely the same one that had one of the worst conversion rates in the Championship for 2 years. Who should have scored 10, 20, 30 more goals EACH season based on chances created.

That is the only worry imo because after 2 years are we likely to suddenly become clinical with the same players? No.

If chance creation is down as well then thats an issue and that may be where MB will need to try different players eventually.

[DavidH]

So we lost against the 7th placed team of last season. Coming up from the Championship, with only one year's Premiership money behind us (probably borrowed at this stage), is that such a shock? Wolves have acclimatised both in terms of money and tactics since they went up. I think the despondency on here is more to do with the over-optimistic views of what we expect the team to achieve this year. In the days before the match, I was seeing statements of top 3 if we win, that we would manage Wolves easily, and positive scorelines. I can recall seeing only one person saying they would be happy with a draw if necessary. So let's be realistic and have consolidation in the Prem as our target this season. The same players (plus a couple of additions) who performed so well and were lauded in the first 4 matches (including Bamford, Harrison and Costa) we out there last night. How have they suddenly become not good enough for the Prem in such a short time? And yes, it was just a deflected goal, not a rout.

[CHAPELALLMAN]

So we lost against the 7th placed team of last season. Coming up from the Championship, with only one year's Premiership money behind us (probably borrowed at this stage), is that such a shock? Wolves have acclimatised both in terms of money and tactics since they went up. I think the despondency on here is more to do with the over-optimistic views of what we expect the team to achieve this year. In the days before the match, I was seeing statements of top 3 if we win, that we would manage Wolves easily, and positive scorelines. I can recall seeing only one person saying they would be happy with a draw if necessary. So let's be realistic and have consolidation in the Prem as our target this season. The same players (plus a couple of additions) who performed so well and were lauded in the first 4 matches (including Bamford, Harrison and Costa) we out there last night. How have they suddenly become not good enough for the Prem in such a short time? And yes, it was just a deflected goal, not a rout.

It's not just about the PL - that trio of players managed just 24 goals between them last season in the Championship in a team which creates masses of chances.

Personally speaking I've never suggested that those 3 have suddenly developed into decent PL players, though admittedly they made a good start to the season. IMO Harrison and Bamford are very much part of the problem in terms of an issue which has been with us for two seasons now - namely a lack of a cutting edge in the final third. We will only change the situation by giving other players a chance. I fear though that Bielsa is addicted to starting Bamford and Harrison every game, yet there always seems to be huge surprise when we get a result such as last nights with everybody bemoaning the ' lack of efficiency ' in the final third despite lots of dominance and possession etc, as though it's a new problem which has just arisen. It's kind of groundhog day stuff.

[Lumiukko]

Last night's game would have been a better game to have Rodders as #9 and Bamford either at #10 or prefrably on the bench. Rodrigo has the control and movement which would have been better leading the line against a packed defence. Still think Bamford has his place playing against teams that like to attack us but he doesn't have the attributes to play against teams that defend deep.

[CHAPELALLMAN]

What about Harrison as a full back?

Ive long held this belief that is where he will end up. Largely because he reminds me of Dallas.

We spent years waiting for Dallas to find some consistency in his end product, his biggest asset was his energy. Eventually it became apparent that Dallas would never make it as a winger.

But his energy and ability to follow instructions gave him a career as a fb where end product is much less necessary.

Interesting idea - though it's ironic that at the moment our best crosses tend to come from our FBs

[Smudge3920]

What about Harrison as a full back?

Ive long held this belief that is where he will end up. Largely because he reminds me of Dallas.

We spent years waiting for Dallas to find some consistency in his end product, his biggest asset was his energy. Eventually it became apparent that Dallas would never make it as a winger.

But his energy and ability to follow instructions gave him a career as a fb where end product is much less necessary.

Interesting thought CJ...

[1964white]

I personally think Jack Harrison hasn't got the positional nous to play as a LWB, he often gets caught out when assisting Stuart Dallas

Leif Davis would be our best option if Dallas has to play elsewhere

Don't even go there with Alioski at LB especially at PL level

[CHAPELALLMAN]

Wolves’ performance is a blueprint for a lot of other teams we will play this season, i.e. they will sit back and defend in numbers for most of the match and try to hit us on the counter. Then for 25 or so minutes at sometime during the game (in this case just after halftime) they will step it up, put us on the back foot and probably score, because we are still trying to attack in numbers.

Conclusion - we must learn how to score (hopefully more then one goal) against packed defences and be more clinical with our chances/half chances because we are not going to change our all out attacking style.

I don't think it's a case of learning - Harrison and Bamford have had 1.5 seasons now to learn how to attack packed defences. All to no avail. We now need a change of personnel for players who have the technique and ability to deal with defences that sit deep. Costa at least has some pace.

It's not by chance that our best games are always against attack minded sides.