Arsenal v Leeds Utd Match Thread - Jamie Shackleton replaces the injured Kalvin Phillips

[SG90]

I know, can you believe some are calling for his head.
Unbelievable

I haven't seen any on here.

[gessa]

I haven't seen any on here.

Read back mate.

Peter has been calling for his head for weeks now

[SG90]

Read back mate.

Peter has been calling for his head for weeks now

Karen from Blackpool is a troll. She never has anything positive to say.

[Irish Ian]

Read back mate.

Peter has been calling for his head for weeks now

Scum fan in disguise

[Mountain]

We all agree with that and recognise the man as being our saviour. Our issue is when he plays much of the entire team in positions where they are not playing to their optimum. This means the £100M team looks nothing like that. They are on the back foot adjusting and Arsenal made the most of that uncertainty.

But Leeds don't really need to win, these are the games to try out new formations, players, tactics, testing players in other positions to see how they fare for the games that matter. People berate him for not changing tactics or formations in some games, and when he changes things around and tries players in new positions in nothing games, the games where he should...well he gets berated again.

We all surely agree one thing, he knows infinitely more about each player and what they can and can't do and the merits of using certain games to try new things that night be useful down the line (and that includes fjnding out that something doesn't work) than any of us here.

[becchio bear]

Much better from Roberts today although I don't think he is a long term answer if we have ambitions to compete with the big boys.

This

[1964white]

Why didn't we bring on Pablo?? He would have steadied the ship with the players all at sea!!

I posted on the first few pages on this topic that Roberts & Costa would be the first two substitutions & Pablo would be lucky to get ten minutes.

Tbh young lady I don't know either Bielsa doesn't rate him anymore or he has never forgiven our talisman for his disrespectful actions a few months ago!

[HarryofOz]

Win a game and we're mid table - fantastic, first season up and we're mid table what a great achievement. The future is bright.

Lose a game and we're mid table - terrible, awful, doom is upon us.

[Cjay]

Win a game and we're mid table - fantastic, first season up and we're mid table what a great achievement. The future is bright.

Lose a game and we're mid table - terrible, awful, doom is upon us.

The manner of the defeat is the problem today.

That 1st half was dire.

[Irish Ian]

Win a game and we're mid table - fantastic, first season up and we're mid table what a great achievement. The future is bright.

Lose a game and we're mid table - terrible, awful, doom is upon us.

Its not doom Harry it is just good old fashioned angst

[1964white]

This

Roberts isn't the only one if we wish to reach the dizzy heights of Europe in the future.

Our championship lads have done exceedingly well to achieve mid-table safety in the PL, the next step is sadly beyond quite of few of our squad.

[HarryofOz]

The manner of the defeat is the problem today.

That 1st half was dire.

Absolutely. We were totally outplayed in the first half.

But the quality of the players does not change on the basis of 45 minutes or 90 minutes of football. We are as good now as we were before the Arsenal match started.

I have no problem with people saying we played badly, I do have a problem with people saying we are rubbish.

[HarryofOz]

Its not doom Harry it is just good old fashioned angst

[1964white]

Win a game and we're mid table - fantastic, first season up and we're mid table what a great achievement. The future is bright.

Lose a game and we're mid table - terrible, awful, doom is upon us.

I think you described our first-half performance perfectly Harry

[HarryofOz]

I think you described our first-half performance perfectly Harry

It is an apt description but credit must go to Arsenal who were excellent. And totally nullified players like Raphiha, Harrison, Bamford, Klich and Dallas which had nothing to do with the positional changes.

That's not to say I agree with the changes, but there was much more to our loss than that.

[gessa]

Roberts isn't the only one if we wish to reach the dizzy heights of Europe in the future.

Our championship lads have done exceedingly well to achieve mid-table safety in the PL, the next step is sadly beyond quite of few of our squad.

I've got to ask mate , why did you put us down to finish 5th then

[becchio bear]

I posted on the first few pages on this topic that Roberts & Costa would be the first two substitutions & Pablo would be lucky to get ten minutes.

Tbh young lady I don't know either Bielsa doesn't rate him anymore or he has never forgiven our talisman for his disrespectful actions a few months ago!

If it is either from Bielsa's perspective why even put him on the bench??

He featured in the Everton match so.... what do we take from that, he still rates him/forgiven him?.....

Right now we are missing Pablo's wizardry....

[Leeds1000]

I think we would have struggled to deal with Arsenal first half even with Phillips. There press and defensive position was really good, that's why were passed it back alot first half. It seemed a bit negative but it was good tactics by them.

After peeping thru my fingers for a bit after the substitutions i was really happy how the team grew into the game second half. Arsenal obviously hit the bar afew times, but we created some good chances ourselves. And for a change all the subs stood up and made a impression. Roberts looking sharp again.

On to the next.

[SG90]

Win a game and we're mid table - fantastic, first season up and we're mid table what a great achievement. The future is bright.

Lose a game and we're mid table - terrible, awful, doom is upon us.

Not really, when we win or lose I say the same that we need to improve the same positions every week.

[Mick Jones shoulder]

I've got to ask mate , why did you put us down to finish 5th then

Wishful thinking.?
To be fair we are in a good place in the table, but all season we have been atrocious defensively when we've come under any pressure. Most of the time it's self inflicted and leeds seem never to learn. Positively we can score goals and entertain.