The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Wednesday 17th August) - Interest in Ismaila Sarr hotting up

[Ellandback1]

Good Morning. It's Wednesday 17th August, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road


Interest in Ismaila Sarr hotting up

Various media sources including Foot Mercato are claiming that Leeds are close to negotiating a deal for Ismaila Sarr from Watford. The Senegalese International joined the Hornets three years for a club record £30m; netting 24 times in 92 appearances. Since their relegation to the Championship, the Hertfordshire side are keen to recoup as much money as possible, to be able to strengthen in other areas of the pitch.

Reports suggest a fee of £25m would be enough for for the talented marksman. It has been suggested that Leeds sped up negotiations after Crystal Palace started showing an interest in the 24 year old. According to RTL Foot journalist Abdellah Boulma, Palace have made a £18.5 million offer for Sarr in recent days. Watford have allegedly rejected that offer but it may make other clubs who are interested in Sarr including Leeds and West Ham act. There is no doubt that Sarr would make an impact for Leeds, but he certainly isn't the marquee signing many of us were hoping for! Would you take Sarr for £25m?





Leeds vulnerable to attacks out wide

There's an interesting article in 'The Athletic' this morning from Phil Hay. The former Chief Football writer for the YEP has been analysing all goals Leeds have conceded since pre-season, and has concluded that they are most vulnerable down the wing.

Whilst this would make sense, as Marsch's wing backs like nothing more than bombing forward, their defensive duties have to come into question! In the past, Leeds had the luxury of relying on Kalvin Phillips to help snuff out attacks from out wide, but even playing with two defensive midfielders (Roca and Adams), Leeds have still looked exposed from wide positions. Do Roca and Adams need to be more disciplined, or do Leeds have a problem with both wing backs? According to Hay...

There was, all the same, more to Southampton’s fightback than tired legs and minds. The closing stages of Saturday’s match shone a light on Leeds’ setup defensively and where they are most open to attacks. The trend of teams cutting through them out wide, hitting the flanks and finding Leeds compromised, was there again as Hasenhuttl went for broke and loaded his team with attacking players. The wings have rapidly become the areas which Marsch’s side find most difficult to control.

That weakness stands to reason because by asking his full-backs to push on but using a narrow line of three in behind his centre-forward, Marsch’s setup does not provide ample amounts of cover out wide. One of the upsides of the system is that a strong presence in central areas allows Leeds to attack very quickly and directly.

What makes a true Leeds fan

What makes a true Leeds fan? Are all Leeds fans the same, regardless of where they live, and how much, (if any) they contribute to the club? There are those who will follow their club to far and beyond, regardless of whether it's a sunny Saturday afternoon at Elland Road or a rain soaked midweek Cup fixture at Plymouth Argyle; but does that make them any more of a fan than a fanatic armchair fan?

Some may believe that unless you're born in the City, you're not a proper supporter; and what about those who lose interest if their beloved club drops down the league? Should those who contribute more, be better rewarded by the club or are all Leeds fans on the same level regardless?






Stream games live this season with the protection of NordVPN with our dicounted rate...

[Kennyb41]

I'm from Lancashire so couldn't really give a shyte, nobody loves them more than me.

Sarr - yes we're getting desperate Dan, we're gambling like fck anyway so might as well go full Ridsdale.

Wingbacks? Of course it's an ongoing problem since the clown was let loose finding one, i'm even starting to think Douglas might've been ok for the c**k n bollocks, i probably just need a lie down.

[YorkshireSquare]

Who is reporting on us close to Sarr? Most of the new over the past couple of days has been around him going to Palace.

[Ellandback1]

Who is reporting on us close to Sarr? Most of the new over the past couple of days has been around him going to Palace.

Several journo's on twitter and newsnow. Obviously it's not a foregone conclusion, but according to the bookies, he remains our best bet for a signing in the next two weeks.

The latest odds according to SkyBet:

Ismaila Sarr 4/1

Adama Traore 10/1

Armando Broja 16/1

Nicolas Pepe 16/1

Harry Winks 20/1

Hakim Ziyech 20/1

Ivan Toney 25/1

Christian Pulisic 25/1

Tyrone Mings 25/1

Aaron Wan-Bissaka 33/1

Connor Gallagher 40/1

Antony 40/1

Morgan Gibbs-White 50/1

[Ellandback1]

Who is reporting on us close to Sarr? Most of the new over the past couple of days has been around him going to Palace.

https://www.footmercato.net/a7564644306 ... maila-sarr

[SG90]

Can't see us spending that kind of money, unless we sell someone, probably Harrison. I'd rather keep Jack tbh.

Not surprising given full backs are taught to go forward rather than defend. TAA for example is called "world class" despite being abysmal defensively. Call me old fashioned, but I'd prefer to see my defenders snuffing out attacks.

[Finnatic]

You must have an LS postcode to support Leeds.
I live 2 miles outside the postcode and had a season ticket for 24 years and have been to games before and after that, but apparently it was all a dream, who knew?

[Chilli D]

I fail to see how Aaronson and Harrison can be classed as wing backs when we play four at the back.
Aaronson is a midfielder who happens to be playing on the right in JM's current formation and Harrison is an out an out winger.
Yes, they may be required to help out their full back with defensive duties at times but unless we go with 3 central defenders, we are not using wing backs. We have two FULL BACKS, who like SG says, are there to defend.
This is where the main problem with Firpo lies, he's playing in a back four for us but spends most of his time bombing forward and when the opposition counter attack he is nowhere to be seen.

[Irish Ian]

I fail to see how Aaronson and Harrison can be classed as wing backs when we play four at the back.
Aaronson is a midfielder who happens to be playing on the right in JM's current formation and Harrison is an out an out winger.
Yes, they may be required to help out their full back with defensive duties at times but unless we go with 3 central defenders, we are not using wing backs. We have two FULL BACKS, who like SG says, are there to defend.
This is where the main problem with Firpo lies, he's playing in a back four for us but spends most of his time bombing forward and when the opposition counter attack he is nowhere to be seen.

I know what you mean by full backs but Jesse does push them on as wing backs in a four at the back.
He depends on the opposite wing back plus Roca or Adams to provide cover when they do.
So one bombs on and the other WB plus one DM and the two CBs move across to provide a defensive block.

It is ingrained in his system as they are there to provide width and is the weak point in our system defensively but a strong point going forward. Risk re reward.
It depends on both winning their one on one battles though and so far all the goals conceded is when that has not been the case.

I don't see Aaronson as a wing back but perhaps Harrison if we are stuck. He was too tired on Saturday to drop in there in my opinion and you could see from their goal how he failed to get close enough to disrupt the play when they equalised.

[Irish Ian]

Oh and what makes a Leeds fan?

In this age of self definition who cares?

Oh and on a striker.

Spend big or not at all.

[The Subhuman]

Can't see us spending that kind of money, unless we sell someone, probably Harrison. I'd rather keep Jack tbh.

Not surprising given full backs are taught to go forward rather than defend. TAA for example is called "world class" despite being abysmal defensively. Call me old fashioned, but I'd prefer to see my defenders snuffing out attacks.

The difference between wing backs and full backs who get forward a bit, if you don't play with wingers (us) then wing backs are key. Both Kristensen and Firpo have shown plenty going forward

[mentalcase]

Morning all.
Sarr for £25 million seems excessive, we want a 1-2 striker preferably, if not certainly a 1-3, Sarr is around 1-4.
We still create chances, but, we don't score enough ratio wise as chances created, so on that note, we need a CF who can finish, not squander like we already have in bamford, pray to the lord we don't get troare.
Wing back is a modern day term for lazy defenders, or, wanna-be wingers who can do neither attack nor defend with equal measure.
Firpo is a joke, who can do neither of the above, if the pitch was 700 yards long he'd just keep on running to the end, he has the grace of bambi on ice in a tackle, hopeless.
I'm unsure about JM's narrow tactics, maybe if we could convert more chances created then OK, but, as it stands, we don't thus allowing the opposition to destroy down the flanks, plus we are far too weak at the back, CH position.
What makes a Leeds Utd fan, you can come from anywhere on earth, it's in our blood.

IMG-20200920-WA0000.jpg (9.5 KiB) Viewed 1196 times

[SG90]

Several journo's on twitter and newsnow. Obviously it's not a foregone conclusion, but according to the bookies, he remains our best bet for a signing in the next two weeks.

The latest odds according to SkyBet:

Ismaila Sarr 4/1

Adama Traore 10/1

Armando Broja 16/1

Nicolas Pepe 16/1

Harry Winks 20/1

Hakim Ziyech 20/1

Ivan Toney 25/1

Christian Pulisic 25/1

Tyrone Mings 25/1

Aaron Wan-Bissaka 33/1

Connor Gallagher 40/1

Antony 40/1

Morgan Gibbs-White 50/1

Who on earth bets on signings?! And none of those will ever wear a Leeds shirt

[whiteinfrance]

Orta puts his house on Wayne Rooney at 10,000 to 1 and then goes out and signs him

Quids in!

[VinnysTattoo]

Who cares where you where born as a Leeds fan?

Some narrow minded individuals use someone not from Leeds as a verbal stick to beat them with. Pathetic.

Sarr seems expensive to me with a lowish conversion rate.

Looks like we are going to have a season of peaks and troughs. We certainly can’t sit back and protect a lead. Three up with ten to go will still leave me uneasy.

[SnifferClarke]

Several journo's on twitter and newsnow. Obviously it's not a foregone conclusion, but according to the bookies, he remains our best bet for a signing in the next two weeks.

The latest odds according to SkyBet:

Ismaila Sarr 4/1

Adama Traore 10/1

Armando Broja 16/1

Nicolas Pepe 16/1

Harry Winks 20/1

Hakim Ziyech 20/1

Ivan Toney 25/1

Christian Pulisic 25/1

Tyrone Mings 25/1

Aaron Wan-Bissaka 33/1

Connor Gallagher 40/1

Antony 40/1

Morgan Gibbs-White 50/1

Traore , please god no !

but Tyrone Mings

[weasel]

Who cares where you where born as a Leeds fan?

Some narrow minded individuals use someone not from Leeds as a verbal stick to beat them with. Pathetic.

Sarr seems expensive to me with a lowish conversion rate.

Looks like we are going to have a season of peaks and troughs. We certainly can’t sit back and protect a lead. Three up with ten to go will still leave me uneasy.

Well put. There will be millions of people living in Leeds that don't support Leeds and there will be plenty of fans living in Leeds who don't let the football effect them as much emotionally as someone living in the USA, Australia or Oldham. Similarly there will be some great Leeds fans who can see the stadium out of their bedroom windows. Where you are from matters not one bit we are all fans, no fan more important than any other.

[DDB220]

The ‘ Leeds are looking to sign Sarr ‘ story has been around for a while now. Which indicates Leeds are dragging their heels - this suggested prevarication is the only element which makes me think there may be something in it.
Would he be a good buy ? - on his day he can be quality. But those days are generally sporadic. So I do not consider him a wise investment.

[Kennyb41]

Well put. There will be millions of people living in Leeds that don't support Leeds and there will be plenty of fans living in Leeds who don't let the football effect them as much emotionally as someone living in the USA, Australia or Oldham. Similarly there will be some great Leeds fans who can see the stadium out of their bedroom windows. Where you are from matters not one bit we are all fans, no fan more important than any other.

I am.

[BlackHillsPaul]

There is NO WAY we should sign Sarr for £25M. In two Premier League seasons he has scored 5 goals in each. His only double digit scoring season ever was two years ago in the Championship with 13 goals scored. That's a lot of money for so little production. I feel like we can do better...