Leeds 1-1 Wolves: Verdict Thread

[slink]

His sub (Pod) certainly did change the game, just as Villa's subs changed it for the worse so that's fair.

There was a fair slice of luck in that win and we can't rely on deflected 90+ min free kicks for long.

Fabio helped too, just work rate and pressure had Villa worried but Pod was the main difference. He made that change though.

100% agree we can’t rely on deflected free kicks and I don’t want us to go 2-0 before we start playing but i think that’s where we are at the moment and a lot of clubs in the league are. They’re good, not great and inconsistent.

 

[Johnny75]

Fabio helped too, just work rate and pressure had Villa worried but Pod was the main difference. He made that change though.

100% agree we can’t rely on deflected free kicks and I don’t want us to go 2-0 before we start playing but i think that’s where we are at the moment and a lot of clubs in the league are. They’re good, not great and inconsistent.

I wish I had your confidence Slink.

 

[slink]

It also hasn't been mentioned that Neves (our best mf) was an enforced absence, all emphasis was on Leeds and their injuries

Yeah agree with that. We need Neves fit every game. I do think Bruno should have got him on earlier and then maybe Gelhardt doesn’t go past him so easy for the penalty. However whatever minute he comes on we and Bruno expect better.

 

[slink]

I wish I had your confidence Slink.

I wouldn’t say it’s about confidence it’s just that I’m prepared to give it time and having seen a lot of teams this year it does seem like they’re all a bit meh. I don’t want to be too critical yet despite not agreeing with a fair bit of Bruno’s team selections and game management.

Like we mentioned the Villa game, I don’t think anyone would have left Raul off until he did but it worked so i’m a bit like fair enough. After seeing Raul yesterday too having one of those games where he’s more interested in battling with centre backs than getting the ball maybe he should have tried without him again(not serious) but Bruno does need his better players to step up at times and they don’t always do that.

 

[WsWolf]

We were very poor bar a moment of brilliance from Semedo which ended up with Hwang finishing the only real chance we had. A mixture of tactics and normally calm composed footballers reverting to booting the ball anywhere rather than put their foot on it ensured we were under constant pressure. Think Podence for Adama was the wrong change, I'd have been more inclined to do him or Hwang for Neves so that we could try and get a hold of the ball more, Leeds pushed on that far that 2/3 passes would have opened them up in the last half hour.

The big issue I see is with the wingbacks, someone above mentioned Chelsea, you look at the goal threat they had against Norwich and we just never have that from any combination, mainly as they are all full backs being shoehorned.

The sooner we can go to a back 4, the sooner we will start to look a more complete unit, with the emergence of Kilman, I think we are one quality organiser short of being able to go there. Hopefully we have someone lined up in Jan.

 

[big mean bunny]

Sure, Nuno could be pragmatic when he needed to be (and even when he didn't), but it's a totally different situation if we're comparing him with Bruno.

Nuno came in to a lower league, bought a sprinkling of vastly superior players, had a full season at that level to develop a relationship with players and an effective style, and then was supported after promotion with some of the best players we've ever seen, like Rui, Joao, Raul, Jonny and Adama

These aren't Bruno's players, he hasn't been supported in his vision as Nuno was, and as much as people pretend that if we were still playing pretty but pointless they'd be lapping it up, in reality if we were where Burnley or Newcastle are there'd be calls for his head already.

This is totally fair. I was already considering his appointment after the defeats and was honest that the "more attractive" football had no impact on me personally when it's end result was defeats. So I am pleased with the wins on reflection.

 

[Paul]

Think Podence for Adama was the wrong change, I'd have been more inclined to do him or Hwang for Neves so that we could try and get a hold of the ball more, Leeds pushed on that far that 2/3 passes would have opened them up in the last half hour.

Personally think Adamas contribution was the biggest travesty about yesterday, Hwang had a lad man marking him constantly so we could have pulled that defence around any way we wanted so creating space for Adama to exploit, but it was one of those days where he couldn't be bothered, nearly 80 minutes on the pitch and the sum total of his contribution was a couple of free kicks in non threatening areas and a few runs that were relatively easily snuffed out, did he actually go passed anyone at all I can't remember?

 

[Throbber3]

The omission of RAN was literally held up as a sackable offence by one of the forum experts.

Neither RAN or Marcal are good enough as wing backs for the opposite reasons. RAN is not a good enough defender and Marcal is not a good enough attacker. Shame.

 

[Throbber3]

We are also decent on our day and awful off it it. Together with about 10 other premier teams. Lage does look a bit rabbit in the headlights sometimes . In simple areas we are not better. Free kicks , corners or pasding. Sacrilegiously, I think we have upgraded with Sa compared to Patricio 2020 even though I don’t think he will ever save a penalty as he moves to early. Kilman is a find as is Hwang. Podence shows glimpses. Raul is on his way back. Lage deserves 3 or 4 of his players in that mix then we will be able to judge

 

[WsWolf]

Personally think Adamas contribution was the biggest travesty about yesterday, Hwang had a lad man marking him constantly so we could have pulled that defence around any way we wanted so creating space for Adama to exploit, but it was one of those days where he couldn't be bothered, nearly 80 minutes on the pitch and the sum total of his contribution was a couple of free kicks in non threatening areas and a few runs that were relatively easily snuffed out, did he actually go passed anyone at all I can't remember?

Leeds go man for man with every player. Cooper being the man on Adama who played out of his skin, absolutely touch tight when he got it and stopped the turn forcing Adama back and into traffic.

Im no huge Adama fan, but he's never going to be someone who drags players out of position to benefit others, today probably wasn't the game for him to play from the start and he still nearly had an assist but Hwang didn't connect with a ball across the 6 yard box which was begging to be rattled in.

Raul was especially poor causing us issues in getting out. He is integral to most of our possession and when he isn't getting hold of the ball the team suffers

 

[Alan]

Leeds go man for man with every player. Cooper being the man on Adama who played out of his skin, absolutely touch tight when he got it and stopped the turn forcing Adama back and into traffic.

Im no huge Adama fan, but he's never going to be someone who drags players out of position to benefit others, today probably wasn't the game for him to play from the start and he still nearly had an assist but Hwang didn't connect with a ball across the 6 yard box which was begging to be rattled in.

Raul was especially poor causing us issues in getting out. He is integral to most of our possession and when he isn't getting hold of the ball the team suffers

This is the big thing for me. When Raul plays like he did yesterday, there aren't many tactical decisions we can make to fix it. If any.

 

[MARKakaJIM]

This is the big thing for me. When Raul plays like he did yesterday, there aren't many tactical decisions we can make to fix it. If any.

May as well try Fabio, Jimenez's movement was pathetic yesterday, like he had no interest in actually receiving the ball half the time.

There was that first half mix up with Hwang, where he stopped and hid behind a Leeds player instead of carrying on into the only space Hwang could play it. Was another one where RAN got in well down the left and Jimenez just dawdled along in the middle, didn't go towards him early to offer a pass inside and then made no run into the box when RAN was forced to advance into a crossing position.

 

[Tony Towner]

I think we need to get Hwang closer to Jimenez for the benefit of both. 352 with Pod in behind. I appreciate that will trigger some of Adama's biggest fans, but I see that as our best option with the players available

 

[AndyWolves]

It also hasn't been mentioned that Neves (our best mf) was an enforced absence, all emphasis was on Leeds and their injuries

What was the issue with Neves?

 

[prawnking]

Lage just said he had a knock

 

[Johnny75]

I think we need to get Hwang closer to Jimenez for the benefit of both. 352 with Pod in behind. I appreciate that will trigger some of Adam's biggest fans, but I see that as our best option with the players available

I think Trincao could also do that job too. I think my issue is if we were going to do that we wouldn't have shipped our best option at 10 out of the club.

 

[Alan]

I think we need to get Hwang closer to Jimenez for the benefit of both. 352 with Pod in behind. I appreciate that will trigger some of Adama's biggest fans, but I see that as our best option with the players available

Podence has been horrendous each time he’s played in a central position, IMO. Not against giving him an opportunity to start but I’d prefer he stay on the wing and drift inside rather than the other way around.

If Lage can get some consistency out of him it will be huge for us. We don’t have anyone else who can manipulate the ball like Portuguese Dan. Possibly Trincao.

 

[Paul]

Im no huge Adama fan, but he's never going to be someone who drags players out of position to benefit others, today probably wasn't the game for him to play from the start and he still nearly had an assist but Hwang didn't connect with a ball across the 6 yard box which was begging to be rattled in.

This was my point everyone saying it was wrong to sub him whereas i thought it was, like I said why these individuals cannot have two consecutive good games is beyond me

 

[prawnking]

Podence has been horrendous each time he’s played in a central position, IMO. Not against giving him an opportunity to start but I’d prefer he stay on the wing and drift inside rather than the other way around.

If Lage can get some consistency out of him it will be huge for us. We don’t have anyone else who can manipulate the ball like Portuguese Dan. Possibly Trincao.

I agree he has something tangible to offer, but I'm not totally in his camp. He had a good cameo against Villa but he's another player whose reputation grows the less he plays

 

[Aikiwolf]

We were pretty rubbish yesterday but Lage and his subs let us down in my opinion.

We desperately needed another body in midfield during the 2nd half. Instead we allowed ourselves to be overrun and that meant we couldn't hold the ball or play useful passes to the forwards.

Adama was awful, totally marked out of the game, yet as soon as he got to make a couple of runs behind (onto dreadful balls) we subbed him for Podence - and continued to give the forwards nothing to play with.