Live Match Discussion: 2020/21

[YoungWolf]

As a coach would you go 2-0 down after 3 minutes (principally as you haven't asked anyone to bother tracking runs from midfield) and then change absolutely nothing? I would hope not

They've had three shots on target today, United's xG was nearly 4 (and that seems stingy to me given they had a penalty in there, the quality of some of the missed chances seemed higher), it was shambolic in my eyes. Did I find it entertaining to watch? Well yes, but I'm not a Leeds fan. If a Wolves team played like that I'd be furious.

I mean you assume he hasn't asked them to track runs - he's hooked Phillips at half time probably for that reason.

Using shots on target start there is misleading anyway - Leed's xG was 2 themselves. So on most days (and I don't like looking at single match xGs anyway tbh) it's 4-2ish United. You haven't seen me say they defended well, I said it myself they have had a mare today at the back, but as much as Bielsa got somethings wrong in midfield today (which OGS actually got spot on himself) there were also lots of silly individual errors (some that were punished, some that weren't).

I guess my point is it's odd to pick singular games and say that it is all hubris when actually these are tactics/patterns/tasks that Bielsa has refined for 30+ years. It's turned Leeds into a crap Championship team into a mid table Premier Leagye team. if I'm a Leeds fan, I'd bloody love him.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

But they're not learning, is my point. Their defensive record was woeful before today and it's a catastrophe now. Does he think they can keep leaking goals at that rate (around two a game on average) and it'll all be ok? I mean it might be, depending on what the club want, they probably will stay up.

I would look at Rodgers, how he refused to change at Liverpool when he had the title in his hands, continued to play a setup which contained awful defenders and allowed teams to run straight onto that rickety back four...and it cost them. Individual errors are a function of football, be it Gerrard and the slip, through to this year Coady trying to chest it in his own box at Anfield or Kane missing a free header from five yards the other night (you couldn't normally ask for three more reliable individuals). But Leeds have structural flaws that are there almost by design. Rodgers has developed as a coach, his Leicester team doesn't play like his Liverpool team did. Bielsa doesn't seem to care about anything other than his ideals and to what end exactly? No-one is going to think you the Kafka of football long after you're gone, it's a results game fundamentally.

I think Pep is arrogant for trying silly untried formations in key games and openly saying that they don't bother practicing defending set pieces, both of those factors of his management have been why he keeps getting knocked out of the Champions League. I know you like him so it's just one where we differ

I always want my teams building from the back and I want a solid base there before we do anything else. The amount of teams who win things on a wing and a prayer, just hoping it works out and we'll score more in the end is vanishingly small throughout the last 40 years.

Bear in mind they're playing a Man Utd team today who have had the worst start at home (yes I know it's different right now) that the club has had in 90 years. Opening yourself up like that - one thing they can do is convert chances if you hand them to them on a plate - isn't anything to applaud. I'd never walk away from a 6-2 defeat where we could have conceded double that amount thinking "oh, we did ok there". No, we didn't.

So while I do like attacking football and despise the likes of Pulis, Warnock and Allardyce, to me this is just stupidity from a very experienced coach who should know better. In fact I think he does know better but he's just being odd.

 

[AndyWolves]

xG for MU was 4.78 and Leeds was 1.63

In the league Leeds have conceded the most at 30 with an xGA of just under 30. All the teams near the bottom have conceded less but have way lower xGA.

So it's not like Leeds have been unlucky to concede that amount of goals - it's a fair reflection, based on xG of course

 

[Premier Quality]

It feels pretty dirty to say it, but I hope West Brom get a point today.

 

[AndyWolves]

It feels pretty dirty to say it, but I hope West Brom get a point today.

I hope they win, villa are more of a rival in the league than the shit are

 

[Paul]

It feels pretty dirty to say it, but I hope West Brom get a point today.

Yep, it's big picture time

 

[Premier Quality]

And grealish is down holding his head after three minutes.

and villa score after 4. Bah.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Bielsa seems to be a connoisseur's choice, which is fair enough, but it's a bit 90's Keegan for me

Thing is that in the season where they actually should have won the league (95/96), Newcastle conceded 37 goals in 38 games (only four teams conceded fewer, and two actually scored more). They had some ropy players at the back (I mean we can speak with experience about Darren Peacock) and they definitely did prioritise attack over defence but the narrative doesn't necessarily fit the facts. I'd have to check but I also think they had a better PPG when Asprilla did play than when he didn't!

I think the comparisons to Holloway's Blackpool are more apt. They have better players than that and the teams likely to struggle are worse than were around that season (we really weren't that bad in 2010/11, but only just survived, Wigan also and they went on to win the cup a couple of years later), so they should be ok. I just find it a strange approach and the media reception to them even stranger. They just got battered, why are they constantly being bigged up?!

Elsewhere, the Big Sam revolution off to a flying start. 1-0 Villa, El Ghazi.

 

[Premier Quality]

Wow, tony Gale just almost, kind of, criticised Jack grealish. Didn’t realise that was allowed these days.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

26 minutes gone, Albion have had 0 shots. Not even off target.

Allardyce making his mark already.

 

[Tony Towner]

Apart from some of the arse kissing (Bielsa was nominated for world manager of the year for winning the Championship Christ's sake) most that enjoy watching Leeds and I include myself in this do so because they know in all likelohood they'll be loads of goals. Unless you are a football puritan then that's what you want in a game that doesn't involve your own team

 

[leedswolf]

Fuck me, this is shit...

 

[Premier Quality]

They can’t send Livermore off for that, surely?

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

That is a red card in fairness. A terrible challenge from an awful player.

 

[Premier Quality]

That’s awful - he barely touches grealish

 

[Premier Quality]

That is a red card in fairness. A terrible challenge from an awful player.

Livermore is shite, obviously - but he wins the ball, and makes minimal contact with grealish. The only reason for a red is that it’s a downward motion, and if there was real contact then it would be a red - but there isn’t, so shouldn’t be. (Imo)

 

[Premier Quality]

Kourtney hause challenge there is far worse for me.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Wahey, they've had a shot! Only took 40 minutes. And it was an awful free kick from miles out straight at the keeper.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

The absolute best you can get on Albion to go down as far as I can see is 4/11. They are absolutely going. One of the worst teams I've seen at this level for many a year.

 

[AndyWolves]

The absolute best you can get on Albion to go down as far as I can see is 4/11. They are absolutely going. One of the worst teams I've seen at this level for many a year.

I got 2/1 at the start of the season