The Mighty Whites v The Brighton Bum Boys - Unofficial Match Day thread

Well Arsenal MUST win at everton now to have any chance of overtaking Spurs which is good news for us. Fingers crossed Palace will beat the toffees on Thursday night and another team in the mix

Don't know if this is true, but I do get the impression a lot of the scouting is aimed at young & upcoming players. This is of course a very good thing, but regarding major signings it looks like most of the work/contacts get done through agents.

We've got to admit that VO has done very well in finding youngsters like Struijk, Meslier, Gelhardt, Summerville, Greenwood, ...

The other side of the medal is that when you look at the fees & wages we spend on major signings... → to say the least, I'm far from convinced we've done all that well. Especially when considering the return they've thus far given.

Costa, Augustin, Casilla, Firpo, Rodrigo, Llorente, Koch, James, ...

Raphina & Bamford have of course proven worthy of their outlay.

The other stance, "we didn't just bring players in for the sake of it, as they've got to be better..." stands out as utter BS.

Now if you're Liverpool, Real, Man C., I could/would agree that finding better players isn't a given. But at LUFC, really ???

Think that point was that Orta only talks to his friends who are agents and not scouts. Also look at who Orta seems to look at. Bamford and Forshaw were at boro when was there. Llroente, Rodrigo, Casilla were at clubs he was at in the past. Firpos and Costa's agents worked with him past.

Beilsa and small squad. Yes that is true but not so small that he only had 18 teamers. Remember he classed Klaesson, Shackleton, Struijk & Roberts as developmental first teamers. This means a squad of 15. If remember he always said a first team squad of 18 true first teamers with 3 developmental first teamers. Now he had at time up to 4 (Forshaw, Phillips, Cooper, Bamford) of this squad out for decent periods followed by minor month long from other (Ayling, Llorente, Koch, Firpo, Shackleton & Klich - Covid 3 times). 1) Phillips, 2) Cooper, 3) Bamford, 4) Dallas, 5) Klich, 6) Koch, 7) Harrison, 8) Raphinha, 9) Llorente, 10) Ayling, 11) Firpo, 12) Forshaw, 13) James, 14) Meslier, 15) Roberts, 16) Struijk, 17) Shackleton, 18) Klaesson

Little wonder we are were we are.

I wouldn't be bothered if James never turned out for us again. Why didn't Bielsa give Gelhardt more game time, and the same goes for Jessie.

Greenwood and Gelhardt would be prolific for us if they stay put but I can't see us keeping hold of Joffy.

Agree Bull and in 2 minds about Weghorst but we certainly needed another 'proper' striker! You could well be correct in that we'd surely create more chances than Bumley.... especially under Bielsa!!

I keep banging on for a few seasons that Hattrick would get injured, suspended, have a loss of form or just need some fkn COMPETITION.... hardly rocket science!!

I'd have loved Lasogga and thought if we can get him free of injuries and match fit then he knows where the goal is and would do a job relatively cheaply.

I've just looked at his recent record and he's played only 28 games in 4 seasons in the fkn Qatar league!!

Think he would have done a hell of a lot better than DJ upfront (not all young Dan's fault been asked to play out of position) but when he plays on the wing and Paddy is inside we used to create a huge amount of chances.

Now with Jesse in charge we have gotten very narrow and i'm not surprised that our goal treat has nose dived. People put that squarely on Dan James but i think that's unfair. Play our best players in their best positions we would not have gotten into this mess in the first place.

Marcelo wanted a small squad but those ideals eventually found him out, our injuries all came at once and i could see this type of thing happening as you cant keep pushing the body to its max without adequate rest periods.

Im not having a pop at anyone as that is pointless at this juncture but the board must / should have acted and convinced MB that a small squad wont working in the Premier League (games come too quick and are played at such a pace, rest or player rotation is a MUST).

Before Weghurst went to burnley i thought his goal scoring stats were reasonable one goal every two and half games. "if" he came to us and continued at that ratio that could have been 8-9 goals alone we have only scored 16 goals since the Jan transfer window (8 games without a goal in that period).

Ok WW has only scored 2 goals for Burnley you might say but Burnley dont create the chances that we do. I remember and go back to the time when we could have signed mitrovic, for me Weghurst is another to have gotten away. Yes Mitrovic was relegated with Fulham from the PL but again i would argue that fulham side created very little, Norwich go down with Pukki again a team that create very little and struggle everytime they get promoted.

Leeds on the other hand do create chances but when Paddy aint playing and we have no natural striker in the box is it any wonder we are where we are.

This week is going to be a long one i reckon and i still see a few curve balls coming before all the final whistles are sounded on Sunday next, But yesterdays point was hard won it was deserved and has put the pressure back over to Burnley, if we have to play catch up next weekend nothing short of a win will have to be got at Brentford.

Thanks for the insight Dan2

Reading the piece about Weghorst im glad we were somehow in the mix, but i shocked to hear he was a no go....???

No fit striker at the time and it wasnt as if Bamford was coming back from a little niggle, Weghorst signed for £12m??? That's chicken feed for a goalscorer and a person that if we had at our disposal i think he would have earned us 4-5 points with the chances we create, plus his heading treat from set pieces.

Congrats Mac you got us out of the bottom 3 now weave some magic for our the Final MDT of the 21/22 season.

Onwards and upwards lads

MOT

Email from a mate this moring as i ask him last night if he had any idea about leeds tranfers or lack of...

"Prior to Orta coming in I and a host of other small freelance scouts would be asked or able to give Leeds insite into players we thought maybe good fit for the club. We had been doing this from as far back as George Graham time. While very few were actually signed we still were routinely ask for advice or reports. Since Orta arrived this has slowed to nothing and I know that only certain (agents) people are being consulted with or at least this is the general feel in the industry. Most recently the news out of Leeds we are hearing is that veried reason including Covid, appeals, lack of player sale and world economy issues have not helped. The last player i know that some tried to get Leeds to bite on was Wout Weghorst in December but no go. The one thing that is for sure is that Orta is the full advisor to the board. We tried to bypass him before last season but the person from the board shut us off quickly"

Well done Mac!!

We live to fight another day!

Phil Hay mentioned the Kop singing that and Radz's this is on you.

I'm sure the board genuinely believed MB's magic to continue and that he would make sure of us not getting into trouble.

Our form towards the end of last season convinced them we didn't need to invest a lot into the squad to secure a quiet second season in the Premiership.

A second look might have told them, that some results flattered us, with opponents either with their minds on other things or just dead on their feeth.

This coupled with us playing at full strength & with confidence and without any pressure or stress.

They also didn't take into account the team as a whole and the individual players could suffer such a drop in form.

Then, when we did spend money, you can question the wisdom of splashing it on another winger! Now, if there was a position we didn't need to strengthen... that was most certainly the one.

Do I believe Radz & his board have the best in mind for us? No doubt and they're probably hurting as much as us.

And we also have to remember Radz got us MB, playing a great brand of football & ultimately promotion. A lot to be grateful for.

But we twice (2 windows) had the chance to bring in reinforcements and we didn't. So mistakes were made and in the end the buck stops with them.

Perhaps they've been too carefull & cautious in thinking, the money we save up now, can be set aside & go towards expanding ER. → Improving the team/squad wil follow...

Anyway & afterall, there is still a chance they will be proven right.

I for one certainly hope so.

Emotionally spent tonight. Ears still haven't recovered either!

Roof came off with that equaliser - we were better in the second half, feared the worst in the first.

I also thought the sack the board chants were out of order - they were coming from the cheese wedge not the Kop end.

Everton result has helped us - not just them losing but they got 2 straight reds, so they now have 4 CB's out for the season. Rondon done for the season too and DCL limping at the end holding his hamstring. They are no longer safe in my eyes.

I was disappointed with a small section of the crowd singing Sack the Board!. Having supported Leeds for a very long time, Radz is one of the best Chairman we have ever had and not afraid to dip into his pocket.

If anything the board probably reacted a month too late, given the lack of MB's plan B and the goals we shipped in February which I believe is what will get us relegated.

Burnley will draw at Villa next Thursday, so basically because of our goal difference, they only need to match us ( and they are at home) and we are down.

Ageed Daniel, Koch had a decent game, especially considering he's a CB by trade. The biggest difference between Shacks & him are the pace/mobility + ofcourse getting forward.

Some players had very mixed game, the good, the bad & very ugly.

Rodrigo was very poor, bar the one brilliant pass.

Indeed, as you say at times Rapha just tries too hard.

Firpo today performed well, technically and going forward he's decent enough.

It's about his defending, but today apart from that poor tackle, he also defended rather well.

Llorente got himself turned inside out for the goal and looks to have lost confidence.

It true that Shackleton looked comfortable when he came on but to be honest Koch did okay as a RB.

Firpo is a different player whe we play forward football. You can see he more comfortable playing the ball forward.

Rodrigo for me was not good. Play him together up top on the defenders shoulder and he comes alive. He should have been substituted for Greenwood at halftime.

Greenwood came on and just pushed the ball forward. I like this. No backwards but forward.

Raphinha does not want to get relegated. He push so hard that his normal flair is suffering.

For the least 10 minutes we had 2 upfront and cause so many issues. JM, take note. 2 forwards is the way to go.

Well, this was LUFC all the way.

After a good start & the Cooper block from Gelhardt's goal, Brighton settled down and at times we just fell apart. Good thing they didn't exactly have their shooting boots on.

Dare I say, some of the mistakes we made were quite unbelievable (too much pressure I suppose), but it almost looked as if we had selected half the Harrogate town pub team.

Second half, in general we took the game to Brighton and we did well and certainly deserved the goal.

What a moment for Gelhardt, the control & skill this had has... Amazing.

Very happy for Pascal to get that equalizer.

Obviously, in the end, this could prove to be a vital goal.

At least we live to fight for another day.

Fans, were as always just FANTASTIC.

Players that stood out for me, Gelhardt, Rapha & dare I say it, Firpo.

Shacks looked far more comfy at RB than Kock did.

Rodrigo is their best player today. Excellent little layoffs to their players puting them in tp great space.

Phillips did not agree with wht Marsh said during that little break in play and threw his drink bootle down in anger to show it.

Take Rodrigo off and have Greenwood on in his play and tell him and Gelhardt to play on the last defenders shoulder.

How many times have we seen Rodrigo turn attack into defence this season?

A good mix of Brighton and LEEDS fans

Am on the train on the way