Leeds Utd v Birmingham City Match Thread

[rab_rant]

Brummie Joe talks about Monk.

[rab_rant]

Bielsa pre Birmingham.

[1964white]

Bielsa pre Birmingham.

Key points if you haven't got time to listen

• We can't be a good team yet because we struggled against Boro and Millwall

• He can get his message across quick because when he was an international coach and had very little time with the players so he had to learn how to

• No players will be back for Saturday's game

• Birmingham will be hard to beat because they are good defensively

• He's still learning English but the better coaches are the ones who speak the least

• Also said he had 15 or so players here who he wouldn't swap

• Had an advantage because he had those players for 6 weeks in preseason

[1964white]

I wish Bielsa was 53yo not a 63yo man, already I'm dreading the day he leaves our club.

My positivity would plummet to an all-time-low

[danhirons]

I wish Bielsa was 53yo not a 63yo man, already I'm dreading the day he leaves our club.

My positivity would plummet to an all-time-low

calm down! we don't win on saturday and we have less points than we did under TC at this stage of the season last year!

it can all change very very quickly...

[1964white]

calm down! we don't win on saturday and we have less points than we did under TC at this stage of the season last year!

it can all change very very quickly...

Dan I know we will lose games at some stage however with Bielsa at the helm he has instilled a strong mental attitude into the players I'd expect them to show resilliance & bounce back from a defeat not roll over & die as these players did under Christiansen. We've already shown spirit coming back from going a goal down three times at Swansea & Millwall

I'm not sure what you are watching but this Bielsa side is 50% (maybe more) fitter & better than last season squad. Apart from Bristol City all our decent performances/victories last season were against the bottom six teams.

Btw for your negative mind Bielsa is different class to Christiansen if you haven't already noticed

[rab_rant]

He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command.

[rab_rant]

Brumie Joe

[rab_rant]

The Bielsa revolution.

[weasel]

Dan I know we will lose games at some stage however with Bielsa at the helm he has instilled a strong mental attitude into the players I'd expect them to show resilliance & bounce back from a defeat not roll over & die as these players did under Christiansen. We've already shown spirit coming back from going a goal down three times at Swansea & Millwall

I'm not sure what you are watching but this Bielsa side is 50% (maybe more) fitter & better than last season squad. Apart from Bristol City all our decent performances/victories last season were against the bottom six teams.

Btw for your negative mind Bielsa is different class to Christiansen if you haven't already noticed

I would also throw in our Middlesboro win last season as a very decent performance - especially as we'd been in a bit of a slump.

I think Dan is right to be cautious, as he points out at this stage last season we were doing well and although we lost to Millwall last season only the width of a post stopped us losing this season (and a couple of goalmouth scrambles going our way). If Tom Eliott hadn't scored at Elland Road last season for Millwall we may well have gone on to win that game and the huge lift it would have given us could have seen us go on a decent run - this season Elliot hits the post and we get a morale boosting draw.

As for fitness the concern would be that our players peak too soon and are burnt out at Christmas - it happened to Bielsa's Marseille side but hopefully he has learnt the lessons from that (he certainly comes across as a clever individual who is always learning - although equally he has a stubborn side of him so he may have simply stuck to his guns).

I think we all share your optimism, 64, however as Leeds fans we are always waiting to see if the light at the end of the tunnel is actually just a train coming. The football at times under Bielsa is a joy to watch and long may it continue!

[Genghers]

I wish Bielsa was 53yo not a 63yo man, already I'm dreading the day he leaves our club.

My positivity would plummet to an all-time-low

Hopefully Corberan is getting his tutelage and could be ready when Bielsa steps aside? Already showed last season that he's got the style of football down and managed to guide the youth/u23's successfully, and working alongside Bielsa with the first team can only be a positive.

[rab_rant]

Oscar on Monk.

[1964white]

The Bielsa revolution.

Phil Hay highlights the reasons why Bielsa is a massive upgrade on Christiansen & any comparison is simply ludicrous imo!

The players were unfit, not together as a unit under TC, he fell out with players & in the end he obviously has lost the dressing-room

[1964white]

Hopefully Corberan is getting his tutelage and could be ready when Bielsa steps aside? Already showed last season that he's got the style of football down and managed to guide the youth/u23's successfully, and working alongside Bielsa with the first team can only be a positive.

Good point Tom although Coberan could leave Leeds too if Bielsa ever left under dubious circumstances as his team of coaches tend to follow Marcelo

[1964white]

I would also throw in our Middlesboro win last season as a very decent performance - especially as we'd been in a bit of a slump.

I think Dan is right to be cautious, as he points out at this stage last season we were doing well and although we lost to Millwall last season only the width of a post stopped us losing this season (and a couple of goalmouth scrambles going our way). If Tom Eliott hadn't scored at Elland Road last season for Millwall we may well have gone on to win that game and the huge lift it would have given us could have seen us go on a decent run - this season Elliot hits the post and we get a morale boosting draw.

As for fitness the concern would be that our players peak too soon and are burnt out at Christmas - it happened to Bielsa's Marseille side but hopefully he has learnt the lessons from that (he certainly comes across as a clever individual who is always learning - although equally he has a stubborn side of him so he may have simply stuck to his guns).

I think we all share your optimism, 64, however as Leeds fans we are always waiting to see if the light at the end of the tunnel is actually just a train coming. The football at times under Bielsa is a joy to watch and long may it continue!

Yes the Middlesboro' game was decent indeed, throw in the performance at Oakwell & there are not many more games you can rave about.

This season we are fitter, stronger, defending well, scoring goals from all over the park & generally playing as a whole unit rather than relying on one or two individuals.

I often mention the spine of our team or lack of !

Peacock-Farrell

Jansson/Cooper

Phillips

Klich /Saiz

Roofe or Roberts/Bamford

At last the spine is strong & in place this season

[Azkal]

Good point Tom although Coberan could leave Leeds too if Bielsa ever left under dubious circumstances as his team of coaches tend to follow Marcelo

Possible 64, although Carlos was recruited from the Cypriot league 12 months prior to Marcelo arriving, as under 23's coach, rather than recruited by Marcelo. As highlighted sometime previously, feel Carlos is part of the longer term plan by club management in order to ensure a sustainable and consistently performing club, with the same philosophy in terms of play style.

[hector]

Starting 11 unchanged from tuesday

Clarke off the bench and Shackleton on...

[rab_rant]

[The Subhuman]

[Cjay]

Disappointed to see our most impressive u23 player dropped while the eternally meh Dallas is there.

But hey ho.