The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Wed 4th Sept) - Gary Neville's warning to Bielsa

[Ellandback1]

Good Morning. It's Wednesday 4th September, and here are the Leeds Utd headlines...


Is it Nketiah and Costa time?

After back to back defeats against Swansea and Stoke (in the league Cup), is it time to introduce Nketiah and Costa to the Leeds starting line up? Whilst they have done well as a substitutes, they'll never be match sharp until they starts games.

Will Bielsa play Nketiah and Bamford together? Who would Bielsa sacrifice?





Gary Neville's warning to Bielsa

Gary Neville has been speaking on Sky Sports about Bielsa's inability to learn English and how it could hamper Leeds bid for promotion. The former Red believes his own time in Valencia was hindered by his failure to learn Spanish.

“I couldn’t communicate to the players and we talk for a living. Every team talk was 50 minutes because it had to be translated by the person next to me. If you see Bielsa’s interviews, they’re hard to watch too,” he said on The Last Word With Stan Collymore.

“I had four Spanish lessons a week, I was getting up at six in the morning, they thought I was crazy, to basically do an hour and a half of Spanish. All the team meetings were in Spanish, I insisted, they obviously needed a translator for me but I worked really hard.

“I’m doing this team talk and Alvaro Negredo comes up to me, he says ‘look, there are two things, you just have to do it in Spanish. You can speak football words now, you’ve been here for three months. People admire you for it, it’s brave, but you’ve just got to do it because you’re still speaking in English after three months’

Should Bielsa be making more of an effort to learn English?





Club or Country

A month into the season and we already have our first International break!

Who enjoys them? Is it a welcome distraction from the league or are you sick and fed up of having to cram in so many midweek features to allow for Internationals?

Who would sacrifice a return to the Premiership in order to have their Country crowned world champions?

Have you always thought this way regarding club v Country?





Top journalist claims Leeds walked away from Kent deal

According to Daily Mirror journalist David Anderson, Leeds had a 4.5m offer accepted for Liverpool winger Ryan Kent but then changed their minds once they heard that Nketiah was available. They used much of that money to bring the Gunner to Elland Road on loan for the season.

Liverpool refute this claim. They say that they turned down the 4.5m offer.

[The Subhuman]

Fairly sure Liverpool would have turned down 4.5, and that's about what he was worth (No wonder Rangers have been bankrupt once) Wouldn't trust anything in the Daily Mirror anyway.

Hate international breaks and for me always club before country when it comes to football.

I actually agree with Neville here, I've no idea even if what we here translated is actually what he's trying to say which is why I don't necessarily trust everything that gets translated. English is an incredibly nuanced language as is Spanish and a lot gets lost in the translation. English needs to be the translators first language at least.

It's Costa for Hernandez and Nketiah for Bamford for me...if you then play Hernandez over Forshaw that's a different question. If Costa starts it has to be right sided mid

[weasel]

Gary Neville's warning to Bielsa
Should Bielsa be making more of an effort to learn English?

It was interesting to read the full story. The tiny extract from the YEP made it into Neville having a go at Bielsa and you were left thinking how two faced he was given that he should be able to understand Bielsa as he (Neville) should have learnt Spanish from being in charge of Valencia. The full story gives the full perspective.
I would have thought Bielsa knows a fair bit of English and probably communicates at times with the players in English but prefers to use an interpreter at times to make sure what he says is exactly what he wants to say.

Club or Country

I think these international breaks are stupid. Simply start the season later and end it earlier and then play all the internationals during the summer rather than the constant disruption. This would be far better for the international teams too as the managers could have them for a longer time and be able to train them to play a certain way.

Top journalist claims Leeds walked away from Kent deal

Given the option of Kent or Eddie then I feel Eddie was much more important to us as soon as Roofe had left.

[Ellandback1]

Guests,

Its take 2 minutes to register, and have your say!!!

[Chilli D]

Morning All,

I definitely think Costa should be starting now and unfortunately I think should be at Pablo's expense unless he is moved to the left and Harrison is dropped.
There's no denying Pablo's qualities but Costa can unlock defences with his pace and skill and give the opposing full back a torrid time.
No sure about Eddie for Bamford at the moment, it would be harsh leaving out someone who has four goals already but it goes without saying that Eddie is knocking at the door and will definitely get a starting berth soon.

I understand what Gary Neville is saying about his time in Valencia but they have a different culture and expect people to learn Spanish in no time.
I don't think Bielsa's lack of English has affected his ability to communicate with the players at all.
They all seem to know their role and what is expected of them.

Club over country every single time.
I always watch England games but I never quite have the same level of emotion as I do for a Leeds game.
Absolutely hate the International breaks especially when they fall straight after a defeat so I have to sulk for two weeks instead of one

We will probably never know the real reason we didn't get Kent but he was definitely unhappy with what happened (or what didn't happen) on deadline day.
He'll probably do well for Rangers but Scottish football is dire.
Celtic are the best team by a country mile and they don't even qualify for the group stages of the Champions League any more.

Chilli

[60sUnited]

Neville on Bielsa :

Got to say I agree with Neville, most foreign managers do make the effort to learn English, some better than others. I dont listen to Bielsas interviews anymore as I find it difficult to even understand what the interpreter is saying ! But having said all that I would rather Bielsa concentrate on getting us promoted !

Nketia and Costa :

I think its time to give them both a start in place of Harrison and Bamford.....but it wont happen, Bielsas starting eleven will always be the eleven that started the season unless injuries / suspensions force his hand......don't understand that stubborness really given the number of matches ahead of us......still in Bielsa we must trust

[60sUnited]

Forgot to mention, I cannot stand International breaks. I rarely watch any of the Internationals, just cant raise much interest.

[Sara]

Good morning.

Love all the different breakfast pics.

If Bielsa has a problem communicating, how has he been able to implement his ideas so quickly and effectively? Don't see it as an issue at all, personally.

I'm torn over Nketiah for Bamford. It probably has to happen at some point soon, to see what Eddie can bring when fully involved, but Bamford is a confidence player who has goal scoring runs and dry spells. He currently has 4 in 6, and could still be improving his confidence, so I worry about him being knocked back if he is dropped. It would be great to play both, but I don't know how that would work, or who would be dropped.

Costa for Pablo seems an easier choice, as Pablo is generally more consistent, but probably won't manage every game over the season. Would also like to see them on together, but would we suffer without Forshaw? Klich is the undroppable one, for me.

Hate the international breaks. Club before country and promotion for Leeds every time.

[The Subhuman]

My first team would be

Casilla

White Cooper
Dallas Phillips Douglas
Klich
Costa Hernandez Harrison
Nketiah

[mothbanquet]

Would take Bielsa's Leeds over Neville's Valencia any day, they were just shocking, and then he jacked it in before proving he could do the job elsewhere. Bielsa's language is football and it's a beautiful tongue.

[HarryofOz]

Nketiah and Costa started against Stoke so that defeat has nothing to do with them not being selected

Clubs don't play against countries, so it's not one of the other, you can support both

Neville, get back to us when you know what you're talking about

[Irish Ian]

Good Morning everyone.

Said last season that MB needs to learn to English. He talks in riddles at the best of times, but this season the translator he is using doesnt seem as nuanced as Lamrani. As a result I tend to just skim the pressers now.

That is bound to frustrate the players at times, and surely limits what he can get across especially in the dressing room and when sending on the subs.

Costa in for Forshaw when we are playing at home. You cant drop Pablo. He will need to be rested though. Eddie as suoer sub, for now.

Club before country... well if Northern Ireland ever were to be World Champs I'm sure it would be worth the sacrifice

Kent not sure what happened but Ed has been a dream signing, pity about the £4M

[Sara]

Bielsa's language is football and it's a beautiful tongue.

Very well put!

[rab_rant]

b]Gary Neville's warning to Bielsa[/b]

Gary my son What is the sound of one hand clapping? Bielsa's press conferences and team talks
are there for you to learn Spanish... tune in regularly and you might pick it up, then you might have
had more success at Valencia.

Have you ever heard of the Argentinian poet Jorge Luis Borges. In 1955 he became director
of the Argentine National Library. He was blind yet he was put in charge of the library.
Now there is a conundrum for you!!! a man who can not see in charge of a library.
How glorious is that... why it is almost as good as Bielsa giving team talks in Spanish.
You just don't get it do you???

The press conferences given by Bielsa are the most enjoyable part of my week.
He does not speak like a boring Sky pundit on the Stan Collimore show. His language
is a mixture of poetry and philosophy, with a cadence and a rhythm to it. He speaks in Koans
which are surprising illuminating incomprehensible and often contradictory. They help
true Leeds fans to live with ambiguity and paradox... loosing when you should win
and visa versa.

Gary the Pundit is seeking a definitive one true answer to the enigma that is Bielsa,
and he will forever remain in a hazy daze because he is not in tune with the magic reality
of Borges and Bielsa. A poor spirited little rich boy who has Salford as a plaything and is deluded
that he will achieve football with them.

True football is probably about suffering... of seeing hopes and dreams slip out of your grasp...
suffering setbacks but still getting up and getting on with the game. It is not about premiership
privilege. It is being deducted 10 points. It is being brought to the verge of extinction. It is being
betrayed time and time again by incompetent owners. It is seeing the best players of a generation
being sold for profit.

In the past these are the thoughts that we dwelt on, deceit attended our every waking hour, being lied to by
Professors, administrators, Arabs with their arses hanging out their breeches, and that blue mythical creature
Papa Smurf.

Now we rejoice to see Bielsa smile and crack an incomprehensible joke that is untranslatable into
English... Why??? because he is a happy man, a man who sits still but who is dancing around on the inside.
The blue bucket man on the touchline, blind as Borges to the clamour around him. Deaf to the
pop eyed hissing and spitting fits of fans and pundits alike. He sits serene under an invisible banyan tree

We might ask the ultimate question “Question: What is Buddha/Borges/Bielsa? Answer: Three pints of Stella.”
And Gary you will never understand or comprehend that.

[Sara]

His language
is a mixture of poetry and philosophy, with a cadence and a rhythm to it. He speaks in Koans
which are surprising, illuminating, incomprehensible and often contradictory. They help
true Leeds fans to live with ambiguity and paradox.

Wonderful post, thank you. Today is a most profound day on MOT. I'll have three pints of Stella.

[1964white]

Neville on Bielsa
Should Bielsa be making more of an effort to learn English?

Bielsa's interviews are a chore so I don't listen to them anymore, always interested to read his comments though

Club or Country

Club first

However always welcome a break away from Leeds games, bowls & work. Gives me the opportunity to take holidays/breaks during these periods. Currently enjoying a week in Northumbria, you could meet me on the corner in Holy Island/Lindisfarne today

8 games in August is a manic time for footy fans

Top journalist claims Leeds walked away from Kent deal

The signing of Nketiah was much more important to us especially once Roofe was sold. Eddie has done well scoring three goals in limited game time during August