Eddie Nketiah

[Irish Ian]

Yet Bamford will be picked on Saturday instead and we'll drop more points because of it.

At least he should feel right at home after the penalty miss though I suppose.

You know SG I worry that it is getting to the point that Bamford might actually find the net on Saturday.

Why worry? Because it will earn him another month as our striker with his usual end product. But it isnt just Bamford who needs to step up.

Just been checking Jack Hs stats playing for England.
You would have that that him being such hot property would have earned him more than the two starts he had...

[Gurj]

Just goes to show us what a decent striker Nketiah is when the delivery into the box is decent

The majority of crosses are hit into box aimlessly with no accuracy whatsoever.

All Eddie's Leeds goals have come from crosses but they are few or between for our strikers

Spot on Leon, and this is the major issue with Jack Harrison - works he's socks off up and down the wing but the end product just isnt good enough. The final ball is atrocious on most occasions !

[hector]

But that is because he has to hang on to the ball as Barn Door Bambi is not quick enough to keep up and be in the box at the time Harrison wants to cross

[WhiteRose]

Eddie definitely won't start on saturday, just the fact he has been away on international duty and not as involved over the last 2 weeks will put a stop to that. Bielsa resolutely believes in his system and players and in his mind all will come good if we keep going with it, same 11 saturday as started at Millwall only probable change is dallas not playing in midfield. Forest and WBA have 3 winnable games each coming up and we have 3 difficult ones if we're not careful we could be 6 or 7 points off top by the end of the month.

[1964white]

But that is because he has to hang on to the ball as Barn Door Bambi is not quick enough to keep up and be in the box at the time Harrison wants to cross

Sorry Hector that is untrue, there are many times when the ball doesn't :

Beat the first man
Over hit
Crosses driven behind our players in the box
Crossed straight into the keepers gloves

Unfortunately Jack Harrison is the biggest culprit.

Our passes, crosses & attacking play breaks down in & around the box far too often. That's the reason we are 4th & not skating this league.

Dan James would have been twice the player for Leeds, more skilful & direct, creates assists & scores goals out of nothing.

The writing was on the wall last season for all to see but we persevered with the players that failed us in 2018/19, we only have ourselves to blame if it goes tits up again !

[1964white]

Eddie definitely won't start on saturday, just the fact he has been away on international duty and not as involved over the last 2 weeks will put a stop to that. Bielsa resolutely believes in his system and players and in his mind all will come good if we keep going with it, same 11 saturday as started at Millwall only probable change is dallas not playing in midfield. Forest and WBA have 3 winnable games each coming up and we have 3 difficult ones if we're not careful we could be 6 or 7 points off top by the end of the month.

Indeed he won't WR

Same old same old v Birmingham then

[1964white]

Spot on Leon, and this is the major issue with Jack Harrison - works he's socks off up and down the wing but the end product just isnt good enough. The final ball is atrocious on most occasions !

Yes Gurj, some fans are prepared to forgive those with a lack of quality in our team, problem is these type of players are holding back our progress

The sad reality is Jack will start as we have no one better in that position, once again we accept second-rate players because they work hard.

[The Subhuman]

But that is because he has to hang on to the ball as Barn Door Bambi is not quick enough to keep up and be in the box at the time Harrison wants to cross

This absolutely.

[Velotrax]

The problem is all us armchair managers do not have to deal with the players personally, Bielsa is a peoples person, ( this is just my opinion, and I'm going to get slated for it), but I feel he is looking at the players character, that he likes rather than the downright man for the job? lets be honest the majority of the team are not the best available in their postions, but they have the right attitude etc that Bielsa is looking for, I think he's looking to have a happy home, rather than a ruthless win at all cost home....

[BobHirst]

Bielsa has got the team playing some great football. At the same time, his stubbornness is going to cost us promotion by insisting on selecting the same players, no matter how they perform. Bamford has had plenty of opportunities to nail down the striker position but he has failed (not enough goals). Eddie has to be given a chance or indeed chances. His England form has shown he can score goals when he is provided the chances. Bielsa is credited as being a football genius. He needs to use that genius to find a way to incorporate Eddie into the team, with or without Bamford in the team.
I am afraid that Eddie will return to Arsenal in January and our season will fizzle out with the team unable to score enough goals.

[Irish Ian]

The problem is all us armchair managers do not have to deal with the players personally, Bielsa is a peoples person, ( this is just my opinion, and I'm going to get slated for it), but I feel he is looking at the players character, that he likes rather than the downright man for the job? lets be honest the majority of the team are not the best available in their postions, but they have the right attitude etc that Bielsa is looking for, I think he's looking to have a happy home, rather than a ruthless win at all cost home....

Hi Velotrax, from what I read about Mb it is that he rarely speaks directly to the players.
And if what you say is true about admiring personalities, while it isnt wrong in itself surely that sells short the thousands of fans who invest so much of their lives in the club?

I admire his outlook on many things and he has been a breath of fresh air for not just Leeds United and for the city itself. The vast Leeds diaspora has been revitalised too.

And while I agree that he doesn't foster a win at al costs spirit , the Villa equalizer tells us that, if he was to not select the most able players or employ the most winning strategy each week then that again would be a failing that the club would rightly have to address.

MB has an outlook on how football should be played. He is willing to stick to his guns with this group of players and imo not adapt to probably the hardest league he has ever had to cope with.

But he will make himself and us look foolish if Ed isnt allowed to at least try to lead our attack at some point between now and the new year. We are spending 4M on this kid.

[Cjay]

I think people are looking at this wrong.

People see it as a slight on Eddie Nketiah, as MB preferring Bamford and being stubborn.

Imo their is some truth in that but the bigger issue is what i said in the Enganche thread.

Marcelo Bielsa did not want Eddie Nketiah!!!!

I firmly believe that.

MB has his core group of players.

Ben White replaced PJ.

Jack Clarke was still here and Helder Costa came in, with Tyler Roberts that was enough to replace Roofe in terms of goals.

Its interesting how MB did try to include Roofe playing at a 10 behind Bamford but has stated playing Eddie with Paddy would impact our creativity.

That to me is an indication as to what MB may have been thinking when Roofe left.

Roofe in MB's eyes could play as a striker but also as a 10 or out wide.

So when he left MB assessed his options, did we have wide options, yes, Harrison (ffs) Clarke, Costa and Pablo.

Did we have striker options, yes, Bamford, Roberts, Harrison (MB said he could play up front last season).

But did we have a 10? Pablo but he is firstly a winger, Roberts (but he could be backup to Paddy).

Imo Ryan Kent (a number 10) first and foremost was what MB wanted and ideally one who could play multiple roles.

Kent was a winger who MB felt could play through the middle.

MB didnt want a player like Eddie imo and that is what is being missed in the media imo.

People criticising MB for not playing Eddie but that fails to understand how MB thinks.

[Sara]

Even if what you say is correct, Cjay, we don't have Kent and we do have Nketiah. We are creating chances, but not finishing them.

Surely Bielsa is pragmatic enough to address the problem in front of him, and make use of the resources available?

[SG90]

Ian Wright at Bristol City today. No doubt Lansdown and Joe Pasquale will be pressuring him to get Nketiah to ask for a recall.

[1964white]

Ian Wright at Bristol City today. No doubt Lansdown and Joe Pasquale will be pressuring him to get Nketiah to ask for a recall.

Hey SG you've pinched one of my quips there

[Cjay]

What were you looking for in the Nketiah change?

Bamford finished very well the last ball. The ball came from one side and he headed for the same side. Patrick is a player who has the skill to fight the physical challenge. Today we thought Eddie had less skill in this sense, but today he showed the opposite. Bamford is a player who knows how to mix the movements when he drops and after he drops again. Today, Eddie showed he also can dribble in the one v one that results Patrick used less. Both of them are similar. I thought the second half Nketiah was going to find the same match Patrick found in the first half. I thought with us close to their box, Nketiah would give us something more, because when he arrives there he gives us surprise. When Patrick is in the box, Nketiah arrives suddenly. After we played the match further from their box, but Eddie adapted very well to this. I saw a lot of good things in Eddie today and I didn’t see that before. I give value to the spirit to compete, to recover the ball, to help the team to pass through difficult moments and one great skill to unbalance the one v one offensively. Powerful movement when he had to dribble at the centre-back he faced.

[Cjay]

Sounds like the most positive thing to come out of that game was Eddie impressing MB.

Just hope he doesnt get banned

[1964white]

Sounds like the most positive thing to come out of that game was Eddie impressing MB.

Just hope he doesnt get banned

Only thing exciting about yesterday's sterile performance

What a exciting prospect, has pace, good movement & is our only natural goalscorer

Shame Eddie isn't one of our own, different class to what we produce.

Brilliant work to lay on a great chance only for the amazing JACK to take one touch too many once again allowing the Wednesday defender to block his effort.

Nketiah completed 3 take-ons, no player managed more. He also created 2 chances, no Leeds player managed more today. All in 45 minutes.

[Cjay]

Only thing exciting about yesterday's sterile performance

What a exciting prospect, has pace, good movement & is our only natural goalscorer

Shame Eddie isn't one of our own, different class to what we produce.

Brilliant work to lay on a great chance only for the amazing JACK to take one touch too many once again allowing the Wednesday defender to block his effort.

Nketiah completed 3 take-ons, no player managed more. He also created 2 chances, no Leeds player managed more today. All in 45 minutes.

Really impressed me yesterday.

The move where he was in the centre of the pitch then snuck between the two Wednesday players was an epiphany for me.

Play him as a 10 till Pablo is back!!!!.

He has the pace and youth to get up and down the pitch.

He has an eye for goal.

Paddy likes to do lay offs and link up, Eddie would get closer to him then any of our midfielders do to allow that.

Paddy likes to drift wide so Eddie would still at times be the central striker.

We have tried safe and tested in that role, Klich, Forshaw and Dallas (bloody Dallas as a 10).

So why not take a chance on Eddie? Just 1 game from the start and see what happens.

Who knows? Roberts did ok and he was similar, so why not Eddie.

[1964white]

Really impressed me yesterday.

The move where he was in the centre of the pitch then snuck between the two Wednesday players was an epiphany for me.

Play him as a 10 till Pablo is back!!!!.

He has the pace and youth to get up and down the pitch.

He has an eye for goal.

Paddy likes to do lay offs and link up, Eddie would get closer to him then any of our midfielders do to allow that.

Paddy likes to drift wide so Eddie would still at times be the central striker.

We have tried safe and tested in that role, Klich, Forshaw and Dallas (bloody Dallas as a 10).

So why not take a chance on Eddie? Just 1 game from the start and see what happens.

Who knows? Roberts did ok and he was similar, so why not Eddie.

One of the reasons I pay good money out to watch high quality players. This season we have five players that are a joy to watch imo.

Casilla, White, Phillips, Hernandez & Nketiah

Eddie produced three pieces of play that excited fans on a cold & wet afternoon, our huge support behind that goal loved it

No one was singing Harrison's or Costa's name, two players who are costing us a fortune but are all huff & puff, Eddie was the one who lit up our travelling fans, gives us the spark we so badly need