The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Monday 15th April) Leeds are falling apart - again

[SG90]

Rutter was the most disappointed sub on the sidelines, he and Piroe just aren't a pairing for whatever reason, they just don't click at all, whichever one you put as the spearhead, it's not for happening with them two at all.

If we're on the attack for the remainder, i'd include Cooper, and move Ampadu back with Kamara, doing that we'd also leave room for subs to be instrumental, Gray Gruev James Joseph Anthony Piroe could be worked into the team whatever is happening after 60 mins

We'll need to score 3 goals every match if Cooper is playing.

[1964white]

I understand why Farke made the subs, he's done it before and it worked. All seems very desperate though, didn't work this time. Thought Gruev was having one of his best games before he was taken off.

Those set piece stats are pretty damning.

Bearing in mind we had to win the game or at least get a point, no way should we have taken off our best attacking option & most effective defensive midfielder.

What were Summerville & Archie doing to justify staying on the pitch?

Connor Roberts, unlucky to be subbed too as he was one of our better players on the day.

[Kennyb41]

Bearing in mind we had to win the game or at least get a point, no way should we have taken off our best attacking option & most effective defensive midfielder.

What were Summerville & Archie doing to justify staying on the pitch?

Connor Roberts, unlucky to be subbed too as he was one of our better players on the day.

I agree Sid, the subs were quite baffling, Roberts had done only good, and yes Jimmy was kept v quiet, quite amazing Piroe was left on tbh. To me the subs smacked of this tech thingymebob they use.

[Tom the Cat]

I believe that we had fifteen corner v Millwall and not one attempt at goal resulted. Our fairy up front didn't even make a challenge for one of them

[SG90]

Bearing in mind we had to win the game or at least get a point, no way should we have taken off our best attacking option & most effective defensive midfielder.

What were Summerville & Archie doing to justify staying on the pitch?

Connor Roberts, unlucky to be subbed too as he was one of our better players on the day.

Because Farke's only tactic is to pass to Jimmy and Geo and hope they win the match. If not, he throws on every attacking player on the bench and hopes for the best.

[Sean_Nile]

Unfortunately Farke will panic and revert to the previous failing line up, meaning Bamfraud and James will start and Gnonto will be benched. That isn't where the problem lies.

So we are all agree that the starting selection was to everyone's liking.

But wait it has not resulted in any goals
Farke has really screwed up.

But wait he will try and rectify it with sub's, but they don't work either.
Farke has screwed up again.

You seem to think that everything I ever did was wrong
I should've known it all along
Oh darlin', there ain't no pleasing you

[Madron]

Because Farke's only tactic is to pass to Jimmy and Geo and hope they win the match. If not, he throws on every attacking player on the bench and hopes for the best.

Considering they are both in the Championships best XI and Cry ,the best of the lot ,seems like a reasonable tactic.
Isn't it ?

[DDB220]

Archie is the deep defensive player when we have a corner. Hence why I can understand DF keeping him on the pitch. Although is he the only player he trusts to do this role. Gruev has no pace, and I think it is fair to say Archie is better at recovering the ball if the opposition break. Roberts was perhaps an option - but this is what Farke is paid for.

He has been criticised for not making subs at the right time, not making enough subs and not making the right subs - Generally, when the result does not go our way.
When it has he is applauded by many. I do not think what he did in this game deviates too much away from what he has done in the past and there was little criticism when the result was positive.

I am playing devils advocate - it is easy to say he should have done XYZ after a poor result. The starting lineup was what many wanted, we were no more dangerous or creative than we had been previously. I am not sure any starting combination would have made much difference - It is not all about individuals for me, even though some have clearly dipped performance wise - as a team we are struggling. Up to DF to turn things around.

[Tyzy]

We must be more dangerous, especially from corners. This is someone you can train, so why havn't we?

We also don't have a player that can hold the ball up (without falling over).

Corners and free kicks , might as well go make a brew because nothing come from them

[Sean_Nile]

I believe that we had fifteen corner v Millwall and not one attempt at goal resulted. Our fairy up front didn't even make a challenge for one of them

A reddit user made a serious analysis with algorithms to test if corner kicks can significantly increase the chance for scoring a goal or not.

To test this, he examined 134 English Premier League (EPL) matches from the 2010/11 season, encompassing 1,434 corners.

The results were eye-opening for many football fans:

Only 20% of corners led to a shot on goal.

A mere 10% of these shots resulted in a goal.

In essence, a minuscule 2% of corners led to a goal.

That's a pipe many people refuse to smoke.

[The Subhuman]

So we are all agree that the starting selection was to everyone's liking.

But wait it has not resulted in any goals
Farke has really screwed up.

But wait he will try and rectify it with sub's, but they don't work either.
Farke has screwed up again.

Ain't no pleasing you.

1. Not to my liking
2. Football is played over 90 minutes

[DDB220]

Bearing in mind we had to win the game or at least get a point, no way should we have taken off our best attacking option & most effective defensive midfielder.

What were Summerville & Archie doing to justify staying on the pitch?

Connor Roberts, unlucky to be subbed too as he was one of our better players on the day.

I am not convinced Gruev is our best defensive midfielder. He is tidy but he is not going to create anything based on what I have seen so far. We needed a goal, they had parked the bus. Under the circumstances I had no issue with Gruev going off. If he had been on the pitch - do you think we had more chance of scoring or preventing their goal ?

Gnonto is the change that baffled me most. But other posters suggest it may have been down to metrics, coming back from an injury etc. All of which are valid possibilities. The fact he isn’t injured is a positive as we are going to need him big time for the next three games.

[Jaydog]

I’d also be tending to cut Farke a bit of slack having watched Liverpool & Arsenal struggle at home over the weekend. Pressure is immense.
I imagine both Boro & QPR might come out and play and not immediately park the bus.

[SG90]

So we are all agree that the starting selection was to everyone's liking.

But wait it has not resulted in any goals
Farke has really screwed up.

But wait he will try and rectify it with sub's, but they don't work either.
Farke has screwed up again.

You seem to think that everything I ever did was wrong
I should've known it all along
Oh darlin', there ain't no pleasing you

Farke screwed it up by making those 3 subs, that I, no one on here and no one in the ground asked for. If you're bringing on Bamfraud for a goal, then you really are not a clued up coach imo!

[SG90]

Considering they are both in the Championships best XI and Cry ,the best of the lot ,seems like a reasonable tactic.
Isn't it ?

But then when it's clearly not workjng, as sides stick 3/4 players on them, then what? Gnonto is just as good as Summerville. It's just because Farke didn't play him for half the season, or he'd have the same goal tally.

[whiteswan]

I wasn’t even pissed off on sat, just switched the tv off in resignation as it was all so dam predictable- I said it on the other thread once Leicester lost that we wouldn’t capitalise on their result and so it proved - Leeds isn’t an easy club to play for, we have years worth of teams failing to achieve what they should that backs this up - look at Revie’s team, should of won far more than it did

Dodgy refereeing and dodgy schedules put paid to that great team not winning more trophies. Not sour grapes - fact!

[Sean_Nile]

Farke screwed it up by making those 3 subs, that I, no one on here and no one in the ground asked for. If you're bringing on Bamfraud for a goal, then you really are not a clued up coach imo!

Yeah you are right a coach that is not clued up could never claw back a 17 point deficit... What could I be thinking?

[Cjay]

Should mention Jimmy, Georgie, Amps and Archie, congratulations to all 4.

The big issue is we are so predictable ?

It must be common knowledge now that we focus almost exclusively down the left, our midfield pushes the same side and we have very limited threat down the right or with runners from midfield.

The Blackburn heatmap shows it, it's almost a blob down the entire left side (there right).

The frustrating part is 2 of our attackers were taking up positions in the space near the right.

Gnonto and Piroe (for all the criticism he is exactly where the space was as the heatmap shows).

But they weren't used, so Gnonto has to come even more central and Piroe deeper.

And then there is still space, piles of it on the right for Roberts, but he stopped according to his heatmap about half way in the opponent's half and barely received the ball (was noticeable how mucch more defensive he was than Firpo) , that was his most used position.

This obsession with focusing our attacks down 1 side is almost as maddening as the Marsch central of the pitch crap.

It's absolutely infuriating, it wouldn't take much to exploit it.

A quick switch from Ampadu towards Roberts whose got Gnonto and Piroe near by and Blackburn pushed to the opposite side.

Or some sharp 1 touch passes.

But no, plod plod plod, and pass to Jimmy and Georgie who are absolutely surrounded so lose the ball or pass back then repeat.

No team attacks down the left more or the right less, those are the statistical facts of this league this season.

We also play the least long balls.

So whilst we can criticise the players a large part of our issue is the tactics and maybe just maybe an inability or unwillingness to switch it up costs us.

[Wes Lee Street]

Let me have a go.
Don't forget - I am much closer to the action than most contributors.
And my view is at pitch level.
(This may change soon).

Farke gave Rutter a free reign (to be brilliant) and that is how we clawed back a 17 point gap.

Tiredness and injury should have been anticipated. (We started the season with 3 Wales Internationals, and that became 4). Farke could have anticipated that by giving Cresswell every possible minute in selected games. If Cresswell is the solid/competent defender I think he is, imagine how many problems that could have solved. That error could be season defining.

How would you define what Kieran McKenna has done this season? I would say that his work is defined by his judicious use of every single player in his first team squad.

[1964white]

Dodgy refereeing and dodgy schedules put paid to that great team not winning more trophies. Not sour grapes - fact!

True Swannie, robbed of at least four trophies