Marching On Together

Good Morning. It's Monday 5th May, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road...


Do Leeds need another striker

Patrick Bamford has not found the back of the net since mid March, and although the 27 year old has netted an impressive 14 goals in his first top flight (full) season, 10 of those came from the first fifteen games of the season. Nobody can fault Bamford's efforts. In fact, he is one of the hardest workers in the top flight. Whether his supply route gets blocked, or gets crowded out in the penalty box, his effectiveness is starting to drop. What has also become apparent recently, is lack of support up front. We have become used to watching Leeds attacking en mass - over the last few games, we have not seen this!

Leeds have produced 708 crosses (into the box) this term. This can only be bettered by Liverpool (753). The accuracy of Leeds crosses is 21%. This may seem low, but it is higher than Liverpool and Manchester City. Bamford had fifteen touches of the ball against Brighton, before he was substituted on the hour mark. Would you like to see Leeds play with two forwards? (I'm not counting Rodrigo. By his own account, he is not an out and out goal scorer).





Aguero linked to ER move again

Sergio Aguero has once again been mentioned in the tabloids, regarding a move across the Pennines. The record breaking forward turns 33 in the Summer. As there would be no fee to pay, should Leeds break their salary banding to bring the Argentine to Elland Road? Would Aguero be able to keep up with Bielsa's fitness regimes?





Will the youngsters be given an opportunity to shine?

Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood have both turned on the style for the U23's! Can they make the step up? Will they be given the opportunity to step up?

There is so much young talent at Thorp Arch, but will they ever get a chance to impress on the biggest stage of them all - Elland Road? We have learnt over the last 24 hours that Mateusz Bogusz (currently on loan at UD Logroñés) will spend next season at Legia Warsaw, and have an option to buy the 19yo. He was considered one of Leeds most exciting prospects, only 18 months ago.

Check out 16 year old Ronnie McGrath. He broke into the Leeds u18's when just 15. He has recently completed the MOTD skills challenge. See how he got on:- https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/56946979





Orta monitoring Dutch ace

The Telegraph have reported that Victor Orta is monitoring the progress of versatile forward Noa Lang. The Dutch U21 International has come through the ranks at Ajax, and is currently on loan at Club Brugge. He has netted sixteen times this term, and recorded ten assists. Lang can play anywhere across the forward line. At the tender age of 21, he has a big future ahead of him!

"We have become used to watching Leeds attacking en mass - over the last few games, we have not seen this!"

This is true. I'm just wondering if it's because those last few games (Brighton aside), were against sides we were wary of, and we altered our style to cope with them. Yes, against Brighton, our style should have reverted back but it didn't. I suspect that either the team were still in the defensive groove, or perhaps the rigours of the last two seasons are finally catching up with some of them.

Do Leeds need another striker:

YES YES AND YES. You could argue if Rodrigo doesn't start justifying his price tag we could do with 2 more. That's why £5m for Toney would have been worth the gamble, infact we could have got 5 Toney's for the price of Rodrigo and i'm sure one of them would have come good.

Aguero linked to ER move again:

Maybe there is a reason he is not wanted at Citeh? Nudge from the Physios maybe? When Pep first went to Citeh he had to change his game and do more of the less glamourous stuff which he did tbf to him. In his mind i think he always just wanted to put the ball in the net which he does better than most. I am not sure he would like to do Bam Bam's running but I'm convinced we would have a better conversion rate. Aguero has been one of the best in the world and i would think as a minimum he will want CL football or go back home to his boyhood club.

U23's

It all depends on how much the club spend in the summer. We all have our favourites but are they good enough? At the start of this season Shacks was the bees with some fans yet we have barley seen him, if anything he has gone backwards with only Struijk making a real impact. The obvious one for me is Joe (90 goals) Gelhardt.

I can’t remember a single game since Bielsa arrived where we’ve played with 2 strikers. Roberts is playing as a forward at the moment but he plays behind the striker, as Pablo used to do and as, I suppose, Rodrigo would if he was fully up to speed and playing regularly (still not convinced that he’s a £30m player). So if Aguero came (because of his potential wage demands I hope not) he would be sharing striking duties with Bamford but not playing at the same time.

I’d like to see Gelhardt and Greenwood given a go and if they work out there’s no need to bother with Aguero.

Well done Ronnie McGrath.

Noa Lang is probably the right age.

Of course we do. How can we just rely on Bamford? What happens if he gets injured or loses form or gets tired? Roberts is not good enough. Hopefully we sign Aguero, wanted Cavani in the summer.

I see Gelhardt more as a number 10 than an out and out striker and I'm convinced he's good enough to make the first team next season.
If we do buy another striker it will probably mean Greenwood will only be our third choice striker.
MB had the perfect opportunity to give Summerville a run against Manure after Harrison had been subbed and Costa got injured but it didn't happen so unless one of our wingers is sold his chances seem limited at the moment.
As with all the U23's, their chance to impress will be pre season.

Leeds1000 wrote: ↑Wed May 05, 2021 8:42 am Do Leeds need another striker:

YES YES AND YES. You could argue if Rodrigo doesn't start justifying his price tag we could do with 2 more. That's why £5m for Toney would have been worth the gamble, infact we could have got 5 Toney's for the price of Rodrigo and i'm sure one of them would have come good.

Aguero linked to ER move again:

Maybe there is a reason he is not wanted at Citeh? Nudge from the Physios maybe? When Pep first went to Citeh he had to change his game and do more of the less glamourous stuff which he did tbf to him. In his mind i think he always just wanted to put the ball in the net which he does better than most. I am not sure he would like to do Bam Bam's running but I'm convinced we would have a better conversion rate. Aguero has been one of the best in the world and i would think as a minimum he will want CL football or go back home to his boyhood club.

U23's

It all depends on how much the club spend in the summer. We all have our favourites but are they good enough? At the start of this season Shacks was the bees with some fans yet we have barley seen him, if anything he has gone backwards with only Struijk making a real impact. The obvious one for me is Joe (90 goals) Gelhardt.

If only. I reckon Tomey will be 20m plus

Yes, we absolutely do need another more clinical striker, as our lack of firepower has really been evident in the past few games. Rodrigo is not an orthodox striker and Bamford has gone off the boil a little bit. It is pretty absurd that we don't have adequate cover in that area. Ideally, I would love to see Gelhardt and Greenwood promoted from within. However with MB, that transition could be quite a long process, so we will need to go external. Another essential component is to bring in a creative midfielder, as without Raph and Philips, we look completely devoid of ideas.

No point bringing in a striker if he continues to feed on scraps.
Amf is priority now.

Left back and attacking midfielder more pressing than a striker, though all three would be the ideal scenario. Bielsa must know how well the two young Gs have been doing in the U23s, will be interesting to see if either get any game time before the season ends. One or both could save us a sizeable chunk of change but they have to convince the boss they're ready to step up.

Irish Ian wrote: ↑Wed May 05, 2021 10:07 am No point bringing in a striker if he continues to feed on scraps.
Amf is priority now.

That is what happened to Billy Sharp.

He had nothing to feed off. When he went to the Blades, he was on fire......

lufc1304 wrote: ↑Wed May 05, 2021 10:13 am Left back and attacking midfielder more pressing than a striker, though all three would be the ideal scenario. Bielsa must know how well the two young Gs have been doing in the U23s, will be interesting to see if either get any game time before the season ends. One or both could save us a sizeable chunk of change but they have to convince the boss they're ready to step up.

Doers this spell the end for Huggins and Davis?

Two very promising left backs?

Ellandback1 wrote: ↑Wed May 05, 2021 10:37 am Doers this spell the end for Huggins and Davis?

Two very promising left backs?

Short answer is I think it may do, at least for Davis. He has been lauded on here and elsewhere, but for whatever reason, Bielsa hasn't played him when we haven't a natural LB and all the reports are that we are looking for one. That would suggest MB doesn't think he's good enough, nor Huggins for that matter. Though I think Huggins will be allowed more time to break through.

Huggins is very good, if he ever gets 10 games to show it he'll take it.. Clever footballer, confident, good with ball at feet, can beat players and has an eye for a pass...Wing back again, not an out and out left back

Drameh is similar and will hopefully be Ayling's cover next season

Meslier - Caprile
Ayling - Drameh
New LWB - Huggins
Koch/Llorente
Cooper/Struijk
Phillips - New DMF (though personally I think Llorente looks a natural DMF in our system)
Dallas - Klich
New 10 - Rodrigo
Raphinha - Summerville
New LW (if we bring back Jack that's fine) - Costa
New Striker - Bamford

that's 22 then Geldherdt/Greenwood/Roberts as deep cover

Perm any 4 of the CB's to start. The DMF will have to be content with a bench spot while Dallas and Kalvin are playing well

Pretty much onside with Faaips line up... may not be popular with this but no SA for me, think it would cause more disruption than it is worth the risk is high, the reward questionable.

What about Shackleton?

Is his time up at ER?

I'm gutted for him. I really thought this would be his breakthrough season, especially how he finished last season....

If Shackleton can't get in ahead of Klich, who has lost it, and a league one plodder in Roberts, he might as well move on.

He's done fine when given an opportunity but rarely gets a chance to back it up.

Klich has burnt himself out - no doubt.

He's lost his aerobic ability - short sprints and change of pace

He's played in a harder role this term though, Pablo used to do his fair share of graft at number 10.

Rodrigo and Roberts rarely get back beyond the ball to help out...

Irish Ian wrote: ↑Wed May 05, 2021 10:07 am No point bringing in a striker if he continues to feed on scraps.
Amf is priority now.

This.

Bamford is still working every bit as hard as he was at the start of the season, but other teams have been paying much more attention to him of late. And why not? Who else threatens? In order to succeed in the EPL you have to have more than one significant goal-scoring threat on the pitch and we don't have that, especially with Raphinha sidelined.

An attacking midfielder is a very high priority.