Marching On Together

Saturday 10th April 12.30pm | Etihad Stadium


Leeds face Champions elect Manchester City for a Saturday lunchtime kick off at the Etihad Stadium. City are 14 points clear of second place (the red side of Manchester) on 74 points, 32 points more than Leeds in 11th place. City Manager Pep Guardiola has admitted that he plans to rotate his squad this weekend as his team target four pieces of silverware this term. Guardiola said...

They are human beings, they are not machines. I know the players, some of them are upset all the time because they want to play every day but this is not possible. To compete in all competitions in this year without spectators, in the shortest competition ever, (if) you don’t rotate you don’t compete in all competitions and you will not be in the position we are in now.

Of course they could play, they have an incredible mentality but they need rest. UEFA and FIFA killed the players because it’s too much. We haven’t had one midweek off since we started, not even one. There is no player who can sustain (this), not just physically but mentally to be ready every day to compete against opponents to win the game. It’s impossible.

I rotate I’m a genius, ‘well done Pep’ but when we lose and I rotate people say ‘why rotate? You have to play the players like normal’. But it’s unsustainable. The next game we are going to play fresh legs and against Leeds, more than ever, fresh legs.

Leeds have one fresh injury concern, Rodrigo is not in the squad having picked up a minor injury. Jack Harrison is obviously not allowed to play against his parent club and Helder Costa will start his tenth game of the season wing instead. Bielsa has the luxury of having centre backs Struijk, Llorente, Cooper and Koch fully fit but will stick with the pairing of Cooper and Llorente who started against Sheffield United. Manchester City have no fresh injury concerns following their 2-1 midweek win against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League Quarter final first leg. Sergio Aguero, Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling - on the bench for the midweek Champions League game against Borussia Dortmund - are among those that could come into the starting eleven.

Earlier in the season the two sides contested a one all draw in a highly entertaining game at Elland Road. Leeds enjoyed 52% possession in the 1-1 draw with Man City earlier this season - no team has ever had more possession in both top-flight league meetings in a season with a side managed by Pep Guardiola across his spells with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Man City. Manchester City host Leeds for a match for the first time since February 2013, a 4-0 win in the FA Cup. In the Premier League, the sides have only met at the Etihad once, a 1-1 draw in December 2003.


Leeds Starting XI
Meslier, Alioski, Cooper, Llorente, Ayling, Phillips, Dallas, Raphinha, Roberts, Ciosta, Bamford

Subs: Casilla, Kochm Berardi, Struijk, Shackleton, Klich, Hernandez, Poveda, Gelhardt

Goes without saying that in their current form getting anything is a tall order for any team. I just hope we hit the top of our game in every area and see what it brings.

If we catch them on an off day we have half a chance. The trouble is, they don't have many off days.

Instinctively i thought anything under 3 conceded goals is a good result. That first 20/25 mins against City was the best football i've witnessed this season. The gulf in class was evident, but after that we showed our own qualities and performed really admirably for the draw.

It would be a brave man to back us to win the match but we all know if we take our chances we can be a match for any team on our day. We are talking about one of the best teams in world football at the moment so i'm sure the lads will be right at the top of their game but i still see us walking the plank and ultimately being fed to the sharks.

I fear the score for this one will need two hands to count but it's not one to be getting stressed about as it's no shame to be beaten well by Man City. We stand a small chance due to them having one eye on the CL 2nd leg; that away goal by Dortmund was handy for them to take the 2ng leg seriously and given the gap MC have over 2nd place in the Premier League.

Ultimately I'll be well happy if our lads are up for it and we just give a good account of ourselves even if we (in most probability) lose. Scum at home is the one to target a win in, and we could use Scum winning their Europa QF tie as they'll be playing in the SF 4 days after us.

I think we’ll get run over.

And there’ll be a media love in like there was after the Man Utd game because we’ll go toe to toe and keep grafting when the game is gone, right to the end.

These aren’t Chelsea, who we were able to contain for 90 minutes and grab a draw.

In the first game we did marvellously well to take a point off them, but they could have been out of sight after 10-15 minutes, and played without a striker.

However we have more than earned the luxury of being able to get turned over badly (potentially 3x) before getting a winnable run in to close the campaign.

A finish of three bad defeats followed by five wins wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest.

Meslier
Ayling
Lloremte
Struijk
Dallas
Phillips
Klich
Raphinha
Alioski
Thatcher
Bamford

wou;d be my 11 but

Cooper for Pascal again Alio at LB and Costa RW to start with Raph playing left is my guess at Bilesa's

faaip wrote: ↑Thu Apr 08, 2021 9:06 pm Meslier
Ayling
Lloremte
Struijk
Dallas
Phillips
Klich
Raphinha
Alioski
Thatcher
Bamford

wou;d be my 11 but

Cooper for Pascal again Alio at LB and Costa RW to start with Raph playing left is my guess at Bilesa's

Who is Thatcher?

Lumiukko wrote: ↑Thu Apr 08, 2021 6:32 pm I fear the score for this one will need two hands to count but it's not one to be getting stressed about as it's no shame to be beaten well by Man City. We stand a small chance due to them having one eye on the CL 2nd leg; that away goal by Dortmund was handy for them to take the 2ng leg seriously and given the gap MC have over 2nd place in the Premier League.

Ultimately I'll be well happy if our lads are up for it and we just give a good account of ourselves even if we (in most probability) lose Scum at home is the one to target a win in, and we could use Scum winning their Europa QF tie as they'll be playing in the SF 4 days after us.

That's all we can hope for Lumi

1964white wrote: ↑Thu Apr 08, 2021 9:20 pm Who is Thatcher?

It's code ..

faaip wrote: ↑Thu Apr 08, 2021 11:24 pmIt's code ..

Enigma code.

faaip wrote: ↑Thu Apr 08, 2021 11:24 pmIt's code ..

What! Code for Margaret? Dennis?

Oh I see Tyler!

Faaip, I think your “Bielsa’s 11” will be about right, the only difference from the last starting 11 being Costa for Harrison and switching wings with Raphinha.

We won't be thrashed.

Its a must win if we are to get anything out of this season

Sorry I'm a season too early please ignore previous comment

Ratscoot wrote: ↑Fri Apr 09, 2021 9:39 am Its a must win if we are to get anything out of this season

Sorry I'm a season too early please ignore previous comment

A nothing to lose game. Give Paddy a rest and play Rodrigo up front with Pablo at 10. Give Ayling a rest and play Berardi. I’d even take the opportunity to give KP a rest and give Koch a run at DM.

If we are up for it then this will be a goal fest or a boring nil nil, (Which I can not see happening ) Hoping for a 2-3 to Leeds though.

Early 12.30 kick off as well.

On Sky?

1964white wrote: ↑Thu Apr 08, 2021 9:20 pm Who is Thatcher?

The greatest PM this country has ever had.

Metro1962 wrote: ↑Fri Apr 09, 2021 12:39 pm If we are up for it then this will be a goal fest or a boring nil nil, (Which I can not see happening ) Hoping for a 2-3 to Leeds though.

Early 12.30 kick off as well.

On Sky?

Hi Metro it's on BT Sport or IPTV if you have access to it