The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Monday 26th October) Leeds reach top five

[Ellandback1]

Good Morning. It's Monday 26th October, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road...


Lethal Bamford blows Villa away

Patrick Bamford become just the 5th away player to ever score a hattrick at Villa Park on Friday evening as the Whites destroyed Aston Villa. Chances were few between during the first half. Rodrigo and Bamford both had half chances whilst the Whites were fortunate that Luke Ayling was in the right place at the right time to clear a goal line effort from Grealish. Leeds finally took the lead ten minutes into the second half. Rodrigo's effort was parried by Martinez, and Bamford was the quickest to react to smash the ball home from five yards.

Leeds number 9 doubled the lead 12 minutes later with a sublime strike from the edge of the box that any forward in the Premier League would have been proud of. His fairy tale evening was complete 16 minutes from time from a well worked corner. With his confidence sky high, Bamford was able to curl the ball past a helpless Martinez whilst being marked by four Villa defenders.

Bamford is the ninth Leeds player to score a Premier League hat-trick and the first since Mark Viduka away at Charlton in April 2003.

The sweet smell of success is even sweeter when its against Villa....

Post match reactions

Marcelo Bielsa, speaking to Match of the Day...

It was an important game for us and a deserved triumph. We scored first and were a little bit lucky they didn't score some of the chances they had. We were playing well even before the goal and had played well enough to go ahead. Very happy for Patrick because he scored some wonderful goals. Apart from that [he is] a noble player who sacrifices a lot for the team - generous also. I think his development is more to do with him and less to do with me.

Dean Smith, speaking to Match of the Day...

Very frustrated, especially with the last 40 minutes. I thought the first half was very even. They scored the first goal and we got worse and they were very good. We probably got away with a 3-0 in the end with the chances they had. Who knows what would have happened if we had scored? That is the first time we have been behind in a game and we didn't handle it very well.

How high up the Premiership ladder could Leeds finish this season?

After what can only be called a whirlwind return to the Premiership, with the Whites bartering most of which comes within their sights, is it too early to start thinking about a first half finish?

Perhaps you're thinking higher? Where are Leeds weaknesses, and do they need addressing this season?

[1964white]

I predicted us to finish in 5th position from day one, I may have underestimated us

BB in her usual inimitable fashion tipped us to win the PL

[1964white]

I've watched the majority of the PL games & I have seen very little for us to fear

This weekend's football was a total anti-climax after our enthralling performance at Villa Park

[Leeds1000]

Morning People.

Its a Marathon not a Sprint. One game at a time and all the other clichés... I'm just loving being back in the PL and all the extra space that affords a fantastic footballing team like Leeds United.

I think attacking wise we have a abundance of riches. If God forbid Klich got injured along with KP then we may struggle? I think Marcelo has these boys that well drilled i think most of them could play anywhere in this team.

[WhiteRose]

No one can say leeds are not a breath of fresh air to this league I've watched most games this weekend and the majority especially man United vs chelsea have been painfully boring if that's a taster of a euro super league your welcome to it - football should be a game where you play to win not play not to lose.

What we need to hope for is teams continue to try and play us at our own game, we need that space to break in to. I never thought prem clubs would do it but maybe they will follow champ clubs, swallow their pride and sit deep knowing we will struggle to break them down - this is where Hernandez will come in to his own and why we should have signed a creative midfielder - 8th place this season.

[Fridge]

Would have bit your hand off at the start of the season to be in the position we are now.

I won't get carried away, but with all the other top teams off the boil, this seems a great year to be back in the PL. I think we can finish top half... comfortably

[Irish Ian]

Morning folks

We dropped out of a Chamipions League spot last night....

But lets not get carried away, because it wont be long before we go back to not enjoying the football again.

Im still expecting more nights like Wolves than Villa.

Mid table

[Chilli D]

I predicted 10th for us knowing full well that half the teams in the Prem were no better than our squad that won promotion. But now with the new signings we have more than enough to finish higher.
We'll need a bit of luck along the way with injuries etc but we only have the league and FA Cup to deal with so the players will get plenty of rest/recovery time.
I know I'm going to stop worrying about the bad days and just enjoy the ride.

[WestgateRun]

I'm not getting too carried away just yet. But I am happy we have got points on the board already.
Other teams will figure out ways of containing us, then hitting us on the break. Like Wolves did, last week.

[gessa]

Cautiously optimistic is how I feel, I think talk of European football is a little premature atm, it's only 6 games in, only 6 points separate the top 15 sides. I still think Liverpool will win it, ok they'll miss vvd but they have a strong squad and seem to have luck on their side. Fine margins in the game, we could have 2 more points and be unbeaten if Rodrigo hadn't given the soft penalty away, and Phillips unlucky deflection hadn't gone in but we could also be 3 points worse off, if it weren't for Ayling's wonderful goal line clearance on Friday , 1 down and it's a different game. At the start of the season I thought 10-12th was achievable now I'm thinking 8th- 10th. Anything around that is brilliant, anything above that would be sensational. 15 games in then we'll have a clearer picture.

[mothbanquet]

I predicted us to finish 8th I think, and honestly that was more looking at other teams and thinking how likely we'd be to beat them. And maybe a couple of bits of wishful thinking like Brighton going down, Scum to fall apart - both of which are on track with my projections right now. I think we'll have our customary dip past the midway point, but that said, without the interminable grind of the Championship and quality additions to the team, perhaps that won't be as pronounced as it's been the past couple of seasons.

Ultimately though, I'm sticking to me guns but won't be disappointed with worse and will absolutely be delighted with better - so long as we're ready to go another season in this league by the end then it's mission accomplished.

Our main weakness is simply the same one we'll always have to contend with - defence. But we're coping well, kept a couple of clean sheets and will only improve as time goes on. The only other thing is something that will only get better the longer we stay in the Prem - quality players to compete with top-half teams.

[Ratscoot]

Afternoon EB et all

As always I put a couple of quid on us winning the league, I've done this for the last 15 years and it's worked occasionally so I think I'll continue

I've also put a few quid on us been top 6 and I don't see any reason why we can't do that, especially after watching some of the dire games over the weekend.

However those dire games are the one's that worry me, the teams in the lower half of the league who will be scrapping around relegation, like WBA, Newcastle, Burnley, Ben Whites temporary team and the Scum etc plus a couple at the top will use these anti-football tactics against us to spoil our flow and the game to take points off of us, they will put 10 men behind the ball and hope to hit us on the break. They will break up play with fouls and falling over Grealish Style, they will be physical, use underhand tactics and pressure the ref.

The media at some point will turn on us as they do and they'll bring pundits on such as Agobshitelahor and Keith Andrews to tell the public (and listening referees) that we are shite, cheats and how we should be kicked out of the league.

They will do anything to disrupt our season mark my words

[1964white]

Afternoon EB et all

As always I put a couple of quid on us winning the league, I've done this for the last 15 years and it's worked occasionally so I think I'll continue

I've also put a few quid on us been top 6 and I don't see any reason why we can't do that, especially after watching some of the dire games over the weekend.

However those dire games are the one's that worry me, the teams in the lower half of the league who will be scrapping around relegation, like WBA, Newcastle, Burnley, Ben Whites temporary team and the Scum etc plus a couple at the top will use these anti-football tactics against us to spoil our flow and the game to take points off of us, they will put 10 men behind the ball and hope to hit us on the break. They will break up play with fouls and falling over Grealish Style, they will be physical, use underhand tactics and pressure the ref.

The media at some point will turn on us as they do and they'll bring pundits on such as Agobshitelahor and Keith Andrews to tell the public (and listening referees) that we are shite, cheats and how we should be kicked out of the league.

They will do anything to disrupt our season mark my words

Absolutely bang on Rat

[Smudge3920]

I think, if memory serve's I predicted 13th...however that was to a specific question... My main focus is 40pts ASAP... once we have that I will speculate how high we can go...It is early doors yet, someone already mentioned (gessa methinks?) only 6 pts seperate top 15, long way to go yet...Feeling confident right now?..Oh yes!

[WhiteRose]

Its particularly good how well we started when we look at fulham and west brom, am I the only one who wants them to lose every week? I have nothing against them just want to keep the points cushion growing cant see either getting near 40 points which makes our survival job easier - not that I think there is a danger of us going down but it has to be the top priority

[1964white]

Its particularly good how well we started when we look at fulham and west brom, am I the only one who wants them to lose every week? I have nothing against them just want to keep the points cushion growing cant see either getting near 40 points which makes our survival job easier - not that I think there is a danger of us going down but it has to be the top priority

I saw enough of Fulham & West Brom in the championship last season to suggest their tenure in the PL would be short-lived, we were a million miles ahead of the rest & in the final table that was proven with a ten point gap between the baggies & us, 12 points ahead of Fulham & Brentford, 20 points clear of 4th place Cardiff

[WhiteRose]

I saw enough of Fulham & West Brom in the championship last season to suggest their tenure in the PL would be short-lived, we were a million miles ahead of the rest & in the final table that was proven with a ten point gap between the baggies & us, 12 points ahead of Fulham & Brentford, 20 points clear of 4th place Cardiff

Yeah particularly fulham, they would of been better off staying in the champ another year.

[Byebyegeegee]

Afternoon EB et all

As always I put a couple of quid on us winning the league, I've done this for the last 15 years and it's worked occasionally so I think I'll continue

I've also put a few quid on us been top 6 and I don't see any reason why we can't do that, especially after watching some of the dire games over the weekend.

However those dire games are the one's that worry me, the teams in the lower half of the league who will be scrapping around relegation, like WBA, Newcastle, Burnley, Ben Whites temporary team and the Scum etc plus a couple at the top will use these anti-football tactics against us to spoil our flow and the game to take points off of us, they will put 10 men behind the ball and hope to hit us on the break. They will break up play with fouls and falling over Grealish Style, they will be physical, use underhand tactics and pressure the ref.

The media at some point will turn on us as they do and they'll bring pundits on such as Agobshitelahor and Keith Andrews to tell the public (and listening referees) that we are shite, cheats and how we should be kicked out of the league.

They will do anything to disrupt our season mark my words

As Bosnich suggested, because of our scintillating style of football, we are quickly becoming “everybody's 2nd team”. But like you Rats, I’m not getting fooled by that because as soon as we start really threatening the status quo, just like we did under Revie in the 60s and 70s, the football establishment and London based media will turn on us very quickly and try, by any means possible (including bent and bias officials), to stop us in our tracks.

That is for the future though, so just at the moment I’m revelling in the plaudits and enjoying everything connected with this wonderful football club.

[Irish Ian]

.
I know I'm going to stop worrying about the bad days and just enjoy the ride.

Wouldn't it be great if we have a season like that? Maybe a wee run in the cup as well.

[Cjay]

I hope for top 6 and would be happy with top 10 but i wouldn't consider 11th and below a successful season.

I dont think a below top 10 finish should ever be considered successful, its such a negative mindset so i aim high.

Its such an unpredictable season with the lack of crowds anything can happen and if we could break this top 6 myth id be delighted.

I think if we finish top 10 playing the way we play id consider that the biggest success for a newly promoted club, better than Wolves and Blades because they were more defensive which is safer.

Ultimately we have to survive but cant say just surviving would make me happy so top 10 for me with hope of top 6.