Leeds travel down to Carrow Road on Sunday lunchtime in the worst form of their season, as they look to knock the Canaries of their perch, and book a place in the Championship play-off final. The Whites may have finished seventeen points ahead of their East Anglian opponents, and completed the double this season; but it will mean nothing unless they can get the better of them over the two legged play-off!
Their current form is abysmal. Four losses in the last six have seen the Whites plummet to 22nd in the form guide, just below Rotherham, who have a better goal difference! Buckling under pressure is nothing new for the Whites, but with Farke at the helm, it's not quite time to give up quite yet! Farke's tempestuous return to his old stamping ground (albeit as an opposition Manager) will have long lasting effects on both clubs, whichever way the game(s) goes! He won promotion twice with Norwich during his four year tenure. Could he now break the hearts of the fans who not so long ago idolised him?
Patrick Bamford will miss out again, the 30 year old striker is still suffering from a bruised knee he picked up at QPR nearly two weeks ago. It was hoped that he would return against Southampton, but decided not to bring him back too early. Georginio Rutter will start up front for Leeds with Archie Gray in the advanced midfield position. Daniel James will make the bench at Carrow Road on Sunday, it can take up to six weeks to recover from a costal cartilage (rib) injury, though the physio's are hopeful he can play some part in the play-offs! Pascal Struijk and Stuart Dallas will also miss out!
Norwich City will be without Ashley Barnes. The veteran striker has a calf injury which will rule him out of the play-offs! Onel Hernandez (broken foot and Liam Gibbs (thigh) are also out!
Last edited by Ellandback1 on Thu May 09, 2024 5:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Without Bamford and James we cannot win at Norwich. Bamford may not be scoring BUT he does bring others into the game
1. The other players are underperforming
2. Rutter gives the ball away far too often
3. We play a very different style without Bamford and sadly it just not work with the payers we have
4. we are playing away so we must not lose, DF must not pick Firpo as he cannot defend
5. We must use a formation that makes we do not lose 5-3-2
pjm2019 wrote: ↑Thu May 09, 2024 10:03 am
Without Bamford and James we cannot win at Norwich. Bamford may not be scoring BUT he does bring others into the game
1. The other players are underperforming
2. Rutter gives the ball away far too often
3. We play a very different style without Bamford and sadly it just not work with the payers we have
4. we are playing away so we must not lose, DF must not pick Firpo as he cannot defend
5. We must use a formation that makes we do not lose 5-3-2
We can win at Norwich, we’ve got the players, we’ve got the travelling fans & we’ve beaten them twice this season already. Can’t see the point in going defensive at Norwich, if we get a draw & Norwich then score first at ER it will quieten the crowd and unnerve the players even more. I’d rather we go for it in all three games ( hopefully ) and if we lose then we can say we tried rather than sleepwalking to another year in the Championship. If any players can’t get themselves up for a chance of promotion then I don’t want to see them in the shirt next season.
Farke's here - team news?
Daniel James is making good progress. He's coming closer and closer. Joined in with parts of team training. Tight rce, but has a chance. Depends on the next 48 hours. Could be he is an option. Not ready for 90, but an option to travel.
Patrick will definitely miss both legs. Seen a different knee consultant. New diagnosis: mini trauma in his patellar tendon.
Managed to instil some confidence?
No psychological games. Hard work on the training field. Win the confidence back with hard work. Success on the training pitch. Good positions on the training pitch. Reminding them step by step they do not need to do something different or special.
Narrative of this game
Young side. I trust my players. Not about me. Not about playing chess with the opponent's manager. In such a crunch game it's the players who decide things. Managers are there to support them and back them. Prepare them in the best possible way/. This game will not be won or lost by great decisions on the touchline. Totally up to the players.
We are not experienced, but I would not change one player. The winning mentality we have. When there is a special occasion, spotlight games, two times Leicester and Ipswich, won four times. More consistency on other days in the office would have done us better.
In spotlight games, this team is spot on
More about the players' mentality than the tactics?
Tactica are important. What we want to do with and without the ball. We work on this. We do not press a magic button and change our whole approach to park the bus or put the balls out of the stadium. That's not my team. We will try to be ourselves and control the game when it's necessary. Be active against the ball.,
Wins do not matter
Season does not matter now. New competition. Two wins against Norwich do not matter. New beginning. We had 46 games to earn the place in the play-offs. That's good, but new competition and have to concentrate on now rather than the past.
Felt trust wavering in recent weeks?
No. In general, trust is hard-earned and lost easily. Give it away too easy. Once you are disappointed after a loss or a poor result it is nothing to do with losing faith, it shows how much our fans care. We were all disappointed. After a loss we don't all want to hug, but we are not in bad moods. You have to show this if you care. Our fans care about this club.
Our lap of honour showed us they trust us and are behind us. We have more than 5,000 people with comments, there are 500,000 or 5,000,000 backing Leeds. You are more tempted to write a comment when you are in a bad mood. When you are happy at home with your missus you have less time to go and post a negative comment.
Build this game up for the players?
It's an important, spotlight game. You cannot hide this. The play-offs, do or die, make sure you are successful over two legs. They know it's a spotlight game and we do not hide away from this. We won't overdo anything. We had more days this week to prepare and concentrate on sharpening some details. Beneficial week on the training pitch. We will not overdo anything.
Don't want to hide it's a special game where it really counts. We have to be really on it. Focused on it.
Mental reset from last week to this?
Yes, because we knew over 46 games we were chasing. Nothing in your own hands. Last game day, we knew home game for Ipswich against relegated side, it was a tall order.
After first game you do not want win points, it's just half-time. For the right to play at Wembley it's over two legs. Quite normal you cannot compare it to a normal league game, it is quite similar tactically though and how we prepare for it.
Will Ferrell investment
We need each and every man. It's always good. A great actor. We are all happy he's on board, but I don't think it will help us score at Norwich. Says a lot about the calibre of this club. Many well-known supporters we are thankful for. Up to the players to win these games.
Norwich feel the pressure is on Leeds because of missing top two - is that something you have to relish?
I am not a believer in mind games. Every team wants to win. IF you win you are happy and if you lose you are not happy. Pressure on both teams. Both teams have earnt this right for a shot at promotion. Both sides want to do this. Don't think anyone down there is not willing to be promoted and stay in the Championship.
This is something for the pundits and media to discuss, but we want to earn the right to play at Wembley.
This game will be won by OUR PLAYERS standing up and showing what they are made off. They fecked it up in the last few games, and have to go out and show the fans what they are all about.
Whatever you may think of old red nose Sir Alex Ferguson, the legendary manager of Manchester United, was renowned for his mastery of psychological games to gain an edge over opponents. One of his tactics was to create a siege mentality within his team, instilling a sense of unity and resilience by portraying their club as constantly under attack from external forces, whether it be referees, the media, or rival teams. This fostered a strong bond among players and fueled their determination to prove doubters wrong. Farke does not believe in mind games he believes in hard work on the training ground.
Ferguson was also adept at employing mind games with rival managers, often through the media, to unsettle them and their teams. He would make provocative statements or criticisms to put pressure on opponents, knowing that the psychological impact could affect their performance on the pitch. By creating distractions and injecting doubt, he could disrupt the focus of opposing players and managers, giving his team a psychological advantage before a crucial match. Norwich are not adverse to calling Leeds "flaky"so they are willing to play mind games, just how many Leeds players are listening?
Another tactic Ferguson utilized was strategic timing in his team talks and press conferences. He knew when to praise or criticize his players publicly to motivate them or deflect attention away from weaknesses. By carefully managing the narrative surrounding his team, Ferguson could manipulate perceptions and control the psychological dynamics both within his squad and in the wider football community. Bielsa on the otherhand at his press conferences was criticised for releasing team news beforehand. Farke also gives a lot away by stating which players are injured and will not play.
Furthermore, Ferguson was a master of utilizing the history and tradition of Manchester United to inspire his players. He often reminded them of the club's illustrious past and the expectations that came with wearing the famous red shirt. By tapping into the pride and heritage of the club, Ferguson instilled a sense of responsibility and a desire to uphold its legacy, driving his players to perform at their best in crucial games. Just how many players have bought into the Leeds clubs history? Seems to me the vast majority are in a hurry to get away.
