Leeds (H) | Post Match Thread

[OB1]

I'm not sure why you are prepared to die on this hill, but that's up to you, I guess.

We were playing great, hitting teams for cricket scores, conceding just four, beating Real Madrid (deservedly) home and away.

Exactly the reason why it came as such a shock to everybody losing to Arsenal and Lyon in the way we did.

If anything, we were the outstanding team after the restart and Pep fucked up those two particular games by tinkering.

He's not beyond reproach and playing Garcia in both was what got us served our arses on a plate in the counter attacks.

We've simply been the league's best team since last season's restart; although we have improved thanks to changes Pep has made and Dias' arrival. We had a short "poor" period at the start of this season, maybe a bit of a hangover from the disappointment of those unexpected cup losses and the lack of pre-season. Still not sure why we were so poor v Arsenal. Lyon was also a bit of a funny one but yes Pep called some things wrong; however, just like yesterday, the players on show should have done better.

Pep needs to pick his best side for the very big games and ask them to do what they have been doing, although each game will need some specific tweaks but he needs to try and stick to the knitting and trust in his players and hope they do not let us all down.

 

[Zenmanc]

Just read this thread and some of the reactions are pathetic haha.

We rested 7/8 of our best players and got beat with a last min sucker punch in a game we could easily have won. Like spoilt little brats on here some of you if we don’t win comfortably.

Pep rightly was being questioned after the first 10 games of the season but to question him after this defeat is pathetic really.

In the grand scheme of things yesterday doesnt matter at all as the league is practically won anyway. Beat Dortmund next week and it’s a master stroke by Pep to rest them in this game.

And the last goal was offside.

 

[5 Hit Gibbon]

And the last goal was offside.

I blame Sterling for the ref not seeing that!

 

[chickaroon]

We had so much space in midfield when it was 11 against 11. Them going down to 10 stopped them attacking in numbers. Leeds are a very fit side and still had the legs and heart for breakaway.

 

[Cornish_Blue]

BBC saying an inspired defensive display by Leeds but it was anything but conceding 29 shots. Any of team with those stats would put 4-5 past them.

We lost because we have the same failings we have had for years, we cannot put chances away with poor decision making in the final third. Our strikers can only score if they are literally on the goal line to tap in and i have never seen a team so wasteful in front of goal as us. We have the ball most of the game and make so many chances we often take a few and win but we have dropped points when we are in total control but miss all our chances.

Do we practice finishing in training? Our weakness is finishing shows with our penalties, you are never confident of us scoring one. I was watching the EFL highlights last night and some of the finishing was fantastic, how can our team of international players be so awful at shooting.

And name another team that concedes as many goals as us from the only shots on target by the opposition. Again its nothing new, been happening for years, 1 shot 1 goal etc

Great analysis. We do spunk away chance after chance, some from literally a yard out. Pep must be exploding inside watching how wasteful we continually are. Yes, we do go on to win games, but, as you have said like yesterday, we concede with their minimal attacks.
Sterling was shocking yesterday and was like a rabbit in the headlights and awful with his choices in the last third. There is no doubt he’s was a fantastic player, but lately he’s been dreadful, running down blind alleys and failing to release the ball, which for a player of his calibre it’s awful to see. I don’t know what’s wrong with him, but trying to barter for a bigger wage when putting out these performances isn’t good. It’s not nice to see him fall so far from his dazzling performances, but he looks lost when going forward.
Will this loss matter?
Probably not in the grand scheme of things, but it did show up a few that looked like they were just coasting.
Pep knows what he’s doing and obviously thought that the team he selected was good enough, they just weren’t.
Possession, shots etc count for nothing if we can’t put the chances away and stop conceding when the opposition have 1 or two chances.
Will we win Wednesday? If we control the possession and ACTUALLY take our chances, we should.
I think this loss v Leeds will focus their minds and show that we are vulnerable.

 

[chickaroon]

Not the time to be offering him improved terms, he has to up his game big time and quickly.

Maybe, with Phil playing so well, its the first time Sterling has to plY for his place. Trying to impress is not suiting him.

 

[Bigga]

Leeds did. But surely you have noticed the danger from the left. With Ederson making a vital safe that wasn’t vital anymore when Leeds did score the 2nd.
And putting Ake, Mendy and out of position Zinchenko in a team that also contained Torres who hardly played the last few months, and Sterling who is totally out of form, with central defenders Stones and Ake who probably have played once together before this, it makes you can’t expect fluently play from the starting 11. As in you don’t take the fame too serious. As in how do you explain Pep studying Leeds for 20 hrs. Either he hasn’t. Or wants to show off vs Bielsa. Or fell asleep after 45 minutes. But it surely can’t explain the starting 11.

It's things like "out of position Zinchenko" that makes me not take you seriously at all. Zinny played his natural midfield position better than any time he's played as a LB all season, so let's put that to bed.

And that chance you talk about came from a counter attack when everyone pushed up. Explain to me who, other than Walker that doesn't play on the left, would have caught Rafinha?

It's a nonsense argument.

IF Pep has got this right, we lose this battle to win the overall war and I think he calculated for such based off the previous game against Leeds vs finishing off Dortmund for the semi-final.

 

[Bigga]

Playing slow or fast has nothing to do with Cancelo failing to defend totally innocuous situation twice in two seconds and the second goal actually came out as a result of playing too fast and not too slow, so we lost any semblance of a positional play.

Agreed and was a point I addressed if you read on.

 

[Paul1970]

Sterling is definitely off form but where's the evidence it is from an issue between him and Pep?

In relative terms is Mendy our worst signing ever? Lee Bradbury? Mangala? RSC? Bony?

Still say mendy more than the others

 

[ctwrd]

Ten men for 45 min and we lost. It is not good enough. The club set the high standards and did not live up to them yesterday. Look at Madrid for example, they beat Liverpool then played Barca and won.

One game is not making a hash of a title. If it happens over several games then that point could be made.