Leeds (H) | Pre-Match Thread

[BamberBridgeBlue]

I don't give a shit about this game
Just beat Dortmund

Always hard to say that but I know exactly what you mean. I’m in the camp that says we don’t need to get another point to win the league (not a theory I would like to test though).
We have five fixtures this month. Play a weakened team against Leeds and Villa in the League. Always hated Leeds and have a new found hate for Villa since the introduction to their scummy fans at the Cup Final. But nobody will remember if we won or lost against those two when the medals are being handed out. The cup games are the focus now.

 

[balotellishaircut]

Always hard to say that but I know exactly what you mean. I’m in the camp that says we don’t need to get another point to win the league (not a theory I would like to test though).
We have five fixtures this month. Play a weakened team against Leeds and Villa in the League. Always hated Leeds and have a new found hate for Villa since the introduction to their scummy fans at the Cup Final. But nobody will remember if we won or lost against those two when the medals are being handed out. The cup games are the focus now.

So we lose to Leeds n Villa, the rags win the game in hand and the other two, and it’s down to 5 points with 5 games to play.

Not a fucking chance will Pep play Russian roulette like this, believe it or not, the fucking league hasn’t been won yet.

 

[dickie davies]

With Dortmund in mind, this is the team I'd select and I'd be wanting the team to totally dominate possession
No huff and puff basketball end to end
This team is almost a 2-4-4

......................Stefan
Cancelo..Stones..Laporte..Zinchenko
Mahrez.....Gundogan....Bernardo...Torres
................ Aguero.....Jesus

Vs Dortmund, I'd select a team to play on the break

.......................Ederson
Walker.......Stones....Dias......Mendy
.............Rodri............Fernandinho
.......................KDB
Sterling..........Jesus...........Foden

 

[BamberBridgeBlue]

So we lose to Leeds n Villa, the rags win the game in hand and the other two, and it’s down to 5 points with 5 games to play.

Not a fucking chance will Pep play Russian roulette like this, believe it or not, the fucking league hasn’t been won yet.

We have another five fixtures to get say six points, unless you think United will win every remaining fixture?

Actually, when I think about the refereeing decisions, you could be right.

 

[Len Rum]

Please rest Dias and KDB

I see it like this:

Ederson
Cancelo
Stones
Laporte
Zinchenko/Mendy
Ferna
Bernardo
Gundo
Sterling
Aguero
Jesus

Agree with this selection which is a strong side (and of course rests Foden as well).

 

[MAG]

I think everyone is saying Dortmund is more important than Leeds ... yes true ... but why Leeds is even less important is because of Chelsea after Dortmund ...

We need to look at three (or even four) games in every block together and not two games at a time to just decide which of the two is more important ... Pep has said it many a times and it's true that one player can play two games in a row over a span of 3-4 days but asking the same player to perform at the same high level in three games over 7-9 days or 4 games in 10-12 days is running him to ground and while he may physically be able to play it ... mental fatigue could effect in decision making on the pitch ...

So let's look at what's ahead (I just updated the Fixtures Calendar thread) ... will paste it below:



If you look at who all played against Dortmund already (and some played against Leicester as well) ... next is Leeds but after Leeds you can't just look at Dortmund alone, it's Chelsea three days later ... so expecting say KDB to play those two ahead and having already played Dortmund once ... I guess he's sitting Leeds out ...

Same next week Villa will have to be second string ... whatever you may think of the title race, because the main players would have played two big games in a row and then following Villa is Spurs in the Final and followed by the CL Semi Final ...

I think we'll have no choice but to play second-string or out-of-form or not-in-favour-at-present (whatever you want to call them) in the next three league games against Leeds, Villa and Palace ... yes we might end up dropping points but we have far bigger fish to fry around them and they all are coming in twos so making it impossible to just keep playing KDB or Gundo or Foden etc.

But let's be frank, if the second string are Aguero, Sterling, Torres, Ferna, Laporte, Ake and co. then it's not too shabby and they should all be good enough to see through the likes of Leeds, Villa and Palace ... and also be motivated enough to get in form and into the bigger games at this end of the season.

Sorry but looking at overall April, Leeds is a nothing game ... same as Villa will be in two weeks time!

 

[Shirley]

I think everyone is saying Dortmund is more important than Leeds ... yes true ... but why Leeds is even less important is because of Chelsea after Dortmund ...

We need to look at three (or even four) games in every block together and not two games at a time to just decide which of the two is more important ... Pep has said it many a times and it's true that one player can play two games in a row over a span of 3-4 days but asking the same player to perform at the same high level in three games over 7-9 days or 4 games in 10-12 days is running him to ground and while he may physically be able to play it ... mental fatigue could effect in decision making on the pitch ...

So let's look at what's ahead (I just updated the Fixtures Calendar thread) ... will paste it below:

View attachment 13883

If you look at who all played against Dortmund already (and some played against Leicester as well) ... next is Leeds but after Leeds you can't just look at Dortmund alone, it's Chelsea three days later ... so expecting say KDB to play those two ahead and having already played Dortmund once ... I guess he's sitting Leeds out ...

Same next week Villa will have to be second string ... whatever you may think of the title race, because the main players would have played two big games in a row and then following Villa is Spurs in the Final and followed by the CL Semi Final ...

I think we'll have no choice but to play second-string or out-of-form or not-in-favour-at-present (whatever you want to call them) in the next three league games against Leeds, Villa and Palace ... yes we might end up dropping points but we have far bigger fish to fry around them and they all are coming in twos so making it impossible to just keep playing KDB or Gundo or Foden etc.

But let's be frank, if the second string are Aguero, Sterling, Torres, Ferna, Laporte, Ake and co. then it's not too shabby and they should all be good enough to see through the likes of Leeds, Villa and Palace ... and also be motivated enough to get in form and into the bigger games at this end of the season.

Sorry but looking at overall April, Leeds is a nothing game ... same as Villa will be in two weeks time!

Hi Frank ;)

 

[Didsbury Dave]

So we lose to Leeds n Villa, the rags win the game in hand and the other two, and it’s down to 5 points with 5 games to play.

Not a fucking chance will Pep play Russian roulette like this, believe it or not, the fucking league hasn’t been won yet.

I spent all of last week arguing against your point in the pre-match thread and was proved right. The league games are the lowest priority now because we can afford to lose several. Saturday's team, just like last Saturday's, will be weakened and anybody deemed to need rest before Tuesday will get it - KDB, Gundo, Bernado, Foden etc.

Pep has been prioritising the cups for a number of weeks and will continue to do it for the rest of the season. He will NOT risk losing the Dortmund game over what is effectively a meaningless game against Leeds. It isn't "Russian Roulette", it's good management. In the (almost impossible) scenario that we lost 2-3 league games on the bounce then he will stop doing it but it won't happen.

 

[Ric]

Think we'll line-up something like this:

Ederson
Cancelo
Stones
Laporte
Mendy
Fernandinho
Rodri
Foden
Sterling
Jesus
Aguero

 

[FantasyIreland]

I spent all of last week arguing against your point in the pre-match thread and was proved right. The league games are the lowest priority now because we can afford to lose several. Saturday's team, just like last Saturday's, will be weakened and anybody deemed to need rest before Tuesday will get it - KDB, Gundo, Bernado, Foden etc.

Pep has been prioritising the cups for a number of weeks and will continue to do it for the rest of the season. He will NOT risk losing the Dortmund game over what is effectively a meaningless game against Leeds. It isn't "Russian Roulette", it's good management. In the (almost impossible) scenario that we lost 2-3 league games on the bounce then he will stop doing it but it won't happen.

Spot on,he's gonna throw everything at the Champs league (hopefully) so i will not be at all surprised,and expect,to see our 'fringe' players on Saturday.

If we are to achieve this Quad,its the only way.