Leeds United (A) Post Match Thread

[Benarbia’s Backheel]

Bielsa said yesterday that Pep Guardiola ruined football, because he's so good and he had so much success that teams resorted to horrendous football in order to counter people adopting Pep's tacitcs.

I'm not sure if that's 100% true or just Bielsa going over the top in complimenting his friend, but I'm really starting to think Pep has ruined the Manchester City fan base.

I know that the Match thread and twitter are not necessarily 100% accurate portrayals of the fanbase but I seriously don't think many people on here actually enjoy football anymore. The levels of anger and angst that starts when the team sheet is announced and doesn't disappear unless we are 4-0 up is just unbearable.

Both our strikers are injured! Someone's going to have to play out of position. I've not been Mahrez's biggest fan over the 3 years he's been here but fucking hell guys he's not shit, he doesn't need to "Go back to North Africa" FFS because he didn't hold the ball up. He put a massive shift in, was the first one legging it back to defend just before he came off. The players pressed like lunatics in the first 30 minutes and maybe we're not fit enough to do that for the whole game yet because we had no preseason, but it showed the players are committed to Pep's football 100%.

We had it exceptionally easy for a couple of seasons, 198 points has never been done before, and won't be done again, but even in that centurions season we dropped points in 1/6 games. We had long spells where we weren't winning games. I don't remember there being so much animosity towards the players and Pep, I don't remember this sense of entitlement to an easy win and anything else is a travesty requiring players lined up against the wall or Pep getting replaced.

Leeds were really good. We saw that when the (apparently on a compeltely different plane to us) Liverpool side conceded 3 and could have conceded many more. BIelsa is an exceptional coach, Leeds will finish in the top 10 and take a few more scalps. They will take away all structure from the game and make it end to end madness against a lot of teams.

Unfortunately, in an absolute downpour, Ederson, who was excellent mostly, made 3 or 4 great saves and was the 2nd best keeper in the league at claiming crosses and corners last season made a mistake. They scored, we dropped a couple of points, it happens. Sterling should have ended the game, that's annoying but he is what he is, he helps us out a lot more than he hurts us.

Pep isn't upset post match, he's laughing and smiling. He wants the title more than anyone posting on here, he works harder for Manchester City than anyone, and he knows with 6 players out, against a really good side, no preseason, in an insane condensed season, sometimes you're going to drop a couple of points.

I'm not sure how to make this a more succinct point, but I just think quite a lot of our fans just need to fucking relax and stop living with this mindset where we have to win every single game we play while looking world class from 1-11 and having put the game to bed inside half an hour.

I'm sure the usual brigade will turn up and tell me to fuck off for being a happy clapper, but christ, in 2020, with a pandemic keeping us cooped up, if you're frothing at the mouth with anger from the line up being released on twitter to the full time whistle then I'm not sure what the point is.

I wish I could be so happy after watching that, I really do! The fact is though, Liverpool are bereft going to drop any points, so if this form continues for another 3 - 4 games then the league’s over before it’s really begun.

 

[bluethrunthru]

Kompany was here when we had relatively poor seasons in 2012-13, 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 and did little to get us near the title in those seasons. He also made a fucking shit load of mistakes in his time with us.

A great player, a great leader, we obviously do miss him in some respects, but our major problems are not from missing Kompany.

Our number one issue is our finishing. But nobody seems to be taking about our number two issue at the moment which is our forwards and attacking mids giving the ball away and not winning it back up high.

Our defenders and defensive issues are well down the list for me.

I wasn't really meaning defending I was more on about presence and leadership - the manager can drum the gameplan into the players but what Vinnie did was impose himself on the team and the game - he was a leader on the pitch that we just don't have now which is why I also said I am not sure they are easy to come by.

 

[Akpowell]

The one year FFP is down and we don't sign a long needed striker. After which we play Sterling false 9 which has never worked well (except against shit clubs like Burnley). I really would've preferred a 17 year old Delap over a winger playing out of position but it's our preseason so it's ok.

View attachment 3313

Take note pep

Long season, Throw in covid also. I won’t give up that easy. City never do it easy so around December we should know if it’s possible or not.

Come December we'll be well out of it

 

[MOSTONBLUE0000]

miss that city which walked without a fk given over any team. Where’s that now we were Wnk today bar the first 20/25 mins
positives dias look assured Rodri was better than his leicester performance and ederson pulled off some worldies apart from his mistake

 

[Benarbia’s Backheel]

Aw bless. Are you ok flower?

I’m very well thank you :)

 

[paulchapo]

What has to happen for Manchester City to be awarded a fucking penalty?

It's absolutely scandalous that VAR continues to fuck us over.

Admittedly, we didn’t exactly cover ourselves in glory, but the fouls on both Raheem and Bernardo should have Dean pointing to the spot.

Mrs Vienna has been saying for years that officials should have explain their decisions post-match, not hide behind an apparent veil of secrecy

Nipped out for some last minute shopping after the game and even a rag in the shop said we should have had at least one penalty.

 

[Chippy_boy]

Take note pep

Come November we'll be well out of it

 

[Cotontoquinn]

Totally agree, once the pressure is on we are fucked, Ridri just hasn't got the quality to go fetch & carry even start the fast counter.

He looks fucked at time even tonight he was like watching your dad run in a junior school parents race

Don't get me started on Mendy the guy is a joke

We have big problems & the manager has his head on the attacking part of the game forgetting about the hard dirty deffending part of the game

Same old City

Good start get in front miss 2-3 great chances then stop the press, panic & pick the ball out ofvthe net

We then end up chasing the game hence we never give up but for me the giving up has already happened in the middle part of the game

If we dont sort the LB out we aint getting top 4 nevermind thinking winning it

We can all see it. Utter crap compared to the previous standards set. We now have no pace, energy or defenders that can defend or strikers that can hit a barn door. Still garbage corners. WTF do this lot do in training?? Mendy and Mahrez amongst worst MCFC signings ever. It is embarrassing Pep.

 

[Withnail]

Pale shadow of the recent title winning sides. Same old story started really well in the 1st half, very dominant but wasteful in front of goal. Second half lacking energy, no intensity and Ederson kept us in it, albeit we had a let surge in the last 15 mins when we should have won it.

Definite penalty for the challenge on Sterling. The performance wasn't good enough and we desperately need Jesus and Aguero back soon. Mahrez is woeful at the moment and Pep needs to drop him and put Bernardo back in the team.

Mendy looked vulnerable again and Rodri's lack of pace is very apparent.

 

[oasisband909]

has the feeling of Pellegrini’s last 2 seasons. throwing money at it but not paying off on the pitch.

I dont think Foden is a central midfielder, he doesnt have enough defensive nous yet. either play him right wing or not at all.

Mahrez and Sterling kick up the arse - flopping about today and complaining about fouls all the time.

Having said that the players looked exhausted second half; ridiculous to play sommany of them midweek we should have done what other sides do and rest literally everyone, i think it cost us today.