Leeds United (H) - Sat 6th May, 15:00 | Pre-Match Thread

[Indaparkside]

7-0 or 7-1 my prediction big fat Sam has given pep all the motivation he needs

 

[BlueMoonRisin’]

He won’t start imo but he will come on at some stage just to shake off any rust
His magic overcoat must have done the trick

Looks more like Kyle Walker's flasher coat.

 

[adelaideblue]

Many players don't have a great first season when joining us and having to adapt to new ways. And when you add in his injury and then almost zero playing time or chance to have a run of games and build his confidence, is it any wonder he's been flaky when he has played?

Phillips is a decent player and will be an excellent one next season.

yep his england form shows he's more than capable and can fit into our team given time

 

[jollylescott]

I missed the interview with BFS. Was he claiming to be on the same level as Pep, or better (Lol)?

 

[Kinkys Left Foot]

BFS will be busy trying to make their 5-5 formation tighter than a frogs arsehole. I'll take a 2-0 at a canter and move on. It won't be pretty but who cares. We have bigger fish to fry. Lets grab the 3 points and on to Madrid.

 

[Ric]

Presume we’ll see a fair bit of rotation with Madrid in mind. Think De Bruyne could start though to get his sharpness back. Maybe something like this?

Ederson
Walker
Akanji
Laporte
Ake
Gundogan
Bernardo
De Bruyne
Foden
Mahrez
Alvarez

 

[shemnel]

we're coming up against a Leeds team that have stubbornly refused to defend all season, sacrificing goals against (the most in the league) in the quest for goals for (the 2nd most in the bottom ten).

With no managerial change, they would have represented a wide open but reasonably exciting prospect, some sort of 4-2 game, but can Fat Sam really instill a defensive backs to the wall mindset in 1 week? or will it just end up in a crazy mess? will the new manager bounce effect work on the 3rd boss in a season or are they just jaded?

the thing i'm most worried about is the fight as relegation becomes extremely real. Having said that, if they keep City down to 1 goal, i'd be shocked.

let's get Foden running about, Haaland will probably rest pre Madrid. Kev for 30 at the end.

 

[Rammy Blue]

Presume we’ll see a fair bit of rotation with Madrid in mind. Think De Bruyne could start though to get his sharpness back. Maybe something like this?

Ederson
Walker
Akanji
Laporte
Ake
Gundogan
Bernardo
De Bruyne
Foden
Mahrez
Alvarez

Hmmmm, I see zero reason for taking any risks, surely we need to get the game won and then start thinking about getting players off the pitch. We’ve worked too hard to get back in this position to risk against a team who can definitely play football.

 

[Blue Maverick]

Hmmmm, I see zero reason for taking any risks, surely we need to get the game won and then start thinking about getting players off the pitch. We’ve worked too hard to get back in this position to risk against a team who can definitely play football.

Yep get it won by half time but ffs Pep don’t bring 5 on like the Leicester game.

 

[alexmcity]

Hmmmm, I see zero reason for taking any risks

The mistake is to think that there is a risk-free approach in the first place.

If you field the best players 3 days before Real, you risk injuries and fatigue. Rodri, for instance, has played a lot of minutes already and has started the last 3 games. If he does his hammy our chances to win anything will be seriously reduced.

Plus, nothing guarantees that we'd be 3 goals up if we started with the best players. What happens if Leeds score first and the game is difficult? We run the players in the ground to make sure we are 4 pts clear of Arsenal? Our GD is much better than theirs and we could afford 2 draws from 5 games even if they win all their games, which is not likely to happen anyway.

People who want zero risks vs Leeds are willing to risk the tie with Real. Players aren't machines. Even if they are physically fresh, which is not likely given they play every 3 days, they need to clear their minds sometimes. It's wishful thinking that we can play the likes of Dias, Stones, Rodri, Haaland, Grealish...every 3 days without risking injuries and fatigue.