BFTG Leeds

[gdroyal]

Well back in my uni accommodation, fair play to the one's who are still on the way back to Berkshire. Very poor. Really surprised by Stam's comments as for the that certainly was not one of the best performance of the season. 1st half was quite cagey before they scored. 30 seconds before this we had a great chance, McCleary only having to square to Samuel to put us in the lead. It wasn't taken and after an easily avoidable throw in, a very scrappy goal was taken by Wood. After this, Leeds were very happy to sit back and watch the ball go between, Moore, McShane and Al-Habsi for the remaining 25 minutes of the half. I would say it was pretty similar to the Birmingham and Ipswich home games at the start of the year, plenty of possession but absolutely no threat and movement from the attackers.

Second half was much the same, Leeds very happy to sit on the 1-0 lead and we struggled to break them down. Beerans forced a good save out of Green but that was as close as it got before a very soft penalty allowed them to make it 2-0.

Al-Habsi - 6 - very little to do and distribution not great

Gunter - 5 - offered very little
McShane - 6 - must have had a superb pass completion %
Moore - 6 - see McShane
Blackett - 2 - Very poor. Seemed very nervous in the first half and made an awful pass in the 2nd half that Leeds should had scored from

Evans - 5 - Anonomous
Kelly - 5 - Some promising runs although he sometimes struggles to get the ball out of his feet
Van de Berg - 5 - Did ok, nothing special, nothing awful - was playing out of position

McCleary - 4 - seemed very frustrated in the 2nd half with the way we were playing. Was not at his best.
Beerans - 5 - Never really got in the game. Forced a good save out of Green in the 2nd half
Samuel - 4 - Offered nothing up-front

Subs:
Kermogant - 5 - Did very little. Played more in a central mid position.
Meite + Cooper - not enough time to give a score but Meite should have scored at the end.

[CountryRoyal]

Didn't go and didn't listen because I was working (turned it on for 2 seconds to hear "silly by reading").

Losing away to Leeds is hardly a bad result and I have every confidence we will get a result against Blackburn.

No biggy. Well done to those who went.

Leeds supporting mate just texted me reckoning that was their best performance of the season.

[From Despair To Where?]

Thing is, we all know we're a couple of players short to really challenge, particularly away from home to the better teams in the league. I see this season as a bit of a sighter to where we are and what we need to do.

We're clearly re-establishing ourselves as a play off challenger, we've got a solid management team in place and up front aside, we have a pretty solid spine to the team but there's precious little depth to the squad in key positions. We're missing Swift and I we need an experienced, calming influence in midfield which is potentially where Jordan Mutch could come in. I also think we may need another centre back as it's make or break for Cooper and he's not getting the game time to make a decision either way.

I'm not too disheartened by last night's defeat, even if we were pretty ineffective, we'll learn more from that.

[Hound]

Obviously difficult to judge only from the highlights, but barely looked like Leeds had a chance bar the goal either. Pen was a joke, but suppose we've had some dodgy ones

Swift missing is starting to bite, esp with both Williams and Obita out. I much prefer the 3 5 2 to the 4 3 3, and Obita is pretty key to the first system.

Need to win vs Blackburn now really

[26-10-06]

Obviously difficult to judge only from the highlights, but barely looked like Leeds had a chance bar the goal either. Pen was a joke, but suppose we've had some dodgy ones

Swift missing is starting to bite, esp with both Williams and Obita out. I much prefer the 3 5 2 to the 4 3 3, and Obita is pretty key to the first system.

Need to win vs Blackburn now really

Whilst I agree we need to win on Saturday it is amazing how expectations change isn't it. If we lose, slip to what 5th?

Would have taken 5th on Xmas day on August 6th.

Win on Saturday though and all good; would be 7 wins from 9 - can't argue with that!

Also prefer the 3 5 2 - but don't think we have an appropriate LWB with Obita out (don't think Blacklett suits this role)

[Pepe the Horseman]

Result doesn't count due to injuries and dodgy pen.

[Pepe the Horseman]

And their first goal was lucky.

[Sutekh]

I think we played very, very well. One of our best games.

You are not going to get 10 or 15 chances to score, but you are going to get a couple and you need to take them - especially if teams are playing like Leeds.

Second half maybe in the final third we could have done better with our decision making, in putting the ball in. We should have scored.

And we should have been sharper defending wise because if you lose the ball they are going to try and hit us on the counter attack - that’s what happened with the first goal.

Once you give that goal away it’s going to be more difficult because they can just drop in even more.

Towards the end you try to force it and still go forward to get the equaliser. But then at the end we should have had the throw-in, the referee didn’t make that decision and they got the penalty to make it 2-0.

I think in how we played and how we dominated, it was one of our best games.

Normally we dominate for one half or 60 minutes and then we get difficulties, but we did it for almost 90 minutes.

The only thing is sometimes our decision making in the final third we could have done better. We could have created a lot more. That’s what we need to be sharper in.

But also we needed to be aggressive in defending and not give them the chances in front of goal.

http://www.getreading.co.uk/sport/footb ... t-12315508

[LWJ]

I agree with comments re first half, but thought we dominated them second half and lacked that final ball.

Pontus was a machine and got in the way of everything for them, though he loved to dive in which we should have exploited.

Think we missed swift and Williams massively as lacked creativity between Evans and the front 3.

Kelly'a touch is dire and cost us a lot. Samuel isn't good enough.

Penalty didn't look like a pen, but I didn't have a great view.

Leeds aren't going up, and nor should we tbh.

[hughsies no.1]

Game after game it is becoming more and more apparent how vitally important the first goal is with our new style of play. If we score first we will force the opposition into abandoning their gameplan to nulify the way we play, if we concede they can sit back and watch us struggle.

This made for an interesting read on the commute this morning - http://www.thecitytalking.com/leeds-uni ... s-to-town/

[genome]

77% possession, 14 shots, 6 corners, just 2 on target

If that doesn't prove we need some talent up top, then nothing will.

[Hound]

How bored must you be to spend that long writing about the opposition. Could have said all that in one sentence

I know there's not much else to do up there, but...

[Ian Royal]

Game after game it is becoming more and more apparent how vitally important the first goal is with our new style of play. If we score first we will force the opposition into abandoning their gameplan to nulify the way we play, if we concede they can sit back and watch us struggle.

This made for an interesting read on the commute this morning - http://www.thecitytalking.com/leeds-uni ... s-to-town/

Yeah, I spotted that about a month ago.

Our record when we take the lead in the first half is something like P9, W8, D1, L0. Our record when going down in the first half is similarly emphatic at something like P6, W0, D1, L5. I don't think we're a strong promotion contender, because we just can't rescue points where we don't get our noses in front early. But, we're still in the mix because we're good at getting in front and then amazing at staying there.

[CountryRoyal]

Game after game it is becoming more and more apparent how vitally important the first goal is with our new style of play. If we score first we will force the opposition into abandoning their gameplan to nulify the way we play, if we concede they can sit back and watch us struggle.

This made for an interesting read on the commute this morning - http://www.thecitytalking.com/leeds-uni ... s-to-town/

Yeah, I spotted that about a month ago.

Our record when we take the lead in the first half is something like P9, W8, D1, L0. Our record when going down in the first half is similarly emphatic at something like P6, W0, D1, L5. I don't think we're a strong promotion contender, because we just can't rescue points where we don't get our noses in front early. But, we're still in the mix because we're good at getting in front and then amazing at staying there.

While our current style of play certainly emphasises and exacerbates this fact, our inability to come from behind is a problem that has plagued us since we were relegated last.

[WAZZOCK]

A bit surprised by the negativity around the match, as we are severely hamstrung for creativity with recent injuries and suspensions. Despite this, we frustrated a Leeds side and really should have picked up a point but for some bodies on the line defending and a lack of cutting edge from our front three. The upside is, we are not far away from Williams and Swift returning, and I am convinced we will fork out for a decent striker or two in January.

I can completely relate to what Stam has said post match. It was a frustrating evening with Leeds benefiting from a huge slice of luck for the first and being gifted a non-penalty for the second.

Leeds fans can sneer, laugh and joke about the style of play, but in the long run we will find that our framework will be a lot more sustainable to see us finish in the top 6. If, and it's a big if, we get promoted in the near future it will also prove to be of benefit.

[No Fixed Abode]

Shame the 150 away fans didn't spur Reading on to victory.

[CountryRoyal]

Shame the 150 away fans didn't spur Reading on to victory.

Kes, serious question, do you go to many Chelsea games?

[genome]

Bantering about attendances

Isn't that for teenagers, Twitter armchairs and Brighton fans?

[CountryRoyal]

Bantering about attendances

Isn't that for teenagers, Twitter armchairs and Brighton fans?

Who's "bantering"? I was asking a genuine question.

[genome]

It wasn't directed at you, calm yourself