BFTG - Leeds

[The Royal We]

3 points papers over the cracks again. Better performance but far from good enough.

Guthrie outstanding in midfield, but Akpan and Williams dire alongside him. Both easily pushed off the ball, the same with Williams at the weekend also. For a big man he's far too easily pushed off the ball.

One striker up front isn't working and will not work. We simply don't have the players to support the lone striker. We had a couple of decent balls into the box tonight, and with one man to aim for, the ball passed him by every time. We need two up front, either try adopt a 4-3-1-2 formation, or a 4-4-2 which we are better suited to. We just don't have enough quality to make one up front work.

Sneaking a winner is great, even sweater against that lot, but it really does just hide a mountain of problems.

Adkins says Jem's injury is a bad one, so that's him out for a few months now at the very least. If we were serious about Sissoko, we now must go out and get another CM, or look to young Jake Taylor. And the need for another striker is even more apparent.

I'm glad I read this. Was beginning to think I was a totally different game.

How many efforts on target did we create? Was our quality of football really that much better than Leeds?

On the Brian thread people are talking about our passing game. What passing game? It was hardly total football. Did we even have more possession?

We all know we don't have enough quality up top but I thought we really grew into the game - the last 20 mins of the 1st half Leeds barely got a touch & we passed it about quite well.

Our defence is definitely improving & looks solid. Losing Jem was a huge blow tonight though. Hopefully Jobi can come straight back in for Sat.

You make a fair point. We have only been beaten once and we look defensively sound. I just found tonight's game dull and uninspiring. We seldom got in behind their back four or got shots away. There was very little width until McCleary came on.

Also, they put men on our full backs to block that out ball. This seemed to render us rigid and too easy to play against in the first half.

[howser]

I have to admit I have a fair bit of sympathy for Blackman, when, as we were at the time, a Prem club come in for you, it's a no brainer, all he can do is what is asked of him, he is a young lad who will hopefully work hard and prove the guys on here wrong.

Even though we critisise the players on here, we should never boo them, when things arnt going well you need the 18000+ to give you some support, not to drop your confidence even more.

[Gav]

Most importantly, did Matthew whassisface EVER make himself known to a steward?

[St. Brynjar]

Forgettable game.

Guthrie was excellent.

Pearce was excellent.

Akpan was shite.

Anyone that booed off Blackman after a reasonable performance is a cunt.

[MmmMonsterMunch]

Tonight was never going to be much of a spectacle - Leeds were going to make it tricky to settle on the ball.

One defeat in the league, 3 clean sheets & unbeaten at home. Plus banana skin & HNA meltdown avoided.

I'll take that thanks - we move on

[sandman]

poor Leeds fans.

oxf*rd that, dirty northern pcunts - we aren't galatasaray! might help the gene pool if a few more got stabbed though

Idiot. Same goes for the tw@ts singing we hate the Leeds, so we stab them after the game.

[melonhead]

Decentish game I thought. Though I admit that may just be relative to Sunday. Decent defence, decent approach play, good hold up play, no final ball and no finish. Till the only time it mattered. Moaning reading fans really getting on my tits.

Mcarthy 7 hardly troubled
Kelly 7 comfortable. best rb at the club
Pearce 8 a ginger maldini
Morro 7 decent
Bridge 7 good attacking outlet
Guthrie 8 much better than sunday some superb stuff on the ball and never stopped working
Akpan 7 impressed really. Worked hard. Broke up play and passed well
Drenthe 6 better than Sunday. Took alot of physical grief and looked shot at the end. Put in a truly superb ball at the end though
Kanu 7 held up brilliantly, worked hard on his own in the middle. Looked decent
Blackman 6 played out wide, put in a good shift, held up ok, good passing,poor final ball. Certainly didnt deserve any jeers from moronic cnut fans

Defo rather watch us than brians limited Leeds team, who had the balance of good chances if not the balance of play. They could/should have won it with the header at the end

[WoodleyRoyal]

.

[sandman]

3 points papers over the cracks again. Better performance but far from good enough.

Guthrie outstanding in midfield, but Akpan and Williams dire alongside him. Both easily pushed off the ball, the same with Williams at the weekend also. For a big man he's far too easily pushed off the ball.

One striker up front isn't working and will not work. We simply don't have the players to support the lone striker. We had a couple of decent balls into the box tonight, and with one man to aim for, the ball passed him by every time. We need two up front, either try adopt a 4-3-1-2 formation, or a 4-4-2 which we are better suited to. We just don't have enough quality to make one up front work.

Sneaking a winner is great, even sweater against that lot, but it really does just hide a mountain of problems.

Adkins says Jem's injury is a bad one, so that's him out for a few months now at the very least. If we were serious about Sissoko, we now must go out and get another CM, or look to young Jake Taylor. And the need for another striker is even more apparent.

I'm glad I read this. Was beginning to think I was at a totally different game.

How many efforts on target did we create? Was our quality of football really that much better than Leeds?

On the Brian thread people are talking about our passing game. What passing game? It was hardly total football. Did we even have more possession?

Leeds had 53% possession according to the stats I saw on the BBC and ESPN sites. Thought our passing was sloppy tonight.

[Wizard]

Thought Blackman was more effective than Drenthe tonight tbh.

[melonhead]

From the radio it sounded like Blackman had a few chances and seemed to be pacey and get himself in the right place a few times?

He can't have been *that* bad surely?

People form opinions then only see things that fit their opinions. Theyre basically idiots

[melonhead]

Forgot to rate Williams
6 did ok. Not great but not bad

[sandman]

poor Leeds fans.

oxf*rd that, dirty northern pcunts - we aren't galatasaray! might help the gene pool if a few more got stabbed though

Idiot. Same goes for the tw@ts singing we hate the Leeds, so we stab them after the game.

umm no they have got their own back on our turk in our last two games against them..... coincidence?

Umm yes and yes. Tonight Jem made a tackle and accidently hurt himself in the process which is totally different to the first incident a couple of seasons ago. We're all football fans so don't know why anyone would revel in other football fans being killed no matter what you think of the club they support.

Hopefully you'll sober up and when you wake up you'll realise what an arse you have been.

[Maguire]

That game was barely better than Brighton to be honest. A bit better but not much.

Back 5 were fine. Pearce had a good one.

Guthrie - not sure why he's getting such high ratings. Really not one of his better games tonight although I do think he has talent.

Akpan - athlete not a footballer. Totally bottled those 50/50s as others have noted. No future here, sorry.

Drenthe - third time I've seen him and the third time I've been fairly unimpressed. Needs a massive kick up the arse or he should be dropped.

Williams - I like him. He's a Championship footballer IMHO and a valuable member of the side.

Blackman - people go into the game thinking he's shit so that's what they see. Didnt' pull up trees but jeering him is a helmet's move

HRK - had a good one IMHO. The only player who really tried to make something happen

Subs (other)

McCleary - really good; he should be starting

ALF - did absolutely nothing but still scored the winner apparently. Classic ALF.

Overall this team is way too static for my liking. They play at one tempo and are just too disjointed. Drenthe does absolutely nothing, he's a real disappointment for me. Still, early days in Adkins reign so there's still time. They don't look like a unit to me yet.

Leeds: limited but solid. Varney (?) was good in the first half and McCormack is obviously a baller. Need width though if they're going to succeed.

[melonhead]

HRK - Looked lively in parts. Very selfish of him not to put Blackman through in the 2nd half though - he would've scored for sure.

Cnut

[melonhead]

Decent game where we lacked a little upfront predictably given the line up and Leeds'ndefence. Don't think Adkins got the line up quite right, but it wasn't far off.

McCarthy 7 not a huge amount to do. One poor throw and one kick out.
Kelly 7 much more solid than Gunter. Not as good going forward, but only by a little.
Bridge 8 quality player
Pearce 7 better than Sunday
Morrison 7 bit more accuracy with headers at attacking set pieces please
Guthrie 8 ticking heart of everthing we do. Not a flawless game, but so important for us. MOTM
Williams 7 better, still a little improvement needed as a starter
Karacan 6 hope he's ok, but he did injure himself with a stupid foul
Drenthe 6 soke great, some poor some anonymous. Think he may take a little time to really find his feet, but he's got the goods.
Robson-Kanu 7 started right wing but quickly went central when Blackman showed how toss he is. Worked hard and did alright. Unlucky to go off I thought.
Blackman 4 rubbish upfront and bar one or two decent passes / runs he was rubbish wide right too

Akpan 5 mediocre. Loose passing and weak on the ball at time. Could do with putting on more muscle to fill out a little.
ALF 7 some decent play although didn't get much decent ball. Did was he was asked to do and won the game winning a freekick and then scoring from it.
McCleary 6 ok but doesn't seem to make good decisions often enough. Much better than Blackman though.

We troubled Leeds with set pieces whenever we put a decent ball in. We should have done a little better with a couple of chances and were rarely seriously troubled at the back. Draw probably would have been fairest, but we did enough to edge it.

Where are all the complaints about our defence and lack of clean sheets now you impatient doommongering bellends?

Kanu played central for entire game u nob

[St. Brynjar]

Blackman - people go into the game thinking he's shit so that's what they see. Didnt' pull up trees but jeering him is a helmet's move

Nail on the proverbial head.

[kwik-silva]

Akpan - athlete not a footballer. Totally bottled those 50/50s as others have noted. No future here, sorry.

Adkins was getting visibly angry at him doing it, too. If he puts that part of his game right he could be a useful player. Nice ball over to the right wing for Blackman sticks in my mind.

[melonhead]

Seriously worry about some of you guys. Blackman was perfectly decent on the right, skinned Warnock a fair few times, linked well with Kelly, just lacked that final killer ball...but certainly wasn't found lacking in effort and commitment.

Any of you that jeered him off are cunts of the highest order.

That. Massively

[melonhead]

Most importantly, did Matthew whassisface EVER make himself known to a steward?