MATCHWATCH : Leeds United (a) sponsored by Simon Church

[WestYorksRoyal]

30 points from 13 would leave us on 72. Borderline playoffs. I'm sure some statto can tell us how many times in the past 10 years this would have been enough. But that's very tough; we could only drop 9 points. It would essentially be Championship winning form from now until the end. As good as Bowen has been, there is no evidence we're capable of that.

[sandman]

Lads. We have already played 40 games this season. No way should we look to rest players for a cup competition. The league is our focus. Winning games in the league, finishing as high as possible and playing our key players together where possible to further build on their teamwork and understanding so we go into next season truly settled is what our main focus should be.

Unless we get 0 points or 6 from our next two, I’d certainly be looking to rest a few for the Barnsley game just before United

We can focus on developing styles and players once we have nothing to play for but whilst the cup is still a viable option, I think it’s mad to write it off

Spoiler alert. The Cup is not a viable option, no team from the second tier has won it since 1980 and there is no way we are going to be the club to break that.

We need to concentrate on the league and try to get a winning mentality that shows our players how to compete in the Championship, rather than floundering at the bottom year after year. A top half finish should be our priority.

[Fox Talbot]

From memory having done the calculations a couple of years back (thanks Jaap) 74 is the usual mark to achieve to get into play-offs. Obviously there are lower exceptions but as previous posters have said we requite title winning form of almost 106 proportions to make that. And unless Mo Barrow comes back (!) there's no reason to think our team is going to suddenly improve.

So the Cup is the thing - a one-off on the night at home to a club that don't have the best record at the Madstad. £360K prize money plus guaranteed TV coverage in QF. Course winning 5th and 6th rounds is a long shot but you never know. Didn't expect to win at Anfiled or Goodison. Didn't expect Wigan to beat City, twice, in big cup ties.

[Fox Talbot]

In prize money terms I don't think it matters whether we finish 7th or 20th in the Championship. There's no place money.

[Woodcote Royal]

Good referee. The best a man can get.

Not sure everyone agrees though - a Leeds article on the ref:


https://motleedsnews.com/matchday/oh-de ... v-reading/

I'd say West Brom are the best team and would agree Bamford is nothing special.

[Old Man Andrews]

Lads. We have already played 40 games this season. No way should we look to rest players for a cup competition. The league is our focus. Winning games in the league, finishing as high as possible and playing our key players together where possible to further build on their teamwork and understanding so we go into next season truly settled is what our main focus should be.

Unless we get 0 points or 6 from our next two, I’d certainly be looking to rest a few for the Barnsley game just before United

We can focus on developing styles and players once we have nothing to play for but whilst the cup is still a viable option, I think it’s mad to write it off

Spoiler alert. The Cup is not a viable option, no team from the second tier has won it since 1980 and there is no way we are going to be the club to break that.

We need to concentrate on the league and try to get a winning mentality that shows our players how to compete in the Championship, rather than floundering at the bottom year after year. A top half finish should be our priority.

Are you suggesting professional footballers, some of whom are internationals, don't know how to compete?? Unbelievable.

[Hendo]

Unless we get 0 points or 6 from our next two, I’d certainly be looking to rest a few for the Barnsley game just before United

We can focus on developing styles and players once we have nothing to play for but whilst the cup is still a viable option, I think it’s mad to write it off

Spoiler alert. The Cup is not a viable option, no team from the second tier has won it since 1980 and there is no way we are going to be the club to break that.

We need to concentrate on the league and try to get a winning mentality that shows our players how to compete in the Championship, rather than floundering at the bottom year after year. A top half finish should be our priority.

Are you suggesting professional footballers, some of whom are internationals, don't know how to compete?? Unbelievable.

You'd be forgiven thinking that some of our players, at times, have at least forgot what it means to compete over the last couple of seasons. Or compete at the level required anyway.

[Hound]

Reckon playing Leeds will be good practice for the Sheff Utd game as much as anything else. Not too dissimilar in style

Could certainly nick a draw, reasonably optimistic for this one

[Snowflake Royal]

And whom may I ask wields this mighty Ben Hamer? Is it Plat? Because I dont trust him with that sort of power.

Mods make a request to hobnob who is the only one with the power to wield the goalkeeper.

[Simmops]

And whom may I ask wields this mighty Ben Hamer? Is it Plat? Because I dont trust him with that sort of power.

Mods make a request to hobnob who is the only one with the power to wield the goalkeeper.

I wonder if sending Hobnob a linkedin message or fb message will help quicken the process? OMA has really brought this site down.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Lads. We have already played 40 games this season. No way should we look to rest players for a cup competition. The league is our focus. Winning games in the league, finishing as high as possible and playing our key players together where possible to further build on their teamwork and understanding so we go into next season truly settled is what our main focus should be.

So coming 14th in the league is more important than getting to a Cup semi or the final?

Even if we somehow beat Sheffield, looking at who is left in the cup and likely to get through to the QF, that will be as far as we get...

[Snowflake Royal]

The obvious answer is we should push to do as well as we can in the League without seriously harming our chances in the cup and vice versa.

That means playing to win every game, and we are capable of winning any of them, but in a few cases shuffling the pack slightly.

There is zero reason to rest players for Leeds after no mid-week matches and the cup several games away.

We can rest a couple of players the game before SheffU and a couple of different players for ShefU without appreciably weakening the team. Which is what we should do.

And then in the last five games, depending on where we are and where those we are playing are, we can give more game time to some of the younger players etc to test them for next season.

All of this the league / cup is all important and the other one is meaningless stuff is just drivel.

[URZZZZ]

Lads. We have already played 40 games this season. No way should we look to rest players for a cup competition. The league is our focus. Winning games in the league, finishing as high as possible and playing our key players together where possible to further build on their teamwork and understanding so we go into next season truly settled is what our main focus should be.

So coming 14th in the league is more important than getting to a Cup semi or the final?

Even if we somehow beat Sheffield, looking at who is left in the cup and likely to get through to the QF, that will be as far as we get...

I think Liverpool and City would be the only two teams that could comfortably beat us to be fair

[morganb]

So coming 14th in the league is more important than getting to a Cup semi or the final?

Even if we somehow beat Sheffield, looking at who is left in the cup and likely to get through to the QF, that will be as far as we get...

I think Liverpool and City would be the only two teams that could comfortably beat us to be fair

And Arsenal, purely because they knocked Leeds out of the Cup so therefore must be pretty good.

[Platypuss]

What is the Ben Hamer thing?

Ian and Genome are trying to get people banned who they disagree with. They can't handle healthy debate sadly.

No, you're being a plum. Please stop.

[Platypuss]

And whom may I ask wields this mighty Ben Hamer? Is it Plat? Because I dont trust him with that sort of power.

Mods make a request to hobnob who is the only one with the power to wield the goalkeeper.

I wonder if sending Hobnob a linkedin message or fb message will help quicken the process? OMA has really brought this site down.

You've been banned more times than he has, so wind it in.

[South Coast Royal]

Lads. We have already played 40 games this season. No way should we look to rest players for a cup competition. The league is our focus. Winning games in the league, finishing as high as possible and playing our key players together where possible to further build on their teamwork and understanding so we go into next season truly settled is what our main focus should be.

Unless we get 0 points or 6 from our next two, I’d certainly be looking to rest a few for the Barnsley game just before United

We can focus on developing styles and players once we have nothing to play for but whilst the cup is still a viable option, I think it’s mad to write it off

Spoiler alert. The Cup is not a viable option, no team from the second tier has won it since 1980 and there is no way we are going to be the club to break that.

We need to concentrate on the league and try to get a winning mentality that shows our players how to compete in the Championship, rather than floundering at the bottom year after year. A top half finish should be our priority.

Don't agree.
The Cup may not be something that we get to win but the excitement of playing a Chelsea or a City makes the season worthwhile with the outside chance of actually winning a game.

It's all very well talking about building a mentality but with having players on loan we have no idea of who will start for us in August.
The league now is IMHO a matter of sussing out who is good enough to persevere with next season and in particular there is enough time and opportunities to weigh up whether players like Olise, McIntyre, Osho etc and the loan players have a future with us.

I understand your point but we tend to have so many changes in the Summer that building a team for next season is good in theory but not in practice.
Whatever the club does I hope a team is eventually built around our two best outfield players Ejaria and Swift.

[Stranded]

Unless we get 0 points or 6 from our next two, I’d certainly be looking to rest a few for the Barnsley game just before United

We can focus on developing styles and players once we have nothing to play for but whilst the cup is still a viable option, I think it’s mad to write it off

Spoiler alert. The Cup is not a viable option, no team from the second tier has won it since 1980 and there is no way we are going to be the club to break that.

We need to concentrate on the league and try to get a winning mentality that shows our players how to compete in the Championship, rather than floundering at the bottom year after year. A top half finish should be our priority.

Don't agree.
The Cup may not be something that we get to win but the excitement of playing a Chelsea or a City makes the season worthwhile with the outside chance of actually winning a game.

It's all very well talking about building a mentality but with having players on loan we have no idea of who will start for us in August.
The league now is IMHO a matter of sussing out who is good enough to persevere with next season and in particular there is enough time and opportunities to weigh up whether players like Olise, McIntyre, Osho etc and the loan players have a future with us.

I understand your point but we tend to have so many changes in the Summer that building a team for next season is good in theory but not in practice.
Whatever the club does I hope a team is eventually built around our two best outfield players Ejaria and Swift.

Of the 18 who were involved on Saturday the only loanees were Ejaria (who will be perm in the summer) and Timbe, who is a punt.

Arguably the starting 11 could well be the basis of a strong team/squad for 2020/21 with most big earners/loanees that we don't want/can't sign not involved - it produced one of the stand-out performances of the season.

[Woodcote Royal]

Lads. We have already played 40 games this season. No way should we look to rest players for a cup competition. The league is our focus. Winning games in the league, finishing as high as possible and playing our key players together where possible to further build on their teamwork and understanding so we go into next season truly settled is what our main focus should be.

So coming 14th in the league is more important than getting to a Cup semi or the final?

Even if we somehow beat Sheffield, looking at who is left in the cup and likely to get through to the QF, that will be as far as we get...

And we barely looked fit to inhabit the same pitch as Sheff U last season and they now sit 6th in the Prem 2pts off the top four

A point at Leeds will be a very tough ask but should remain the priority. Nevertheless, I'd still expect a near full strength side for the cup.

[download]

I'm never sure resting players actually works . Instead some of them look off the pace when they come back.