Back From The Game - Leeds

[Snowball]

and the only "miss' was Hunt making it too easy for their keeper

Was it? So what about Khizanishvili's free header in the first half?

Oh right. Forgot that one. So Hunt and Kish. Any more?

[PieEater]

I agree with the general consensus that it was yet another 2 lost points. Some great chances missed, Zurab's header, the handball on the line, Harte's free kick, Antonio hitting the post, and Kebe not quite getting his head to the ball. We had enough chances to have won comfortably.

Not impressed with Leigertwood, played like another Cisse chasing shadows and watching the game pass him by.

Ref was poor, missing the handball, the petulant kick, and then producing some cards for Hunt, Karacan and Griff for some pretty average fouls.

It's getting to be routine, a poor ref, playing a team better at cheating, and us not taking our chances.

[Snowball]

Long once again plugged away winning headers and running down the channels but the bloke seems utterly utterly petrified of shooting. His strengths as a player have improved significantly this season but it's now 1 goal from open play in over a third of a season and that's just not acceptable from a man who's led the line in almost every single game often playing 90 minutes. In saying that Hunt wasn't that much better and did a lot of the same work Long usually does.

My Leeds-fan mate thought Long was "nervous", and I'd agree. Watched Doyle last night on the box and he's similar. These runs (to which, IMO the fans contribute in a negative way) happen to most players and often need a lucky goal for things to change.

There was one moment (great play to get to the point) where Long was central, 20 yards out, seemed to have a clear shot and chose to pass. If he was on fire and had 8-9 goals he'd probably have shot.

I don't blame him for the late half-chance that somehow beat about 236 players in the 6 yard box before getting to him.

Church had another start where he failed to score. He had a similar chance to Long's at Watford but he just gets mentioned in passing while Long is booked for War Crimes for the same miss. Ditto Kish's miss. Had that been Long, people would be asking for the repeal of the Death Penalty. Or Hunt's poor shot straight at the keeper. What if Long had done that?

As I say luck plays a part. Church's first was a mis-hit Karacan shot that he got a leg to. It was hardly "great play" (other, than (arguably) being in the right place at the right time). But where else would a striker be 3 seconds after a corner has been taken?

His goal at Burnley was a mis-hit cross. He's had ONE good goal this season, from the short Antonio cross.


The malaise is NOT really Long (not that I am excusing him) it's QUALITY OF CHANCES. We are still not cutting out really good chances where we would "expect" to score. We are popping the ball into the general area and hoping.

Go back through ALL our goals this season and we've properly manufactured very, very few. When strikers are given a goal on a plate and miss them, fair enough, but we had Zurab's chance yesterday which he appeared to deliberately "glance" when it needed more contact... and Hunt's not-brilliant chance.

But despite Kebe (a 9 for me) doing some quite AMAZING stuff, we didn't get that work and then the little side-foot pass to a man with space or time or the dink for a header.

My son plays basketball for Reading Rockets, and I know it's a different sport, but I'm using it as an example/analogy. Probably 90% of their baskets scored are from set moves, routine moves, practised. YES I KNOW it's a different sport but there are teams that play similar patterns to put specific players in on goal. We seem to just "generally attack" and hope, or look for a defensive error.

When the Kebb is on fire we are going to get him running into the box or shooting, or lots of balls getting into the six-yard box and one or two will go in. It's still not really a WORKED goal. I think Gyfli's individual brilliance, his extra "thing" where he made half-chances become great ones and then goals covered up a basic inadequacy that the team as a whole has.

I wonder if that is why we play Harte. We don't make great chances, so we try for free-kicks and pens.



Seriously, take the whole season, how many "open goals" have we missed, how many chances where the player really SHOULD have scored (and didn't) have there been? At Watford, I'd say NONE. Long's two weren't brilliantly executed moves putting him in space, with time, nor was Church's, and Karacan's "miss" was an instant, a moment where a player has one chance. Those go wrong a lot, at all levels.

[Royalee]

Meh...we shaded it, dull first half slightly better second. Centre backs were excellent and no way can Mills be in the team next week...full backs poor, especially Harte who seems to get skinned every week no matter who the winger.

The guy from QPR is a donkey, Karacan did ok before he got injured...McAnuff did alright, Church shouldn't be out wide, he should be dropped for Antonio...Hunt was decent once again the only proper striker we've got, Long did well for him.

I'd drop Woody for Tabb and Church for Antonio next week.

[RoyalBlue]

Seriously, take the whole season, how many "open goals" have we missed, how many chances where the player really SHOULD have scored (and didn't) have there been? At Watford, I'd say NONE. Long's two weren't brilliantly executed moves putting him in space, with time, nor was Church's, and Karacan's "miss" was an instant, a moment where a player has one chance. Those go wrong a lot, at all levels.

Even though Madejski is notoriously tight on wages, our professionals are still paid damn good money. Long had two very good 1 on 1 chances against the keeper, the first really easy, and should have converted one. The ball did not come that quickly to Jem , the keeper was still on the ground and he wasn't under that much pressure. He should have hit the target from that range.

[Maguire]

Definitley had the better of it, in the second half at least. Summary:

THE GOOD

Zurab - very accomplished performance. I like the way he looks to bring the ball down when there's space rather than just heading it miles back down the pitch

Kebe - simply unleashed the rape over and over again. Cut above anyone else on the pitch in an attacking sense and he deserved for one of our strikers to put something away

THE BAD

Leigertwood - not writing him off or anything but he looked fat and shit. Chased shadows the whole match and looked clumsy on the ball.

[Victor Meldrew]

Long once again plugged away winning headers and running down the channels but the bloke seems utterly utterly petrified of shooting. His strengths as a player have improved significantly this season but it's now 1 goal from open play in over a third of a season and that's just not acceptable from a man who's led the line in almost every single game often playing 90 minutes. In saying that Hunt wasn't that much better and did a lot of the same work Long usually does.

My Leeds-fan mate thought Long was "nervous", and I'd agree. Watched Doyle last night on the box and he's similar. These runs (to which, IMO the fans contribute in a negative way) happen to most players and often need a lucky goal for things to change.

There was one moment (great play to get to the point) where Long was central, 20 yards out, seemed to have a clear shot and chose to pass. If he was on fire and had 8-9 goals he'd probably have shot.

I don't blame him for the late half-chance that somehow beat about 236 players in the 6 yard box before getting to him.

Church had another start where he failed to score. He had a similar chance to Long's at Watford but he just gets mentioned in passing while Long is booked for War Crimes for the same miss. Ditto Kish's miss. Had that been Long, people would be asking for the repeal of the Death Penalty. Or Hunt's poor shot straight at the keeper. What if Long had done that?

As I say luck plays a part. Church's first was a mis-hit Karacan shot that he got a leg to. It was hardly "great play" (other, than (arguably) being in the right place at the right time). But where else would a striker be 3 seconds after a corner has been taken?

His goal at Burnley was a mis-hit cross. He's had ONE good goal this season, from the short Antonio cross.


The malaise is NOT really Long (not that I am excusing him) it's QUALITY OF CHANCES. We are still not cutting out really good chances where we would "expect" to score. We are popping the ball into the general area and hoping.

Go back through ALL our goals this season and we've properly manufactured very, very few. When strikers are given a goal on a plate and miss them, fair enough, but we had Zurab's chance yesterday which he appeared to deliberately "glance" when it needed more contact... and Hunt's not-brilliant chance.

But despite Kebe (a 9 for me) doing some quite AMAZING stuff, we didn't get that work and then the little side-foot pass to a man with space or time or the dink for a header.

My son plays basketball for Reading Rockets, and I know it's a different sport, but I'm using it as an example/analogy. Probably 90% of their baskets scored are from set moves, routine moves, practised. YES I KNOW it's a different sport but there are teams that play similar patterns to put specific players in on goal. We seem to just "generally attack" and hope, or look for a defensive error.

When the Kebb is on fire we are going to get him running into the box or shooting, or lots of balls getting into the six-yard box and one or two will go in. It's still not really a WORKED goal. I think Gyfli's individual brilliance, his extra "thing" where he made half-chances become great ones and then goals covered up a basic inadequacy that the team as a whole has.

I wonder if that is why we play Harte. We don't make great chances, so we try for free-kicks and pens.



Seriously, take the whole season, how many "open goals" have we missed, how many chances where the player really SHOULD have scored (and didn't) have there been? At Watford, I'd say NONE. Long's two weren't brilliantly executed moves putting him in space, with time, nor was Church's, and Karacan's "miss" was an instant, a moment where a player has one chance. Those go wrong a lot, at all levels.

I often disagree with what you say Snowball but I agree with you about Reading having been short for some years of a creative,passing midfield player( Not mentioned specifically here but you have posted such at other times).
With Leigertwood now with us and assuming we have everybody fit it looks as though we will go with two non-creative ball-winners in central midfield plus two wingers and two central strikers.
If that is the case our emphasis will be on getting the ball as quickly to the wide men and play on the break with those two getting to the bye-line and crossing.
That's fine as a way to play but it means that our strikers have to be aware in the box of crosses flashing across the area and get ahead of defenders at the near post (as with Hayter's header for Doncaster where the 5ft 8in striker got to the ball first ahead of our much bigger central defenders).

Hunt is a reasonable finisher but doesn't seem to last 90 minutes and Long has the energy but just doesn't have a striker's knack and tends to wait and see what happens,by which time the chance has normally gone.
Church-well let's just say he is young(ish).
The way we play is like an away team and I would love to see an Osborn or a Bowman in central midfield slipping passes through to our strikers but we don't have anybody like that so our game is all about hard running and hoping that chances will come about.
We ar a bit like most mid-table Chamionship sides similar to a Watford or Coventry where effort is everything and individual skill is at a premium-in our case our most skillful player is a centre-back.

Brian is from the Wally Downes/Branfoot/Wimbledon school where the defender's job is to hit the ball as far away as possible from our half and getting it away from the danger zone with willing runners up front possibly pressurising the opposition defenders and picking up scraps.
Yesterday that is all that we were doing in the first half but with Kebe on we had Kish and Griff trying to get the ball to his feet and to some extent Tabb doing the same thing.
Other than Kebe and his exciting runs we are a really drab side to watch but with the personnel that we have that is what we will be watching for the rest of the season-loads of hopeful hoofs and the occasional spot of brilliance from Jimmy and less often from Jobi.
We will probably survive in this division as we are a very fit side and most of our players give everything but any thoughts of promotion are way out of the question with the players that we have.

[loyalroyal4life]

Play armstrong for harte and antonio for church next game

[handbags_harris]

and the only "miss' was Hunt making it too easy for their keeper

Was it? So what about Khizanishvili's free header in the first half?

Oh right. Forgot that one. So Hunt and Kish. Any more?

What is worse, a player taking a shot and missing or a player not even getting as shot away when gloriously positioned?

[Kitson12]

Meh...we shaded it, dull first half slightly better second. Centre backs were excellent and no way can Mills be in the team next week...full backs poor, especially Harte who seems to get skinned every week no matter who the winger.

The guy from QPR is a donkey, Karacan did ok before he got injured...McAnuff did alright, Church shouldn't be out wide, he should be dropped for Antonio...Hunt was decent once again the only proper striker we've got, Long did well for him.

I'd drop Woody for Tabb and Church for Antonio next week.

What about Kebe? Wouldn't you want him in the team next week?

[sandman]

I notice in the programme that the referee for yesterday's game lists "a cool head and an ability to remain in control " as important qualities for being a ref which apparently is "something which he has shown throughout his career".

He certainly didn't show either of those qualities yesterday.

[Royalee]

Meh...we shaded it, dull first half slightly better second. Centre backs were excellent and no way can Mills be in the team next week...full backs poor, especially Harte who seems to get skinned every week no matter who the winger.

The guy from QPR is a donkey, Karacan did ok before he got injured...McAnuff did alright, Church shouldn't be out wide, he should be dropped for Antonio...Hunt was decent once again the only proper striker we've got, Long did well for him.

I'd drop Woody for Tabb and Church for Antonio next week.

What about Kebe? Wouldn't you want him in the team next week?

Forgot about Kebe who was brilliant yesterday, probably him in for Church actually, I'd also be tempted to go for Antonio in for Long.

[Winnershroyal]

Meh...we shaded it, dull first half slightly better second. Centre backs were excellent and no way can Mills be in the team next week...full backs poor, especially Harte who seems to get skinned every week no matter who the winger.

The guy from QPR is a donkey, Karacan did ok before he got injured...McAnuff did alright, Church shouldn't be out wide, he should be dropped for Antonio...Hunt was decent once again the only proper striker we've got, Long did well for him.

I'd drop Woody for Tabb and Church for Antonio next week.

What about Kebe? Wouldn't you want him in the team next week?

Forgot about Kebe who was brilliant yesterday, probably him in for Church actually, I'd also be tempted to go for Antonio in for Long.

Griff was superb yesterday, swatting that annoying fly Gradel out of the game, deserves more credit than given here.

[LWJ]

I agree with the general consensus that it was yet another 2 lost points. Some great chances missed, Zurab's header, the handball on the line, Harte's free kick, Antonio hitting the post, and Kebe not quite getting his head to the ball. We had enough chances to have won comfortably.

Not impressed with Leigertwood, played like another Cisse chasing shadows and watching the game pass him by.

Ref was poor, missing the handball, the petulant kick, and then producing some cards for Hunt, Karacan and Griff for some pretty average fouls.

It's getting to be routine, a poor ref, playing a team better at cheating, and us not taking our chances.

LOL he was about 5 minutes late and took him out completely.. there's biased then theirs stupid

[Ian Royal]

Seriously, take the whole season, how many "open goals" have we missed, how many chances where the player really SHOULD have scored (and didn't) have there been? At Watford, I'd say NONE. Long's two weren't brilliantly executed moves putting him in space, with time, nor was Church's, and Karacan's "miss" was an instant, a moment where a player has one chance. Those go wrong a lot, at all levels.

Open goals? One or two.

Chances where you can reasonably expect the player to score (or at least get their shot on target). Shit loads.

[Row Z Royal]

Meh...we shaded it, dull first half slightly better second. Centre backs were excellent and no way can Mills be in the team next week...full backs poor, especially Harte who seems to get skinned every week no matter who the winger.

The guy from QPR is a donkey, Karacan did ok before he got injured...McAnuff did alright, Church shouldn't be out wide, he should be dropped for Antonio...Hunt was decent once again the only proper striker we've got, Long did well for him.

I'd drop Woody for Tabb and Church for Antonio next week.

What about Kebe? Wouldn't you want him in the team next week?

Forgot about Kebe who was brilliant yesterday, probably him in for Church actually, I'd also be tempted to go for Antonio in for Long.

I'm not sure that Antonio is a starter yet, but I'm not a fan of Church on the left of a 4-4-2. I'd rather a proper 4-3-3 that any one of our forwards stuck out on the left.

[Ian Royal]

Church is utterly wasted wide. His strength is his movement and ability to find space through the middle. And if you ping enough chances his way, sooner or later he'll shin one in by accident even if he's having a poor finishing day.

HRK had very little final product but at least he was in games. Antonio is completely raw and I'm not convinced he knows what he's doing, but he does create things. Both are better options wide than Church...

When we only have three strikers we can't play all of them from the start, especially with one on the wing. It gives us only wingers to bring on if we're chasing the game and need to score. And lets face it, none of those wingers are exactly prolific goalscorers.

[Snowball]

When we only have three strikers we can't play all of them from the start, especially with one on the wing. It gives us only wingers to bring on if we're chasing the game and need to score. And lets face it, none of those wingers are exactly prolific goalscorers.

That's why KEBE (WINGER) scored 12 goals last year and is joint top-scorer this year with 4 from 13...

[Ian Royal]

6 months does not a prolific goalscorer make.

[Handsome Man]

Federic 7 some good save
Griffin 8 back to his best
Harte 7 ok
Kish 7 ok
Pearce 8 we play better with him in the side

Karacan 6 first half was played about 10 feet above his head
Ligertwood 3 not match-fit
Church 5 not a winger
MacAnuff 7 not as good as he can be

Long 7 battled hard
Hunt 5 no goals and offered little

Antonio 7 gave us an extra burst of energy
Kebe 9 genius
Tabb 6 ok

Ref 2 the worst we have had this year

Leeds fans 6 great noise, but gitty beyond belief