Bielsa - now you know what it's like first hand ..

[DominanceUK]

SW : I take the point about the strength of the squad but feel you may be slightly blinded by the fact that ours is currently so weak.
In the first weeks of the season it was way, way stronger. If we have no injuries or suspensions our squad is pretty tasty.

We all know the starting XI :
Kiko; Ayling, White, Cooper, Douglas; Phillips; Costa, Klich, Hernandez, Harrison; Bamford.
I think most would agree that's the starting team for Bielsa with Dallas in the Madeley role of slotting in for anyone who may be out, or possibly even as first choice left back.
On the bench at the start of the season we would then have : Meslier, Berardi, Alioski, Dallas, Foreshaw, Shackleton, Roberts. Add Nketiah too, if you like, to make the number of first team options 8 in total, the rest being inexperienced U23s like Stevens, Davis and Gotts.

That bench looks pretty stellar to me, with four full internationals and two at U21 plus Shack, who I regard as the best young player at the club.

We could - and I have been saying this in this very forum for several years now - rotate one or two spots every week and not lose much in quality. This would lessen the chance of injuries, increase experience across the squad, engender greater team spirit and spread the responsibility throughout the players rather than relying on the same XI, flogging them to death before having to make a change.
It's just basic resource management and only someone with a super-narrow vision would NOT do that.
I'm pretty sure Bielsa is a bona fide genius in terms of intelligence - check out the rest of his family for the quality of their genes - but I'm also fairly sure he's on the spectrum as someone with high-functioning Asperger's.

He IS amazing and I do desperately love the bloke, but I just wish he'd take his head out of his proverbial and wake up and smell the coffee.
If he doesn't change either Bamford or Kiko for the next match - ideally BOTH - then I am out. I will have had enough because he doesn't learn from his own mistakes, either from across his career or directly from his last two seasons at Leeds United bloody football club.

Great post, Rigz. Agree with everything you said apart from you saying you would be out with regards to Kiko and Bamford being dropped, that's just frustration, I don't know you personally but I know full well you'll continue to be Leeds. Tuesday can't come quick enough for me, MB has practically blamed himself for the defeat yesterday. I think he'll stick with the same 11 (exception of KP coming back in), why drop any of those players when he ultimately blames himself for his tactics?

[Selby White]

Rigger,
Not blinded at all, we all have opinions.
All I'm saying is rotating isn't a guarantee, none of us know.

Agree with your starting eleven with the exception that I think it would include Forshaw if fit (recall he was in front of Costa early season with Pablo moving wide). I also believe we miss his drive and personally would like to see Shackleton given the role. But that's another debate.

I don't disagree that there are some positions we could rotate, wide players and full backs definitely but I think there are other players (Phillips is the best example) we are much poorer without.

Kiko is having a rough time and Meslier looked good from what we've seen. My only doubt on that one is against Arsenal Meslier didn't leave his line and I think we rely on our goalkeeper doing that with our lack of aerial domination. He's a tall lad with first team experience so would go along with that one though.

Bamford is our only option or should I say was, think its very soon he will be on the bench. Over the next games JKA will get more and more match time and it will be very soon that he is the starter. Simple maths based on a £25mill striker is better than a £9mill striker.
Still need JKA match fit or feel its a certainty he'll pick up an injury.

[DominanceUK]

Rigger,
Not blinded at all, we all have opinions.
All I'm saying is rotating isn't a guarantee, none of us know.

Agree with your starting eleven with the exception that I think it would include Forshaw if fit (recall he was in front of Costa early season with Pablo moving wide). I also believe we miss his drive and personally would like to see Shackleton given the role. But that's another debate.

I don't disagree that there are some positions we could rotate, wide players and full backs definitely but I think there are other players (Phillips is the best example) we are much poorer without.

Kiko is having a rough time and Meslier looked good from what we've seen. My only doubt on that one is against Arsenal Meslier didn't leave his line and I think we rely on our goalkeeper doing that with our lack of aerial domination. He's a tall lad with first team experience so would go along with that one though.

Bamford is our only option or should I say was, think its very soon he will be on the bench. Over the next games JKA will get more and more match time and it will be very soon that he is the starter. Simple maths based on a £25mill striker is better than a £9mill striker.
Still need JKA match fit or feel its a certainty he'll pick up an injury.

I look at the Nahki Wells transfer @ £4m and it's an absolute steal. What has JKA done in the last 2 years? Nothing is the answer. We've put all our eggs in one basket and gambled on him, and let's be honest here, we only did that because we didn't get our number target in Che Adams. Now we have to get a striker who has played very little football in the last 12 months up to MB's speed (which takes weeks) and hope in vein he hit's the ground running. Absolute madness.

[MOT1964]

Even more worrying, when things are stale or clearly not working, the starting XI invariably remains the same. In my opinion, not only does this mean the same problems get repeated, it must also be massively demotivating.

It also means that we are very predictable and it makes it much easier for opposition managers to set up against us. Scott Parker received a lot of flack from our fans by calling our play scripted after our defeat to Fulham, but he was right.

[Deleted User 728]

When I said I'll be out I meant it would be time up for Bielsa at the end of the season for me. He's never going to change so what's the point. I hope I'm proved wrong but I don't know that Big Kev will start any time soon....

[DominanceUK]

When I said I'll be out I meant it would be time up for Bielsa at the end of the season for me. He's never going to change so what's the point. I hope I'm proved wrong but I don't know that Big Kev will start any time soon....

Ah I see, you know what I'm like, pal. Most of the time I see it a different way. I've said on many occasions that if we don't go up this season, MB walks away and we're back to square one.

[Leicester White]

When I said I'll be out I meant it would be time up for Bielsa at the end of the season for me. He's never going to change so what's the point. I hope I'm proved wrong but I don't know that Big Kev will start any time soon....

I think Bielsa will make 1 or 2 changes to the team this week. I think Big Kev gets the 1st half and Paddy on 2nd half... Paddy's better 2nd half for me (West Brom, Millwall). I also think Ian will be on the bench and can see him coming on for Costa and perhaps Shackleton getting a bit more game time.

[Phil147]

Bielsa will not change. He has remained true to his beliefs for better or worse throughout his career. What he has done with this Leeds team is incredible, let's not forget where we were before he took over. Mid table mediocrity, at best.
We are playing the best football arguably since that golden window under O'Leary. He has turned journey men footballers into some of the best in the division.
Is he too stubborn? Yes of course he is. But we should not be surprised there, he has always been that way. Why would he change at Leeds?

The game at Forest was the worst I've seen us this season, we didn't deserve to get anything out of it whereas other defeats this season we've played well and either due to poor finishing or bad luck we've not got our just desserts. Last night was different and Bielsa needs to consider that before he decides what team and setup we have at Brentford. He pretty much said this in his post match press conference.

However, I will ask these two questions. With this squad who else could have had us playing the football we have been doing and been pretty much top two for the best part of two seasons? Would we be in this position under Heckingbottom, Christiansen etc.? No we most certainly would not.

And, if not Bielsa. Who should be manager of Leeds United?

IMHO we've been spoilt for the last season and a half, we've got a world class coach who has got us playing the best football in the division, bar none. The issue isn't with Bielsa. The issue is the squad itself. He said last season he had taken them as far as he could and to be fair to him he has given it a bloody good go again this season.

There is still a long way to go this season, there will be many more twists and turns. It's never easy been a Leeds United supporter and it most certainly won't be this season but we are still second and its all to play for.

In Bielsa we trust. Because who else is there?

[lufctrav]

I would liken this thread to wanting to end the best relationship you've been in because she's not a great cook.

The side are STILL second FFS! The panic of it being this year or bust only confirms how critical Bielsa has been to Leeds United's promotion hopes.

[Barlow Boy]

Bielsa will not change. He has remained true to his beliefs for better or worse throughout his career. What he has done with this Leeds team is incredible, let's not forget where we were before he took over. Mid table mediocrity, at best.
We are playing the best football arguably since that golden window under O'Leary. He has turned journey men footballers into some of the best in the division.
Is he too stubborn? Yes of course he is. But we should not be surprised there, he has always been that way. Why would he change at Leeds?

The game at Forest was the worst I've seen us this season, we didn't deserve to get anything out of it whereas other defeats this season we've played well and either due to poor finishing or bad luck we've not got our just desserts. Last night was different and Bielsa needs to consider that before he decides what team and setup we have at Brentford. He pretty much said this in his post match press conference.

However, I will ask these two questions. With this squad who else could have had us playing the football we have been doing and been pretty much top two for the best part of two seasons? Would we be in this position under Heckingbottom, Christiansen etc.? No we most certainly would not.

And, if not Bielsa. Who should be manager of Leeds United?

IMHO we've been spoilt for the last season and a half, we've got a world class coach who has got us playing the best football in the division, bar none. The issue isn't with Bielsa. The issue is the squad itself. He said last season he had taken them as far as he could and to be fair to him he has given it a bloody good go again this season.

There is still a long way to go this season, there will be many more twists and turns. It's never easy been a Leeds United supporter and it most certainly won't be this season but we are still second and its all to play for.

In Bielsa we trust. Because who else is there?

This .

I’d just add, it’s enjoyable going back to ER again, even now when we are out of form. I can remember going a few seasons back and the South Stand was shut, now look at it, full of season ticket holders.

Bielsa is the best thing that’s happened to us in years, yes he’s stubborn, yes he should be more flexible, but I’ll take him over Milanič, Hockaday, and Heckingbottom any day of the week.