LUFCTALK

Barlow Boy wrote:Berardi signs contract until the end of the season, nice move from the club

Great news.

With the situation as it is with him it yet again shows what a classy club we are.

Brilliant. So chuffed for Gaetano. He's been my man crush for ages so I'm really pleased with the club standing by him.

Berardi speaks about his new contract......

https://video.leedsunited.com/video/dm9 ... RmZlZWQ%3D

Excellent, well done LUFC

Davycc wrote:Excellent, well done LUFC

Orta's letter to Douglas, now this. Classy stuff

zigzag wrote:

Leonickroberts wrote:Apparently Benrahma has just failed a medical at West Ham

Must be bad as both Andy Carroll & Jack Wilshere have passed medicals there

apparently now gone to west ham on season long loan

Sovietmule wrote:

Davycc wrote:Excellent, well done LUFC

Orta's letter to Douglas, now this. Classy stuff

Just read VO's letter to Barry and it's just another reason things are so good at Leeds United at present.

Dear Barry,

You are the first permanent member of our promotion winning side to leave us and therefore I felt I should write this open letter to express my thanks, but also to ensure the supporters know just how big your impact has been.

You are clearly a top player and anyone who understands the game can see your quality. Unfortunately things have just not fallen for you in the way they should have done during your time at Leeds United, which can happen in football. A lot of people credit Marcelo with changing the culture of Leeds United since he arrived, which is absolutely true, but you also arrived during the summer of 2018 and I know a lot of people also believe that your arrival at the club sparked a change in the dressing room too.

You are a positive influence. I have seen first-hand how you have taken the younger players in the squad under your wing and given them important advice and it is clear to everybody that you are very popular amongst the senior players at the club. The same can be said for the staff too, you have a close relationship with Chris and the kit staff, the medical team, Izzy and the chefs and everyone else at Thorp Arch. I also know that on the night we got promoted you took our own Digital Wilson aside to let him know that the work he does has helped to build the spirit in the dressing room, which I know meant a lot to him and his team. Our communications team always feeds back to me when players have gone above and beyond in the community and he has constantly informed me how much you have done for people in this city. You care and you are a good person.

Your best moment on the field in my opinion was the cross you made for Bill to equalise against Millwall in March 2019, whilst carrying a painful knee injury. We went on to win the game and it was one of the best atmospheres I have felt at Elland Road. Off the field, and on a personal note, the moment you impressed me the most was in one of my darkest moments, after the game with Derby County in the Play-Offs. The dressing room was filled with people crying and emotional, shaken and all fearing for the future – and then you burst into the room and you shouted “We keep going and we do it next year”. For some reason, as soon as you said that the room seemed to lift, and the following season we achieved our goal.

I understand why you are leaving. You are a proper professional and you want to play and I respect that greatly. You leave us as a champion on the pitch and I hope now people understand that you are a champion off the field too. Thank you for everything Barry. I wish you, Debbie, Kaidyn and your soon to be new addition all the luck in the world for the future.

Victor Orta

P.S. You still owe me a free kick.

So, that's it, no other midfielder arrived, but we still let Gotts go.
Which means we still hope Forshaw will play a part.

I was thinking about the midfield today.
Klich and Phillips will always start if they're fit and not suspended, with Klich playing box to box ("knitting the midfield together" as the BBC site described his role for Poland today) and Kalvin as the anchor.
The other spot, ie the Pablo position, is the one that's up for grabs.

As it stands, we have the following players who can play it : Hernandez, Forshaw, Rodrigo, Roberts, Shackleton and even Dallas at a pinch. None of them are nailed on for various reasons but I think that's enough depth, don't you? Personally I'd love Shack to play more because he always looks good, but against weaker teams Rodrigo should play and at all times I'd consider bringing Pablo on for the last 20 mins, either to chase a goal or occupy the oppo if we're leading.

Honestly, I couldn't be happier with the window. Two quality centre halves would have been enough, but the squad looks amazing. Just think back three years and compare... it's staggering.

rigger wrote:The other spot, ie the Pablo position, is the one that's up for grabs.

As it stands, we have the following players who can play it : Hernandez, Forshaw, Rodrigo, Roberts, Shackleton and even Dallas at a pinch.

I’ve made this comment to our regular bunch of ST holders previously, I just don’t see Forshaw in that position, he’s more of a replacement/deputy for Phillips in my mind.

All those players you mention score and create goals, Forshaw has scored something like 3 goals in over 150 appearances. Decent enough player when he is fit, but nowhere near a Pablo replacement for me.