Where will we be at the end of the season ? POLL

[Aces]

With every new addition that looks good and has a good reputation, plus the getting rid of deadwood players, our squad is looking better, surely this means an improvement on last years position. Hopefully it improves dramatically, I don't think the top 6 teams will be any great shakes and our lads need to believe they are good enough, which again in Rosler, hopefully he can convince them they are.

[jtaylor1974]

Not only have we made some good signings this pre season compared to many others we must also remember that we started last year with Dave Hockaday & Darko Milanic!!
That basically finished our season off before it got started.
A better team, a better manager, a better run club - this season does look to shape up better.
A top half finish is within our reach and with a bit of luck (with injuries etc.) a well timed run could see us sneak into a play-off berth?!?

[White Knight]

" we started last year with Dave Hockaday & Darko Milanic!!

Too true! If we just stick with UR then the players can settle to the what's expected of them, the manager can develop his style and, with a young team, this should allow everyone (hopefully!) to grow into their roles. That has to be worth a dozen points more alone! It's beginning to add up!!

[dlw10]

I can see Byram scoring 5-10 goals this year as well being deployed on the wing.

I certainly agree with this. Sam is proving himself very adept in the air and now has license to be even further forward. I'd be surprised if he doesn't get 7 or 8. In general though i do agree that logic says we will still be short of goals - only because we haven;t dealt with the issue of our midfield not being very creative or penetrative. We are relying on Wood to hit the jackpot this season with 20 +. I know Ant and Douk got 18 between them last season but for whatever reason since Christmas neither has looked likely to score! The bigger question is how many will we concede-if we can tighten up at the back then we don't need to score so many!

[Selby White]

I can see Byram scoring 5-10 goals this year as well being deployed on the wing.

I certainly agree with this. Sam is proving himself very adept in the air and now has license to be even further forward. I'd be surprised if he doesn't get 7 or 8. In general though i do agree that logic says we will still be short of goals - only because we haven;t dealt with the issue of our midfield not being very creative or penetrative. We are relying on Wood to hit the jackpot this season with 20 +. I know Ant and Douk got 18 between them last season but for whatever reason since Christmas neither has looked likely to score! The bigger question is how many will we concede-if we can tighten up at the back then we don't need to score so many!

I tend to look at our midfield been young and expect a bit of improvement, last year was about experience for the likes of Mowatt and Cook.
From a creative point of view think a lot of hope is pinned on he Dallas signing but also the different formation may see us with much more possesion which in turn should result in more chances and less pressure on our defence.
Not sure the Ant was allowed to score due to his contract or was that story another poppycock one.
Still I'm maybe just been an optimist but if cant be that before the first ball is kicked when can i be.

[White Knight]

Midfield is still the one area that I feel could do with strengthening. What we have now are fine young players that will give their all with real class about them. I'd just be concerned that we could be bullied out of games, especially on bad pitches and in crap weather.
What's usually needed in a dominant Championship team is an enforcer with loads of experience to go with the class and style around him. This type of player can break up opposition possession and tactics through owning a central area and creating a fear factor in other teams midfielders. The ideal candidate is shrewd enough to get the best out of those around him.
Not an easy job to find such a player! Age and experience is usually a must. All interested candidates should send their details to Elland Road, quickly!

[dlw10]

Midfield is still the one area that I feel could do with strengthening. What we have now are fine young players that will give their all with real class about them. I'd just be concerned that we could be bullied out of games, especially on bad pitches and in crap weather.
What's usually needed in a dominant Championship team is an enforcer with loads of experience to go with the class and style around him. This type of player can break up opposition possession and tactics through owning a central area and creating a fear factor in other teams midfielders. The ideal candidate is shrewd enough to get the best out of those around him.
Not an easy job to find such a player! Age and experience is usually a must. All interested candidates should send their details to Elland Road, quickly!

I think Adeyemi can do the enforcer role and he has improved with every game. What I do't see is a player in MF who can dictate the play - most teams have a player who alomost everything goes through, the rest of the team look for that player constantly and he dictates the next move. We have some very talented young players in there but they all seem to react rather than create. Now and again we see a few of them put a move together like they did for Mowatt's goal, but that has been an exception . It is hard to put your finger on what exactly it is that is missing but it just feels to me like they need that Gordon Strachan type player in amongst them directing them all. No one actually commands that central part of the pitch either - all our players roam around without any of them seemingly having a set area of the pitch (now of course this may be the way our coaches want them to play) at any one time you can look at one part of the pitch and anyone could be in there!

[White Knight]

Midfield is still the one area that I feel could do with strengthening. What we have now are fine young players that will give their all with real class about them. I'd just be concerned that we could be bullied out of games, especially on bad pitches and in crap weather.
What's usually needed in a dominant Championship team is an enforcer with loads of experience to go with the class and style around him. This type of player can break up opposition possession and tactics through owning a central area and creating a fear factor in other teams midfielders. The ideal candidate is shrewd enough to get the best out of those around him.
Not an easy job to find such a player! Age and experience is usually a must. All interested candidates should send their details to Elland Road, quickly!

I think Adeyemi can do the enforcer role and he has improved with every game. What I do't see is a player in MF who can dictate the play - most teams have a player who alomost everything goes through, the rest of the team look for that player constantly and he dictates the next move. We have some very talented young players in there but they all seem to react rather than create. Now and again we see a few of them put a move together like they did for Mowatt's goal, but that has been an exception . It is hard to put your finger on what exactly it is that is missing but it just feels to me like they need that Gordon Strachan type player in amongst them directing them all. No one actually commands that central part of the pitch either - all our players roam around without any of them seemingly having a set area of the pitch (now of course this may be the way our coaches want them to play) at any one time you can look at one part of the pitch and anyone could be in there!

I haven't seen enough of Adeyemi to know if he's our man for the role. I certainly hope so. With the history Leeds have of class midfielders it's easy to feel entitled to have a candidate for the Strachan/Batty/Giles/Bremner role every couple of years. But as you point out, it's a role that's being coached out of teams now - more's the pity. Worth anything to have a tackle from any of those mentioned already to lift a team and the support!

[mapperleywhite]

With the glorious hindsight of watching the Burnley match on a patchy link....

We have a few barometers from how we do against:

- Cardiff and Derby
- Teams we regard as minnows, for example MK Dons and Charlton, who, at the time of writing, occupy places 1 and 2 in the league
- Other Yorkshire teams like Rotherham
- Wolves and Ipswich who are set up with physical players to ensure a top half finish in the Championship
- Brighton, Blackburn and possibly Fulham

4 points from all of these would be a basis for a promotion push.

We were lucky last season with injuries and suspensions, so let's hope that continues in the light of our thin squad.

In summary we were a whole lot more entertaining to watch than last season, but skinny defensively at times and conceding headers close to goal still an obvious problem.

Think we'll finish higher than last season.....