20/21 Match thread - Leeds United FC vs Tottenham Hotspur - PL

[SmithAndJones]

Must admit that after the Sheffield game, I was conned into thinking that it was all about us. With four 'winnable' fixtures to come I was confident to predict that we would finish the season with six straight wins, albeit that it still wouldn't be good enough to secure CL. That would be entirely down to Mourinho and what went before.
How wrong can you be. It wasn't about us, it was about how bad Sheffield were. Leeds made it about us by clearly demonstrating that we are a very average mid table team, incapable of competing against a young side that display the levels of commitment and energy that Bielsa has in his team.
Whilst I still believe that Mourinho did nothing with us to improve players, and did even less to generate enthusiasm and motivation, I think that we have to accept that the playing squad is nowhere near as good as we like to think it is. Many of our players are bang average, and that includes a number of recent signings who have achieved little in improving us on the field.

 

[Walthamstow wanderer]

Must admit that after the Sheffield game, I was conned into thinking that it was all about us. With four 'winnable' fixtures to come I was confident to predict that we would finish the season with six straight wins, albeit that it still wouldn't be good enough to secure CL. That would be entirely down to Mourinho and what went before.
How wrong can you be. It wasn't about us, it was about how bad Sheffield were. Leeds made it about us by clearly demonstrating that we are a very average mid table team, incapable of competing against a young side that display the levels of commitment and energy that Bielsa has in his team.
I still believe that Mourinho did nothing with us to improve players, and did even less to generate enthusiasm and motivation, I think that we have to accept that the playing squad is nowhere near as good as we like to think it is. Many of our players are bang average, and that includes a number of recent signings who have achieved little in improving us on the field.

“I still believe that Mourhino did nothing with us to improve players , and did even less to generate enthusiasm and motivation “
Just about sums it all up perfectly mate .

 

[Real Deal]

Saying Mason was naive is crazy. Leeds are known for being leaky at the back so going into the game with a positive lineup wasn't a bad idea.

The difference was Bamford for large portions of the game. His hold up play was excellent, he worked his socks off and his off-ball movement was very, very good. Bamford kept helping others get up the pitch and join the attack. Compare that to Kane who half-heartedly battled against their CBs, kept losing the ball and jogged around rather than pressing.

Hojbjerg was continuously out of position. I saw Dele slot back into the defence more times than Hojbjerg today when someone was pulled out of position.

Mason was tactically out done today but I expected that against Bielsa. What cannot be excused was our vice captain only thinking about himself and doing nothing to lead the team out on the pitch. And Hojbjerg spends more time telling other people where to be whilst being in poor positions himself. These two are meant to be leaders!!! And Dier really made himself look a tool today when it was only last week he moaned about getting blame for mistakes too much. I have no idea what he was doing for their first goal and he was daydreaming for their second.

Our entire out-field spine (except Dele in the first half) were dreadful today. Leeds were fantastic though.

Aurier and Dier aside I liked the line up. I don't blame Mason for the result.

He went with an attacking line up. Which is what we should be doing being the 10th richest club in the world.

Totally pointless playing defensive football with the players we have.

Mason really needs to give these players some home truths. Their fitness, desire and attitude are seriously shocking.

 

[Real Deal]

Just when we needed a strong MF, Lo Celso lost possession 19 times. We needed Winks in there for a game where attrition was obvious. Hojbjerg had little help. We needed an extra man more like not an underperforming one.

Playing Winks wouldn't have made any difference. He is average.

 

[trustmeiknow1]

Playing Winks wouldn't have made any difference. He is average.

It would've been an even bigger disaster with Winks in the team yesterday. He is positionally disciplined but genuinely he is defensively woeful. I don't know what the future holds for him

 

[SmithAndJones]

Playing Winks wouldn't have made any difference. He is average.

Unfortunately RD so is Lo Celso. He's living off the expensive price tag he came with. He reminds me a lot of Jermaine Jenas, looks good on the ball, but produces very little end product, I can barely remember a game where he has genuinely impacted on our performance.

 

[rackny]

Absolutely the players need a rocket up their arses. They are acting like overpaid primadonnas. Yes you can argue that had the goal not been disallowed then its a different game but the truth is they were all over us and the goal we did score was against the run of play.
I have seriously had enough of the lackadaisical attitudes some of our players have. They are paid fortunes which I could only dream of and some cannot do the basics right. I swear I could have played better than Dier yesterday and I was mediocre at best with dodgy knees. Dont forget the saves Hugo had to make. That could have been really embarrassing.
Sit Kane down and ask him if he really wants to go amd if so let him. Take Aurier, Dier, Lamela, Winks, Sissoko with him. Give all the proceeds and more to whoever gets the job.
We need an new identity because we are back to being a Spursy shambles.

 

[Nick Real Deal]

Unfortunately RD so is Lo Celso. He's living off the expensive price tag he came with. He reminds me a lot of Jermaine Jenas, looks good on the ball, but produces very little end product, I can barely remember a game where he has genuinely impacted on our performance.

Loco lost the ball 19 times. I think Winks would have intercepted some of Leeds MF play and covered both wings to an extent. He would have helped Hojbjerg out more than Loco.

 

[Pompey Yid]

I re-watched that excuse for game by us again this morning, yes I know I must be a ?, any way looking at it with say Military eyes....

Two Plattoons/squads set up v each other on the battle field, excuse any terms I might use....
One side was an obvious "Band of Brothers"
Off on the side was a "Captain/Leader" who had organised/drilled his unit into a way of doing Battle.
On the field was the Captains Sergeant Major making sure his orders were followed, not that he was really needed.
Each and every member knew his job, helping out, giving his oppo's options all the time all over the field.
There was a number of the members who were not in their normal/preferred position, but was it noticeable, no it wasn't.
When an on field member was replaced, the replacement slotted straight in, making no difference to the movement or strategy that had been laid down by the Off field Captain/Leader.
The confidence in each and every member plus the confidence in each other stood out a mile.
This unit was a well drilled outfit, basically "all for one and one for all" no stand out Hero's because they were all Hero's in their different molds.
At times this unit did get caught out as is the norm, because nothing is 100% perfect, yet all this did was rally this "Band of Brothers" to stand up even harder.
Lastly what was visibly noticeable was this units Fitness, non stop, until the Battle was over.

Then opposite this well drilled organised side was Spurs!
Says it all, so much damage has been done to this unit by its previous Captain/Leader, except for their age, you could say compare them to "Dads Army"

I hope my opinions can be understood, but what I can say we are at the start of a dark tunnel back.

 

[total spurs]

I re-watched that excuse for game by us again this morning, yes I know I must be a ?, any way looking at it with say Military eyes....

Two Plattoons/squads set up v each other on the battle field, excuse any terms I might use....
One side was an obvious "Band of Brothers"
Off on the side was a "Captain/Leader" who had organised/drilled his unit into a way of doing Battle.
On the field was the Captains Sergeant Major making sure his orders were followed, not that he was really needed.
Each and every member knew his job, helping out, giving his oppo's options all the time all over the field.
There was a number of the members who were not in their normal/preferred position, but was it noticeable, no it wasn't.
When an on field member was replaced, the replacement slotted straight in, making no difference to the movement or strategy that had been laid down by the Off field Captain/Leader.
The confidence in each and every member plus the confidence in each other stood out a mile.
This unit was a well drilled outfit, basically "all for one and one for all" no stand out Hero's because they were all Hero's in their different molds.
At times this unit did get caught out as is the norm, because nothing is 100% perfect, yet all this did was rally this "Band of Brothers" to stand up even harder.
Lastly what was visibly noticeable was this units Fitness, non stop, until the Battle was over.

Then opposite this well drilled organised side was Spurs!
Says it all, so much damage has been done to this unit by its previous Captain/Leader, except for their age, you could say compare them to "Dads Army"

I hope my opinions can be understood, but what I can say we are at the start of a dark tunnel back.

far too often our players are fair weather team mates.....great when the game is going our way....but lack the balls when the going gets tough. Which is why most teams we play look like teams, a band of brothers....and more often than not we look like a team of dont bothers!

 

[USAFSPURS]

We all keep speaking around it...I will just say it.

WE ARE NOT THAT GOOD AND IN A FALSE POSITION IN THE TABLE!

Seriously Leeds were the better team yesterday and it wasn't even close. I stress the word 'team'. Yes Spurs may have one or two better individual players...and honestly I am not even sure of that anymore...but Leeds performed as a unit and destroyed us fairly easily.

The Leeds players trust eachother and work for eachother. Spurs...not so much....exactly the opposite.

We are broken...and have been for a long time...it is time to scrap this group...and rebuild. And this rebuild will last a few seasons...we ain't fixing this overnight...sorry.

 

[Nick Real Deal]

We all keep speaking around it...I will just say it.

WE ARE NOT THAT GOOD AND IN A FALSE POSITION IN THE TABLE!

Seriously Leeds were the better team yesterday and it wasn't even close. I stress the word 'team'. Yes Spurs may have one or two better individual players...and honestly I am not even sure of that anymore...but Leeds performed as a unit and destroyed us fairly easily.

The Leeds players trust eachother and work for eachother. Spurs...not so much....exactly the opposite.

We are broken...and have been for a long time...it is time to scrap this group...and rebuild. And this rebuild will last a few seasons...we ain't fixing this overnight...sorry.

I said this the other day in response to Hoddle saying we needed a rebuild. I was basically told don't listen to Hoddle, he is nuts !!

 

[Critical_Spur]

I can also see the strong argument that Jose didn't get his squad fit enough for a Prem battle. Even Bamford implied it in one of the interviews yesterday.

"We know we are a fitter team than them"

Just shows how other teams things about Spurs.

Wind the clock back 5 years and what you would see is Spurs being Leeds Utd (2nd season under Poch). Give Leeds players 4 years of running their asses off, win nothing, get in a comfort zone (guaranteed PL + good wage).....and hey persto....you have Spurs of today!

The only difference between Bielsa's Leeds and Poch's Spurs is that Bielsa has refreshed the squad whilst our man decided our eternal youth will see us through!

 

[RichmondSpur]

Yep, Kane is a massive issue at the moment. He needs sitting down and having it spelt out to him in single syllables.

England wouldn't miss him if he wasn't in the line-up on recent performances. He's going through the motions.

Without Kane's goals and assists, this already depressing season would be a lot worse. If Alli had been playing instead, we would almost certainly be in a relegation dogfight with Sheffield, West Brom & Fulham. Kane has been carrying our inept team on his back.

 

[Nick Real Deal]

Alli with Kane is ok by me. Dele creates chances. Kane may have decided to stop trying to carry the whole team by helping defend, create from MF, press and score. If he tries to do it all he will burn out.

 

[Departed]

Without Kane's goals and assists, this already depressing season would be a lot worse. If Alli had been playing instead, we would almost certainly be in a relegation dogfight with Sheffield, West Brom & Fulham. Kane has been carrying our inept team on his back.

Not lately he hasn't and I think he is mentally worn out with all the drama. Pandemic included.

 

[USAFSPURS]

I said this the other day in response to Hoddle saying we needed a rebuild. I was basically told don't listen to Hoddle, he is nuts !!

Guess I am nuts? LOL

No really I believe we need a substantial rebuild and whoever gets appointed the new manager MUST be given time and funds to do it. (Poor bastard!)

 

[USAFSPURS]

Wind the clock back 5 years and what you would see is Spurs being Leeds Utd (2nd season under Poch). Give Leeds players 4 years of running their asses off, win nothing, get in a comfort zone (guaranteed PL + good wage).....and hey persto....you have Spurs of today!

The only difference between Bielsa's Leeds and Poch's Spurs is that Bielsa has refreshed the squad whilst our man decided our eternal youth will see us through!

Extremely good post. Yep...we stagnated RIGHT WHEN we needed to keep pushing. If we would have kept applying competition to the squad by being active in every window...I firmly believe we would have won some very special trophies by now.

We did not, like you say we for some naffing reason though a squad that had won nothing would get it done....ughhh

One of the things that makes the great teams great for long periods of time is CONSTANT improvement...never settling. No position is sacred...everyone has to compete for their job.

I use Kane as the example, simply because it is so damn glaring...Kane in this run of form would have been benched a long time ago. (counter point - He also would have rotation to keep him fresh....wow what a concept...)

 

[Departed]

It's good that people see that we are still cleaning up after Pochettino. He lost the plot.

 

[USAFSPURS]

Without Kane's goals and assists, this already depressing season would be a lot worse. If Alli had been playing instead, we would almost certainly be in a relegation dogfight with Sheffield, West Brom & Fulham. Kane has been carrying our inept team on his back.

There is a lot of truth in this Rich...he has carried us for a long time...but for some reason we have not given him help nor have we rotated him out to keep him going for a full season.