Gallowgate End

Lindelof for the goal

Sky speculating Aston Villa might go for Mitrovic

Surely not with FFP on their back?

I preffered it when he was just banging on about Eddie Howe a the time.

I’m waiting till May for that

The new look Trust has turned out to be nothing more than an ego boosting old pals act, as many suspected.

 

They made loads of noise when wanting to take money off folk, many on lifetime memberships, got all the money in and have gone very quiet now, in fact silent.

 

All the usual suspects got in during the elections the other month and we've heard nothing since. Shame Heron didn't get in. That's who I voted for. We may well have had a bit more transparency then because all the old pals have taken their places, closed ranks and basically shut up shop.

 

Thankfully, because of my misgivings I took out a 1 year membership instead of the lifetime one they were plugging g so hard. No chance that's getting renewed.

https://twitter.com/ManuLonjon/status/1214440170017230848

 

Ryan Babel discussions apparently.

 

Looked good at Fulham last time around.

 

Not sure we'd put him in positions to be useful. I do like him though.

Another 33 year old

Where’s that strict club policy gone?

FWA NE POTY, deserved I think, with Sean Longstaff getting the Young POTY

The groundwork of Rafa Benitez

Shame Sean Longstaff’s form has tailed off since losing his pivot tutor.

Danny Drinkwater going to Villa on loan

 

Rules them out loaning Giroud or Batshuayi I think

If that’s the case what a waste of a loan

yeah i understand what both of you are saying but it won't work

 

instead of ASM or Almiron carrying the ball 40 yards to find themselves & Joelinton isolated from the entire team you're hoping that a 40 yard hoof to Giroud would somehow lead to those three somehow not being isolated from the team...we'll still have the same setup and static CMs

 

the answer is not hoofball, the best we've looked all season is when ASM takes 2-3 players out creating space for others with his runs from deep, if you cut that avenue out we'll be even easier to defend against imo

Do you remember the second half of last season? That's how it 'should' work. Direct football towards strong centre forward with two supporting players. The centre of midfield aren't there to score goals in this approach. Obviously we don't have Rafa, Rondon or Perez, but the theory is proved in that that's exactly how we played then, and exactly how we're attempting (poorly) to play now. ASM has been our shining light by default. I wouldn't choose to base my whole approach around him when the team is not capable of playing through him successfully. That's borne out in the fact that his number of goals, assists and chances created are low. If we had a centre forward who worked in this approach I'd imagine ASM and Alan Miron will be far more influential

Agree.

A natural target man is a must something Rafa would pinpoint because he has a football brain.

Batshuayi would be terrible for the current system and he’d infuriate the fans with his awful hold up play.

He's never managed a European club that had a hope in hell of winning a league title ffs

 

Athletic Bilbao and Valencia are similar clubs Rafa Benitez won 2 titles and a European trophy with that level of club.

 

Valencia hadn't won the league in 31 years.

Athletic Bilbao can only sign Basque players ffs

 

Bielsa also managed them in the period from 2011-2013, i.e. when one of the best teams of all time was in La Liga. Rafa would not have won the league with Valencia in those years

 

I think you should have a look at the lineups of Real Madrid and Barca when Rafa was at Valencia.

Rafa won the league with 70 something points. Barca and Real were consistently in the 90s in 2011-13

 

Only 1 manager in the last 35 years has broken the dominance of Real Madrid and Barcelona twice.

 

Outstanding achievement considering no one else has broken the dominance twice in the last 35 years.

 

That was when Barca were a mess.

 

A mess?

Puyol, Edgar Davids, Xaxi, Iniesta, Overmars, Ronaldinho, Kluivert

They got like 60s/low 70s points in both the seasons Rafa won the league. A complete mess

If you’re giving titles out just for high points totals then you should give Rafa 2 Premier League titles instead for getting 86 points at Liverpool(Losing only 1 game all season) and 82 points at Chelsea.

i remain unconvinced that "our system", such as it is, is all about booting it up to a big man when ASM and Almiron are both on the pitch, if that's the road you go down i think you take away ASM's impact in particular

 

unless the argument is being made that we should be going to a giroud type up top and playing it more direct, but that's different i think

Our system is about shifting from back to front as quickly as possible - direct,  counter-attack. We basically need a striker who does exactly what rondon did last season. ASM's impact consists of some lovely dribbles from deep.  If you play with a striker who allows you to retain the ball higher up the pitch you'd envisage  more scenarios where your genuine attackers have opportunities to use the ball in more dangerous areas for the opposition

Yep.

No surprise the football brains of Ashley, Charnley, Nickson didn’t know that though.

Young talented hungry manager Van Bronckhorst decides China in the best place for his next managerial project.

Now confirmed.

https://twitter.com/asaikana/status/1213290218335461378?s=20

Piatek - 6 yard box striker. Pointless in our system

Giroud - perfect for our system. But why didn't we just fucking buy Rondon?!

Murray - fuck off. Would sign Bill Murray,  at least he'd be funny

Batshuayi - can't hold the ball up, therefore pointless

 

Based on this stunning analysis, giroud is the only one of the linked players who actually fits how we attempt to play. We need a target man who can run, who holds on to the ball and brings others into play. Basically Rondon.  With that sort of player in the side, Joe Lintons can then play wide in a three - a position he actually knows how to play.

 

Good breakdown tbf.

He's never managed a European club that had a hope in hell of winning a league title ffs

 

Athletic Bilbao and Valencia are similar clubs Rafa Benitez won 2 titles and a European trophy with that level of club.

 

Valencia hadn't won the league in 31 years.

Athletic Bilbao can only sign Basque players ffs

 

Bielsa also managed them in the period from 2011-2013, i.e. when one of the best teams of all time was in La Liga. Rafa would not have won the league with Valencia in those years

 

I think you should have a look at the lineups of Real Madrid and Barca when Rafa was at Valencia.

Rafa won the league with 70 something points. Barca and Real were consistently in the 90s in 2011-13

 

Only 1 manager in the last 35 years has broken the dominance of Real Madrid and Barcelona twice.

 

Outstanding achievement considering no one else has broken the dominance twice in the last 35 years.

 

That was when Barca were a mess.

A mess?

Puyol, Edgar Davids, Xaxi, Iniesta, Overmars, Ronaldinho, Kluivert

Tory Boy Hurst is a total wanker.

He's never managed a European club that had a hope in hell of winning a league title ffs

 

Athletic Bilbao and Valencia are similar clubs Rafa Benitez won 2 titles and a European trophy with that level of club.

 

Valencia hadn't won the league in 31 years.

Athletic Bilbao can only sign Basque players ffs

 

Bielsa also managed them in the period from 2011-2013, i.e. when one of the best teams of all time was in La Liga. Rafa would not have won the league with Valencia in those years

 

I think you should have a look at the lineups of Real Madrid and Barca when Rafa was at Valencia.

Rafa won the league with 70 something points. Barca and Real were consistently in the 90s in 2011-13

 

Only 1 manager in the last 35 years has broken the dominance of Real Madrid and Barcelona twice.

 

Outstanding achievement considering no one else has broken the dominance twice in the last 35 years.

We all know it was a great achievement If I was Rafa I'd have a restraining order against you

He should

He's never managed a European club that had a hope in hell of winning a league title ffs

 

Athletic Bilbao and Valencia are similar clubs Rafa Benitez won 2 titles and a European trophy with that level of club.

 

Valencia hadn't won the league in 31 years.

Athletic Bilbao can only sign Basque players ffs

 

Bielsa also managed them in the period from 2011-2013, i.e. when one of the best teams of all time was in La Liga. Rafa would not have won the league with Valencia in those years

 

I think you should have a look at the lineups of Real Madrid and Barca when Rafa was at Valencia.

Rafa won the league with 70 something points. Barca and Real were consistently in the 90s in 2011-13

Only 1 manager in the last 35 years has broken the dominance of Real Madrid and Barcelona twice.

Outstanding achievement.

He's never managed a European club that had a hope in hell of winning a league title ffs

 

Athletic Bilbao and Valencia are similar clubs Rafa Benitez won 2 titles and a European trophy with that level of club.

 

Valencia hadn't won the league in 31 years.

Athletic Bilbao can only sign Basque players ffs

 

Bielsa also managed them in the period from 2011-2013, i.e. when one of the best teams of all time was in La Liga. Rafa would not have won the league with Valencia in those years

I think you should have a look at the lineups of Real Madrid and Barca when Rafa was at Valencia.

Real Madrid had Iker Casillas, Roberto Carlos, Beckham, Zidane, Figo, Raul, Brazilian Ronaldo.

He's never managed a European club that had a hope in hell of winning a league title ffs

Athletic Bilbao and Valencia are similar clubs Rafa Benitez won 2 titles and a European trophy with that level of club.

Valencia hadn't won the league in 31 years.

Roberto do Matteo won a Champions League ffs! Fucking ludicrous argument

 

Yeah but that’s all he’s won.

 

You have to win trophies in multiple countries and win league titles to be a great manager.

 

He’s only won trophies with Man City which even Stevie Wonder could do.

Roberto do Matteo won a Champions League ffs! Fucking ludicrous argument

 

Yeah but that’s all he’s won.

 

You have to win trophies in multiple countries and win league titles to be a top manager.

 

So Alex Ferguson wasn’t a top manager then?

He won league titles and European trophies with Aberdeen too.

Roberto do Matteo won a Champions League ffs! Fucking ludicrous argument

Yeah but that’s all he’s won.

You have to win trophies in multiple countries and win league titles to be a great manager.

Leeds play much nicer stuff than us.

They play nicer stuff than everybody bar City

 

Strange what having a top class manager does. Is bamford a quality striker?

 

How many trophies has he won?

 

Great coach but a very flawed character he’s massively underachieved as a manager considering his coaching abilities.

 

Tell you what I'd rather have him than Bruce, Moyes and Pearson.

 

Why has he not been considered by these types of Prem clubs?

 

Seems to produce excellent football with whatever players are made available to him.

 

So yeah, perhaps not a great option for the top clubs but my goodness Leeds are very fortunate to have him IMO.

Well obviously.

And because he’s a very flawed character look at his past, great coach though.

Leeds play much nicer stuff than us.

They play nicer stuff than everybody bar City

 

Strange what having a top class manager does. Is bamford a quality striker?

How many trophies has he won?

Great coach but a very flawed character he’s massively underachieved as a manager considering his coaching abilities.

Bruce out