Re: OT - All New Leeds United thread : Sun Apr 10, 2011 10:12 am  

Let's not forget that we are overachieving this season. A run at the playoffs with this squad would IMO be a great achievement.

[Wheels]

Re: OT - All New Leeds United thread : Wed Apr 13, 2011 11:20 am  

Had a great night in the Derby County directors box last night, they put on a cracking pre match feed!

Saw 3 really good goals too, turned into a great game in the second half, although when Leeds went 1-0 up they seemed to just completely switch off for 10 minutes.

Play-offs look pretty dicey, looking at your last 5 games.

Re: OT - All New Leeds United thread : Wed Apr 13, 2011 11:44 am  

Matt23 wrote:

Let's not forget that we are overachieving this season. A run at the playoffs with this squad would IMO be a great achievement.

Your defence needs a good overhaul for the next season.

Re: OT - All New Leeds United thread : Wed Apr 13, 2011 11:49 am  

Dead Man Walking wrote:

Your defence needs a good overhaul for the next season.

I actually think its the structure of the team that needs the overhaul, rather than the players per se.
The back 4 have mostly been recent premiership players, and so should have the ability to defend better than they do. I personally think that the midfield is not supporting the defence enough. No hard man to put their foot in. I said it during the summer, and I think that it has been played out. What I had not predicted was that as a result of that same decision, we would be the most potent attacking team in the league.

Swings & Roundabouts I think.

I'd have snapped the hand off someone offering us a 6th place with 5 games to go at the start of the season.

Re: OT - All New Leeds United thread : Wed Apr 13, 2011 5:42 pm  

leicester_rhino wrote:

I'd have snapped the hand off someone offering us a 6th place with 5 games to go at the start of the season.

Yeah exactly. Just wish we'd have beaten them and Milwall though.

Re: OT - All New Leeds United thread : Wed Apr 13, 2011 7:39 pm  

Definitley agree that we seem to be running out of steam, we have plenty of players but just not many that are interchangeable with Grayson's tactics and formation ideas. Some might say that is poor management, but to be honest its worked for the best part of the season so who are we to judge?

Its still worrying to know that if Johnson gets injured, banned or suffers poor form then we have no one at the club who can perform the holding midfielder role.

Re: OT - All New Leeds United thread : Wed Apr 13, 2011 7:44 pm  

I know we have done well this year considering we only just came up, but my only worry is to get to the next level will take more team building than this year as I can see Snodgrass, Gradel, Becchio and possible Howson been offered deals from mid to lower prem teams. And on this years spending/loan wheeler dealing I feel next year could be a lot worse than this, when we were only the odd 1 or 2 players in the right places from the golden goose.

Re: OT - All New Leeds United thread : Thu Apr 14, 2011 1:21 am  

I think teams will be looking at taking a chance on definately Snodgrass and Gradel, not sure if they'd make it but both are still pretty young and at the right club could become decent PL players and Leeds will no doubt ca$h in if the right offer is made. Bates will bank the money and Grayson will come out and say he's got internal solutions in Lloyd Sam and Ramon Nunez.
We'll also lose Johnson at the end of the season on a free. He'll take better money from someone at the bottom of the PL and sit on the bench all season until he gets booted into the reserves when they realise he's not worthy of a bench spot. He'll then end up at someone like Leyton Orient in a couple of years time.
Becchio will stay as nobody will want him from the PL and Howson will stay as he's Leeds born and bred aswell as being captain. Improved massively this year Howson, just needs a Roy Keane in there with him or someone that will bully the opposition and get stuck in.
Also think Somma will be looking to leave if he doesn't start playing more games, he's got 12 in 12 starts this year. I know he doesn't always do alot during games but who cares along as he's putting the ball in the net. He's still new to this country and will improve the more he plays, just needs the chance to play more games. I'm sure there will be plenty of teams that would take him given the chance, Championship teams aswell.

Re: OT - All New Leeds United thread : Thu Apr 14, 2011 7:31 am  

Austin 3:16 wrote:

I know we have done well this year considering we only just came up, but my only worry is to get to the next level will take more team building than this year as I can see Snodgrass, Gradel, Becchio and possible Howson been offered deals from mid to lower prem teams.

I'm not sure whether Grayson is able to take Leeds to the next level but I can't decide whether it's his own inability to do so or whether he just hasn't been given the funds to buy or pay the wages of the better quality additional players that would have given us the impetus to push on and be where the likes of Cardiff & Norwich are now instead of being the 1 out of form team that is clinging onto a play off place and looking over its shoulder at the 4 or 5 other teams which will have the belief that they can overhaul us. maybe he has been given the money but he's chosen not to spend it or he can't use it wisely - he's hardly got the best record in the transfer/loan market IMO.

Not doubting that he's done a great job so far since December 2008.

If we don't go up, 2 out of the above 4 will leave in the summer.

Re: OT - All New Leeds United thread : Thu Apr 14, 2011 8:16 am  

I think the only way Gradel and Snodds will leave is IF they request it and it's a fairly big bid but i can see us selling Schmeichel if the offer is decent enough.
I think BJ and Killa will leave along with Naylor ,Bessone ,Grella ,Higgs then of course the loanees will return to their clubs Mcarthy ,Livermore ,Bannan ,Lichaj ,Gonzalez and Watt.
With both Watt and Livermore due OOC we should be putting in a bid for both imo along with at least 2 other CM's a new CB ,LB and of course if we sell kasper a new no1.