Commencing countdown, engines on (5, 4, 3 ...) - Leeds Utd (h) 06/08/17

[BWFC_Insane]

I suspect not for the first time this year I'm going to be pining for a back 4. Almost the only player this shape suits is ALF and he isn't good enough for that.

Thought Leeds were comfortable. The adrenaline of the opening day and a couple of set pieces stopped it being embarrassing but there was a gulf there. Fair play to Nadine, was excellent but in any game where a centre half gets the better of him we're f*cked. To fullbacks who aren't even attaching full backs playing wing back is going to be disastrous. V harsh to blame the midfield, impossible when you're outnumbered in every direction.

I don't agree you can't play 442. Plenty teams done well playing a compact midfield 4, and it's a better way of getting ALF in.

Personally, depending on Vela I'd go 4231, Alf left until SanmyAmmy is back

Agree with a lot of that. We cannot play 4-4-2 in my view. We don't have the players to make it work. We struggled in midfield as it is.

Alf doesn't play in a 4-5-1. He's not good enough to play on the left. I'd put Armstrong in there ahead of him.

Essentially we are weak in midfield and whatever system we play I'm not sure we can cover that up.

It's fine to say get more attacking wing backs, but their winger had Taylor on toast. I can't imagine a poorer deferender would have helped us there.

It's going to be a fight. We need to find a way of fighting it out. I'm a bit concerned that we look a small team. Karacan, Cullen, Le Fondre. Darby and Taylor, all fairly small. And especially in midfield Leeds physically bullied us at times.

[officer_dibble]

First game of the season means little I know but we are in for some poundings this season if he persists with this system. We had 5 defenders out there and got hammered by a team who finished 7th and were missing players. The better sides in this league will hammer us.

[Harry Genshaw]

Lots to work on but plenty of positives too. Defensively in the first half , we looked like Lennons relegated side with the opposition having acres of space. Leeds closed us down quickly and too often we look pedestrian when in possession.

That said -Madine has set himself a high bar today. If he keeps that level of performance up we'll be a threat. I thought Alf linked up with him well today and their understanding will only get better. Cullen and Buckley both showed glimpses of quality that suggests they could open up defences and I liked the look of Burke too when he came on.

Trust in Parky

[officer_dibble]

Madine was good. Excellent even. But Leeds missing first choice centre back and one went off injured, kid came on. He might not have many more easier games. But yeah top man by a mile.

Devestated about Vela, looked bad. We will miss his energy. Cullen looked off the pace as did Karacan.

Stephen Darby though. That Mark Little (specialist wing back?) must be shite if that lad got in. He was playing fecking sweeper for the third, beaten by a short lad in the air for the second. Looked like a league one player to me, as did a few...Wheater being one.

The threee goals were so poor as well, Parky will be fuming.

[officer_dibble]

Buckley didnt look fit to me either, not parky fit anyway

[Harry Genshaw]

Buckley didnt look fit to me either, not parky fit anyway

Aye. I was willing him to swing a leg at that late cross that came his way but sadly he went to control it and ended up losing it. It looked like a player who was rusty or low on confidence. Hopefully that'll come and he'll be a great signing. By the way. How fast is Armstrong?!!

[officer_dibble]

Yeah Armstrong looked quick.

For me we have to change shape to a 4231, maybe even using Velas injury to do it. Out of the 4 centre halves who played today Wheater looked the worst.

[BWFC_Insane]

Yeah Armstrong looked quick.

For me we have to change shape to a 4231, maybe even using Velas injury to do it. Out of the 4 centre halves who played today Wheater looked the worst.

Probably because he was carrying an injury.

We don't have the players to play a 4-2-3-1. At least not fit ones.

We don't have a 2 for a start. Not really a 3 either. Rather than worrying about the system I think we need to ensure we find a midfield first. Preferably 2 big 6ft plus ones who can run. Otherwise I can see us being bullied week in week out. Cullen looks decent to me, but I'm not having him as a holding midfield player. Neither is Karacan. We need to find an Abdoulaye Faye and a Gary Speed fast. Because otherwise I don't care what system we play we aren't going anywhere against teams in this league.

[officer_dibble]

Pratley meets the requirements you set out. Ill?

Wouldnt disagree but that leaves us needing to find one other.

We certainly got bossed in midfield today,

[Worthy4England]

Their three goals were pretty much all down to defensive errors. We clearly can't afford to do that. I thought there were periods today, when we looked OK, although our goal threat was lacking other than from set pieces really. Madine was our stand out today probably the best I've seen him play at this level.

We did look way too easy to open up, but we know it's going to be tough. Thought we kept going pretty well. I'm probably less deflated than I should be...

[BWFC_Insane]

Pratley meets the requirements you set out. Ill?

Wouldnt disagree but that leaves us needing to find one other.

We certainly got bossed in midfield today,

Pratley would help. I'd hope for better but realistically it isn't coming on our budget. Still need another, arguably another two if Vela is out.

[jmjhb]

Darby can't play wing back. Glad we know it after the first game rather than 10-20 games down the line

[bristol_Wanderer3]

View from the West Stand Upper:

1.) Leeds fully deserved their victory. The scoreline if anything, flattered us. They were a class above us today, and I just hope that they are amongst the best the Championship has to offer. Hernandez ran the game for them.
2.) Darby, much like at Fleetwood in pre-season looks out of his depth. He is not a wing back, he has no attacking instinct whatsoever. Today he was poor defensively too, getting his body in a bad position to challenge for a header at the back post for the second, and inexplicably being a few yards behind the defensive line, and so playing the Leeds attackers onside for the third. He is a trusted Parky foot soldier, so I expect him to remain in the team until Morais is fully fit, but he shouldn't ever have been picked as a right wing back, even in pre-season. There is a reason Stuart McCall chose Tony McMahon ahead of him when he wanted a more attacking right back last season, and that was in L1, in a back four.
3.) We are very weak in defensive midfield. We haven't replaced Spearing and it shows. Cullen doesn't want to do the dirty defensive midfield work, and neither does Karacan. Hernandez looks an excellent attacking midfielder, but he took advantage of the weakest area of our team today to probe and create as he wanted to.
4.) As a combination of 2.) and 3.) we looked poor defensively and likely to concede at regular intervals. It feels like these issues are solvable, but we need to sort it out asap.
5.) Madine looked very very good in the first half. When he took a long ball from the keeper on his chest and shot from 25 yards as it dropped into the side netting, I was completely aghast. I didn't think he had it in him. It would have been goal of the season, and his performance bodes well for our prospects going forward.
6.) The injuries, particularly to Vela, are a real blow. I only hope it is a clean break (if it is a break) and he comes back in 2-3 months. Pratley can deputize I guess but it is a blow. Hopefully Wheater won't be out long, but Burke looks a good player and could even offer another dimension with his passing.

All in all, if there was ever doubt, it is going to be a very tough season. Maybe today could be a blessing if it motivates us to up our game and sort out our issues quickly.

[elhadj]

First hardluck for losing first match , but it is okay because we saw what is the wrong in the team earlier , for me this should be last game for dervite and Darby if we are playing three at the back because they are the weakest player in our defensive system , this one should I put it on Parkinson ,why you are putting Josh Cullen in front the defence and did not put derik who is better than him in this position , it is look like we will struggle with injury a lot this season ,morais first and then ameobi and then wheatear and then Josh Vela and maybe madine because I saw him in the match limping off .

I'm very happy we are in the championship but we have to make things right if we want to survive , I know Parkinson work in very hard situation with this embargo but I believe in him .

[Hoboh]

I'll wait a few games, but it looks like we were a bit slow coming out of the traps, how long is it since we started a season looking fully fit?

[bedwetter2]

You can't give any team in the Championship a two goal lead through sloppy defending then expect to win. However, in my opinion there are positives as we know Parkinson will work on waking up the defence where we were very poor in the first half. The new players have yet to gell into the team so it is too early to say that Karacan, Buckley or most others are not going to cut the mustard.
The negative for me was Darby. I don't believe he is capable of getting better so is a big question mark, as is Dervite. We do know that Dervite was much improved in the second half of last season - maybe it's a simple case of early onset Alzheimers so that he has to relearn everything he should be doing every season.
Anyway, I wasn't unduly disappointed at the performance given that in the words of Shakespeare "yea, the seasone is verily a marathon notte a time to lift up skirtes and roune lyke the storms that beset our sceptred isle, hey nonnee no", or something like that.

[Jim_McDonuts]

Well, that was a useful reality check...

Agree with the general vibe but have to say thought Beevers distribution very poor yesterday, so much wasted ball from the back (yes, I get the lack of options available).
We were poor all round - seemed too repectful and then shellshocked.
Positives re injuries is that we've no choice but to shake it up, and Parky is often quite conservative, so will force his hand. Some of the younger lads demonstrated potential, can only be a good thing (plus we know we'll have proven quality returning, hopefully sooner rather than later).

For me we should play a reasonably strong team Wednesday, get some momentum going for next Saturday. Time to push on now lads and raise your game, we're almost a big club again:)

We can do this -- COYW!!

[Harry Genshaw]

There's lots to improve on but I'm not writing anyone off yet. Darby struggled yesterday but so did a few others. Certainly I'll trust Parkys judgement over Stuart McCalls any day. A league one manager who released Morris and Morais?

Not sure why we need 6ft plus midfielders either. Did Leeds have any? Lots of teams pack the middle of the park these days so imo you need busy lads who can pass, tackle and move quickly. Headers can be won by centre backs or target men

[BWFC_Insane]

There's lots to improve on but I'm not writing anyone off yet. Darby struggled yesterday but so did a few others. Certainly I'll trust Parkys judgement over Stuart McCalls any day. A league one manager who released Morris and Morais?

Not sure why we need 6ft plus midfielders either. Did Leeds have any? Lots of teams pack the middle of the park these days so imo you need busy lads who can pass, tackle and move quickly. Headers can be won by centre backs or target men

Leeds dominated our midfield. People banging on about the defence, but for me the problem was we couldn't get close to their midfield first half.

I'm surprised we don't have a dominant midfield player as the way Parky wants to play requires one.

Cullen looks decent but he is NOT a defensive midfield player from what I saw yesterday. Looked better in their half than ours. I think without someone physical and able to cover ground we'll be brushed aside by many teams. The holes in midfield yesterday were very alarming.

People jumping on Darby but most of the problems came down the other side and mainly because Karacan went missing and left Taylor an impossible job at times.

[Prufrock]

We got overrun in midfield because there were only 3 of them. No wingers to help and the wing backs natural instinct is to drop square (hence Darby playing everyone on). We'll get overrun every week playing that three, 6ft or not.

Karacan and Vela spent all the time being dragged out to close down their full backs (especially Ayling).