Elland Yorkshire Puds at the Unibol. Home v Leeds Tues. 18th Oct. 7-0'clock

[TANGODANCER]

Strongest team and at em int cup, or...League first in mind? A great time to discover how to score against the Premier boys. Easy it won't be is for sure, but can we...?

[Worthy4England]

Well Leeds U21 shunted 5 past Tranmere. I think I'd be giving some of the lads who've been warming the bench some game time, but they need to show they can deliver, when we do.

[officer_dibble]

Not a game to play Dixon!

[TANGODANCER]

Walking the ball into the net won't happen with Leeds. We need to shoot on sight a bit. Dad Bod, Charles and Dapo have all scored from shots and any which way but score will do. Nobody remembers how, just how many, so get the laces through the leather any way that hits the onion bag. Not getting beyond the first man with a corner is pub level and we're surely better than that. Mr Evatt seems to be looking for permutations of the middle being the solution when a "Go forth young man" policy might be better. Defence is good, clean sheets great, but not scoring nullifies both. We won't be expected to win this, so get in lads and ignore the form book. COME ON YOU WHITES..! ...FIGHT THE FIGHT..

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Well Leeds U21 shunted 5 past Tranmere. I think I'd be giving some of the lads who've been warming the bench some game time, but they need to show they can deliver, when we do.

There are, again, LOADS of players who need minutes and need to prove they're worth more of them - Baka, Morley, Dempsey (largely usurped by Thomason), Aimson, plus Isgrove, Sheehan and Toal coming back from injuries to a greater or lesser extent. Could also do with assessing Beck, tho Declan John also needs minutes if available.

That said, the shadow XI was pants at Tranmere, so Evatt may play it more cautiously this time.

The Tranmere-Leeds game sounds... mad. Tranmere 2-0 up by 19 minutes, 3-2 down by 31, equalising in first-half injury time then ship another two in a tighter second half. Seven yellows, one red. Joe Gelhardt, who played 20 Prem games last season, scored two for them. But Leeds certainly conceded - from Tranmere's first two attacks, by their own site report.

Dixon.... oh God. I bet he plays and has a blinder...

[BWFC_Insane]

We need to try something here. Different system. I want to see Sadlier play either in a front three or behind a striker.

We definitely need to have a look at some players and options. Baka needs a game. Aimson needs a game.

I’d like to see a 433 ideally.

[officer_dibble]

Arguably the two Centre halves in a 433 would be Johnston and Aimson. Part of the problem with moving away from a 3 at the back I guess, no Rico.

[BWFC_Insane]

Arguably the two Centre halves in a 433 would be Johnston and Aimson. Part of the problem with moving away from a 3 at the back I guess, no Rico.

For this game? We can try out a combination it’s not like it will involve all the first team. Santos could play with another in a back four the problem is more that the partner who would be ideal is the sort of reader of the game we really lack.

Johnston feels a little small to be a centre back in a back four.

The other problem is Jones is our most reliable defender for me and yet wouldn’t play in that system.

However, I think many games three at the back continues to work for. I just feel that Accrington will be like the last two away games where a back four and higher attacking width makes sense.

[officer_dibble]

Feels like an audition to replace Bradley for Saturday - sounds like Isgrove is going to get a go.

For me Johnston has been our best Centre half despite the fact he’s under 6 foot. Iredale and Aimson feels a bit of a stretch even for this game.

[TANGODANCER]

Hadn't realised it was Leeds Under 21's we play. ?

[Worthy4England]

Hadn't realised it was Leeds Under 21's we play. ?

Yup.

[TANGODANCER]

Hadn't realised it was Leeds Under 21's we play. ?

Yup.

We'll probably get the run around from a bunch of jet-heeled kids looking to be the new Mick Jones.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Leeds U21s are top of their league table, with 6 wins and a draw from their 7 games (F25 A8).

That league is, however, the secondary tier for their age group. (In 2016 the U21 Premier League was somewhat stupidly renamed Premier League 2, so they're in Premier League 2 Division 2, which sounds more like a scoreline than a competition.) They're rivalling Norwich, Boro and WBA for promotion to the big boys' league with your Citys and Arsenals and Liverpools and Uniteds and Tottenhams and, er, Blackburns.

Since beating Tranmere 5-3 they've won 1-0 at Sunderland in an unusually low-scoring game for them. Since the season started they've won 5-2 at Derby, drawn 2-2 with Norwich, won 2-1 at Villa, then handsomely won three home games – Forest 5-1, Southampton 6-3, Stoke 4-0 - before scoring another 5 at Tranmere. Clearly scoring goals is not a problem, but then neither is preventing them apparently a priority.

Evatt is cautious: “They tend to put three or four first-team players into their young group. I think out of all the young teams that enter this competition, they’re probably the most senior group and they look to attack and progress. I think it's going to be a tough game for us. It will be a difficult game but we will pay them huge respect and hopefully put an end to this mini drought that we are on and start scoring goals again.”

The game is on iFollow, for a tenner, which is twice as expensive as being there. Whether you're watching live, via a screen or through your fingers, remember it's a seven o'clocker, cocker.

[officer_dibble]

7 o clock - I’m out.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Dixon, Jones, John, Sheehan, Bodvarsson, Iredale, Aimson, Morley, Dempsey, Isgrove, Kachunga.
Subs Johnston, Sadlier, Charles, Bakayoko, Lee, Bradley, Beck.

I assume:
...............Dixon...............
.....Jones, Aimson, Iredale.....
Isgrove, Morley, Dempsey, John
.............Sheehan...............
.....Kachunga, Bodvarsson.....

[officer_dibble]

Joel fecking Dixon

[jmjhb]

Sadlier still can't get a start

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Joel fecking Dixon

Aye. But if he'd been dropped for a kid it would surely have utterly crushed him. I still think we should upgrade in January, although signing that sort of back-up keeper is usually easier in summer.

Sadlier still can't get a start

If Bradley's suspended Saturday I think this means Sads is more likely to start then. With the exception of Jones, probably Iredale and possibly Bodvarsson, all this XI are less than 50% likely to start Saturday.

In case you're wondering - Trafford, Santos, MJ, Tomo and Dapo are the squad members completely rested. Toal, too, isn't in the 18, but that's not resting, it's presumably injury.

[Mar]

This is a banana skin fixture. Win and it'll be matching expectations, anything less and it'll be players in for a lot of criticism.

We've gone with a strong line up and bench against a Leeds U21 side.

Dixon
Isgrove Jones Iredale Aimson John
Sheehan Morley Dempsey
Bodvarsson Kachunga


Screw this cup for the inclusion of the U21 sides. No one wants a team to be considered worse than someone's youth team.

Hopefully we win and it's all good.

Dixon in net with no backup on the bench. Hopefully he has a decent game. He's due one thats for sure.

[officer_dibble]

I think he’s auditioning Isgrove for Saturday. Probably right but I can’t imagine Sadlier is happy. Id of given him a go up top personally. I’ve seen enough to know what Kachunga is all about and it’s not goals.

As for Dixon in goals I’ve seen enough there as well! Trafford should be playing.