The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Tuesday 7th May)

Good Morning. It's Tuesday 7th May, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road

Former Chelsea forward on Leeds radar

Leeds are keeping close tabs on Fenerbahce centre-forward Michy Batshuayi, who is set to become a free agent this Summer, unless the Super Lig outfit can convince him otherwise!

The 30yo Belgium International has 27 goals to his name from 55 International experience. He joined Fenerbahce from Chelsea in the Summer of 2022 for €3m, having joined the Blues six years previously for €40m.

It is believed that Leeds would need to achieve promotion in order to tempt Batshuayi to ER. Scottish outfit Rangers have also been linked with him.

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Leading bookies back Leeds to win play-offs

Leading bookmakers Bet365 have backed Leeds to finish the season in style, and win the Championship play-off's.

Despite their poor lack of recent form, and never having won the play off's (in five attempts), the betting conglomerate are predicting a Leeds v Southampton Wembley showdown, with the Whites fractionally favourites (6/4 v 13/8) to return to the Premier League. Norwich are 9/2 and West Brom 11/2.

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Deano not a fan of pink kit

Former Whites and England striker Brian Deane has been speaking exclusively with the Breakfast Debate about Leeds controversial pink kit.

Bought up in Leeds, and having represented the club for six years (during two spells), during a time when crunching tackles and physical altercations were the norm, the now 56yo looks back at his time at Elland Road with fondness, and devotion.

Unsurprisingly, Deano has little time for the pink kit, even suggesting it may even have a psychological effect on the players, however minor; but with such fine margins in football, you want every advantage you can take.

"I know it's a different era, but if I was going out to war against the likes Keough, Adams and Sol Campbell you need something that is a true representation of the club."

It's not for me [pink kit], not the kind of thing I would like to be wearing. When you're talking about psychology, colours can make a difference in people's behaviour. There are fine margins in football. The smallest of things can make a big difference".

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Morning all

If players allow the colour of their kit to affect performances, it says a lot about their minds and why we fell to pieces at the end.

Superstition doesn’t help anyone apart from a few of our Ipswich friends like @Redruth

 

Sorry folks, this post includes numbers, so feel free to skip if you wish to stay awake or numbers just bore/confuse you . Everyone else who decides to read the whole thing, does so at their own risk


Whilst there are a variety of reasons that we could all point the blame at , whether its last seasons board, this seasons board, contracts issues surrounding transfers, players not being good enough, coaching and tactics, and even youth, I would add an additional one, that at first may seem like a youth issue, but isn't totally the same. We had a very inexperienced squad of players.

We had a total of 18 players that managed to make over 450 minutes of league appearances for us this season ( a total of 5 games)

Of those 18 players in their entire 1st team league football career (thus not including internationals and cups), only 5 of them have managed to play over 10,800 minutes, this is equivalent to 120 games. These being Bamford, Meslier, Cooper, Kamara and Byram. 3 of those each played less than 2,250 minutes this season (equivalent of 25 games)

Prior to the start of this season, in the last 5 years, 10 of our main squad of players, have never completed more than the equivalent of 25 league games in a season, these being Struijk, Rodon, Firpo, Rutter, Gruev, Shackleton, Summerville, Gnonto, Byram and Gray. Dan James sneaks past having managed to play the equivalent of 26 games in a season, during the last 5 seasons prior to this one.

Archie Gray played 3603 minutes this season (equivalent of 40 games). Gruev over his whole 1st team league career (including this season) has played a total of 4,462 minutes. So Archie has played 900 minutes less than Gruev in the whole of their 1st team League careers, so basically between them they have 90 games of experience (including this season)

Now I have no idea what each of us would say qualifies a player as being experienced. I worked on the basis that if they have played the equivalent of 92 games of football over their entire career, then that's 2 seasons worth of football, so they should be at least experienced mentally on how to handle the pressures of a game and an entire season. The only other player added to my initial list of Bamford, Meslier, Cooper Kamara and Byram, that qualifies is Firpo.

James and Piroe just miss out with 91 and 90 games completed in their entire careers. Ampadu with 86 games, Rodon with 79 games and Struijk 75 games come next. Rutter, Gnonto and Anthony each have the equivalent of just over 1 seasons worth of football played in their entire career (prior to this season), leaving Gruev Shackleton, Summerville and Gray with the equivalent of less than one whole season completed in their entire 1st team league careers prior to this season.

This season, Ampadu, Rodon, Rutter, Gruev, Summerville, Gnonto and Archie Gray played at least the same equivalent number of games as they have played in 50% of their entire 1st team league career

 

And thats before adding International minutes.

 

My favourite top

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Just a quick addendum to my above post, because someone is bound to come along and ask.

For comparison purposes, our 5 most experienced players prior to the start of the season (equivalent of 120 games 1st team league games over their entire career, based on minutes played, and the amount of game time they achieved (minimum 500 played played) this season), and how the other 3 teams compared to those players. Colour coded so to make comparisons easier

Leeds (this is based upon 46 league games played)

Meslier - 3,923 minutes played - 44 games
Kamara - 2,715 minutes played - 30 games
Byram - 1,941 minutes played - 22 games
Bamford - 1,484 minutes played - 16 games
Cooper - 703 minutes played - 8 games


Leicester (based on 45 league games)

Faes - 3,736 minutes - 42 games
Vestergaard - 3,632 minutes - 40 games
Pereira - 3,194 minutes - 35 games
Justin - 2,533 minutes - 28 games
Ndidi - 2,052 minutes - 23 games
Vardy - 1,692 minutes - 19 games
Akgun - 858 minutes - 10 games
Coady - 697 minutes - 8 games

In addition they had 3 players with over the equivalent of 92 1st team league games

Winks - 3,951 minutes - 44 games
Dewsbury Hall - 3,644 minutes - 40 games
Mavididi - 3,623 minutes - 40 games


Ipswich (based on 45 league games)

Hladky - 4,050 minutes - 45 games
Morsy - 3,662 minutes - 41 games
Woolfenden - 3,521 minutes - 39 games
Burgess - 3,330 minutes - 37 games
Chaplin - 3,297 minutes - 37 games
Luongo - 3,093 minutes - 34 games
Burns - 2,329 minutes - 26 games
Moore - 1,132 minutes - 13 games
Harness - 965 minutes - 11 games
Jackson - 941 minutes - 10 games
Edmundson - 889 minutes - 10 games
Taylor - 861 minutes - 9 games


Southampton (based on 46 league games)

A Armstrong - 3,762 minutes - 42 games
Bednarek - 3,547minutes - 39 games
S Armstrong - 2,848 minutes - 32 games
Manning - 2,740 minutes - 30 games
Adams - 2,297 minutes - 26 games
Fraser - 1,618 minutes - 18 games
Aribo - 1,596 minutes - 18 games
Stephens - 1400 minutes - 16 games
Bree - 1,081 minutes - 12 games

In addition they had 3 players over the equivalent of 92 1st team league games

Walker Peters - 3,860 minutes - 43 games
Bazuno - 3,690 minutes - 41 games
Downes - 2,559 minutes - 28 games

 

I purposedly didn't use international or cup games, because its a different mentality needed compared to the long slog of league season.

In addition I was compiling data for the 4 tops teams (not just ourselves) and that took long enough just doing league games, without having to take into domestic cup competitions, European cup competitions, as well as International games, where you would have to sub divide between competitive games and friendlies etc, so cut me some slack Ell

 

For me its always going to be this one

 

I think Ipswich had the edge after holding their nerve for promotion last season whereas we folded and got relegated and looks like we folded again under pressure, which doesn’t bode well for the playoffs.

 

Let’s just hope nobody sings that nasty Leeds are falling apart again song and upsets the players and a section of our fan base

 

Good choice...icons in an iconic kit

 

My favourite top on the other hand.....

 

No need for it

 

And so many times on here I read that we need to get rid of someone because they're 30.
When we're up against it or trying to hold on you might need to throw on some experience. Pablo used to do it near the end (not that he enjoyed being a sub), Klich would come on and ****house for a while, even Forshaw would try and retain the ball in the middle. Ayling and Cooper have been through loads with this club but people just want them gone. Ayling has been a revelation at Boro.
I also think we don't have any leaders. There has been times when we've needed someone on the pitch to give out some bollockings.
They're kids and they've been getting bullied by experienced pros

 

I said at the start of the season we have a nice blend which includes experience that has seen a promotion season under Bielsa and also the heartache of missing out.

I did assume Dallas would play some part and I didn’t expect the likes of Ayling and even Greenwood to be shipped out to a rival.

 

He’s been a revelation at a club that didn’t make the playoffs or get anywhere near our points total. It’s our inability (or sentimentality) to know when to move players on that has put us back in the championship.

 

Turns out they weren’t a rival.

 

Hull City have just sacked Rosenior - Crazy