The #LUFC Breakfast Debate (Monday 20th June)

Good Morning. It's Monday 20th June, and here are the latest headlines from Elland Road

Raphinha would be happy signing for Liverpool or Chelsea

Raphinha is only holding out for a move to Barcelona to keep his agent (Deco) happy. The news comes from Spanish news outlet SPORT who report that the Brazilian wizard ‘would have already signed for Liverpool or Chelsea’ if it was purely his choice!

It is understood that Deco has a verbal agreement with Barca officials Joan Laporta and Mateu Alemany, forcing him to block any approaches from elsewhere whilst the cash strapped club beg, borrow and steal to raise enough funds to mount a serious offence!

Deco, a former Barcelona player himself, is also employed by the Catalan Giants as their chief South American scout, which surely must create a conflict of interest, yet he continues in both roles, surely to the detriment of Leeds Utd.

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Leeds to scupper Milan's pursuit of Origi

Divock Origi could be on his way to Elland Road this Summer. The 27yo striker, is out of contract at Liverpool, and was expected to seal a move to Serie A Champions AC Milan, but it seems Leeds may have thrown a spanner in the works. Similar to Minamino, Origi's tenure at Anfield has been limited largely to bit parts, and substitute appearances. In his eight years with the red side of Merseyside, he has netted 22 times in 108 appearances, and spent two seasons out on loan.

Leeds have been linked with a move for the Belgium International for the last couple of seasons, but now he's available on a free transfer, it looks like Leeds want to offer him the change to stay in the Premier League! Would you like to see Origi at Elland Road?

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Keep, sell or loan out

It looks like being a busy transfer window at Elland Road this Summer. Three players have already arrived, and with gathering momentum that PSG hitman Arnaud Kalimuendo will be the fourth, attention turns to the players being left behind!

Leeds escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth last season. Whilst injuries more than played their part, it became increasingly obvious as last season progressed, that many of their Championship winning stars were reaching their shelf life. Similarly, poor signings also took their toll, but should they be part of the Summer cull?

There's an ever-growing list of talented youngsters desperate to break through the developmental ranks, but progress to the first team has been slow. Last season, we saw signs of discontent from Crysencio Summerville and Cody Drameh, with the latter being granted his wish for a January loan move to Cardiff City, where he flouished. Do Leeds need a clear out? If so, which players?

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Morning all

Raph wants to go then let him go. End of story.

I thought Origi had signed for AC already.

 

I'd sell Shackleton.

I'd sell Roberts.

Dramah, Summerville, Greenwood and Cresswell already hold significant value. Sign them on to long term contracts and send them out on loan. (If they aren't going to feature).

The likes of Hjelde, Bate are still young an should be used for the u23's. They need to be promoted back to PL2 this year.

I'd love the situation at LB to be resolved.

Origi is OK although i thought Milan had already unveiled him.. Wouldn't be ecstatic but at least it would give us some depth up top. I'd prefer someone to truly put Bamfords place in jeopardy.

 

Morning all off to powys today while Sunday. Origi is not exactly prolific so it's a no from me. I would rather we got the younger player from psg.

 

Origi has always looked a good player to me. Now, there's an argument (like Minamino) that it's no shame to not break into that liverpool frontline. With Origi though, thee's an argument he has no ambition (8 years!) and is happy to take a fat wage knowing he'll get the occasional run out for 10 minutes. That said... it's not necessarily a terrible thing to have back up that doesn't mind being back up... especially on a free.

Of course, free isn;t really free - it usually means huge signing on bonus that is essentially a fee, plus hefty wages. I'm kind of take it or leave it on him.

 

Get rid of Roberts, Shackelton and Klich, theres your 3 out to have the new 3 in.

Ayling not going to be fit until late autumn, so keep Drameh as back up for Kristenson and decide what to do with Drameh in January.

Bring Kalimuendo as competition for Bamford with Joffy as 3rd striker

Send Cresswell, Summerville out on loan

Sell Jenkins, McCarron, Caprile

Greenwood into the first team squad

Hjelde into first team squad as cover for LB and CB

Bring in another midfielder and sell Forshaw

If Phillips or Raphinha go replace

 

Who would buy forshaw

 

Doc mate

If we sell anybody then we'd have to replace them the squad is that small apart from GK. If the talk is true and get rid of Coco and we bring in another experienced GK then yeah I'd let Caprile go he's going to become surplus soon.

 

And that is the question? He might have to drop down a league or 2 or become the next Jack Wilshire.

 

We were told Marsch wants 18+4 which is actually a smaller squad than Bielsa’s.

 

Afternoon all

I don’t get Raphinha and Deco should it not be the other way round, agent keeping the player happy

 

Historically he prefers larger squads and players to rotate

 

if true it seems utterly bonkers

 

Marsch does like to rotate and is happy to give kids a run out.

Here is what vic said about Leeds philosophy:

https://inews.co.uk/sport/football/...layers-trimmed-down-squad-victor-orta-1532121

maybe much depends on whether your 20m eur 19 year old from psg counts as a +4

a few of our +4 last year just didn’t quite look ready for the step up

I guess if you know you have ‘long term’ crocks… how do you account for them in your 18.

 

Our squad were fully fit and flying in pre season last year. The numbers exceeded the levels of the previous season but then injuries shattered everything?

18+4 is a great ambition to have but for me stupidity because of the challenges of this league. Last season we had 10 first teamers out at the same time, so our squad was 8+8, it was a joke. Then you looked at many of the clubs in the league who also had a lot of players out and Everton had more injured than Leeds at one stage, but they all had bigger squads.

For me we need 20 first team players of the quality of the 3 just drafted in plus, plus the likes of Gelhardt, Greenwood, Hjelde and Kalimuendo

 

Bielsa is just giving a presentation in Bilbao and talking about being sacked by Leeds


"In the 20/21 season we were the team that ran the most in the Premier League and in Europe, in all of the values that are looked at. And in the next season, when we were in the bottom third of the table, we were also the team that ran the most in all measurements except one. But in all measurements related to intensity we were the team that ran the most. We had a high number of players available and a high number of debuts. I mention these performances to certify that physical preparation and control of workload make creating objectives less difficult.

"In order for the data I present about my last team to be valued, these physical performances of the whole season 20/21 were done with 16 players, 95 per cent of the minutes of the season was completed with 16 players. It was the team that used the least number of players, the least number of players needed to make starting XIs in 38 matches, only 20 players were needed to make 38 starting XIs. And there is a third statistic that shows that we were the team that repeated the same starting XI the most throughout the season. I say this because when I show the difference in the way of working after being at Athletic, I am confirming that my change in preparation has generated a process that still, even when the team plays badly, maintains the highest intensity numbers in the top league in the world.
This is confirmed by the data of the 20/21 season, here are the numbers that are looked at (screenshot at the bottom): intensity, sprint, intensity plus sprints, percentage of intensity and sprints over the total distance, high intensity runs, sprinting runs, number of sprinting runs and high intensity runs combined and the total distance. In total, across 38 games, the team was top. The same goes for the season after, top apart from total distance, where the team was seventh."

Bielsa will learn his Athletic Club fate on Friday when the presidential election decides who will take charge of club affairs.

 

It's no good running the most if you can't score goals and keep conceding them.

 

Lost weight

 

Exactly a smaller squad needs looking after too. The guy is nice but a touch barmy.

 

Who cares