Boring couple of weeks but I’m suspecting that this 2 weeks break may well be the most important couple of weeks of Bielsa’s season. Most of us have been willing Bielsa to have a look at the likes of Drameh, Huggins, Summerville, Greenwood and Gelhardt, some even wanting Alioski banished and Davies to take his place. I have my own ideas which will probably be completely different to anyone else’s, but I think its going to be very difficult to pull off and why I believe Bielsa will be assessing the kids and integrating them all with the 1st team over this 2 week break. I think that at the end of it he will have an idea of who will be part of next seasons, even better 1st team squad. He will also know those he feels will not make it and who is going out on loan. Today 17yo Max Dean signed his 1st Pro contract which means he will be in the U23s next season, so guessing Gelhardt may move up as young max is a striker who scores goals. The reason I feel he will find it tough to have a comprehensive look at some of the kids is because of the following: He will already be thinking and planning of a way to allow Pablo and Berardi to say goodbye to the fans, so I believe at some stage they will get some game time even if its for the final 10 minutes of the final match. Bielsa knows that both deserve that. Every league place means a stack of cash, this season is £2.7m per each league position, so any chance of us overtaking Arsenal or Villa we have to go for it. Likewise any chance of Palace or someone like Wolves overtaking us means we lose £2.7m. So from a business sense we cannot do anything but try and win and field our best 11 for each game. There is also honourable and fair competition, and we know that Bielsa always does the honourable thing: Sheff Utd. We will not field a weakened team as their would be uproar. Man City. We will put out our best team to try and take points. If the match is lost badly he may throw someone on for some minutes? Liverpool. He will want his best 11 out again because points are important and revenge is sweet. Putting out a weakened team will have cries from clubs wanting a top 6 place. Man Utd. Revenge is sweet and Utd fighting for 2nd place so we cannot field a weakened team. Brighton. BHA are fighting to stay up so a weakened team is unfair and would be uproar. Spurs. This on paper is a match where we should know our final position, but Spurs are fighting for CL place and we cannot take our foot off the gas. Burnley. Again points are important to every club near the bottom and of course final position cash. Southampton. As above and they could be wanting to overtake us. WBA. On paper this should be a dead rubber, but it may well be very important So increasingly time and games and circumstances are against any planned try outs. Yes they may get a few minutes if and when nobody is going to be adversely affected. This is why I believe this 2 weeks will be bloody hard going for the top quality 23s, and we can already see that Joffy has lost some bulk but is now faster and stronger. Another crucial subject is the loaned out players, and we have mentioned these in previous posts, but I have a feeling that Carlos Corberan and his Huddersfield team will come into play. It looks like Corberan is going to survive and in fairness he hasn’t had a full team for most of the season and has still played some fantastic football, but fallen over through players having to play out of position, lack of cash and a big injury list. Last season it was well known that Corberan tried to get Gotts but we decided the Championship was too much of a jump so sent him to Lincoln City. That didn’t work out so after only playing 7 times, he was sent to Salford and has played 20 games for them. He has also scored 2 goals and played as a FB DM and AM. I suspect he may well be loaned out to Huddersfield next season. Corberan also loved having Bogusz in his 23 team and wonder if Bogusz will be loaned out to Corberan or will be left in Spain. I wonder how many of those loaned out will be released and wonder if any will be loaned out into Championship teams. How many of the present 23s will be loaned out. There is no way back into the 23s once loaned out, and next seasons 23s will be playing the top top cream of Premier League clubs and wont have an easy ride like this season. How many U18s are capable of stepping up and how many new faces will be brought in? Will this seasons best like Greenwood and Gelhardt be kept back for 23s? I think they would request a transfer first? Who knows it could be a 2 season 23s plan for them? Young Alfie has had a great season with Oldham and scored a worldie the other night and the fans love him. He has scored 5 in total from either RB or AM, another I believe will be loaned out to a Championship side.
Another talking point has just happened. Thiery Henry has removed himself from all social media accounts until the platforms take real action against bullies, racists and anyone who trolls footballers. my own view is that if I was a top sportsman I wouldn't be on any platform. He is speaking out for the players he coaches and a lot of players. It makes sense to just stay off, like it makes sense to only go to places where you can be safe if out with the wife, why get smacked in the face by some drunk who wants to make a name. So for me knock it on the head. i have however heard that many players are only on social media because they get endorsement payments and all part of the deals their agents sort out for them
Posted on the breakfast debate but I’ll post here too... PL prize money... “TV money is divvied up in three ways,” Normanton said. “You get a basic fee, an equal share that everyone gets, that’s £75m per club, then you get £1.1m per TV appearances and you’re guaranteed a minimum of 10 of those, and it’s £3.2m per league place, it’s gone up quite significantly. “That was adjusted slightly downwards last season as they had to do a TV rebate, so each place was worth £2.7m, so assuming it’s similar again it’s £2.5m-£3m per league place.” Hay said, “Kinnear always makes the point that in the Championship last season Leeds made around £2m from TV money… You essentially make more by moving from 10th to 9th in the Premier League than you do from a full season of TV games in the Championship.
https://www.fichajes.net/noticias/r...r-liga-equipos-le-abren-puertas-20210326.html The article is in Spanish but apparently Rodrigo is finding it hard at Leeds, he feels a bit part player and is unhappy he has lost his place in the national team. He wants to play at #9 and is looking for a summer move with Qatar 2222 in his mind. If true and he is not willing to knuckle down then I feel it is best we cash in on him, I was hoping for big things next season from him but if he’s heart isn’t in it...
That also means we made more from TV money this year by the time we played Sheffield United than we did in the whole of last season! Has any team appeared more than us this year? I doubt it. That, along with all of the fantastic reviews we have had this year will add enormously to Kinnear’s negotiating hand in any sponsorship discussions. 2 or 3 million per position sounds significant (and of course it is in the real world) but even a 4 or 5 place swing isn’t that big if, say, Gelhardt comes into the first team and flies when you consider transfer fees and wages for any first team player we buy in.
Think a certain amount of clickbait journalism here, as I have read another article in Spain where Rodrigo talks of his frustrations. Firstly playing a new role and learning what Bielsa wanted. He knew what he was signing up to and couldnt wait to get going, but he needed to get superfit which took longer than he thought. His Leeds role was alien to him as he was usually playing wise left or wide right he now needed to create damage in the middle too. He then picked up an injury and then he got covid and then he got injured... frustration, but cannot wait to see ER full and to see Leeds and surrounding areas open again. 2 articles with FRUSTRATION in the round but different views?
The massive thing in here is as Marcos says about transfer fees! Yesterday Welsh media raving about Niall Huggins MoM performance for U21s and his speed and skill to create the winning goal..... Gelhardt and his body shape change but still having the power but now pace to add to his overall game.. no top striker will come to Leeds and wait for Bamford to be subbed off. So Bielsa was hoping for Roberts to replicate Bamford, and we also have a kid who in my opinion gives you Bamford and his tracking back but an improved scoring threat you could say an upgrade on Bamford. If that happens you save at least £20m and probably double that if you needed to replace Bamford if long term injured again. You cannot survive in the prem with just Bamford so decisions need to be made. Everybody thinks a new LB is nailed on and Romain Perraude is fav but at least £15m. Can Leif Davies step up? Bielsa thought highly of him and he got injured earlier this season but does seem to be back, but Huggins has also played in the Arsenal match and in 3 different roles. Bielsa recently said Huggins was a young Dallas who has the luxury of playing many roles. Could he save us £15m or will he be just the stand in next season for the new LB it will be interesting this Summer because we all see at least 5 new players needed, but will they be new players or new first team promotions. I think we will see maybe 3 top signings as we need top cover for Phillips, an upgrade on Klich and another top winger who scores.
I've seen a few comments on needing a cover for Phillips. I don't think this is necessary. We have Phillips, Koch, Llorente for that position. All have played that position at international level. Throw in Struijk, the promising Kenneh, Huggins and even a possible return of Forshaw and we have plenty of top cover and then a few who can do it in an emergency. The midfield in front of Phillips needs an overhaul with Klich, Roberts and Rodrigo all a bit hit and miss and injury prone. We are well covered out wide with Harrison, Raphinha, Costa and Poveda. I've a feeling we will see Summerville coming through too. (19 year old Summerville has 9 appearances with the 23's, not all full games, and has 5 goals and 6 assists). A LB and a couple of forward thinking CM players are key.
You could be right about Phillips cover and Llorente deffo sees a pass nd even from CB has sent some great balls through for Bamford. Doing the hard yards at the back is only part of what Phillips does as he can also set the attacks up and I think Llorente can do that. Not sure about Koch yet even after 2 ok performances for the 23s, not convincing yet. Wingers really need tying down and sorting out though. Costa just isnt cutting it and we may end up selling him on as he is way behind Raphinha and Harrison seems to have the left wing tied down. Big fan of Poveda but unless he does what he did in the last 30 minutes of the U23 game last week, he will never make it. He has great balance, feet and technique but no end product. So he wasted an hour last week but half hour of brilliance and should have scored too but created Summervilles goal. Summerville has played top league football in Holland whilst on loan from Feyernoord to Den Haag. He played 21 times and scored a goal too. Maybe he deserves to cover for Raphinha, but think we need another top winger to play on the left when Harrison falls off the pace.in Summerville and Gelhardt you have kids that have played league football Joffy played 20 games for Wigan in the Championship remember
Alfie has scored again today but Oldham beaten 2-1, so thats 6 for the kid from midfield. Stevens came on in the 90th minute so a waste of space and Hosannah still out injured so fear its all over for him too. Robbie Gotts not even on bench today so guessing hes injured Edmondson came on in the 90th minute in another loss for Northampton
Hornchurch are going to Wembley too! Their league season was ended in early November due to the government, but massive credit to them for an impressive cup run
