v Leeds Utd (a) - 1/1/2025

[wilsdenrover]

3 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

They’ve played us three times recently, twice at Elland Road. They’ve never really looked like scoring in all that time apart from the pen today. Nearly 300 minutes of football. That’s what he needs to be worrying about. I suppose when Rodon plays for Wales they’re never in a “ backs to the wall “ situation.

I know you were being facetious but (and yes he was playing)…

[bluebruce]

3 hours ago, RV Blue said:

Agreed. And to whoever said he’s better than Vale, he’s not.

It was me, and he still is.

For starters, Vale is 23 and has 0 goals in 18 league games, with 2 goals in 25 total games. Even with loans to the National League, League One and Scotland, he has a grand career total of 4 league goals in 53 games.

Leonard is still 21, with half of Vale's total for us just this season in a total of 16 minutes on the pitch before tonight. He notched 3 goals in 19 league games last season. That's one less than Vale's entire career with spells at 6 clubs.

Leonard isn't filling half the Championship's defenders with nightmares yet, but he's a damned sight better than Jack fucking Vale. Who on top of his paltry goals haul is generally a lazy shit when he plays for us.

[philipl]

Magnificent organisation by John Eustace carried out nearly flawlessly by the lads.

It was poetry in motion watching Rovers move in unison holding our lines.

A very proud point gained.

[jim mk2]

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

 

We have scored more than 1 goal only 3 times in the last 17 games. That is ridiculously bad and it highlights the job Eustace is doing to have us anywhere near the top 6 purely on the basis of a solid defence. However it clearly means that it is very difficult to win games/get results unless you get a clean sheet. We have got plenty but its impossible to do it in every game, we havent in the last 4 games and because of that lack of ability to score goals we have only got 2 

It’s the point I was trying to make earlier - that trying to keep clean sheets and nicking the odd goal isn’t sustainable over 46 games.
 

Without decent forwards and another creative midfielder we’ll slowly tumble down the table. And from where we stand at the moment that would be very disappointing 

[Torgeir]

43 minutes ago, booth said:

Couldn't stop laughing at that. Went for a knee slide and managed to go arse over tit.

Great header for the equalizer though. That's his special power, we should use it more.

Normally would think Gueye would replace Ohashi in the first as he's second in the pecking order, but by the looks of things it seemed like Eustace had a clear gameplan similar to ones he's had prior this season. Defend for 70 minutes and throw on a few impact players and see if we can snatch all three points. Not normal to pull a player off again like he did today with Leonard but it was the right thing to do.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

2 minutes ago, Torgeir said:

Normally would think Gueye would replace Ohashi in the first as he's second in the pecking order, but by the looks of things it seemed like Eustace had a clear gameplan similar to ones he's had prior this season. Defend for 70 minutes and throw on a few impact players and see if we can snatch all three points. Not normal to pull a player off again like he did today with Leonard but it was the right thing to do.

He had to bring Leonard off. If he was bringing Gueye on somebody had to go off, we couldn’t have risked playing with two up front in today’s circumstances. The lad could have made a name for himself today but the game was too much for him.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

16 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

It’s the point I was trying to make earlier - that trying to keep clean sheets and nicking the odd goal isn’t sustainable over 46 games.
 

Without decent forwards and another creative midfielder we’ll slowly tumble down the table. And from where we stand at the moment that would be very disappointing 

We’re desperate for a striker and a real winger. Defensively we’re good but we don’t make anything like enough clear scoring chances.

[yeti-dog]

As others have said, you can't sustain a season on 1-0 wins, it only takes a 1 goal turnaround and you're on the receiving end as we've found out recently with Hull and Milwall.

We desperately need some reinforcements- the squad is too thin. Biggest priority has to be a decent striker. Gueye is a big lump but has no composure in front of goal. Ohashi, I like more but he must be running on empty given the earlier Japanese league start (also now possibly injured).

CB/LB cover is a must.

Probably one more DCM too.

Finally, a LW speedy type.

I think if we get 4 in that should see us okay. Obviously, that would need to be revisted if we have any outgoings.

 

 

[davulsukur]

Weird feeling to grab a last minute equaliser away at Leeds but then end the day out of the top 6 😕

[USABlue]

5 hours ago, cesus said:

Under these owners I've learned to enjoy the good times. I'm enjoying this season, as I can't ask more of the playing side of the club when you think of total spend on players.

I'll have enough time to be miffed with club goings on.

Even more miraculous when we keep doing it with a constantly growing injury list.  Probably add one or two to that after the dingle game.

I did not give Eustace many kind words earlier in the season and I still do not really enjoy the footy at times  (we can look excellent in patches) but man has this fella getting a tune out if this group defensively.  Well done and I was wrong.

[rigger]

Most improved player of the season award goes to Pears.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, rigger said:

Most improved player of the season award goes to Pears.

He gets really good protection from the defence. Nobody gets to take pot shots at him anymore. That was a top class save at the end though. Saved us a really good point.

[USABlue]

4 hours ago, Exiled_Rover said:

That question has been asked for years.

Sold Gallagher, Ennis, Szmodics, Phillips, Kaminski and Raya for £40m+. We've spent buttons. It was always going to catch up to us.

34 million Raya almost was 3 million Raya today but pulled off a good recovery.  34? and we got 3?  Shameful, also saw 3 mil Tom Cairney doing a very decent job for Fulham.  We really have mismanaged this team since the Venks came in.  The millions lost through poor contract management and cheap sales will never get us anywhere.  Let's see THIS January how they respond and when they don't let's hear what the excuses are this time.

[joey_big_nose]

We're out of the top six but actually the only poor result we've had in a quite tough run of 10 games is Hull. Every other one has been decent enough, losing at Millwall narrowly away disappointing but happens.

If we can get a result on Saturday then we have a softer set of fixtures across January. Actually not got too many really daunting matches from now till start of April, but then things do seem  difficult for the run in.

[joey_big_nose]

7 minutes ago, rigger said:

Most improved player of the season award goes to Pears.

Hes like Lazarus. I think Ive had three rounds now of thinking hes finished at Rovers, but each time he comes back somehow looking better than he was. Till he blows it all up again. 

Any neutral observer who watched us this season would think we have a really top Championship keeper.

[USABlue]

4 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Excellent point and brilliant to see us get a late equaliser after a debatable penalty. Funny old game, had we beat Hull and lost today which I would say would have been par, not many eye brows would be raised. Just the one point but today in the manner that we got it and the reaction is probably greater.

Today showed again how brilliant a job Eustace is doing. The attack is so poor, Hedges works hard but offers nothing, Dolan offered nothing and also didnt work as hard/diligently as Hedges, Weimann was anonymous as were both Ohashi and Leonard. We offered nothing going forward.

The organisation and structure of the team is absolutely incredible though. Batth has been an unreal signing, a goal topped off a colossal display. Hyam I still dont think gets the credit he deserves for how good he has been this season. Beck returned back to his best after 2 poor performances and Brittain has gone from a defensive liability to a totally different player. Tronstad is brilliant too even though Baker is a downgrade on Travis. Pears dealt with the little he had too once he got rid of his slippers.

The results have turned from 6 wins in 6 to 2 points from 4, the issue is we are so reliant on clean sheets due to the lack of attacking quality. Its not sustainable to keep a clean sheet every time though so now those 0 againsts have become 1s and 2s those finely balanced games go against us. He badly needs and deserves backing but likely wont get it.

Big challenge on Saturday after the massive workload today. We need to add some attacking quality but Cantwell seems unlikely to be back (and has struggled lately) but ACD should at least start.

Why no Cantwell?

[Exiled_Rover]

10 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

He gets really good protection from the defence. Nobody gets to take pot shots at him anymore. That was a top class save at the end though. Saved us a really good point.

He didn't come and claim that cross at the end (the one where he collided with the Leeds player, milked it and got booked for time wasting) so he hasn't learned. 

[Exiled_Rover]

5 minutes ago, USABlue said:

Why no Cantwell?

He's ill, apparently. 

[Tom]

I actually thought Pears was poor today overall, kicking was atrocious and came for crosses and didn’t get there, however he came up with the goods in injury time again 

One criticism I had of him previously was he didn’t seem to have a touch of the ‘Friedels’ the trait wherein a keeper can win you a match or get you a point against all odds, the save against Sunderland in particular was right out of Brad’s trick book!

Edited Thursday at 00:00 by Tom

[RevidgeBlue]

7 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

He didn't come and claim that cross at the end (the one where he collided with the Leeds player, milked it and got booked for time wasting) so he hasn't learned. 

Blimey.

Let it go.

Another game where he didn't do anything majorly wrong and actually saved us a point with a smart save near the end.

[booth]

3 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Gally would have been stood watching the ball go out of play.

Gally had lead in his boots.

[Neal]

6 hours ago, jim mk2 said:

Thank you Statto. You're always there with the facts and figures.. I'm not complaining about the results overall this season by the way, only that Rovers are difficult to watch and, at times, it's hard to see how they will ever score a goal. . 

I personally love watching us play Jim. We should have buried Hull, we created enough chances to win 3 or 4 nil. I loved watching us defend to today and frustrating the life out of a bill big bollocks club like Leeds. I love the realism of this manager, knowing when and where we can play football and attack teams and where we need to frustrated teams and stay in games. Eustace is clearly a master of this league and exactly the sort of person I want in charge of Rovers. He knows we need more up front but he's getting the best out of what he has which is all we can expect. 

[Neal]

2 hours ago, philipl said:

Magnificent organisation by John Eustace carried out nearly flawlessly by the lads.

It was poetry in motion watching Rovers move in unison holding our lines.

A very proud point gained.

 

This. 

 

Some very salty Leeds fans saying how negative we were...

 

Everyone seems to have been poisoned by the Guardiola total football bollocks and can no longer appreciate a well drilled, hard working team who grinds out points. Working class folk from towns like ours should appreciate displays like we put in more than anyone. 

 

For a club like ours, the owners, the budget we have... You can shove your Daniel Farke's and your Russell Martins... I'd take big John Eustace every time.

[booth]

Blimey, Leeds fans are a bit obsessed aren't they. What a set of moaners after nicking a point.

[booth]

1 minute ago, Neal said:

You can shove your Daniel Farke's and your Russell Martins...

And what does Farke do? Tell them to throw themself on the floor and cry "head injury, head injury" any time we threatened.

Total football bollocks. Our performance was a lot more honest than them and their bent officials.