Just now, Silas said:

The Leeds stats are insane this season. Top the Prem charts in just about everything- tackling, pressing, ball recovery etc.

Gotta be the hardest working team in the Country at the moment.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/12867725/leeds-top-tacklers-premier-league-records/amp/

 

You can see his influence on Pep - identify the way you want to play and commit everything to following that approach to the fullest extent, to hell with the weaknesses which comes with it. Sacrifice is the essence of strategy etc,

Another thing I like about the Trybull signing is that it seems to have been kept under wraps excellently. First knowledge of it about half an hour before he's supposedly having his medical. 

5 minutes ago, rog of the rovers said:

Had a brief chat with a good mate of mine who is a die hard Leeds fan. His assessment....

Douglas - Wand of a left foot, good passer, great on set pieces....not athletic enough to play in a Bielsa team, slow and is sometimes beaten for pace, but good at Championship level.

Sounds like a minor upgrade on Cunningham and almost a Mulgrew type of player at left back?

Two promotions on the CV with Wolves and Leeds can't be too bad though!

The 'not athletic enough for a Bielsa team' is interesting given how our set up is really fitness driven too. Then again Leeds have been ridiculous in their pressing, so I guess it's all relative.

On the potential defensive frailties, whilst we would obviously prefer players who can do both sides of the game well, an excellent attacking full-back is still a big upgrade on Bell (although by his standards he's had a very decent few games).

Just now, JacknOry said:

Nice TRY on the spelling

Start as I mean to go on.

To think I've still no issues with typing Khizanishvili after all these years. 

Whilst not knowing anything about him until half an hour ago, a little research suggests that Turnbull looks like a highly decent player. Seems to be good with or without the ball, should suit our new high-energy style.

4 minutes ago, CrouchingNunhiddenCucumber said:

2/3 players = Douglas & Pears with a half arsed attempt at Wilson. 

Just now, Ruaney said:

Don't get excited.

Douglas, Pears and Downing incoming

In fairness, I'd mark that down as a very strong window given the circumstances. 

12 minutes ago, neophox said:

Downing still a freebie.

Have to say I'm surprised about that, and can only assume he's asking for a similar wage when clubs are cutting their cloth accordingly.

There are good arguments (which I don't 100% buy, but whatever) that he slowed our play down too much last year, but he still created  great deal of chances. Played almost all of our games, versatile. Even if we have different priorities, amazed that other teams haven't taken an interest. 

58 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Great if true. I just worry that without Mowbray there may be a void in which chaos could thrive.

As you say under Allardyce and Hughes we did well at identifying these players and bringing them in. The owners ruined that with their running of the club and fair play Mowbray has worked to address it

I just hope that it isn't contingent upon Mowbray being at the club and hope it will be a permanent fixture regardless of which manager is in the dugout.

Agree completely with that, the successful clubs even at this level (see Brentford) are the ones with structures in place that are robust to changes in personnel. High turnover is a fact of life in football, exemplified by the fact that TM is almost in the top-10 longest serving managers in the football league. 

One room for optimism is that I seem to remember Mowbray giving an interview about this very point when the idea of a European scouting network first came about. He said that he wanted to leave a legacy which outlasted his stay as manager, and if the academy is anything to go by, Venkys do (currently) seem willing to fund the aspects of the club which are potential money spinners.

8 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

Who will take the armband today I wonder?

Williams as a left-field choice

Just now, arbitro said:

Injured I believe.

Makes sense, would have been a huge call otherwise. Any notion of how serious the injury is?

12 minutes ago, Butty said:

 Chaddy, he was poor against Bournemouth, poor against Wycombe and played okay at Derby. We can’t keep him at left back for a full season, you know that surely. We need a left back desperately. 

No arguments that we need an upgrade at left back, but I don't think he was poor against Wycombe, or that he was terrible against Bournemouth for that matter - although he was partially culpable for one of their goals.

Obviously it's easy to look decent when we're blitzing teams 4 and 5-0, so I'm not under any illusions about his ability, but at least looking at this season, the only game where he was poor was an admittedly abysmal 15 minutes against Doncaster. 

3 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I watched him first in that game at Old Trafford when we won. He looked to be a real prospect in my opinion. Something went sadly wrong there.

And Anfield around the same time. I was told that he was on 12k a week. Not sure if that's correct or not, but getting that aged 17 must have an effect.

7 minutes ago, philipl said:

Ovie Ejaria Left Winger	22		Liverpool Premier League	€3.90m
	Josh Laurent Central Midfield	25		Shrewsbury League One	Free transfer
	Lewis Gibson Centre-Back	20		Everton U23 Premier League 2	Loan

-
	Adrian Popa Right Winger	31		FCSB Liga 1 - Championship group	End of loan Jun 30, 2020
	Jordan Holsgrove Central Midfield	20		Atl. Baleares Segunda División B - Grupo I	End of loan Jun 30, 2020
	Vito Mannone Goalkeeper	32		Esbjerg fB NordicBet LIGA	End of loan Jul 31, 2020

 

So Reading's transfer business was to convert three successful loanees to permanent add a decent squad midfielder, spend money to get a winger from Liverpool and bring in a hugely promising PL central defender loanee from Everton. 

From what I have seen of them Reading look the business this year. Much more so than Bristol City, the other 100% club. 

You could well be right, for what it's worth my perception of Reading is that they rely pretty heavily on their talented but unreliable forwards, Joao, Puskas and Meite. Could be wrong, and in fairness Swift looks a good player too. 

With a new manager who has no experience of the league, I had them down as more likely to be looking over their shoulder for relegation rather than going up, let's see. 

This isn't meant as a dig at Rhodes, who I thought was brilliant & I'd still have back now on the right money, but one thing which gets missed is how his finishing in the last 2 years didn't hit the same heights as his first season or 2.

When he first arrived off the back of his 40-goal season in League 1, his finishing was laser-like. Even when he shinned it from 25 yards at Derby it was right in the bottom corner. He turned half chances into gilt edged ones, and put away 9 out of 10 which came his way. He still scored a lot of goals in his last couple of years, which is testament to his movement and that he could still put chances away, but there were an increasing number of missed chances which crept into his game too and the goals he did score were that bit less elegant. 

14 minutes ago, Dreams of 1995 said:

You have to suspect that eventually the Premier League quality of Bournemouth, Watford and Norwich will show itself but I'm not exactly frightened of any of them.

I can't see Reading and Bristol City keeping up this form but in this league nothing surprises me. I'd place a wager that we are amongst the best in the league at the moment and suspect the top 6 will consist of the likes of us, the three relegated teams, Swansea, Brentford, Milwall, Bristol City & potentially Boro. Any variation of that won't be far wrong.

 

Still sussing out Watford, on the face of it their squad is ridiculous, but no more ridiculous than one which contains Robinson, Scott Dann, Martin Olsson, Danny Murphy, Etuhu, Leon Best, Nuno Gomes, Givet & Pedersen!

Don't think you'll be far wrong with those teams, but I'd swap Cardiff for Boro. Signing Moore is a big things for a team who plays like they do, and although it's early days, I'm not sure whether Boro are reacting to Warnock's magic in the way that other clubs have tended to. 

36 minutes ago, JoeH said:

Yeah, I mean I can't see Reading sustaining it. There's only ourselves, Bristol City and Swansea City who I'd say look like they could finish 3rd to 6th so far. Can see Bournemouth and Watford taking the automatics. If I had to place a bet this early I'd go: 

1. Bournemouth
2. Watford
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
3. Norwich City
4. Swansea City
5. Bristol City
6. Blackburn Rovers

But we all know it isn't that simple!!

I know they lost at the weekend, but I'm still looking at Cardiff as a team who could challenge too. That looks like a pretty sensible top 6, but even there you can make a strong case for all of them dropping off, for different reasons (including us, obviously!). All the recently relegated teams are doing the typical thing of picking up early season points without really looking completely convincing, so I'm thinking law of averages will be that at least one of them will start sinking sooner rather than later. I'd probably expect Brentford to be good enough to get a top-6 spot too unless Toney turns out to be no good at all. I'd guess that PNE have had their chance too unless they pull a rabbit out of the hat recruitment-wise. They're an Adam Armstrong away from being a really good Championship side - but with the striking  options they have at present, even Chris Brown would get a game.

Beautiful thing about this league is that by Christmas half of what I've just said will probably look ridiculous. 

15 minutes ago, Gav said:

Did you actually see King play?

He was useless until the cameras turned up against Stoke and Swansea, he also refused to play when Bowyer picked him, threw his dummy out, sulked, good riddance. 

As for Rhodes, Mr Goals, best scoring record since Shearer, that says it all.

I didn't know that bit, certainly paints him in a different light for me.

On his performances, his final ball was a times really bad, but his good patches were not just limited to that FA cup run. The spell under Bowyer when Marshall was injured, so we played King out wide for a protracted period and he was absolutely devastating at times. I'm thinking Birmingham and Charlton away, but I'm sure there were others. Rudy picked up a first half hat trick in one game, and it was entirely off the back of King having completely taken his fullback apart in the opening 20 minutes or so.

Highly frustrating player, but he showed plenty of glimpses here of what he was capable of.

Just now, JoeH said:

I wonder who the play-off rivals will be. Certainly doesn't seem like Derby or Forest will challenge. Maybe Swansea are one you could sketch into a top 6 position, but I wouldn't write them in with an ink pen either. Wide open season

It's a good question, definitely seemed like a wide-open league before a ball was kicked, but I'd have certainly had Forest and even Derby before last weekend as in with a chance. Forest still have the squad to make a comeback in my view, but the manner in which they missed out last year can either make or break teams. On the evidence so far, it looks as though it might have broken them.

I think you're right about Swansea, they've recruited well but then again they've needed to seeing as they've lost two premierleague quality players in Brewster and Gallagher. 

I know we're getting a bit giddy after two thumpings, but it's all there for us to challenge for the top 6 this year.

This will no doubt be a better indicator of where we are than against Derby. Win here and we can go into the international break full of optimism.

Amazing how your perspective can change from just 1 or 2 results. When the fixtures first came out I was looking at the games in September and October where we could pick up the points to keep us competitive after a difficult start. Now I'm looking at the Cardiff & Forest home games as opportunities to already put decent gaps between ourselves and play off rivals.

Just now, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

There are attacking players like Armstrong who are quite happy to jog along and not get a really significant touch of the ball for 5 even 10 minutes. But when the ball comes their way they come alive. Then there are the attacking players who when they don't see the ball for 5 or 10 minutes they can go into their shell and never come out. I think Rothwell was like that when he was played as a winger. In a more central role he's in the game a lot more and he can't switch off as easily.

Completely agree. He played most of his football for Oxford there didn't he? I think both him and Holtby are benefitting from each other's form too. I could be wrong, but I've got the impression over the last 12 months (especially since Dack's injury) that our attacking midfielders have suffered a bit from needing to be the 'main man' at different periods. If there are 3 or so attacking players who are all at the top of their game, then you can't double up on them all. 

28 minutes ago, Fraserkirky said:

I think it’s Rothwell 

Rothwell's started off like a house on fire. I think even over the last few games you can criticise him for not doing better with his chances in front of goal, but in terms of creating chances he's developing the ruthless streak that he's been missing until now. Only having one assist for about 80% of last season was criminal for a player with his ability. 

3 hours ago, Blue blood said:

 And fair comparison or not I also appreciate that we are in a better position than that year. 

I also think while Bowyer was better at spotting players TM would have got the Rhodes et al squad into the playoffs. 

And as another aside from this comparison it's interesting that of  Bowyer's unfulfilled potential team Evans is the only one still here (I think). 

Good way of summing things up. I think whilst there have been valid criticisms of TM's selection policy, there's no way that he would have stuck to the rigid 442 which might have suited some of our squad, contributed to letting King & Judge slip through our fingers. 

Agree that we shouldn't forget Bowyer's incredible ability to spot good value players. Cairney, O'Connell, Rudy, Conway, Marshall, Duffy, Judge, Evans and Spurr for about half a Sam Gallagher. Then again, he also brought in Steele, Brown and Varney, so it just goes to show that you can't win them all. 

I'm in real danger of getting carried away on the basis of today's performance, so I'll try not to go overboard in my praise. All I'll say is this.

Whilst Rothwell, Johnson and even Holtby have come in for some justified stick over the last 12 months, the three of them together is an extremely well balanced midfield. Watching Holtby today was an absolute joy.

Brereton, whilst not scoring, is clearly worth his place in the team on the basis of how hard he is to defend against. He used to be a liability for how easily he gave the ball away, today he was a menace whose performance was only missing a goal.

A couple of swallows don't make a summer for Bell, but beyond a horror 15 minutes against Doncaster, his season so far has actually been better than decent.

Says something about that half that I'm genuinely a bit miffed that we only scored three goals. Wonderful stuff.

On Brereton, still some clumsy touches, but he is now a genuine handful for defenders. Would love for him to score to cap today off.