18 Jul 2019 08:31:44
Heres a technical question, what do fans on here think, will the benefit of the continuity of MB staying for a second season, outweigh the disadvantages of us no longer being an unknown quantity? For me building on last seasons hard work and the development of the style of play and teamwork, should outweigh the opposition knowing what they face and setting up to play against our known strengths.

1.) 18 Jul 2019
18 Jul 2019 08:48:52
I would've said that were the case but half of our team is on the opposite side of the world. Not exactly great for practising as a team, is it? It's an absolute joke. The board trying to LARP as if we're some Champions League big boy but we needed to be practical this season. It will cost us promotion when we look back. QSI cannot come fast enough.

2.) 18 Jul 2019
18 Jul 2019 09:27:12
I think a good likeness to take is pep, first season he did ok but his team got found out and ulitmatly did poorly. Pep took that, learnt from it and come back so much stronger.

MB could well do the same, the thing I worry about is MB is not as good as pep (who is? ) and I think MB has not learnt his lessons, if he don't learn his lessons we will never get anywhere

last year our biggest failing was results against poor teams often due to a lack of physicality, if mb learnt this why has he not addressed the situation. noises are we are not looking for a cb at which case next season is a write off, sack MB and roll on the season after 100 years of leeds will be a wasted season.

3.) 18 Jul 2019
18 Jul 2019 10:05:30
I feel the benefits of continuity definitely outweigh the costs. For most of the players Bielsaball should be almost second nature now, and it seems the players being brought are well suited to the style. Last season when we played it to the max, we were able to blow away West Brom and Derby second time around, even though they knew what to expect.

I suspect this year Bielsa will introduce some variations now that the basics are thoroughly ingrained. Last year we struggled when teams set up to stifle Bielsaball and one variation seems likely to be the use of speed and judiciously played long balls to counteract that. Players like Clarke and Harrison seem to have bulked up a little which should also help against the deployment of 'agricultural' tactics from the like of Birmingham and Blackburn.

I'm hoping that Bielsa will have learnt from last year that some squad rotation is necessary to stop mental burnout which seemed to aflict the players last year, even if physical burnout was not as evident as pundits had predicted. Having Costa take some of the pressure off Pablo, and we have other naturally creative players who are well versed in Bielsaball who should be able to help in this too.

Radz's PR tour certainly not particularly helpful in terms of travel time etc, however the players have still been able to re-acquaint themselves with Bielsaball and try out possible variations in a match situation - and the principles remain the same whoever is in the team/ squad. In fact it could be argued that playing with different teammates is better as it makes each player focus on getting the principles right and on taking responsibility for their part in that, whereas if you're with the same players during pre-season it is possible for some players to lean on others who have got back into things a bit quicker.

4.) 18 Jul 2019
18 Jul 2019 10:01:31
Having a plan b will crucial, reading someone's report on the games yesterday and if we are playing balls over the top for people to run on to, then that could mix things up. I hope we do get another cb but to be honest, scoring goals is more important. I think Cooper, beradi and white will be OK, now roll on the abuse!

5.) 18 Jul 2019
18 Jul 2019 10:20:50
1970 Foreknowledge defeats superior preparation most of the time. If the opposition knows what you're about they amend their tactics accordingly. The changes the opposition make does not guarantee their success but it helps them. I still believe we will acquire another central defender. Talk of Nolan from Inter Milan.

6.) 18 Jul 2019
18 Jul 2019 10:19:01
Doesn't matter how good bielsa is we haven't got a squad good enough to gain promotion. Doesn't matter how long he stays or his ideas. We have a top half squad not a promotion squad. It's not rocket science we have some very average players on their day good sometimes bad.

7.) 18 Jul 2019
18 Jul 2019 10:26:16
I think Coops and Baradi are ordinary and will be found out to our cost.

8.) 18 Jul 2019
18 Jul 2019 10:32:40
Coaches don't need a full season to suss out opposition. We were a surprise for 5 to 10 games last season by then everyone knew how we'd play.
Advantage is with us as we will be bethere at it now.
Hopefully it's going to be a case of 'don't practice until you get it right, practice until you can't get it wrong'.

9.) 18 Jul 2019
18 Jul 2019 10:43:04
Wex Our squad is better than that. We finished 3rd last season and faired better without Pontus. Way George sees it we have a top 6 championship defence, a lower table Premier League quality midfield and sadly a mid-table Championship attack. Should translate into another playoff spot. Not enough for fans of course but claiming we're at best a mid-table Championship team is just wrong.

10.) 18 Jul 2019
18 Jul 2019 11:27:10
George - if we count the front three as attack (rather than just the strikers) with addition of Costa and more experienced and possibly stronger Harrison, Clarke and Roberts better luck with injuries I'd have thought we had a top 6 attack, rather than mid-table. If you mean just the strikers, then yes, I'd agree that on last season's form they are just mid-Champ.

11.) 18 Jul 2019
18 Jul 2019 11:41:32
Comparisons with first seasons of Pep and Klopp are not really relevant as they have infinitely better players than the majority of the teams in the division therefore even on a bad day they have a good chance of winning games. Where comparisons in the second season can be made is the ability temper/ balance the attacking flair with defensive solidity.

Bielsa is a clear in his belief in the style of play which although gives him plenty of plaudits, the trophy cabinet is quite bare. Pep and Klopp have taken the fundamentals of Bielsa's template but have developed it to address both defense and attack whilst taking into account what the opposition may do to counter it. I am not convinced that the purest style of Bielsa addresses these issues and therefore we come unstuck against teams who don't compliment our style of play. Expect plenty of tough tackles, long balls and crosses this season, these are our kryptonite.

12.) 18 Jul 2019
18 Jul 2019 12:53:50
Notts Sublime post, pure poetry. Needs to be read by Radz, Orta and Bielsa himself.

13.) 18 Jul 2019
18 Jul 2019 13:08:15
George 3rd or 10th we are still in the same spot this season and some would say we punched above our weight last season.

14.) 18 Jul 2019
18 Jul 2019 13:26:59
Grayson Why do you write "will be" when the correct phrase is "have already been".

15.) 18 Jul 2019
18 Jul 2019 13:35:55
Wex Way we play affords our midfield all kinds of opportunity to score. This is where the punching above weight comes from but we have the personnel in that area of the pitch to continue to do well. They've got better if anything and there's plenty of promising youth in that area too. Central defense and attack are concerns. Wish we could make Radz buy Cahill and Austin or Gayle but we can't. 10th is too low. Can't see us doing that badly. At the moment, I have us finishing 3rd again but with the right addition before window closes that can change upwards.

16.) 18 Jul 2019
18 Jul 2019 14:09:08
top six defence. then how comes all the bottom teams love putting goals past us

many bemoan our attack. but it was the defence that let in goals against blackburn qrp, wigan ipswich etc. if they were clean sheets we would of gone up. and our best defender has gone

full backs in defence is not the way forward, being weak on set plays is not the way forward. losing to relegation fodder is not the way forward.

17.) 18 Jul 2019
18 Jul 2019 14:54:52
Berm You're wrong. You must take entirety of last season as the ultimate statistic and guide. Only Blades and Boro conceded less goals than us in the domestic campaign. I make that 3rd best defence so top 6 fair comment in light of Pontus departure.

18.) 18 Jul 2019
18 Jul 2019 16:09:36
Our defence stats were good because we had 60-70% possession in a lot of games last season. Fact is teams like Wigan had 20% and put two goals past us. If we can't keep Wigan out not really good. Let down at both ends of the pitch last season when it mattered. As long as we are playing Dallas at full back, Berardi at CB or KP or Ayling we will ship more goals.