12 Sep 2021 19:00:39
Final rant - for this week anyway. We are poor at the back particularly at set pieces. We are wide open in midfield which makes it worse for the defence which can get itself into a tangle at the best of times. Dallas has done well but at this level he has glaring limitations. Klich isn't cutting the mustard apparently and neither is Rodrigo. We have two decent centre backs who aren't doing to play much because of injuries. So what do we do? We buy a wing back who doesn't seem better than Alioski and isn't as quick and A winger who may have been surplus to requirements as far as we are concerned. Man U. made a huge deal and ran rings round us in the transfer stakes.


1.) 12 Sep 2021
12 Sep 2021 19:11:57
sadly spot on hess.


2.) 12 Sep 2021
12 Sep 2021 19:23:46
Pessimistic lot aren't you. When Everton win their game in hand we will have played 3 of the team tied at the top.
Table isn't a true representation until about 10 games in, yes not great but nowhere near as bed as the half empties like us to believe.


3.) 12 Sep 2021
12 Sep 2021 21:23:00
so have Leeds impt
agreed of course 10 games in is an even truer representation.


4.) 12 Sep 2021
12 Sep 2021 22:22:32
Baz - sadly you’re too quick to jump on anything negative, and no Hess is not ‘spot on’ in all his observations.

Yes, we are poor at the back, which is very frustrating, as we’d tightened in the second half of last season, doubtless Bielsa will try to address that weakness again. As for bringing in another CB over the summer, I don’t recall many on here shouting about the need for re-enforcement there, and presumably the Club (guided by our medical/ physio department) believed that Llorente and Koch had been unlucky with injury as opposed to being injury-prone.

Hess - what exactly are the glaring limitations you have identified in Dallas? - and on what basis do you claim that Klich is “apparently” not cutting the mustard?

The biggest frustration is of course that Rodrigo is yet to show on the pitch what Bielsa believes he can offer playing at 10, and that he sees Tyro as the backup for that position. They may yet prove to be able to fulfill that role, but against the better teams it would seem more sensible to play Klich there given his greater defensive capability.

It is far too early to judge Firpo. Most players take a little while to adjust to the Prem, and he also needs to get used to Bielsaball. Incidentally he is not slower than Alioski, just looks it because he is taller and longer limbed.

Yes James was surplus to requirements at that club, as they’d just bought two other forwards, but that doesn’t make him a bad player. He was being coached badly, at a club where it is hard to fit in within the squad unless you are very self-confident/ arrogant. Here he has a far better coach and the squad is far more welcoming to new players, so he will be able to thrive and fulfill his potential. Several of the more thoughtful pundits have suggested he will become an excellent addition for us.


5.) 12 Sep 2021
12 Sep 2021 22:59:24
Re Dallas he is ok all round but he is not strong enough, doesn't pass well enough and his positioning is not always top notch. These observations are based on his ability at the top level. Klich not . cutting the mustard. That's Bielsa's assessment not mine. He's not in the starting eleven. James surplus to requirements? I was referring to Leeds not Man U. We could have done without him (We have Harrison and Rhaphinia) , Kept Alioski and spent the money where it was needed at Mid field and CB if there was enough. I've always said that even before the season started. I also said we have a good chance of staying up but its not going to be easy with our current squad.


6.) 13 Sep 2021
12 Sep 2021 23:41:43
Hess - it would seem that Klich is not making the starting 11 (or even sub) for Rodrigo) because Bielsa is trying to give game time to Rodrigo and Tyro to play themselves into form - not because of limitations in Klich himself. We paid a shed load of money for Rodrigo because Bielsa saw something in him he believed could moulded/ developed to be very effective within Bielsaball. Injury and c.v. prevented that development last season, so if it doesn’t happen this season he’ll need to be moved on. Clearly Bielsa will have to make a judgment call on when to abandon theatre particular project if the current struggles continue. Evidently Bielsa also sees Tyro as a development project, which just started to show some fruit towards the end of last season.

How can you possibly suggest James is surplus to requirements here? All last season, there was unanimous concern on here about the lack of decent competition/ backup for Raphinha and Harrison. Are you now seriously suggesting we should have kept Costa and Poveda in the squad for this season?


7.) 13 Sep 2021
13 Sep 2021 03:38:14
clueless so if record signing £27 million 30 years old Rodrigo needs to be moved on at end of 2nd season ( with little resale value) that will be yet another Orta/ Bielsa failure to add to the failed list of the likes of Costa etc ;

fabulous decision making

NOT.


8.) 14 Sep 2021
13 Sep 2021 03:52:21
Canada! Spot on bro!