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17 May 2026 14:14:54
So here we are the final knockings of the Leeds Premier League season and I'm pleasantly surprised. I and a few others on here predicted a very tough and ugly season. That was what I had girded my loins against.
It did start to look in first few games as if this was coming true. Our form playing 4-4-2 was horrible. Then when we switched to 5 at the back we never looked back.
Whether it was always the plan to go 5 at the back or a happy accident, we will have to wait and see. The change was night and day.
After that I thought we were never under any pressure. We controlled games against established Premier League sides.
Apart from Arsenal we have never looked overrun.
Farke has learned from his time in the Premiership. He has us solid and hard to break down. His choice of player has worked really well. All our signings have played a part.
But I do have to mention that I do think our lack of injuries in the main part of the season has been very key. I know we have one or two now but for the most part we have had a fairly settled side.
So I'm pleased to see how this season has gone. Most of my fingernails intact. Still have some hair left. Nowhere near a nervous breakdown. All in all a good year to be a Leeds fan!
1.) 17 May 2026 14:49:56
We have done reasonably well with injuries and keeping those with history on the pitch. However, we're a bit stretched now, particularly at the back, and the bench looks a bit thin. We're safe, so it's not desperate. Hopefully, we put on a good show today and next week, and maybe give some of the youngsters some playing time.
2.) 17 May 2026 15:05:41
Good post, Ben. Would have liked to have seen Willy instead of BA today. It's all about building on this season now. I liked what DF said in his presser; he was quite right to go on the offensive after the way he was treated at the end of last season, i.e., not being publicly backed by the 9ers as soon as the speculation started.
He is in a more powerful position this year, so over to you, Parag.
3.) 17 May 2026 17:07:20
Vid, I fully agree. DF has put his cards on the table and told them what he needs. Don't get me wrong, they need to give him everything he asks for.
03 Apr 2026 09:20:25
Following the thread about the England football kit being so expensive, have you seen the World Cup tickets?
Now the dynamic pricing has taken a final ticket to over £10000?
I mean, there is no way I would travel to America for any reason at the moment, but people are actually willing to pay this?
Each year the standard of the games is decreasing.
I literally can't remember the last edge of your seat international game I've seen.
But the price to watch is going up and up.
Where will this end?
1.) 03 Apr 2026 10:59:43
When more fans act like you and I and act in a defiant "stick your tickets up Uranus", and leave huge swathes of empty seats that TV cams can't hide.
Then and only then would pricing be addressed.
It's gone mad now, a day away especially.
My next game is Wolves, but it's getting so hard now to follow lads around the country with costs always only going up up up.
2.) 03 Apr 2026 11:43:58
Totally agree, Chris. Be interesting to see if Spuds fans are willing to pay massive ticket prices for championship football. Many away fans won't be prepared to do so, I'm sure.
Sadly, we're all addicts at heart, and it's a tough habit to break when it's in your blood, but that's club football.
International football has been dire for years. Sadly, the biggest games will always be sold out, especially in the US, with their corporate behemoths hoovering up every ticket for corporate bribes.
25 Mar 2026 17:37:56
What to with Farke?
Last season coming out of the championship was very much as it is now.
Stick to the plan, get results and don't deviate from the plan.
Even when we were dominating teams.
I can sort of get it this end part of the season as we are not in good run so staying tight and grinding results out is probably as much as we can hope for.
But there has been a bit of change from Farke this season. A few tweaks to formation and tactics. At times we have looked a decent prem team and dominated prem teams. We have struggled at times with the extra quality of the Premiership, but apart from the very top teams we have not looked out of place.
One thing that Farke and his team has done well, and I don't think it's given credit it deserves, is the recruitment.
Bijol. Stach. Gabbi. Nmecha. Dcl and keeping him fit. And a few from last season. All have proved solid players and could develop into real Leeds legends.
I think right from day one with the signing of amps, his pick of player has been spot on. Maybe just an extra striker would have been nice.
I have never really been a great fan of Farke. I have found some of his tactics frustrating over his time. He is always holding back and doesn't react to what is going on in the game. But I think he has got better this season and his choice of player has almost been spot on every time.
It's not the Leeds way to play negative football.
Farke has got us in the prem and we have a good chance of staying here and with good recruitment for next season which he's proved he can do then he probably should be given the opportunity to continue. We are a good championship team transitioning into a Premier League team we need a steady hand.
Farke definitely is steady.
1.) 25 Mar 2026 18:20:39
Top post, WB.
2.) 25 Mar 2026 19:13:31
Yes Ben, he is definitely steady. But what really bothers me about him is his own words after the City game, when he was asked about changing the formation and style of play. He replied, basically, and I'm paraphrasing, that he didn't like this style of play, and that to win the PL you need to be more pragmatic and keep possession of the ball, which is all fine and dandy.
But if that possession is always amongst the back 4 or 5 and you get one or two shots on goal a game, you will never win the PL and you may just stay up.
Even with the recruitment this year being much better, if we added forwards that are better than the ones we have, they will still only get one or two chances a game if we play in the same safe, pragmatic style.
3.) 26 Mar 2026 08:51:41
CA, I know where you are coming from, but I would rather keep hold of the ball and have one or two chances than have none of the ball.
At least, if you have the ball, the opposition cannot have chances.
Hopefully, with a few additions and a bit more quality next season, we can improve those stats.
And sometimes in the prem one or two chances is all you get. It's about being clinical and putting those chances away.
Farke, I think, has learnt from his time at Norwich. You have to defend and be hard to beat in the prem first and then build from there.
4.) 26 Mar 2026 12:52:04
To retain the ball for sustained length of time requires technically adept footballers, which come at a premium, a few seasons beyond our current budgets, I fear.
I also think 2-3 players of better quality is both acceptable and understandable; we have a financial chasm to cross and need the new stadium to bridge that gap.
We were excellent at Newcastle and Villa away.
Admittedly, we only returned 1 point from both, but we showed we have the nucleus of a team. Add a top keeper, 10 and striker, and we win both those games.
It's as much tactical and mindset, and I suspect Farke is a pragmatist and considers a point is success first and foremost. He's risk averse, not a criticism, just my take of our manager.
5.) 26 Mar 2026 17:26:41
Like that one, Class.
23 Mar 2026 10:32:29
Here is my thoughts on our dip in for and inability to score. Dcl hasn't suddenly changed but the service has. He has become our only outlet were as we had two or three. Dcl is not going to create goals by himself. It's not his talent. Getting good balls into the box for him to challenge for is. Look at Saturday. I remember one decent cross and Dcl got his head to it with a good firm header, maybe just a bit too far out. All rest of the service to him was poor.
The last two against us were only interested in stopping us playing. Palace did anything and everything to disturb play. With Gabbi sent off, we did well to draw.
Brentford massively raised their game from the Wolves game against us. Really made an effort to stop us building out from the back. Bogle again had poor game and with Justin on his wrong side we had no penetration.
Lastly an Arsenal side won the prem with a load of one nils. All we are missing is that odd goal. We are defending well and keeping teams to very few chances.
Maybe change up the long throws a bit.
Try a James for Aaronson. Brendan does seem a yard slower than a couple of months ago. And Okafor will be a good outlet if he can stay fit for the run in.
As I said before if we can match or better the teams below us then we will stay up. And we still have 3 teams below us.
We all new this season would be a slog.
And we were right. I did think we would be where West Ham are fighting to get out. So it's in our hands. Burnley and Wolves games are looking our best for a win but who knows.
1.) 23 Mar 2026 11:11:45
We seem to be playing scared - we are way too deep and not taking any risks. Looking at the form of Sunderland, they have lost 2, won 3, and drawn 1 of their last 6 - surely it's better to risk a loss or 2 to win games than just play to not get beat all the time.
It's really exposing DFs weaknesses as a manager, imo.
2.) 23 Mar 2026 11:27:12
Very good post, Ben.
I 100% concur. ?
BA needs to be benched, imo.
For the crucial home matches vs Wolves and Burnley, I would go for it, play 442 and start:
Darlow
Justin
Rodon
Bijol
Gudmunsson
Ampadu
Stach
DJ
DCL
Piroe
Okafor
2 wingers
More crosses
More potential goalscoring
We must win those 2 matches; if we win them, we definitely would accumulate enough points (with a draw here and there in 1 or 2 other matches to stay up!) .
3.) 23 Mar 2026 12:09:30
Well said, Alf. Poor manager. Puts a team that can't function together. Defence is coping. Fairly solid. But no decent strikers. How long since DCL scored, Ben? A hero when he scores, but no service when he doesn't. ? ?
We have not got a creative midfielder or a decent striker. Simple as that.
4.) 23 Mar 2026 16:58:50
When we signed DCL aus I wasn't concerned that he was talented enough, or if he would have the ability to score goals. Or even his injury record. It was that after him it's Lucas who is untried in this league and then nothing.
DCL hasn't changed. He needs service. He is not a Suarez who could conjure a goal from nothing. He needs to be in the box, with balls being fired into him.
Look where most of his goals were scored from.
6 yard box, right in front of the goal.
Sunderland played to frustrate, so did Palace and Brentford. We need to have more quality into the box, a bit more drive and penetration. We missed Gabby last game, and Okafor and James.
Just need that bit of luck as well. A deflection or a fluked goal would get us going again. Our form is not just down to us, it's how the last few teams have stifled our game.
5.) 23 Mar 2026 17:14:03
Cracking post, Ben!
I was there Saturday, & you're right, there's no service to DCL. Nmecha was playing out on the wing!
Only Dan James got at em, but was a little too late.
Brentford feigning injury as well every time we showed some momentum!
Lads in Kop gave Kellerher it big style!
6.) 23 Mar 2026 18:14:32
Excellent post, WB.
7.) 23 Mar 2026 19:26:47
Alf has it bang on.
The FBs, especially Bogle, aren't getting forward as much as they used to. In fact, nobody is. Aaronson has not been supporting DCL either.
As Alf said, it's scared football.
8.) 23 Mar 2026 19:49:45
Completely agree, scared football - that comes from one place.
BA and Amps should be sat down for a while.
17 Mar 2026 10:26:38
Having watched Brentford v Wolves last night, I don't think we will be far off getting a result on Saturday night.
If we can remain solid against them and press them, they will give chances.
Plus Damsgaard went off injured.
We are having a dip at the moment. Dcl not scoring. Aaronson hasn't got the same zip to his play as of late. Gabby is missing someone else on the left to link with.
We are staying solid with no end product.
Even the long throws and our resurgence at corners has gone flat.
But better a slight dip now than one in the last few games.
We need some goals!
If we had scored 1 v Palace we would have probably won.
And if Johnson had got the 3 yellows he deserved we should have won.
1.) 17 Mar 2026 14:01:57
We badly need a win of any description this Saturday, but to score 2, 3, or more goals and avoid another nerve shredding 90 mins would be absolutely brilliant.
2.) 17 Mar 2026 14:45:04
We need to better or equal the points of one of the 3 teams under us.
But a comfortable end to the season with some good wins would be nice.
14 Oct 2023 16:15:56
He said we would be looking at loans primarily.
If the loans are as good as jadon, rodon and spence we should be golden.
05 Jun 2026 22:41:19
To be fair to Brendan, he has modified and changed his game here in England. When he first arrived, he tried to compete physically and go shoulder to shoulder, and then fall over. This season, he seems to jink and try to get space away from the opposition, and try to outpace them.
He, and quite a few of our players, are and have developed this season. When I think of the teams above trying to buy success, it just shows what is really achievable.
03 Jun 2026 23:26:21
Yes Baz, I was thinking of the Arsenal goal where he caught the ball and took it in his goal.
But apart from that he's been good.
03 Jun 2026 16:19:31
I would be tempted to concentrate on outfield players this next season and let Darlow have another season, and then see at the end of next season.
Apart from the Liverpool game, I can't remember a real goal giveaway by Darlow.
One or two misplaced passes, maybe.
For me, don't mess with the back line at all, only if someone goes. They have all been solid.
Add to full-back cover. Then get some more firepower into the team.
03 Jun 2026 08:12:30
Yes, Darlow hit a purple patch this season after getting the number one spot.
He deffo should be starting next season, but he is not the long-term solution. Perri showed early promise, shot-stopping, and stature. But he never really commanded his box, and on crosses never really came to collect.
On the other side, my opinion on the Man U goal Perri was caught out on was that the ball into the box was a good one, and it didn't travel as far or as fast as the keeper thought.
It may have caught one or two goalies out.
Newcastle game, yes, not good enough.
On the other hand, Perri played with a dodgy back four, and Darlow played mostly with a solid back 5.
23 May 2026 08:35:26
Player of the season: Amps.
Goal of the season: Team goal against Sunderland.
Young player: Willy. Did not play a lot, but came on to influence games.
New player: Gabby. Shakey start, but came good.
Improved player: Aaronson. Really good mid-season.
Disappointing: Tanaka. Not really got up to speed with the prem.
Influential player: Amps.
Surprising player: Justinho. Big thanks to Leicester for not seeing this player right under their noses.
But, I must say, I think it's been a good team effort. Even the bench has contributed to goals and assists. Every one of our players has put a shift in this year to keep us up.