Leeds United (A) Match Thread

[JfR]

4 minutes ago, Ellafella said:

If I saw it correctly, I think Malone was getting stick from some Rams fans again today and was on camera when he gave his unequivocal reply...?

 

1 minute ago, RoyMac5 said:

Wasn't it directed towards L**ds scummers?

If you're on about when I think you were, I thought it was aimed at the linesman because Bamford was offside and wasn't flagged

[Xlor]

57 minutes ago, Sparkle said:

Well I will keep it honest - that was horrendous!

roos - ok I suppose 

lowe - did his best at right back and made the one run forward in the game for us

keogh - did more right than wrong 

Clarke - dreadful frightened rabbit from league 1 - Davies has to play?

malone - not massively dreadful but does disappear from his position 

huddlestone - improved immensely once Belick got out of his way but as always far to slow

belick - sorry I thought he was extremely poor

holmes - never a central midfielder but had no help from anyone 

Waghorn - again very little to work with 

jafoozon- no worse than anyone else and I don’t think he gives us more than 10 mins a game

marriott - nothing to work with but can’t get hold of the ball and hold it anyway

subs - Paterson- one short lay off for Martin 

knight - actually played in the midfield for the short period of time he was on the pitch

martin - hero worship - well actually he played centre forward you know won free kicks challenges centre half’s lays short balls off to Derby players and doesn’t panic and puts the ball on target - goal - good for you son

well Cocu needs to realise Martin and Marriott will be successful together and we absolutely have to play in midfield rather than having 2 defensive midfielders contributing nothing and Curtis Davies is actually a very good defender ! 

Rant over 

You've got claps and love hearts, i get abused, online, by the warriors?. 

[angieram]

Well, I didn't expect to come on here at the end of such a topsy turvy performance to find someone trolling everyone with a diatribe against Keogh! Supporting Derby gets more bizarre by the minute. ?

Onto the game. I went to Elland Road with zero expectation so to travel back down the M1 with a precious point grabbed in the fashion it was by 'our' Chris Martin was just magical.

I don't care that we didn't deserve it (how often have we said that about away sides at Pride Park?) but I do care about how shockingly unbalanced we looked for 60 minutes of the game. 

I knew Leeds were going to have the majority of the ball so I presume that was Cocu's thinking in again playing two defensive midfielders but when we still look so abject defensively it is clearly not working. Huddlestone and Bielik were so close together at times in that first half that they were almost tripping over each other while the Leeds midfielders waltzed through us at will. Add in the fact that Waghorn spent most of the half just in front of Lowe and there really was no get out ball for our beleaguered defence.

Given those circumstances, I actually think the defence came out with some credit. Yes, Leeds were wasteful, but Keogh, Lowe and Malone all played well and kept battling throughout. I felt sorry for Lowe scoring the own goal from a set piece that wasn't a foul in the first place, a cross from a player that was offside (how come Don Goodman has this special category of 'marginally' offside to defend poor officiating in favour of his preferred team?) and an unfortunate ricochet. 

The second half started as the first with Leeds hitting the post and then the penalty. Klich's miss was a huge let-off that seemed to wake up both the Derby players and Cocu.

Bringing Martin and Knight on gave Derby some much needed control on the ball. That in turn gave other players like Huddlestone, Malone and Lowe particularly the encouragement to push forward. I think it helped that Leeds were tiring too. I thought even so it was going to be too little too late but we kept plugging away and the equaliser, when it came, was oh so sweet.

I loved the fact that Martin himself started the move in his own half with a deft touch out to Lowe, Knight involved in the move that sent Lowe down the right while Martin himself steamed forward at maximum Martin-pace into the area. Paterson deserves huge credit for digging out Lowe's cross and just got enough on the pass to allow Martin to hit it first time. What a celebration! 

Ok, it wasn't a win and overall we were clearly second - or even third - best but we shared some passion and togetherness at the end of the game really for the first time this season.

Small green shoots but if Phillip can learn just a little from today and maybe encourage some enterprise from the get-go by playing only one defensive midfielder and a man up front who can hold up the ball and bring others into play in the next few games that painful first half watch will have been worth it.

Come on you Rams - you know you have it in you! 

[DavesaRam]

A bit more from me: I too was disappointed with Beilik. Having two Dms has never worked well, and although I think they do get in each other's way today's performance was simply because he was poor. 

I noticed Malone having several mouthy goes at Josefzoon for not doing enough defensively, although no-one appeared to have a go at him for not doing enough going forwards either.

The biggest disappointment was Clarke. He can do they heavy tackles and sometimes gets rid when that is the right thing to do, but he is so slow once he gets the ball to his feet. He is probably as slow at thinking as Alex Pearce was, and consistently ran out with the ball, clouldn't work out what to do with it and then do a full 360 degree anti-clockwise turn and pass backwards or sideways. I don't know how often the chance to build an attack fizzled out like that, but it was way too many. The second biggest disappointment was seeing Jack Marriott being subbed when Chrissy Martin came on. The poor fella runs his socks off chasing the shadow of a half-chance, and did do a number of lay-offs when the ball came to him at 100mph. He doesn't hold the ball up well at times, but that is not his game. He is at his best when he is running on to the ball, which he gets little opportunity while being expected to be a 6 foot 6" lone striker. He isn't a lone striker, and needs to play alongside someone like Martin (or even Waggy,), but he is never given the chance. 

Like many I was delighted to see  our new striker come on. He started to knit things together straight away, and put hi self about amongst the Leeds defenders, and did a one-two (or two) in the build up before the move that gave us our goal, and what irony that Paterson got the ball turned and laid the ball off just like Chris Martin does.

Someone else has expressed their puzzlement that from such a psssive performance we ended up with 4 yellows, but it was satisfying that apart from Josefzoon being clattered right in front of the ref with nothing given, Leeds didn't do any of the dirty stuff until near the end when they were beginning to loose it again, when Phillips should have been carded.

I think most were expecting a heavy defeat today, and it still could have been, but we kept plugging away, and with the substitutions we came good for just enough time to commit the greatest burglary of the day.

Well Done You Rams!

[Sean]

32 minutes ago, JfR said:

 

If you're on about when I think you were, I thought it was aimed at the linesman because Bamford was offside and wasn't flagged

Yep looked to me like it was the linesman he was giving grief to.

[BondJovi]

I have seen it mentioned here earlier but you have to think that if there was one match this season Leeds would be desperate to win, it was this one. It would not have needed a team talk from Bielsa.

In terms of seeing progress, beforehand I saw this game as a free hit. Many of the predictions pre match saw us being thrashed. Probably deserved it after the first half, but we hung on in there. Biggest thing to take was the impact of Martin, near vintage. Wouldn't be Derby if they didn't take you to the pit of despair and claw you back at the last moment.

A real shame Marriott got injured in preseason as that was when the Martin partnership was being tried! Got to be worth a go soon.

 

[G STAR RAM]

3 hours ago, Xlor said:

Played and captained a side that failed season in season out. All those managers have failed too. My dog could play for Ireland. I'll sit down and reflect when you do. It's embarrassing you think he's good enough. Put the tele on, watch another centre half. You'll be amazed. 

Its probably the worst argument used to lambast Keogh.

Do you realise Liverpool never won the Premier League with Steve Gerrard in the team?

Southampton literally won nothing with Matt Le Tissier.

I'm sure if I had the time I could find numerous more examples of good players that have won nothing.

Doesnt the fact that so many managers and players rate him as a footballer make you question your own opinion at all?

I could understand it if he was an average player but he is literally one of the best ball playing centre backs in the championship.

Sure he does have defensive frailties and lapses of concentration but if he didnt he would be a premier league regular. He has performed to a regularly high standard at this level though.

[lrm14]

1 hour ago, Ellafella said:

If I saw it correctly, I think Malone was getting stick from some Rams fans again today and was on camera when he gave his unequivocal reply...?

I'm pretty sure he was screaming at the lino who didn't flag when Bamford was clearly offside for the second time.

[desirelines]

toxic thread 

[Sparkle]

42 minutes ago, Xlor said:

You've got claps and love hearts, i get abused, online, by the warriors?. 

I am a nice chap you know ??

[ramit]

2 hours ago, Inverurie Ram said:

What high horse would that be???????.........we've just come away from Elland Road with the same amount of points that Leeds got off us today?....Did we get a point from Lampards first 3 goes against Leeds last season before injury forced his hand in the Play Off second leg?....what inept handling of the team has Phillip Cocu or any of his management team done?.....fail game after game?????

Big deal losing at Brentford and Forest away from home, so early on in managing his brand new club.

Maybe you and many others on here should choose not to instantly blame and opt to support and get behind your team instead of instantly sticking the dagger in to your own team when we fall behind. Try laying into the players, management and fans of the club we are playing against, drag them down, don't drag your own guys and girls down. 

Our team fell off the horse first half, but regrouped at half time, got back on the horse, and showed the team that were sat on top of the division before the start of the game, for playing some very good fast moving football, high tempo, and we showed them that we don't give up, we get stuck in, we keep working as a club together and we get our rewards, and one day, some of our lousy fans might work out the damage they do to our wonderful club. Stop wasting your time criticising your own, get stuck into their lot.

And I'm still laughing at "Sky Sport Leeds Utd Incorporated" when they cut off our wonderful Phillip Cocu whilst he was in the middle of praising Chris Martin for his hard work, so they could talk some more about Leeds United.

I love Phillip Cocu, I love Chris Martin and I will give them all the time in the world to take our club forward.

Love, Life & Unity.

The horses are on the track............

 

The high horse of criticizing other fans for expressing their opinion, as if your opinion is any worthier.  We robbed Leeds today is how i saw it.  The tactics during most of the game were ineffective, to say the least, so yes i criticize Cocu for getting it wrong in my opinion.  We have 1 win in 8 games, that's what i call failing game after game, but like i say opinions vary but i don't need your condescending advice though on how to go about being a proper fan.  You call fans you don't agree with lousy fans, but neigh that's not a high horse, that's your superiority showing, eh.  If Cocu is going to cry in his saddle for getting some critique, he's in the wrong line of work, but i don't for one second believe that of him.  Spin it any way you like mister, but get one thing straight, you're not my trail boss, just another fan with an attitude to boot and you can ride with that into the sunset for all i care.

[Inverurie Ram]

1 hour ago, Jayram said:

Christ he does drone on this bloke doesn't he? He's like a mate at work who once took half an hour longer explaining to me how he put a tent up than it actually took in real time.

Anyway Conor, jog on you boring twit and thanks for the point!

I bet he's cack at playing football as well. Mouthy young man of the modern world that really knows nothing about nothing but thinks he has all the answers and loves himself to death. He says it's pathetic, his team were top of the league, but moan, moan, and he calls our Richard Keogh a donkey. And Derby were diabolical, rubbish and all the rest, it's all about mentality he says!

His team are panicking, more like he is............get yourself a tent Conor and go camping instead with your student mates!

Oh and take your scalf and go home to your big microphone!

[Chester40]

2 hours ago, LazloW said:

Just wondering; before kick off, was anybody in any doubt that Leeds were a better team than us?

Notwithstanding the play-off heroics, they mullered us three times last season.  They have also kept their manager, started today with the bulk of the team that was there last season, have been playing well and were at home. Oh, and they were after blood.

We have lost arguably our best three players - and unfortunately thus far it doesn’t look like the replacements are as good, lost a couple of other potential regulars, have some injuries and we have (yet another) new manager who, I think obviously , is still finding his way.   We have been patchy to say the least (and that is probably being a bit kind!).   

While you always want to perform as well as possible, anybody who thought today was going to be easy was probably kidding themselves.  In the context of this match, a smash and grab point is absolutely marvelous.  

Now, again thus far, I am slightly concerned that Cocu is another manager who seems comfortable with the opposition having the ball.  If this is the case (and today wasn’t just a case of being completely outplayed) then we’re going to have a lot of games where we look poor.  This is very Rowett-esque.  It may end up being effective, but I don’t like to watch it.  Hopefully, GIVEN TIME, he’ll get us playing the positive, high tempo, progressive footy we (I?) want to see.

BUT... if every time we play poorly, or look like losing, people start kicking off (again) then nobody will ever get any time and we’ll be where we are now forever and a day.

Post of the day. Saved me posting. Ta

[derbydaz22]

3 hours ago, G STAR RAM said:

I actually didnt realise he was playing in the first half.

To have a game where we had no posession you would expect it to be because we had a defensive unit set up, but time after time they waltzed through the middle of us.

Hes definitely had a mixed bag of performances so far.

Yes I thought he looked a real player at Stoke playing at the back but today in what I think is his best position he struggled with the pace of the game.

[Mr Tibbs]

Page 32 was a delight to read through. 

Made up it was CM. Let's kick on now. 

[Rams forever]

4 minutes ago, derbydaz22 said:

Yes I thought he looked a real player at Stoke playing at the back but today in what I think is his best position he struggled with the pace of the game.

He had a good game in midfield against  Cardiff,he's only young if he was awesome every week he'd be playing for arsenal and not us,he's not the finished article yet!

[Inverurie Ram]

ramit .....Quote.........The high horse of criticizing other fans for expressing their opinion, as if your opinion is any worthier.  We robbed Leeds today is how i saw it.  The tactics during most of the game were ineffective, to say the least, so yes i criticize Cocu for getting it wrong in my opinion.  We have 1 win in 8 games, that's what i call failing game after game, but like i say opinions vary but i don't need your condescending advice though on how to go about being a proper fan.  You call fans you don't agree with lousy fans, but neigh that's not a high horse, that's your superiority showing, eh.  If Cocu is going to cry in his saddle for getting some critique, he's in the wrong line of work, but i don't for one second believe that of him.  Spin it any way you like mister, but get one thing straight, you're not my trail boss, just another fan with an attitude to boot and you can ride with that into the sunset for all i care.................

I was questioning your opinions and not agreeing with them, as you are not agreeing with mine, I never put you on a horse, a low horse, a medium horse, or a high horse, or took any of your posts as condescending or was I calling anyone proper fans or not, I just said we have some lousy fans, and I think we do, or did I try to be superior and yes I'm not your trail boss (whatever that is) and according also to yourself, I'm just another fan to boot that can ride with that into the sunset for all you care.

I like riding, sunsets and boots, so thank you very much, I'm charmed that you care that much.

I also love Derby County Football Club and I'm very happy we achieved a wonderful away point today and I'm sure we will start winning lots of football games that are coming up and I think that's a good thing.

Have a fantastic evening.

[Van der MoodHoover]

56 minutes ago, Xlor said:

I've not called him any names bud. This page is shocking. The amount of abuse people get from having an opinion on our team is disgusting. I'm a ******* , a throbber, thick, mardy and Ill informed apparently ??‍♂️. All for saying we and our players are poor. These that abuse people don't really have any input  except , well, abusing people that have an opinion. Sad really. 

Serious question - is there anybody at the club you’d rather be in the first XI or do you think a wholesale clearance is needed?

have any of the kids shown any spark to give us hope?

i do think you’re entitled to your opinion. Unfortunate timing of your original post I guess cos majority of folk still on a high after nicking a point. I agree that the performance seemed very poor for the majority of the game.

[Gritstone Ram]

6 minutes ago, Van der MoodHoover said:

Serious question - is there anybody at the club you’d rather be in the first XI or do you think a wholesale clearance is needed?

have any of the kids shown any spark to give us hope?

i do think you’re entitled to your opinion. Unfortunate timing of your original post I guess cos majority of folk still on a high after nicking a point. I agree that the performance seemed very poor for the majority of the game.

Bogle when he is fit.

[Finch]

Pity we don't have a midfielder with the same passion as Keogh. He's a tar. Let's see more of Chrissy.