Pretty accurate assessment - it was definitely up there in terms of worst games (both sides included) I’ve seen in many a year. Marsch now knows how teams who are battling will play at Elland Rd - diving, wasting time, nagging the ref etc. We have to try and play some football! The continual playing it across the backline only for Cooper/Meslier to hoof it long underscores our lack of creativity playing from the back. Much as Llorente has been a defensive liability of late, he breaks forward well, as does Struijk if at centre back. That is a problem that needs working on.
I absolve none of the players for sinking down to Villa’s depths yesterday - apart from maybe Bamford who we desperately need to be involved from the start of games. The ref was poor, but we aided and abetted our own demise. Ditto the fans, who’s constant singing of ‘Tyrone Mings - f***ing sh*t’ must have been music to their ears! Sinisterra looked the only likely one to break the deadlock, so to see him fall foul of a nit-picking referee like that was infuriating, but just about summarised the afternoon. We got a point when we may have got beaten so that was good. Finally, and I know this will not be a universally held view, but the time for a player to be sacrificed against Villa has come - by sacrificed I mean they should cripple McGinn! That f***er is going to end someone’s career before long, and we need to get our retaliation in first. I don’t mean just foul him either - broken leg/legs - he’s a twat who needs sorting out! Love, peace and United :-) > On 3 Oct 2022, at 10:27, nattan--- via Leedslist <leedslist@gn.apc.org> wrote: > > Well you can add Villa to Everton and Wolves to the list of teams who , if > they were playing in my garden I would draw the curtains rather than watch. > This was a real game of two halves and both were terrible in different ways. > Villa showed in the first minute what their game plan was, waste time, take > minutes out of the match, dive, whinge , play act and get at the ref. First > free kick of the game and one of theirs kicks the ball from the half way line > to behind our goal after the whistle has blown, the inept ref has a quiet > word, no card. Later Pantomime villain ( pun intended) Mings, picks the ball > up to take a free kick then leaves it , then goes back to it , all just time > wasting and killing the game. Add the fact that they rolled around after > every tackle and they were constantly at the ref and you get the general > impression that they were not here to play football. > We did nothing to help ourselves in the main because we got involved in all > the petty squabbles and mini vendettas, rather than playing football > When we did play, Sinisterra looked a real handful and Roca pulled the > strings. Having said that a thunderbolt by the otherwise poor Rodrigo that > flew just wide and a cross into the 6 yd box that he just failed to get on > the end of was all we had to show for a turgid first half. Villa had 2 or 3 > breakaways saved / smothered by Mes. > On the concourse at half time I heard one lad say " that's the worst game I > have ever seen" . I am sure I have seen worse but it was dire. > Second half and all to play for till stupidity by Sini cost us the chance of > 3 points. Having seen it on TV it was a ridiculous thing to do and many refs > would give a yellow, though more would have given a warning rather than a > second yellow however ' wrong' that may be. So down to 10 and suddenly Villa > woke up and wanted to take things quickly and get on with the game. As it > wore on it was almost the old kids game, attack v defence, and thankfully > with some resolute defending, profligate finishing, good saves and the help > of the woodwork, we held on and almost nicked a goal at the death when > Bamford, looking good when he came on, nearly laid on a finish for Klich. It > was relief and some cheers at the end though mainly drowned out by boos and > insults at the ref. An awful game > A special word for the incompetent referee. All second half my mate said " > this must be one of those new refs who haven't a clue " I agreed saying I had > heard that lots of refs retired at the end of last season and the Prem had > new , even less able referees. Imagine my surprise then to see it was not > some unknown newbie making his debut and alternating between having no clue / > no control and making himself the centre of attention, but in fact Stuart > Attwell a seasoned ref at this level - a dreadful performance from start to > finish > So after waiting a month to get back to watching us we had to put up with > that dross. As someone, a bit unfairly, said on the bus " that was shocking > and nothing like the brilliant Bielsaball " . I say a bit unfair because the > lack of spectacle and entertainment in this game was not really our fault, > but it was a hard watch. > Dave > _______________________________________________ > Leedslist mailing list > Info and options: https://mailman.gn.apc.org/mailman/listinfo/leedslist > To unsubscribe, email leedslist-unsubscr...@gn.apc.org > > Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/leedslist/ > > Rest in Peace Guy, and wear your hat! _______________________________________________ Leedslist mailing list Info and options: https://mailman.gn.apc.org/mailman/listinfo/leedslist To unsubscribe, email leedslist-unsubscr...@gn.apc.org Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/leedslist/ Rest in Peace Guy, and wear your hat!
