I really really hate Kavannagh. That's about the third time he's done this to us. Stood around in midfield and bossed the game completely. He dictated the pace, the movement, what is he 37 years old (?) and he only moved there at the end of the week on loan. We desperately need someone like him because we are rudderless, leaderless. The most noticeable thing about yesterday's showing was how quickly our team became eleven individuals. You'll get nowhere like that. Some fella close to me was saying "they're not mates are they? You can see that they're not going out there with a bunch of mates trying to win for each other." May be a bit naive in this day and age, but you know what he means. Back in September when some oaf hacked a lump out of Delph he was faced with 6 or 7 Leeds in his face telling him about it...wouldn't happen now. And yet for all the idea that Carlisle came and dominated, scored and then shut up shop - yes that was what they tried to do but they're not very good are they because we could have had 6 yesterday - 3 if Becchio was half decent in front of goal. We could have been ahead before they scored; we could have equalised before their second; we could have pulled 1 or 2 back before half time; we could have had three or four more in the second half - albeit that they missed the easiest chance of the half, when their sub shot wide from 5 yards unmarked at the back post. I'm talking very presentable chances here, not half chances. What Carlisle did was dominate the middle 20 minutes of the first half, score two goals with their only two chances, and then take a chance that we couldn't come back from it. Their gamble was correct, they won. Fair play to them, its what you do when you haven't away from home since the opening game of the season, and haven't scored in what (?) the last 8 away games. What they had that we didn't, Kavannagh apart, was a very confident goalkeeper, who dominated the 25 yards in front of his goal - he got the defence sorted, came for crosses, and dealt with whatever shots he had to deal with. Even then he had a bit of luck when Becchio was clean through and hammered his shot against the post, only for the rebound to fall to Robinson 8 yards out who promptly fluffed the shot and landed on his arse. Keeper aside they were organised at the back and had Bridges up front showing the importance of a brain in playing football, just moving 5 yards this way or that creating an angle or a bit of space...and keep moving. Delph would have loved to have Bridges to aim at - how often did Delph (and later Robinson & Johnson) look up with the ball at their feet to see a bunch of journeymen stood around looking uninterested in having the ball, plus Becchio who always wants it, but to whom it should only ever be passed if all the labradors in the park are marked. Carlisle's first goal was a ball simply played behind our left back who was too far forward, the winger ran it to the by-line from where he cut it back along the ground, to the edge of the box where their guy side-footed home, unchallenged. Even then I thought Caspar got a hand on it and could have done better. So from our point of view it was a real team effort - who was on Kavannagh when he played the first ball? where was Sheehan? where was his cover? who was marking the scorer on the edge of the box (clue, not Douglas, or Delph, or Marques, or Michalik)? what happened with Caspar...? The second was another ball slipped through by Kavannagh to Bridges, which Lubo looked to have covered as he slid in, then I think Caspar came out, Bridges had one effort saved and then slid the second home. Again poor defending. Its true that for the last 30 minutes with Robinson, Johnson and Trundle on, we looked far more likely to score - although I don't reckon all of that much was down to Trundle, who one good penalty shout aside, did nothing. ANKERGREN - did make a couple of good saves but also looked like he could have done more with the goals, particularly the first RICHARDSON - had a spell, when Carlisle were on top, of consistently passing into touch or to a Calisle player - I like him (mainly I think because I'm sick of the abuse he gets) and I don't think that we have any better RBacks at the club but that kind of lack of concentration is where the abuse stems from - strangely looked more comfortable at LBack when moved there for the last 30 SHEEHAN - has a sweet left foot and no pace - in short a "poor man's Ian Harte" - oh how we've cried out for one of those MARQUES - the "best" of the back five yesterday - which is scant praise MICHALIK - Huntington must be doing something dreadfully wrong in training (or is he injured) because Lubo is nowhere DOUGLAS - very average yesterday - the first goal yesterday was definitely scored by "his" man DELPH - tried, but you know, he needs help HUGHES - in some ways this guy sums up what is wrong with us - he is the worst footballer I've seen in a Leeds shirt for many a long year, yet our record with him in the team is undeniably better than without him...and the crowd chant his name...he's sh*t SNODGRASS - I wish he had some genuine pace because he has a good footballing brain, is alert to chances and not afraid to get stuck in - our best player yesterday BECCHIO - I reckon this guy is a pantomime horse - his top half and bottom half never seem to move in the same direction - hence his lack of ball control, passing ability, pace...we won't score goals as long as he is our main man up front. CHRISTIE - was so far off the pace that you had to check every five minutes just to make sure he hadn't wandered off for a hot-dog or something SUBS Johnson - who's stock has risen by not playing for us...great...what does that tell us? He does look slimmer, fitter, maybe that will help - stung the keeper's fingers with a good effort towards the end Robinson - frankly I'm not interested that he's dead happy that he's got his mucker Trundle to pass to now, he needs to get fit to prove that he can play for more than 30 minutes because while those 30 minutes are invariably attractive cameos he's been here since May and still can't contribute properly for 90 minutes - someone who was allegedly the player of the season for this division last year - frankly that's a disgrace Trundle - only 25 minutes - not impressed thus far - but let's wait and give him a few more games. ------------------- crowd 22, 500 muted ---------------- Grayson - now you really know what you've let yourself in for - you know when Blackpool said that they hadn't accepted your resignation...I don't think that that means you go back, I think its a legal thing -------------- Today's beef. Us. The Crowd. How difficult do we make it for the players? I know I slag them off on the list but at the game I'm a supporter, I'm there to try and urge them to victory - to better individual and team effort and performance. Yes, we all occassionally let something go in exasperation as Fraser finds his third Carlisle player in two minutes, or Becchio miscontrols another pass but its never a constant barrage of nasty negative vitriol aimed at nearly all of them all of the time. For the last two games I've been blessed with some loud mouth a few rows behind me, who a) never shuts up, b) knows f*ck all about the beautiful game, and c) seems definitely not to be there to "support" the team - some other fellow turned round and yelled at him that if he'd just spent his twenty quid to stand there and slag off the team for 90 minutes then he was an even bigger fool than his opinions were making him sound - he didn't use those words...if you get my drift. But this fellow started and others joined in - with gems such as "(insert name of player), you're sh*t you've always been sh*t why don't you f*ck off back to (insert name of town/country)", "Bet that f*cking Beckford is loving this. Bet he's sat there laughing his c*ck off...can't do without you can they Beckford, then you'll f*ck off somewhere for a great big signing on fee, won't you you'll love that won't you, what shirt am I wearing bruv, all bo**ocks" - I mean Beckford wasn't even on the pitch...Delph copped for loads, as did Fraser and Caspar...Trundle hadn't been on for 2 minutes when this bright spark had seen enough and wanted him sent back to his "scouse-sh*t hole with his fat little mate"... A mate of mine said some of his mates, Liverpool supporters attended the Leicester game on Boxing Day, because it was a big game and they were in the neighbourhood and thought it would be a good game to go see. They sat in the East Stand. They are experienced live footballer watchers, they reported themselves shocked by the neanderthal, drunk, thugs they had all around them. They said it was like stepping back 25 years. Now we all like to think "we" as Leeds bring passion to a game, but are we, in reality, a part of the problem?
_______________________________________________ the Leeds List is an unmoderated mailing list and the list administrators accept no liability for the personal views and opinions of contributors. Leedslist mailing list [email protected] http://list.zetnet.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist Sorry Macca - it's the curse of Bates old lad
