Holmes_and_Watson

Would you trust a celebrating, drunk Adam Armstrong to get your car unlocked? 🙂

SR's transfer record. Players who have got decent minutes/ made an impact Manning, Downes, THB, Fraser, Brooks, Rothwell - those goals, Baz - not fully, Lavia, Aribo, Edozie - not fully, Alcaraz - not fully, Bree -eventually, when called upon Still to work out / didn't work out Charles - still young, Stewart - injury, Lumley - back up, Holgate, ABK, Mara, DCC, Larios - injury, Orsic, Ounacho, Sulemana, AMN Grey areas in there. Some players were bought for different systems (SR at fault for that though), others have development to do. This summer we need replacements for Alex, Downes, Brooks, Fraser, Che and Stu and one more body in midfield. With his injury record, Stewart can't be Che's replacement. Lavia, Downes, THB and Fraser have been excellent. Lavia (like Livramento and Broja on loan to us), poster kids of what SR are looking for. That's going to be difficult to get right so quickly with developing players. So, there's hope. As long as Rasmus is kept clear, and they don't believe their own PR. Getting them all right seems like a big ask for them, as they look for that sell on value and want to keep that wage bill low.

Player Of The Season: Adam Armstrong. His work rate drove the standards of others. His goals took us up, and he was involved in so many of our best moves. Underwhelming Achievement Award (Worst POTS): Any of the wantaways that we punted towards the end of the summer window. Best Signing Of The Season: Downes. Our MVP who needed to be there if we were going to win. We depended on his fitness. Worst Signing Of The Season: Stewart, by default due to injury. Best Match: Play off final or games where we utterly dominated with RussBall like Swansea away. Worst Match: Leicester. Humbling. Sunderland when Mowbray took RussBall apart. Season Rating: 8. Anything more would be automatic promotion or storming the league. Every club stumbled. We dipped away at the end. Had we not gone up, it would have dropped to a high 4. Results based business. Russ Rating: 8. Turned the spirit of the place around through departing players, and implementing a new system. Could have been backed more by SR with clear gaps in central midfield, right side of attack and up front. When it clicked, RussBall was lovely to watch. When it didn't, we struggled to find solutions. Russ found them when it mattered most to get us over the line. Would be higher, but he's developing and we watched him try and find solutions to his system's shortcomings in our squad. SR Rating: 7 for this season. We're paying for that dreadful January window and the managerial appointments. Stuck to their guns/ took a heck of a risk to bring in a learning, if rising, manager. And then we had an identity back, and got over the line in the end. Cracking loan signings on the whole, although mixed actual signings. Player Shoutout: Will Smallbone. He's been asked to cover a load of roles this season, and it's been great to watch him develop in them all. Your one hope for the remainder of the season/next season: Staying up next season. SR having a transfer window that gives us a chance to do so. Two hopes there.

Glad you both still enjoyed, despite the giant blue circle getting in the way. 🙂

The more destabilised other clubs are, whether through managerial changes or breaching PRS, the better for us.

Definitely an option. Another plus for Fraser. KWP on the other side suits that too.

I agree with much of that. He made a difference when he joined us. That didn't keep going, but came back in and made a difference at the end too. With another half dozen gaps requiring first team options, a zero fee, reasonable wage SR can live with, would be ideal. Our attack stands at:- AA, Stewart, Mara, Sule, Edozie, SAA, Ounacho, (Aribo) He's getting a lot of minutes in that group. We can then focus attention elsewhere. Edit: Forgot to mention the experience, personality and work ethic to the squad too. Not to be underestimated.

I'd be surprised to see McCarthy here. The club have been keen to shift him off the wage bill for a couple of seasons. If offering anything, it would be on reduced terms. McCarthy may not accept that, and could well find himself as back up at a club willing to pay him more.

Another excellent bit of business if we could get him in. Newcastle will be keen to offload to meet PRS. Fraser will have a fair idea of the wage, and seemed keen to be here.

Another player who has had to pick up other duties this season, and done well. He was versatile at Rangers, but not from the deeper positions we've asked him to pick up a lot. His all round game has improved this season.

It seemed to be possession to move opponents, create spaces and incisively pass through them to create chances. He's kept the create spaces for incisively pass through them to create chances, but more directly, allowing us to have a lot more defensive structure. A lot of the first way has enabled us to be capable of doing it the second, when it was needed. Martin could probably even claim it's all within his core philosophy.

Adult

Coffee

On the occasion I saw him saying that he was grateful to have been given the chance by Jason and SR, as he had achieved nothing, he looked down towards the trophy. That could be taken to mean he hadn't won silverware. And he also said he was aware he wasn't the sexiest appointment (name wise, and clearly not stubble or hair wise). He had achieved things, from MK Dons to mid championship finish with Swansea. Those are achievements. Now he's got a play off final win, and will be a Premier League manager. More achievements. Russ was being humble and grateful, as usual, throughout all his interviews. Russ had been adapting him system through the season. It's been fascinating to watch. A lot of the criticism has mirrored his own post match comments. He'd got possession nailed down. We'd have games we'd create loads and not finish. Sometimes just the finishing, and others allowing defences to reset making it tougher. We'd have possession and not create, getting it stuck in midfield. It frustrated him no end too. We saw the system switch because KWP is a class above. We saw it shift because of the strengths Baz and Will have. We ended up with a lot of fluid players: Will, Jack, Aribo, AA and Che. Conceding was a problem throughout. He went more direct. Jack returning to the side changed the roles of others to try and give us more balance. We had to adapt when Stu got injured. I think the underpinning work all season really helped us when injury hit. All that passing helps transition when we get it from more direct positions upnfield. We're more direct due to injuries and the shore up the midfield. But it's RussBall v1 that helps us make the most of the lower possession we get. Stephens coming in did disrupt a few things. Yet, it pushed Will into having to develop even more of his game in the final third again. It gave us the vocal leadership Leeds lacked, as well as a nother versatile player on the park, filling in all over. Martin has changed our system and style. Not without bumps, as players were relearning natural games, and we lost JWP and Tells. He's changed the mentality from what seemed a flat, disrupted dressing room. Again, not without bumps with wantaway players, some searching in September, and arguably it's still a quietish squad. He's done that with individuals too. Aribo is a much improved player There's been a ton of work on all aspects of everyone's game that's allowed us to adapt throughout the season. And that's what's got us through in the end. Perhaps not the most naturally talented squad (Leicester). Perhaps not the most relentlessly attacking (Ipswich). But certainly the most controlled, capable, intelligent side in the division. Possibly the hardest workers too.

To me Alex is clearly the better all round goalkeeper. We looked a lot more settled with his calmness (Baz's scowl isn't the same), physical presence and most importantly better ability to stop a shot. Low and to the left. Low and to the left. Like the football equivalent of watching the zapruder film, footage of Baz makes it clear that he's not the best shot stopper. And this was Alex coming straight back into crunch games, having been frozen out. However, Baz deserves credit for those crunch games too. Martin knows that Alex's distribution isn't as good. So, we changed that. We still get a side who are very, very comfortable under pressure, and have got their passing positions down really well through practice and matches. And we are a bit more direct, also required with Stephens in the side, and no Stu. We don't put Alex under the same pressure. Baz was a key part of getting us so good at that short, crisp, passing. The outfield players have given Baz pretty much everything to deal with, and he's been unphased by it all (well, one or two even he's had a go at his defence). Baz's distribution accuracy and weight has really helped us develop our possession game. Without him there, the side still know the positions to take and angles to make. So, McCarthy has made a difference to the side since he came in. But that's not to minimise all the good things Baz has done, to make Alex's job a easier. Alex passed Russ on the way to get interviewed yesterday and there was a chat between them. I think Russ was giving his thanks to Alex's professionalism, coming in and being so important under not the best circumstances.

From what my Leeds' supporting pals tell me, they sold key players to offset a big loss, owe lots in outstanding transfers, are close to the PSR limits anyway, had to pay out on previous managers, have most of a squad out on loan coming back and a load of players that want to move on. Then there's the drop in parachute payments. To be fair, they all said we deserved it, and wished us the best for next season. The above was from me suggesting they'd be among the strongest to go up next time. It seems there's going to be s lot of moving players on, while strengthening, for that to happen.

There are natural gaps in the first team to be filled. Bringing in quality there enhances our chances, and also keeps the core of the players who got us here. Baz/Alex, Downes, Stu, Che, Fraser and Brooks all have to be replaced. There aren't players who look likely to step up over a season to those roles. Additionally, we desperately need DM cover ( and have done for a while). That's 6 first team players, or as near as, to focus on. A little while ago they said they'd already had chats with those who might want to go (perhaps covering promotion and non-promotion scenarios). So, there will be more natural change there too. Quite a rebuild, before having to worry about moving on players who worked so hard to get us here.

That would be excellent business. Can only hope it's true.

Fair

Never too early to think ahead 🙂 GK - Baz (inj), Lumley, Lis Baz out well into next season, so a new no 1 required. There were loads of quality keepers available, just as we thought we'd done well in getting Baz. FB - KWP, Bree, Manning, (Stephens), Meghoma, Larios (inj), Perraud Can't see Perraud staying, Larios has injury issues and Meghoma still young. KWP a class above the others, so may need to add, if quality available. CB - Bedders, THB, Stephens, Lyanco, ABK, DCC ABK and DCC are okay, but no idea if the club want them, they want to be here after the relegation season. If there's a hint of a poor attitude, they can go along with Lyanco, who I can't see staying. Bedders and THB deserve their chance. Bringing in cover got us Holgate, so a tough one. M - Will, Aribo, Charles, Alcaraz, (Stephens) Sign Downes. Then sign another quality player here. We've needed strengthening here for seasons. I could see Charles going off on loan. If so, that's yet another coming in. Hopefully Alcaraz will develop other areas of his game. F - AA, Stewart, Mara, Sule, Edozie, SAA, Ounacho Stewart barely fit. Mara not suiting system, Paul certainly not suiting it, Sule's future uncertain, Edozie minus an end product and SAA young. Signing Fraser then a no brainer (can also fill in as wing back). Another area needing a quality Che replacement as well as a direct playing Brooks replacement. Leaving - Alex, Stu, Che Loan ending - Rothwell, Brooks, Fraser Need to extend contracts of - KWP Sign Please - Downes, Fraser

Derby

Bedders has been a bit classy for this division. As @SNSUN said, Stephens' injury allowed the THB partnership to flourish. THB has loads of strengths, but was also gaining a lot from his partner. When Stephens returned, there was a wobble, with THB form dipping. But Janny B has been composed and calm throughout. Also been vital with all the short passing too, creating options for the others. The Villa thing did leave a bad taste. But that went badly, and he's been a key player this season. As for Perraud, Martin didn't rate him, doesn't think he suits our system and has said so, played him at center half and then got shot of him. I don't know if Perraud was one of the want away players or one with an attitude. But with KWP, Bree, Manning, Stephens, Patios and Meghoma all options, I'd be very surprised if he stays.

Really chuffed for him today. You could see how much it meant to him, and how proud he was to be doing that for his and our club. It was practically the first ball, and he misplaced a pass. I half chuckled/ half groaned. Knowing when to take a riskier pass and when to keep it safe is just something to work on. Elsewher, he was got a shot blocked after a cutback. Then I noticed, I wasn't noticing him. He did a load of work helping to keep that front four quiet, and the players behind them. With him in the side, Will got more forward, and Aribo more flexible, and Stephens did a lot of covering. Whether the gaps on the flanks or helping Bedders and THB. He had a very good game today. We chuckle at him being shoe horned in, but it's a sign of how versatile he can be. As he shifted positions today, that was all paying off. So credit to Martin who develops the players that way, as he's done for Will, AA, Aribo too.

When we lost Stu, Martin was trying variations to get the midfield functioning. When Baz got injured, we needed more adjustments. To his credit, he switched it. Stephens, who had been given minutes across the team being really and prepared to step into the back 3. Good man management and flexibility when he needed to change.