Holmes_and_Watson

As part of the same group, we can share the good times, and support each other through the tough times. You kindly posted some of the reflections from SR on your season, and there's no shortage of plans in place for you. We've yet to really see the benefits of the group, so early days there. But plenty of areas could benefit us all. New York Saint's post has that nice pre season sense of optimism about it. Lots of challenges, and we've seen plenty of errors. But, and supported by Dragon's interview, willing to face them and learn from them over the long term. I don't think I've seen any criticism of his investment. Criticism focused on how it was spent. Dragon nicely downplays his football knowledge. Yet, pinpoints us getting carried away on any single batch of players, or overly depending on a single source of recruitment. He seems outwardly okay about his funds.

I've seen only a couple of appearances from him this season. He seemed fine. I was going to say that I'd therefore leave assessment to others. But not the ones who said his legs had gone, when our whole side was jaded when he was last here. Same for the others. Not seen much of Ings recently only from the bench, and even less from Lallana. If they are genuinely the best fit our recruitment team can find to help us stay up, then fine. I'd be a bit surprised if that was the case. If Barca are their usual selves, they will be doing a combination of paying big stars loads. While also pushing their previous group of big stars out the door through any means possible, and playing on the loyalty of others to pay them as little as possible. Like you say, I could easily see him wanting to be in Spain for the rest of his career.

His coaching will consist of getting players to agitate for moves away from the club, and build up their stamina to ... last an hour tops on the pitch. He's honest at least. Be nearer home, focus on his family and his coaching. On the plus side, we'd have someone with experience at the bestest club in the world under the bestest manager ever. Getting players to join big clubs actually suits the SR model. Free, and hopefully not going to be on Walcott wages. He provides an example of a career to aspire to (But then, so would a poster of Pele, and it wouldn't moan about not being put on the best wall).

Without a resale value, we'd have to fall back on his technical ability, experience at bigger clubs and love for ours. Tough one. 🙂 I was hoping someone would give him a call and ask who we could be looking at at Barca. Their cash problems can't have gone anywhere.

Not surprised these positions keep going. They've put a petition to keep it around, at the top right. 🙂

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