Player ratings

Team selection massively wrong for Leeds – Player ratings v Cardiff

|
Image for Team selection massively wrong for Leeds – Player ratings v Cardiff

Well, that was bordering on a crime against humanity. For the second away league game in a row, Leeds don’t show up and get battered. Tonight was even worse than Millwall for me and I can’t see anybody getting too good a rating here.

Felix Wiedwald – 4 –
Could have done better for the second goal and his distribution was questionable to say the least. I’m still not convinced.

Into the defence…

Luke Ayling – 6 – He wasn’t good and he was still our best player. He got forward better than anyone else on the pitch, his decision-making let him down.

Pontus Jansson – 5 – Can’t really say he was at fault for much but not his usual commanding self at the back.

Liam Cooper – 1 – Shambolic, back to the Liam Cooper we used to know. His second yellow card may have been the stupidest thing I have ever seen a footballer do.

Gaetano Berardi – 5 – Came agonisingly close to scoring his first goal, unfortunately even he couldn’t give us a bright spark.

Matthew Pennington – 6 – Awful situation to make his return but he looked solid and I think this might be the start of a big partnership between him and Jansson.

Into the midfield…


Kalvin Phillips – 5 –
Didn’t get into the game as much as he usually does, seemed to be missing Eunan O’Kane massively.

Mateusz Klich – 4 –
An extremely poor first league start for the Polish international. Made the mistake for the first goal (which Sky blamed Phillips for), Leeds never recovered from that. Tonight was very much a self inflicted loss.

Pablo Hernandez – 4 –
Invisible tonight, he really doesn’t show up in many away games. Was replaced at half-time for Pennington.

Into the attack…

Stuart Dallas – 4 – Nothing like he has been off the bench, never really got into the game.

Ezgjan Alioski – 4 – Seemed to spend most of the time falling over, a night he’ll be disappointed with.

Kemar Roofe – 6 – Actually kept hold of the ball quite well given the terrible service he had and did get his deflected goal. Not his fault but he really shouldn’t have been starting tonight.

A truly shocking performance and a team selection that Thomas Christiansen got massively wrong. It’s no time to panic, but the game against Sheffield Wednesday just got even more important. Let us know what you think went wrong tonight!

Share this article

0 comments

  • Brian pyke says:

    No team wins promotion in September

  • Brian pyke says:

    No team wins promotion in Septe
    mber

  • Bluesman says:

    Leeds can’t do the physical stuff. They all go to bed if they are kicked.

  • mark elson says:

    Need a midfield hard man not just flair players.

  • Irving08 says:

    I might have brought Sacko on this evening.

  • Paul roberts says:

    Simply they were shit no excuses

  • Steve Mcdonald says:

    Can’t believe how bad we were tonight, Cooper is a liability.
    Agree about keeper after Saturday performance was nervous.
    The sores out of 10 are 100% correct.we will drop out of top 2 tomorrow.
    And when Sunday comes we may be out of the top 6?

  • John Giles says:

    Can’t argue with these ratings, management learnt nothing from Millwall fiasco, too many flakey players with no experience of this league, Sunday’s match will be interesting!!

  • Tim says:

    Look, Christiansen won’t own up to it but I guess he thought he couldn’t win both these away games plus travelling. I think he tried to contain
    Cardiff and maybe snatch a goal but Klich put paid to that followed by poor keeping and Cooper!
    He had no intention of playing O Kane, Lasogga or Saiz who will all play on Sunday and my feeling is he fancies that one more particularly going into the break.
    Just looking ahead we won’t IMO face another two back to back away games as difficult all season and better now than later.
    Also he has probably learnt more about the squad and what he has got and not got tonight..
    So, a bad day at the office but not a disaster. BTW Antonssen got the first goal for Blackburn tonight and I would be more upset if ?i was a smoggy supporter with their hone result.
    Still early days and I am confident we will go up automatically and be in no doubt the squad will be strengthened in January if required!

  • John Wright says:

    Thomas has to take the blame with Coops, I understand what the manager is trying to do by resting players but tonight he made the wrong decision, no O Kane – Klich not as good, No Lassoga – main striker missing in big game , no Saiz who is better than Alioski.
    Coops must have it pointed out to him in no unsertain terms that if he as been quicker to the ball or even Shepard the player in to the corner would have been the more intelligent decision.
    Lastly why stubbornly stick with the doggy keeper.
    Lastly it is only 3 points , must now get it right for next games.

  • Clive says:

    Goalkepper and Cooper not good enough,to much overplaying and poncing about at the back. No point playing Hernandez away from home,Boss needs to learn quick whats required to compete in championship.

  • Stephen Tyson says:

    I’m not convinced with grot. He might be big but he’s like frank Spencer on coke!!!
    We need a proper Midfield hard man. Alioski needs to man up and realise falling over in this league is not Gonna win you a free kick.
    Klitch was dier.
    Hoping for a better result on sunday. But seems like the goals have already dried up.
    Gutted.

  • Henryv says:

    Cardiff were one dimensional with the normal Warnock game plan.
    We were comfortable until the first goal went in!
    We have to toughen up against robust teams!!
    The referee what not a ‘Friend’ to us!!!
    We need to sort our goalkeeping position out fast.
    Heart goes out to travelling fans who deserved better!!

    MOT!!

  • Dreamer says:

    Where was Norman Hunter ,
    Big Jack or Wilbur Cush !
    What a totally abject performance !

  • Allan Fawcett says:

    Can’t argue with most comments. Weidwald must be replaced, Lonergan is far better suited for this league. Lassoga has proved himself. Strong, knows his job. Pennington is class and should cement his place now Cooper is banned. Saiz is more reliable and tougher than Hernandez and Alioski not consistent. Dallas is also a cert. We have the players, we have the skill and the commitment. We have proved this.
    Finally, Cooper was silly tonight and deserved to go, but has the making of a good player and proved it over the last few weeks. To slag him off and come out with some of the comments I have seen is unfair and not right. Seen it too often at this club over the years and I think it stinks

  • Arshad Khan says:

    I agree with Alan on Cooper. And I like to point out that Alioski is still learning and you can’t overnight be heroes, it takes time and patience. The manager should’ve played Lassoga, Saiz and Sacko. I disagree with some of the comments saying it was abysmal, though, we had 59% possession of the game, it is our individual and collective mistakes that cost us the game. Why would you rest the main attackers for Sunday and end up losing? You are professional players, so one should be used to many games, because, you here to do a job and I can’t fathom how not to use Eunan O Kane, Lasogga and Saiz, they were used against Ipswich and we won a tough match. The majority of clubs in this Championship league play mostly direct football and it is common knowledge when a team that plays compact and deep and direct football struggle in Premiership, i.e. Sunderland, Hull, etc. And only a few play possession football and skill that Premiership is about and Leeds definitely fit the bill. Leeds players are not used to this physicality, because, the players are more technical minded. I also disagree that we don’t do well away or some fans believe we do, let’s look at the stats so far. Won 3 and lost 2 away, that’s good and remember we only won 7 away games last season, so a couple more away victories will do fine. The manager should always play our main players no matter what the circumstances. We play Sunday, so if other teams win below us, we’d only drop as far as 6, that’s if the teams below us win. I dislike Sunday football, prefer Saturday. If I was a manager of Leeds for this game, I’d choose my best XI:1.Lonergan.2.Ayling.3.Berardi.4.Pennington.5.Jansson.6.Dallas.7.Saiz.O Kane.8.Phillips.9.Sacko.10.Lasogga.11.Roofe. 3 subs:Veira, Alioski and Hernandez.

  • Asim says:

    Another shit performance, that’s poor second half against Birmingham, abysmal against Millwall, poor second half against Ipswich and yet worse against Cardiff last night. Can it really get any worse?!

  • Irving08 says:

    It is hard to understand the basis for the support for Dallas other than his loyalty to the club. ‘He wants to play for us’ though is not sufficient reason for gloss over the reasons why does not merit a starting position in the side. Basically we are set up to be a counter attacking side or, at any rate, one that breaks quickly.This implies at a minimum pace on the flanks and the ability to run at and get past or behind defenders especially though not only on the outside. Unfortunately for all his effort Dallas falls down in this regard. He just lacks the pace to do it. In short, he is not dangerous. Sacko in my opinion is a better bet. He changed the game at Burnley, so why did he not play last night. So his final ball may sometimes let him down (although I think this point can be overdone) but he is not alone in this respect. Alioski’s crossing on Saturday was poor, for example. In a somewhat lightweight offensive three, Sacko also provides physical strength: He is hard to knock off the ball. I say give him a run !

Comments are closed.