Leeds vs. Crystal Palace match thread

The most reassuring thing about the game today was our ability to limit Leeds to one decent chance. For the most part this season we have been way to open and looked conceding plenty of goals.
It was interesting to see with a front 3 of JSL, Kamada, & Pino that we actually kept possession quite well at times and played some nice passing moves. We did though look like we needed someone with some pace like Sarr to give the option for the through or over the top pass.
Agree in the main, both sides had some sloppy passing, on balance I think we looked more likely but still worried every time Leeds got near our goal, Pino excellent free kick, on another day that was in. Kamada also close with a technically difficult header
 
He predicted a 2-0 win for Leeds. Not unreasonable as they are in the top five, at home and playing a team who have conceded at least two in 10 consecutive games. Luckily, he was wrong
It's different with Sutton - he's always having a pop at us. For whatever reason he doesn't like Palace so I don't like him. Or his one eyed predictions. Or his biased commentary on Old Firm games.
 
You putting an apostrophe in Richards makes it seem like Richard actually owns something so I was politely asking what is it that he owns. It’s not gibberish but a piss take of your appalling grammar.

I accept that my apostrophe was indeed misplaced. I believe it was a typo but thank you for pointing that out. Do you patrol all football forums and critique grammar or is HOL fortunate enough to be the only recipient of your most welcome pronouncements?

I also accept that you were not speaking gibberish. It is clear to me now that you do in fact speak likeatwat. As someone as erudite as you must surely know, people that speak likeatwat typically have little or nothing of interest to say whilst proclaiming a self induced feeling of superiority.
 
Anyway, very pleased we put together a disciplined performance with just 16 touches in our box which is a dramatic improvement on all our other games so far. Need Sarr and Mateta back and firing now.
 
Back to the match. In case no one has done so, I think that Benitez deserves a special mention. He has looked very solid in his last two games and commanded his area well yesterday. He made a very smart save from DCL and his distribution seemed better. I would prefer it if he occasionally caught the ball rather than punched it clear but that seems to be true of most keepers these days.

A run of games seems to have been very good for him. I am now confident that we have a very capable back up for times when Henderson is not available.
 
Well…do you really think Strand Larsson and Pino can lead the line?
I mean, if they are considered viable options then I can also play?

I agree with you. The idea that we can get rid of Sarr and Mateta on some emotional point of principle flies in the face of reality. That reality being that the other players we have for those positions aren't very good.
 
A positive improvement, shame we now have the break... could have gathered some momentum.

Really like the look of Timber, solid and calm.

Khalaili looks promising in attack.

Just need to solidify our back line and establish a goal scorer...
 
I was impressed by the effort put in by Palace yesterday. There was also a more pragmatic approach to defending which meant we did less stupid things with the ball when under pressure.

There were a few excellent performances from Timber, Mitchell, Kamada and Benitez and most played well although JSL still looks clumsy and fails to control even the simplest of balls at times.

A draw was probably a fair result against an in form team but we could have won it and that offside was just a couple of centimetres the wrong way.

In short that game was like chalk and cheese compared to the poor defensive display against Ipswich and it gives me hope to see that the manager can turn things around in the space of a week.
 
Also I don’t think we have many players away in this 3 week break which finally gives Sage a chance to work with the full squad and figure out his best team.

I would go

Henderson
Khalaili
Mitchell
Tomayasu
Disasi/ Richards
Canvot/ Honest
Wharton
Timber
Kamada
Sarr
Mateta
 
Also I don’t think we have many players away in this 3 week break which finally gives Sage a chance to work with the full squad and figure out his best team.

I would go

Henderson
Khalaili
Mitchell
Tomayasu
Disasi/ Richards
Canvot/ Honest
Wharton
Timber
Kamada
Sarr
Mateta
Ageee with this.
It also allows a change of shape during games with Kamada making a 3 in midfield and Sarr and Mateta playing closer together up front.
 
Precisely what I was thinking Patrick. Kamada is a bit like the glue in the team and not a peripheral figure like Pino. Pino can come on as a sub for impact. It’s basically playing 5 3 2
 
This is what we have to continue to do. We did it with Andersen when we bought Lacroix who was a few years younger and we paid little more than half of what we sold the Dane for.

When we sold Andersen, a Fulham fan was amazed we'd let him go.

I said he'll do very well for 2 years and then the pace of the game might catch up with him when he turns 30. He was never the fastest and so losing speed will become a big issue.

I noticed he was on the bench yesterday. Maybe that prediction is coming true.
 
That's how I've interpreted his play so far as well. Having said that we benefit from his ball-winning skills and his strength. I think he and Wharton will prove to be a good midfield partnership, especially if Kamada continues in his role between the lines.
Kamada dropping back into midfield a lot yesterday made a big difference. In games up to this point Wharton and Timber have been too far apart, exposed on the break and Wharton has had no space to play. Yesterday Wharton could drop a bit deeper and pass the ball. Kamada has the best positional sense of any of our players and used it very well to find space and plug gaps left by Timber
 
Also I don’t think we have many players away in this 3 week break which finally gives Sage a chance to work with the full squad and figure out his best team.

I would go

Henderson
Khalaili
Mitchell
Tomayasu
Disasi/ Richards
Canvot/ Honest
Wharton
Timber
Kamada
Sarr
Mateta
If JPM does come back in, which seems likely, it'll be interesting to see how his hold up play benefits Timber. He's not used to having a dynamic runner playing off him.
 

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