[Albion] Deluded Leeds (an EFL club) fans

[The Fifth Column]

Unbelievable that someone could be so delusional to spend over an hour or so writing that prediction for Leeds next season. It will be fun reposting that each time they fail.

 

[Gwylan]

That’s crossing over from delusion to bordering mental illness.

Hysterical reading though, great find.

Delusional isn't the word. What's this about Arsenal wanting to make amends for the FA Cup? Arsenal won ... this guy is truly away with the fairies.

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

Delusional isn't the word. What's this about Arsenal wanting to make amends for the FA Cup? Arsenal won ... this guy is truly away with the fairies.

The bloke is a Leeds fan, he's referring to making amends for the 3rd round tie between Arsenal and Leeds that Arsenal won, and of course you can't beat Leeds as thats just not cricket.

 

[Gwylan]

The bloke is a Leeds fan, he's referring to making amends for the 3rd round tie between Arsenal and Leeds that Arsenal won, and of course you can't beat Leeds as thats just not cricket.

You're right. I misread it as "Arsenal will want to make amends ..."

It's still totally barking - Leeds are going to get 6 points from Liverpool and City..... riiiiighht

 

[Braggfan]

That guy thinks over the season Leeds will get 3 points off of Man City, Liverpool, Man Utd, Chelsea, Leicester and Arsenal. With Patrick Bamford up front? He really thinks that they will beat all of those teams with Patrick Bamford up front. I had to repeat that sentence then because I couldn’t quite believe somebody really thinks that.

 

[Wozza]

Delusion of all Delusion, long read but worth it.

Where is this from please?

 

[Medwayseagull]

It would be good to maintain a points tracker for them based on that specific delusional forecast.

 

[Shuggie]

Delusion of all Delusion, long read but worth it.


Completely agree with this tbh. I've maintained supreme faith in this team throughout Bielsa's magnificent tenure and should the great man stay on, I can only see us achieving either a top 10 (with the same squad) or even top 6 (with smart reinforcements) finish. Admittedly this is something of a bold statement, but I base it primarily on two key factors, namely us and the rest:

Leeds United: as @BigYouth quite rightly states above, we "have one of the utmost best coaches in world football" and for me this pervades everything that we do—the professionalism, the discipline, the concentration, the effort, the invention, the ambition, the expectation, the sheer intensity, the wider education programme, and the immutable sense that everything that we do is designed for the greater good of the team to allow it to play fast, controlled, high-risk, effective, attacking football. No other team plays or moves like us imho.

It remains absolutely fascinating to watch, even in tense, important matches, and I feel I've seen enough tawdry Premier League fixtures this season, particularly post-lockdown, to form a reasonably strongly held opinion that we are unique in the almost fly-by-wire rotational movements we continue to perform. If you are still in any doubt, I'd encourage you to watch all the videos from this fabulously in-depth piece of analysis courtesy of Riccardo Marchioli and marvel at the sheer complexity and variety of just how well we play. I think it's far too often overlooked (particularly in defeat), yet all these riches are taken from a small snapshot of our season—the last 5 games—a time when we were arguably under the greatest pressure.

The rest: you know how on Match of the Day when they seem to marvel at a couple of pieces of fancy skill or a burst of energy that a Premier League player happens to perform a couple of times in any given match (which imho should be the bare minimum for the sheer amount of cashola they're getting paid), well that's because it's deemed to be increasingly unusual. By comparison, imagine them licking their lips over some of the frequently executed examples above—they'd probably have to create an additional show! Of course, there are some hugely talented players in The Premier League, I'd be naïve to suggest otherwise, but there are very few hugely talented managers. Over-entitled players largely hold sway in most areas of the game, are disconnected (now literally too) from the fanbase, enjoy massive rewards for abject mediocrity and face precious little jeopardy for failure—it instead always falling at the feet of some poor unsuspecting sucker they've long-since decided to jettison or ignore.

For me, this is why The Premier League always flatters to deceive as "The Best League in the World"™ when in reality it's just the richest / greediest / most-watched league in the world. Furthermore, as I've suggested before, I believe the it's actually reached the downward part of a curve where ever-increasing spend is actually no longer guaranteeing improved talent and effort nor commensurate returns, as evidenced by the sheer amount of money being spunked on some absolute dross in that division right now. I believe this leaves things far more up for grabs and could make for an exciting and in my mind successful season for Leeds United. Moreover, it's why our collective bond and belief between manager and players are just so vital and should rightly be the envy of many.
For what it's worth, I think we're perfectly capable of getting between 60 and 70 points next season, even with the same squad. "Utter madness", I hear you cry. Nah, not really. More a dispassionate if positive reflection of just how we play and others' relative capabilities. Here I've broken down my thoughts on our chances against each of our upcoming opponents for you in their respective finishing order. Hopefully it's an enjoyable read, if deemed suitably outrageous by the more blinkered, less optimistic minds. Hell, football's all about opinions, as they continually bleat on MOTD as yet another VAR shambles ensues!

Bin-dippers: No doubt an intriguing game as the respective champions meet. The teams the Scousers have lost to this season have tended to be more expansively attacking, while some mid-range opponents have deserved more than they got. I think we'd potentially catch them by surprise in at least one of the two fixtures and that their advanced wingbacks could struggle to cope with our width, movement and fast counters – 3 points

City: Arguably the most similarly organised team to ourselves, if Red-Scouse might prove intriguing, this would truly be fascinating, and City really don't like playing teams that come onto them and play them at their own game. It's worth noting that Wolves did them twice this season and even little old Norwich managed to snatch 3 of their massive 21-point haul off 'em too, bless – 3 points

Scum: While Fernandes has managed to shore up an otherwise pretty unspectacular season and thankfully keep Ole at the wheel, there's nothing really to fear here, especially at the back. We should really be targeting 6 points, but hey, let's not go crazy now – 3 points

Fat Frank: Opposing talent wise, I think this is likely to be one of our trickiest fixtures; managerially, however, there's clearly only one winner. I also think Chelsea managed to successfully prove at the weekend that they really are far less than the sum of their parts and have lost to West Ham (twice FFS!), Newcastle and Bournemouth this year. I expect FF to have a far more difficult, tear-inducing season—hurrah! – 3 points

Leicester: Think 20/21 could prove something of a transitional season for them with Vardy getting on and their midfield potentially being picked off by other clubs. It'll certainly be a challenging fixture, but I'd hope we could get a result in at least one of our games – 3 points

Spurs: Christ, it'll be like a return to "The Park-the-bus Championship"™ facing a tawdry Spurs that Mourinho continues to suck the very life out of, and I can see these games being peak WACCOE meltdown as we create numerous chances, all blocked on the line, only to get picked off by a sucker punch from Song on the break. Am gonna go with a pair of tedious draws – 2 points

Wolves: I think Wolves are the only side that moves the ball with the same sort of purpose, ambition and abandon as ourselves and with more Premier League experience under their belt, arguably more technically gifted players than ourselves and imho one of the best managers in the division bar our own, they may ultimately hold sway. I'd like to hope we could at least grab a hard-fought draw, if not more – 1 point

Arse: I reckon we'll want to go and make amends for the FA Cup disappointment where our partial second string battered them for 45+ minutes, and while they'll no doubt retain some pretty impressive fire-power, they remain a shaky outfit at the back – 3 points

Blunts: "I wonder if Leeds'll manage to do a…" yeah, bore off, pal. The fact that SUFC have proved so successful in the Premier League is less down to their own particular prowess (their top two scorers have just 6 goals each FFS!) and 'innovative' play (coupla players moving out of their designated positions, heaven forbid!) and more a damning indictment as to just how relatively pish The Premier League is right now. Nowt to see here – 4 points

Burnleh: Will Sean Dyche still be there next season? Who knows. If not, I can see them being facing something of a struggle, but they remain a wily old team and are not to be underestimated. Can see these games being somewhat attritional, but eminently winnable – 3 points

Soton: As Ché-Adams-irksome as Ralph Hasenhüttl might be, I reckon he's perhaps one of the most underrated managers in the division, and like Bielsa, believes in hard graft and no mistake. Since the turn they've amassed 31 points, testament to fairly average players putting in good honest effort and equivalent to a 62-point season, which would've put them 5th. Should Ings continue to fire, I can see these being tricky games – 1 point

"Everton": Where do you even begin to start with the blue Scouse? A rather tragic tale of late, I personally would've thought we'd've seen far more progress under Ancelotti by now, but they've been pretty bloody indifferent post-lockdown. You sense they're one of those teams where the players are paid far too much to do far too little, and have the potential to be either absolutely great or utter tosh – 3 points

"Newcastle": Takeover disappointment will likely set them back, and if we can take down a Steve Bruce SWFC, we can certainly take down a Steve Bruce NUFC with its ramshackle bunch of overseas mercenary no-hopers – 6 points

Palarse: Wonder if they'll stick with Roy. I think they've actually been one of the better sides this year under good management and probably deserved a higher finish than they ultimately achieved. Again, I can see 20/21 being a somewhat transitional season, but they're not a team to fear – 3 points

Ben-White-on: While the ongoing summer transfer saga will only serve to generate some kinda lame faux enmity, I don't think they're particularly all that good and see them as being more like a top of The Championship challenge – 4 points

Wet Spam: Will be interesting to see if Antonio stays, but with Moyes at the helm and them being particularly gubb at the back, I think we'll have a field day with that big old soulless athletics stadium pitch – 6 points

Jackless Whingers: let's hope the Alas Smith and John are still at the helm cos if so, we'll run endless bloody rings around them just like we did last year, before charitably gifting them a consolation point – 6 points

Boing-Boing Baggies: Somewhat lucky to make it up in the end and I can't see them having the wherewithal to strengthen too much over the summer resulting in them ultimately boinging back down again – 4 points

West London Village: No matter which of these meaningless minions manages to prevail this evening, we've beaten them both this season and should be looking to do at least as well next term too – 4 points

There ya go. See? Not all that daunting, is it now? OK, so it's a suitably rosy view, but not a ridiculous one imho. The above adds up to 65 points all-told, which would secure you a 5th place finish. And while I expect the league will likely be stronger next season, I still think some BCD and the continual challenges of keeping front-foot motivated without full stadia will continue to play into hands of the better organised teams such as ourselves. As such, and with smart additions, I think we could actually end up doing even more damage than the above points tally might already suggest and perhaps push even higher.



While some will undoubtedly cast a sceptical eye over the above assessment and question some of the allocations (e.g. 3 points vs. City and Scouse but just the 1 vs. Wolves and Soton), I've always maintained that the 'bigger' teams benefit from an inherent, media-peddled, self-fulfilling prophecy of 'smaller' teams turning up to tug their proverbial forelocks, bow down in the face of such supposedly insurmountable inequality, read the "try to keep a clean sheet for as long as possible and maybe hold out for a draw" script they've been summarily tossed, and end up getting pummelled into submission as a result. Bielsa has no truck with any such nonsense and believes any team is absolutely there for the taking on any day of the week. I personally believe this will work in our favour against the so-called "Big Boys" / "Top 4" / "Top 6" / whatever construct of artificial entitlement Sky chooses to manufacture this time out.



So there you have it. My own humble prediction for an eminently achievable top-half-and-more finish. Hey, it's just my opinion after all, but before you start trotting out the lazy, media-influenced, lacking-in-imagination, spoon-fed requirements for "a much more clinical striker to convert the far fewer chances we'll create this season", "far more goals from midfield" or "more strength in depth and a Keith-Andrews-approved bench", just remember that we managed to score 22 goals from the solo centre-forward position this season (let alone our extra proto-OG striker with a further 8 in his own right)*, we created bucketloads of chances against a team from this supposedly mythically talented division back in Jan, our 4 advanced midfield positions have chipped in some 32 goals this year (an average of 8 a piece)*, our wingback positions a further 5 each* (more than both TAA and Andy Robertson), and we've successfully navigated a far more draining and exhausting 46-game season with what pretty much amounts to just 15 core players.



In closing, I'd encourage you all to keep an open mind, to be please patient with this team and with Bielsa himself (he's bloody earned it, after all), and to believe in different (another of Sky's slogans too from recollection) and the art of the possible, because if nothing else, it'll put a big, daft smile on yer face. With a Ben White return or decent CB alternative, I firmly believe that all bodes well for the season ahead and really cannot wait to see us go toe-to-toe with these overblown fancy-dan wankers. They really won't know what the hell's hit 'em. Bring it on! MOT!

"some kinda lame faux enmity"

Seems a bit fishy to me.

A big black and white one renowned for killing other fish perhaps?

Great find though

 

[nwgull]

That guy thinks over the season Leeds will get 3 points off of Man City, Liverpool, Man Utd, Chelsea, Leicester and Arsenal. With Patrick Bamford up front? He really thinks that they will beat all of those teams with Patrick Bamford up front. I had to repeat that sentence then because I couldn’t quite believe somebody really thinks that.

According to his Wiki, Patrick Bamford that has played 19 Premier League games during his loans at Palace, Norwich and Burnley, and scored a total of 0 goals. Those top 6 defences must be shitting their pants.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

"some kinda lame faux enmity"

Seems a bit fishy to me.

A big black and white one renowned for killing other fish perhaps?

Great find though

The thought certainly passed my mind as well. [emoji106]

 

[Icy Gull]

"some kinda lame faux enmity"

Seems a bit fishy to me.

A big black and white one renowned for killing other fish perhaps?

Great find though

Jake Humphries level of delusion and then some. They apparently play like City so let’s all just accept a new club barging their way into the top six In their first season in the PL in sixteen years

 

[Bakero]

"some kinda lame faux enmity"

Seems a bit fishy to me.

A big black and white one renowned for killing other fish perhaps?

Great find though

A big black and white aquatic mammal renowned for killing other mammals, surely

 

[FatSuperman]

It would be good to maintain a points tracker for them based on that specific delusional forecast.

I'll add a 'L33ds' line to the flat-Earth society tracker once the fixtures are out. That will serve as a good target to where a proper big team should be aiming.

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

According to his Wiki, Patrick Bamford that has played 19 Premier League games during his loans at Palace, Norwich and Burnley, and scored a total of 0 goals. Those top 6 defences must be shitting their pants.

Those games were before the genius that is Bielsa started coaching him though. By the end of next season anyone who is English and plays for Leeds will be so good that Gareth Southgate will name them all in his Euro 21 squad and dedicate the victory in the final to the genius that is Bielsa.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

I'm particularly looking forward to the special extra MotD each week which is filled purely with ole-level skills from Leeds players.

 

[LlcoolJ]

I'll add a 'L33ds' line to the flat-Earth society tracker once the fixtures are out. That will serve as a good target to where a proper big team should be aiming.

I was hoping you'd be on board for this FS.

It's going to be fun!

 

[dadams2k11]

Where is this from please?

That was from waccoe.com.

Here is another, our owners have come out and said we have financial worries

 

[seaford]

That is without doubt, the most delusional piece of writing on a team getting promoted, that I have ever read.

Not even the vermin have been THAT stupid.

 

[Bladders]

That was from waccoe.com.

Here is another, our owners have come out and said we have financial worries

View attachment 126821

Bloom giving Leeds false hope whilst also telling selling clubs we won’t be meeting their silly valuations for players we bid for [emoji1]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Killer Whale]

Any murals of Potter in Brighton or Hove? Maybe the place is too upscale and chi chi and it would lower the tone? I am sure you are overflowing with art school grads.

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co...ge-mural-honours-leeds-united-manager-2934045

We are different from you, we are hungrier, we care more...