Leeds United - Opposition Views

[CHOULO19 24,332]

hedgehoguk, Leeds all the way, Spudface, Metalman, dunny_lufc and Carlos Fandango from Leeds United Fan Club as well as NottinghamWhite, Simamu, 18longleeds, sheepy and Pecky10 from LUFCTalk have all kindly agreed to answer a few short questions ahead of our match against Leeds on Wednesday. Here is some of what they had to say:

- Firstly, how long have you been a Leeds fan?

hedgehoguk- All my life! Though first game and so the first time I really followed it was 1990.

Metalman- Since the late 60's

dunny_lufc- my dad almost missed my birth for a leeds game, then my first game was at 3 so all my life basically!!

spudface- 34 years

Simamu- 10 years (I'm 15)

- What have you made of your season so far? And where do you think you can improve?

18longleeds- solid start and to be honest the way the summer was , it has been better than i expected and hopefully it is a platform to build on with some good additions in January.

Pecky10- I actually am quite happy with where we are at; I think there's a danger of teams at the top being targets for lower teams "they're top, let's do them" and we get enough of that motivation for just being Leeds so I'll be more than happy with loitering outside the play-offs and a charge from April. We will be this season's Reading. We're a bit dodgy at the back in places though

NottinghamWhite- Bates won't spend money and hopefully GFH will spend in the January window. We have a great manager for this division and given the funds will get us promoted.

dunny_lufc- hit and miss. at times we have been world beaters and at others looked like relegation fodder!! i think an improvement would be to add some more depth to the squad - not just numbers but real first team contenders.

Leeds all the way- Dissapointing on balance. Think Warnock has made some costly mistakes. Midfield is mediocre, needs sorting in Jan. We also need to get Peltier away from left-back and captaincy.

- How do you rate your chances of making the playoffs this season?

Pecky10- Good but this division doesn't have a stand-out team this season and there's plenty of average clubs capable of taking points off one another so if anyone can put a run together they can get play-offs or higher. We can definitely do that.

Sheepy- It's do-able, after all, anything is possible when its only December. Just look at Reading last season.

Carlos Fandango- Making the playoffs is within reach, automatic promotion is doubtful. Promotion via the playoffs? I'm not putting any money on it, though that might change after the January transfer window.

dunny_lufc- if we keep our current form going till after new year we will be in with a real chance.

hedgehoguk- If were in touch come January then I think we will make them.

- Who has been your best player so far this season and who should we look out for?

Leeds all the way- Young starlet Sam Byram. Despite playing most games at right-back, he is a dangerous player and is forming a strong partnership with right-midfielder Paul Green, also connects very well with El-Hadji Diouf. Diouf and Ross McCormack, depending on whoever plays, are both good players with unique attributes. Expect Thomas to threaten with his pace and Becchio can always score goals.

Metalman- Have been impressed by Sam Byram so far. One for you to be aware of? Luke Varney!

NottinghamWhite- Sam Byram, a youngster that has the makings of a great player

Simamu- ? El-Hadji Diouf has been our best player but Sam Byram has been our breakthrough player from the academy. Our best mifielder, Rodolph Austin, is injured (lucky for you).

18longleeds- as above i would say Diouf is up there but Byram for a young lad as come in at the deep end and been immense has to be one of the first names on the team sheet. (go away Abromovich)

- Do you still consider Chelsea as rivals despite playing in a different division?

Sheepy- Historically yes, but since we are not in the same division you are off the radar really.

Pecky10- I'm not one of those fans that hate a number of clubs, I really couldn't give a toss what other Yorkshire sides are doing and only regard Scum as proper rivals so in all honesty, I want to beat you guys no more than any other team (apart from Scum).

NottinghamWhite- Yes hate Chelsea, went to both the FA Cup Final and replay in 1970 and have never liked you since. Your 2nd in the teams I hate but still some way to go to overtake Scum, man utd to you

Carlos fandango- No, it's about time that the press stopped dragging up the 70s nonsense.

Metalman- Chelsea have not been rivals for years. Though there is still a lot of historic anti-Chelsea feelings at ER which will be evident on Wednesday night.

- Chelsea are likely to be tired and jet lag on Wednesday from their trip to Japan do you think you can take advantage of that?

hedgehogik- If there ever was a perfect time to play you, now is it.

Leeds all the way- Hope so, we need something to go our way. I think Benitez has too much to prove to take this game lightly.

dunny_lufc- you would hope so. I always think that championship teams have the advantage over premier league teams when it comes to fitness and work rate for the simple reason that we play more games! for example the league 1 team (leeds) that beat man u in 2010 out worked them in every position and ended up playing something like 50 games that season in total.

NottinghamWhite- Your team of over paid super stars will not know what has hit them when they go on the pitch. Our crowd will be our 12th man

Sheepy- No, we are talking about professional footballers. When I was a young un I would play 7 nights a week and never feel tired.

- If you could have one Chelsea player at Leeds, who would it be and why?

Pecky10- Torres. We need another striker who can do more than score from the six-yard box which is Becchio's strength. The days of players like Lineker getting 20-30 goals a season from less than 12.01 yards are long gone; we need a player with movement, pace and football intelligence to play alongside the likes of McCormack and Diouf and he'd do nicely.

Sheepy- Lampard - he would bring us experience and international quality. Perfect for us, perfect for him I reckon.

Simamu- Ramires.

dunny_lufc- not a player but the phsio. an actual player though, i would have to say juan mata, he is world class!! the type of play maker every team needs and he can finish too, whats not to like?

hedgehoguk- Hazard - has the flair we lack, looks immense and can win games on his own

- What lineup and formation is Warnock likely to put out on Wednesday? Will he rest players or start his strongest XI?

Metalman- I hope he plays a strong team. To put one over on Chelsea sould give us the confidence for that play-off push. Mind you, when we knocked ManU out of the FA cup the other year, our league foorm suffered. Wierd things, footballers...

Carlos fandango- Colin wants a trip to Wembley and some silverware so it'll be the best team available and 442

NottinghamWhite-

Kenny

Byram Lees Pearce Drury

Green Norris Brown White

Diouf McCormack

He won't rest players will see this competition as something the team can progress in

18longleeds-

Ashdown

Drury Lees Pearce Byram

Thomas Norris Tonge Varney

Diouf Mcormack

rest Becchio and Kenny and possibly Peltier

Pecky10- He says he'll rest some players; I'd feel sorry for Ashdown if he didn't play as he's played all the other cup games (keeper) and I live in hope he might think Peltier might need a night off. Tate is cup-tied so Pearce will be back in with Lees. I don't see massive changes but he might start with Diouf and Macca leaving Becchio on the bench (for reasons previously outlined)

- Finally, please predict the scoreline.

Sheepy- 1-2 defeat.

18longleeds- narrow 1-2 loss although after seeing them today chance of an upset has been made more realistic.

Simamu- 2-1 Leeds

Carlos fandango- I'll go for a draw as you're knackered and a battering at your place in the replay.

Metalman- 2-1 Leeds. A battling performance and a semi final against the mighty Bradford.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Leeds Scum.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Leeds Scum.

Behave. These people welcomed me on their forum and took the time and effort to help me and our forum with this. The least you can do is not insult them.

[Spike 12,049]

They barely even care about Chelsea.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Behave. These people welcomed me on their forum and took the time and effort to help me and our forum with this. The least you can do is not insult them.

It's banter. Trust me, they've heard worse.

[Pecky10-LUFCTALK 0]

Really glad I gave up my time (and a load of others have too) to respond to a Chelsea fan coming onto our forum, supposedly in peace.... thanks for the reciprocated warm welcome guys!!

You're right, I don't care about Chelsea (unless you're playing scum and then you have my full support) but at LUFCTALK we have a number of opposition fans coming onto our forum seeking advice on places to get a beer, share banter etc whether we 'care' about them or not. One poster from a Reading forum still pops by on occasion to discuss general footy matters etc.

Our forum is not full of scum; we enjoy healthy banter among ourselves and others so if you can't reciprocate then maybe you would have been better approaching WACCOE; I'm sure you would have got lots of really sensible and intelligent views from the folk on there

[Spike 12,049]

Really glad I gave up my time (and a load of others have too) to respond to a Chelsea fan coming onto our forum, supposedly in peace.... thanks for the reciprocated warm welcome guys!!

You're right, I don't care about Chelsea (unless you're playing scum and then you have my full support) but at LUFCTALK we have a number of opposition fans coming onto our forum seeking advice on places to get a beer, share banter etc whether we 'care' about them or not. One poster from a Reading forum still pops by on occasion to discuss general footy matters etc.

Our forum is not full of scum; we enjoy healthy banter among ourselves and others so if you can't reciprocate then maybe you would have been better approaching WACCOE; I'm sure you would have got lots of really sensible and intelligent views from the folk on there

I'll give an opposition view if you want one.

[Sheepy 0]

Leeds Scum.

Hey, I think you'll find its 'Dirty' Leeds Scum

I'm also from LUFCTALK, any views from opposition fans are always welcomed on our forum and I think its good that Choulo takes the time to put this all together and contribute to the build up of the match.

[Fulham Broadway 16,386]

@pecky -yes you can have Torres, 50p but we can negotiate

[zolayes 14,489]

I get confused when say Scum and mean Manure ...Scum will always be Scumpool ,

this is a MUST win game

[Jase 43,479]

Carlos fandango- I'll go for a draw as you're knackered and a battering at your place in the replay.

Errr, does he know the League Cup tie rules or did he even watch the Bradford v Arsenal tie last week? There are no replays in League Cup ties, only in FA Cup!

[peters63 1]

Thanks Choulo for the initiative and you started off a good thread in our forum, so double thanks . Lets hope for an entertaining game on Wednesday. We usually play above ourselves when the big teams visit but I fear that Chelsea may be a bridge too far .

peters63

Moderator from leedsunitedfanclub.com

[Rambo 1,729]

Wait, they want Torres? Is Leeds United in that bad of shape?

[Strike 6,958]

I'd give them Torres and gift-wrap Malouda as well.

Not looking forward to this. we are knackered at the moment and i think the likes of Marin, Oscar etc who'll start on Wednesday will have Zero idea of a tumultuous cup-tie. Hope the senior players step up and be counted after that poor performance in Japan