On the way back from the game and I can’t help but think most of the criticism is based on pre conceived ideas rather than looking at the game for what actually happened.
We started well and on the front foot but then once Leeds got in to a bit of a rhythm struggled to get out mainly down to poor decisions from the front 3 and the 2 in midfield unable to pick a pass.
It’s the squads inability to be calm and make better decisions under pressure that costs us rather than anything tactically. Bruno was fuming most of the game with the players management of it.
While Leeds dominated in the second half we still had chances to finish them off with good play but failed to take the chances, whether that was Raul, Ait-Nouri, Podence or Hwang. Fatigue killed us in the end as up until RAN went off we never really looked like conceding apart from when Coady played an awful clip in to midfield and Sa made a great save. The defending was resolute and it did look like we had done enough until Semedo had a brain fade.
The football isn’t as good as it was in the first 3 games but don’t think it’s as easy as saying it’s now shit and there isn’t a plan. We know there’s weaknesses in the squad and we know they struggle to control the ball and win games so a mix is needed. We get the mix at the moment and it is a case of digging in at times but we’re picking up points. Bruno still needs to work with this squad and it 100% needs adding to but doesn’t seem like a few fans are really prepared to give him that because of what comes across as pining for Nuno and the good times.
Again it wasn’t great today and yes Leeds were without couple of players but they are a hard team to play against if you struggle to play through a press and we do and without new players we’re not really going to be able to do that as the lads we have at the moment can’t do it often enough although Ait-Nouri did help a little until cramp got him.
Sa, Ait-Nouri, Saiss, Kilman were all good today(Semedo too until just before the penalty). Most of the others worked hard but weren’t good enough on the ball. Donk always in the right place but never picked the right pass and gave it away too often and the front 3 just didn’t hold it enough and constantly make the wrong decisions when in the final third.
We’re a work in progress still and i personally think the whole well why did we sack Nuno if this is the style needs to be dropped but people are obviously entitled to their view. Biggest thing for me is that Bruno definitely doesn’t want to play deep and sit in but at times this squad has to and battle which we still do. Give him time and patience to hopefully bed more players and returning players in and transition to a more forward thinking approach. If we can’t then still play a more forward thinking game then we can question it but i do think most fans who were patient with Nuno and rightly so are keen to
criticise Bruno too quick.