2025/26 David Moyes

Not sure he’s sending the right message to some of these players. Rohl comfortably has his best game against Villa and is dropped a week later for a 36 year old who’s just played 7 games in a month. Aznou doesn’t get a kick all year comes on against Sunderland gets the crowd involved and changes the game and hasn’t been seen since. Perfect opportunity to bring him on as a wing back last night but apparently he’s not physical enough🙄. Diblings confidence completely on the floor to be fair I think mine would be if I couldn’t get a game over McNeil. He’s making some baffling decisions this season is Moyes
 
Amokachi1995 said:
Got the plaudits for the Villa game, needs to take the criticism for that first half. There were no surprises from Leeds we were just ill prepared. Tactics and tempo both off.
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leeds/Farke called his bluff. 3 at the back with two wing backs made space difficult to find. When they were in possession a CB would step up from defence into midfield and the wingback (bogle) would be on the move. We couldn't cope with this as their pattern of play was to overlap vs Myko. How was this calling Moyes bluff? We couldn't get the ball through to Barry often enough to isolate vs 1 CB, he got a couple of half chances but we couldn't do regular enough. They defended from the front, and looked to press as quick as they could, it meant the defender stepping out of defence releasing bogle just slotted back into shape when we had possession. We don't have enough guile to break a side sitting deep with a layer of protection in midfield, down. The space leeds left behind the wingbacks needed attacking and dragging a CB across to cover - meaning space in the box for a cross to be aimed at one of ours. We didn't get hold of that idea till late, and we don't have anything at LB or RB to support a winger looking for that play. Also McNeil isn't quick enough to expose a wingback or a covering CB.
Moyes set up to impose our game on them, that didn't work, they were sharper and hungrier and got on the front foot.
So he matched them up at HT and we got back into the game from there, but were fighting uphill because we were already a goal down.

(I called the changing a winning side shout in the match thread btw)

We got D-Hall back and Branthwaite. Gana and Illy back to. Shame Grealish is out. We got a lesson last night out of Cal-Lewin about the lone striker and working his socks off. Granted he should have scored, but we know all about that.

We should be this, that and the other, should be beating these, those and them. etc. Our quality is wafer thin, and we're closer to an average side than we are to a quality one. We still have the remnants of benitez signings in the starting eleven. It's no coincidence the better Moyes sides with us were built on Coleman and Baines in the fullback slots. Until we have a fully functioning starting eleven all fit we can all gnash our teeth and demand sackings and complain about poor games. What next, another survival expert to keep us just about alive in the PL?

First half was bad last night, it got changed and we were better and earned a point. It aint perfect but I'm glad it wasn't a loss. DCL scores and we were finished yesterday, no doubt!
 
Bluepablo said:
Can’t agree his in game management was good. We were lucky to still be in the game at halftime when he changed it. It was clear after 15 minutes that the set up was all wrong & he waited a further 30 minutes to change it. He could have gone 3 at the back with Myko & brought on Aznou for McNeil or Patterson after 15 20 minutes. He got lucky that DCL still can’t finish.

Wish I could say I’m surprised he doesn’t have some of these options in mind ahead of a game in case he needs to change it, but sadly I am not.
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Playing devils advocate here. You would be hard pressed to find any manager willing to change things so drastically after 15 minutes. Bringing on 2 players and changing the whole system, 15 minutes into a game. It would be interesting to see but it would be also interesting to see how many times in the history of football it has happened. Bit harsh to put that on Moyes for not doing it.

There may have been positional/mentality tweaks during the first half but they did not work and the players were also to a man very poor, even O'Brien looked all over the place. Regardless of tactics, some of the movement and passing was atrocious and Leeds seized upon that.

2nd half was not just a tactical change but the players seemed to want the ball more, were passing it better, moving better to give the ball carrier options. They are things that both the players and manager take responsibility for.

We were lucky that it was not at least 2, but then they were lucky we did not win the game.
 
Hinchcliffe's Corner said:
Second half showed there's flair players with the ability to press teams, I wish he'd be more interested in actually starting a match this way.
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It's a strange one this. We don't seem to be able to stitch two consecutive halves together often. I regularly joke about HT nightnurse/ovaltine/heroin being our undoing. Last night we didn't start slow, we didn't start at all. System change at HT and we showed a lot more urgency. I wonder if this is why he wanted McGinn, or similar, a little battler in the middle to set the tempo and drag energy levels up out of those around him. It's not a new phenomenon. It's about character and application. Sometimes we seem a bit soft.
 
wandyr79 said:
Playing devils advocate here. You would be hard pressed to find any manager willing to change things so drastically after 15 minutes. Bringing on 2 players and changing the whole system, 15 minutes into a game. It would be interesting to see but it would be also interesting to see how many times in the history of football it has happened. Bit harsh to put that on Moyes for not doing it.

There may have been positional/mentality tweaks during the first half but they did not work and the players were also to a man very poor, even O'Brien looked all over the place. Regardless of tactics, some of the movement and passing was atrocious and Leeds seized upon that.

2nd half was not just a tactical change but the players seemed to want the ball more, were passing it better, moving better to give the ball carrier options. They are things that both the players and manager take responsibility for.

We were lucky that it was not at least 2, but then they were lucky we did not win the game.
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I agree, and not drastically, but at least a bit, no? He just sat on his hands praying we don't concede again until HT and it sort of worked out by chance. No proactivity, nothing, just watching, arms crossed. That and the fact he changed the team for literally no reason to fit a 37 year old is why he's at fault for this and we were lucky to draw.

Mind boggling how we never start adequately or prepared against what others might do, yet everyone is prepared for what we'll do, almost as if we're predictable. Hmm
 
DualityNSNO said:
I agree, and not drastically, but at least a bit, no? He just sat on his hands praying we don't concede again until HT and it sort of worked out by chance. No proactivity, nothing, just watching, arms crossed. That and the fact he changed the team for literally no reason to fit a 37 year old is why he's at fault for this and we were lucky to draw.

Mind boggling how we never start adequately or prepared against what others might do, yet everyone is prepared for what we'll do, almost as if we're predictable. Hmm
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Well, to be fair that 37 year old was superb in the 2nd half. So, maybe not the worst decision to put him straight back in. The whole team were off in the first half. Only Pickford seemed like he did not have a hangover from a 3 day bender.

I joked, in the first half, that Moyes should get them all off the pitch.
 
wandyr79 said:
Well, to be fair that 37 year old was superb in the 2nd half. So, maybe not the worst decision to put him straight back in. The whole team were off in the first half. Only Pickford seemed like he did not have a hangover from a 3 day bender.

I joked, in the first half, that Moyes should get them all off the pitch.
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He was superb in the 2nd half but we were lucky to get out of the 1st half with a chance, due to him having no idea what he's doing in midfield and looking rusty. Credit to him for turning it around, I guess, but maybe he should've been subbed in - for Ndiaye we had no chance due to injuries and Moyes hating younger players, but I think Gueye was the wrong choice, as we changed a winning combination for nothing and tried to play the same way anyway.
 

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