Spygate

[dylanisabaddog 4,858]

When the Spygate scandal broke in the media we were level with Leeds. We are now 8 points clear.  Sheffield United were 5 points behind but are now 5 points ahead. That's quite a big turnaround. 

Did the fact that they got caught cheating have an adverse effect on them? It certainly can't have done them any favours. A horrible grubby club and I hope they get shown up for what they are in the play offs. I've never felt sorry for Ipswich fans before but I really wouldn't fancy being at Portman Road on Sunday. 

 

[Icecream Snow 761]

After the Derby game they had 54 points from 27 games (avg 2.00 per game)

They picked up 28 from their next 15 games (avg 1.86 per game)

Then they imploded, losing to Wigan , Brentford and drawing with Villa. I'd say that was the biggest factor, a lack of fitness playing a high-energy game all season, and teams playing defensively to counter them.

[Drazen Muzinic 1,444]

18 minutes ago, Icecream Snow said:

After the Derby game they had 54 points from 27 games (avg 2.00 per game)

They picked up 28 from their next 15 games (avg 1.86 per game)

Then they imploded, losing to Wigan , Brentford and drawing with Villa. I'd say that was the biggest factor, a lack of fitness playing a high-energy game all season, and teams playing defensively to counter them.

And also that they are biologically predisposed to be arrogant, bottling scumbags.

[crispeduk 282]

And the question remains: if it didn’t matter, why did they do it? It’s hard for supporters of the other clubs fighting for a play-off spot when they consider what might have been – and that piddling fine can only tempt other chancers to give it a go in the future despite any rule changes.

[Just Dan 10]

I was thinking about this the other day. The only way that Leeds could prove that the info they got from spying didn't have an effect on the outcome of games would have been for them to go on and win the league.  For them to implode as they have surely suggests that their antics in the bushes have them an unfair advantage. 

Won't be disappointed to see them carry on the Leeds soap opera in the Championship for a few more seasons. 

[All the Germans 1,075]

4 hours ago, dylanisabaddog said:

Did the fact that they got caught cheating

Controversial but I don't think it's cheating. Don't get me wrong, I hate Leeds as much as the next man but I don't really see a problem with it and I'm certain most teams do something similar, if not quite as obvious. When you have a sport worth this much, even a 0.5% increase in performance, is worth it.

[CanaryChris 146]

Don't think so. Leeds have a long and unhappy marriage with April fixtures. This is what has done them.

[city4eva 207]

8 hours ago, CanaryChris said:

Don't think so. Leeds have a long and unhappy marriage with April fixtures. This is what has done them.

not just the april fixtures though this year, they have lost 9 of the last 21 matches since spygate, they only lost three of the previous 24

[lake district canary 4,531]

It's a strange one.   There are many things that go towards a successful season and momentum and posititivity are key to it - and the spygate thing was a negative thing that happened - and yes, it could have had a negative impact on the club at just the time when they needed to push on. 

 

[splendidrush 699]

There were some people saying that this is a nothing story that they hadn't broken any rules. 

I disagree, strongly.....

[Drazen Muzinic 1,444]

9 hours ago, CanaryChris said:

Don't think so. Leeds have a long and unhappy marriage with April fixtures. This is what has done them.

Strange girl, that April Fixtures, I'm sure she went to my school.

Edited April 30, 2019 by Drazen Muzinic

[daly 500]

When their is the money at stake in todays football, players, managers and the BOD will cheat in some form or other. Diving, getting in the ref's face for every decision he makes if it goes against them. Best of all the number of times players try to get fellow professionals sent off. EVERY club does it

[Crabbycanary3 994]

26 minutes ago, Drazen Muzinic said:

Strange girl, that April Fixtures, I'm sure she went to my school.

Was she the girl that, just before you were going for your big finish expecting to be on top, messed with your head, and you flopped?

[Woodman 92]

I think they crumbled under the pressure of expectation - many thought it was done and dusted in September.  Meanwhile in March and April Sheff U went on that incredible run of not conceding goals and we won 8 on the spin.  Then the doubts set in and they were left playing catch up.  The home defeats to us and the Blades must have dented their confidence as well.

Roofe's injury can't have helped either - we saw with Buendia out how it can affect a team - though we remained unbeaten, we had a minor wobble.

[Drazen Muzinic 1,444]

1 hour ago, Crabbycanary3 said:

Was she the girl that, just before you were going for your big finish expecting to be on top, messed with your head, and you flopped?

One of many...

[cornish sam 942]

I think spygate had a temporary impact, but their main issue is that both Leeds and bielsa have a reputation for tailing off as the season goes on, add them together and it almost felt inevitable.

[East Rider 548]

On 30/04/2019 at 09:38, splendidrush said:

There were some people saying that this is a nothing story that they hadn't broken any rules. 

I disagree, strongly.....

Spot on. There were many people providing excuses and mitigating it, trying to write it off as a nothing event. They are wrong in my opinion.

The facts speak for themselves!

The rest is conjecture.

 

[Rich T The Biscuit 562]

Totally agree, it may not have been ‘against the rules’ but they got a clear advantage from it.

If you know the starting 11, the free kick routines, the corner routines etc etc before you play, guess what you can allow for it and plan your strategy around it.

Its like sitting an exam and being the only one to know the questions beforehand.

I’m pleased they imploded and with the Bamford thing at the weekend, just shows how desperate they are as a club, cheat no matter what.

I also didn’t buy in to Bielsa being a top guy for letting Villa score, didn’t have any choice really did he as not doing it would have added even more to his woes as a manager.

[Bill 1,788]

I'm not sure how much could be gained by this spying malarky.

If teams have some training ground routine then you can spot that the first time it is used - most never come off any way.

Certainly teams set out to ptptect and suggested weak spots and exploit those of the opposition, but this 'formation ' guff is guff. Watch the game and you will see it is where the ball is and the opposition are at any particular moment rather than some ludicrous notion that they players are in some fixed position like battleships - hence Klose being down the left side to cross to Lewis who was in the Chelsea box to score.

Be aware of the opposition but have a mind set that you will dominate them... come what may. That's how games are won.

[PurpleCanary 5,554]

20 minutes ago, Rich T The Biscuit said:

Totally agree, it may not have been ‘against the rules’ but they got a clear advantage from it.

If you know the starting 11, the free kick routines, the corner routines etc etc before you play, guess what you can allow for it and plan your strategy around it.

Its like sitting an exam and being the only one to know the questions beforehand.

I’m pleased they imploded and with the Bamford thing at the weekend, just shows how desperate they are as a club, cheat no matter what.

I also didn’t buy in to Bielsa being a top guy for letting Villa score, didn’t have any choice really did he as not doing it would have added even more to his woes as a manager.

There is an argument about how much advantage, and the specific areas of the game. But the simple truth is that Leeds would not have spent considerable time and money - apparently they had someone watching the training sessions of every club they played until Spygate broke - if they hadn't believed it was of significant benefit to them.

With all the stats available and with video of their opponents playing and all the other aids, they still wanted to watch how they trained.

[Bill 1,788]

On 30/04/2019 at 10:45, Drazen Muzinic said:

Strange girl, that April Fixtures, I'm sure she went to my school.

Went out with a girl called May Blossom once

Didn't last long

[Woodman 92]

Yes, Spygate affected them, but they were still there or thereabouts for the majority of the season.  Their 2 defeats over Easter have ultimately sealed their fate.  Unlike us and Sheffield, they haven't been able to grind out enough results in the run in and crumbled under the pressure we and Sheffield have put them under.

They have some individual players - Roofe, Hernandez, Klich, Harrison, Phillips, and I watched them totally outplay West Brom and Derby and dare I say us at Carrow Road, but it's all unravelled for them at the wrong time of the season.

[Rich T The Biscuit 562]

3 hours ago, PurpleCanary said:

There is an argument about how much advantage, and the specific areas of the game. But the simple truth is that Leeds would not have spent considerable time and money - apparently they had someone watching the training sessions of every club they played until Spygate broke - if they hadn't believed it was of significant benefit to them.

With all the stats available and with video of their opponents playing and all the other aids, they still wanted to watch how they trained.

Stats don’t tell you who’s not trained, how the opposition is setting up to play Leeds, whether they have specific corner routines etc, so yes definitely a benefit for them and that to have given them an advantage over some opponents.

Lose that insight, each game is the then played on its merits and neither team has an advantage