Leeds are falling apart again
On the latest episode of Liquid Football, host Kelly Cates is joined by our regular guest, former Chelsea, Fulham and Reading midfielder Steve Sidwell and for the first time, ex-West Ham, Aston Villa and Wales centre-half James Collins.
The first topic of discussion is the football affected over the weekend by Storm Ciara – which resulted in Manchester City vs West Ham being postponed as a result of the winds and rain battering the country.
The panel recall matches they themselves have had postponed, often as close as five minutes prior to kick-off, before Collins remembers a game that he very much wishes had been called off.
It’s a story of two many red wines with family, a hastily arranged behind closed doors match, and one teammate who just had to get some minutes.
The trio also remark on Jordan Pickford’s claims that England internationals receive an unfair amount of criticism, as well laughing at his Everton teammate Djibril Sidibé’s forgotten sock during the Toffees’ 3-1 win over Crystal Palace at the weekend.
With four defeats in their last five Championship games, Sidwell and Collins question what is actually going wrong at Leeds United – who look set to collapse from the Championship’s automatic promotion places for the second season in a row.
Is it fatigue? Is it stubbornness from manager Marcelo Bielsa? Sidwell recalls Villa losing a huge lead in third place in the Premier League a number of years ago to give an insight into how a team feels when they can sense the momentum shifting around them.
And after Vissel Kobe and Kashima Antlers missed nine penalties between them in the Japanese Super Cup, the panel discuss what exactly it is about penalties that some players find so difficult.
