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So we’ve got Bridcutt and Jansson ready to play today... to go along with Ayling and the rest of the newbies... but will they be ready to play together? I think that’s the biggest question going into Leeds United’s trip to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday afternoon, as Monk’s squad continues to come together before the close of the transfer window on the 31st. We’ll see who he selects for his XI this week... and we’ll post it below as soon as we find out. (Update: lineups are in. Hernandez & Phillips out, Mowatt & Bridcutt in, no Jansson in the 18 just yet. Full lineups below.)
Happy with the new additions & to build on the positives. The keys to us improving: keep working hard and stick together as a team. #MOT
— Garry Monk (@GarryMonk) August 18, 2016
Our Anthony Linley put together today’s match preview, and Johnny Wakefield and Joshua Gilbert detailed the comings and goings of the week, with an article about Botaka and Ayling and another about Jansson and Bridcutt, if you’re looking for some morning reading.
We’ll have live-tweets of the game at @ThruItAllLIVE, and we’ll be updating this gamethread with all the information as it comes in, lineups, predictions, everything... AND our staff and readers will be hanging out in the comments throughout the day. Join us there. Let’s build on Tuesday’s point and secure Monk’s job a little further.
Garry Monk is fighting for his life at Leeds after just four games in charge with Massimo Cellino considering axeing him.
— David Anderson (@MirrorAnderson) August 18, 2016
Sounds like he’s on the hot seat regardless, but three points surely wouldn’t hurt. Please, God. Please not this again. Performance on the pitch needs to keep our Italian watermelon squasher at bay. Let’s go.
WHAT
Sheffield Wednesday vs. Leeds United
EFL Championship Fixture
WHERE
Hillsborough, Sheffield
LUTV, BBC Radio Leeds
WHEN
Saturday, August 20, 2016
4:30am PT / 7:30am ET / 12:30pm BT
WHO
Leeds United's lineup
Green, Ayling, Cooper, Bartley, Taylor, Bridcutt, Vieira, Mowatt, Sacko, Antonsson, Wood
Subs: Silvestri, Coyle, Bamba, Phillips, Hernandez, Roofe, Doukara
Sheffield Wednesday's lineup
Westwood, Pudil, Lees, Hunt, Hutchinson, Bannan, Lee, Abdi, Wallace, Forestieri, Fletcher
Subs: Wildsmith, Jones, Hooper, Palmer, Joao, Buckley, Sasso
ODDS
Leeds 18/5
Draw 5/2
Wednesday 4/5
PREDICTION
Johnny Wakefield: 1-1 Draw. I really want a win here, but if I’m realistic, Wednesday is better than us and they’re at home. Going to take some time for us to begin playing as a unit, so even the draw feels like a hopeful prediction.
Anthony Linley: 1-2 Leeds. Whilst it may descend into a feisty affair I'm sure there will be goals. If Monk fine tunes the Midfield it will be Leeds fans humming a tune on the way home.
Ben Mallis: 2-1 Wednesday. I hope that a Yorkshire derby will be the stimulus Monk needs to get this squad plying winning football, but I cannot see it just yet. Wednesday have been good in spurts this season and I expect they will be too much for United today. Hope I'm wrong...
Sean Ryan: 1-2 Leeds. I'm going against the grain of my less than hopeful fellow writers and saying we finally beat Wednesday at the beginning of a season. We need a win more than an Irishman needs a Guinness and the signing of Bridcutt finally brings a bit of steel to the side. Antonsson to net the first goal for me.
Jack Dudley: 2-1 Wednesday. I think the money Wednesday have spent recently on players and firepower will be too much for our brand new defence. I can see Hernàndez and Bridcutt working well in the midfield today, but they will need time to settle. Monk needs to start picking a consistent XI, but of course needs to figure the best one first, and I think today's game will finally settle that. Another loss today for me, let's hope the axe man doesn't start swinging and actually lets us start building towards what we can be under Monk.
And here’s how you’re feeling about Leeds at Sheffield:
POLL: 12:30pm start for @swfc vs. @lufc. What's going to happen, #lufc twitter? How we feeling?
— Through It All LEEDS (@ThruItAllLUFC) August 20, 2016
WIN PLEASE. #MOT