sensibledave
New Member
Hi People – I am a visiting West Ham fan and wanted to pop in and let you know just how much most football fans are enjoying Leicester’s success. As a West Ham fan I approach every game in “hope” rather than any degree of “expectation”. For every away win at Liverpool, Man City, Arsenal – there is the home loss to Bournemouth – and Leicester (little did we know we had lost to the potential Champions!). The team flatters to deceive and avoiding relegation is always the biggest goal, especially this season with new Stadium next year (BTW – did you know that “The New Stadium” is a perfect anagram of “West Ham United” – spooky eh) - and blow me down, we are going to stay up!
Anyway, in my view, Leicester are resetting the goals of what us “average” clubs can achieve. They are proving that a great “team” can still be better than a bunch of fantastic (expensive) individual players wearing the same shirt. They are showing that winning football games is about scoring goals – not endless tikka- takka possession that doesn’t go anywhere. They are showing that even if everyone knows what a team is capable of, and individual players are renowned for – knowing it, and stopping it, is two different things.
Your recent match against Man City was an absolute delight for us “old schoolers”. The Man City team talk, pre-match, must have featured dealing with Leicester’s corners and set-pieces as well as trying to deal with Leicester’s ability to counter attack so often and so well – and look what happened!
Of course the likes of Man City will create chances and have periods of dominance and pressure in a game – but when teams defend as well as Leicester do, work as hard for each other as Leicester do and have players that understand their roles as well as the Leicester players do – then if Man City don’t score, they are always likely to be heading for trouble.
Watching the pundits discuss Leicester is equally revealing. We all know what a Barcelona or (somewhat less so) Arsenal are capable of. They put out teams made up very fast, often small, very skilful players that have the capability to retain possession and pass it around. All well and good and there is nothing wrong with that – it plays to their team’s strengths.
However, we must not allow the thought that that is the “right” way and every other way is the wrong “way”! A headed goal by a big centre half from a set piece is as valid as 30 pass build up - it’s just different. If the opposition defence cannot deal with the big centre half, then that is a huge flaw in their team. If a defence can’t handle a fast break out (because their “defence” was in the opposition half applying attacking pressure) then that is a faulty defence! At the very extreme, the Chelsea V Barcelona game, when Torres scored on the break, highlights my point.
In summary, most football fans want Leicester to win the league if their team cannot. I read some of the comments and, understandably perhaps, many are still finding it hard to “believe”. Look, the stats show that Leicester will finish in the top four – frankly that is done and dusted. The highest ever 5th place points total was 67 – with the average being sub-65. The idea that Leicester will not get at least 15 points from the next 13 games is silly (OK, it is not impossible – but really, a point a game? That is the form of relegation teams and it will not happen)!
So given that top 4 is done – win the bloody thing!
Anyway, in my view, Leicester are resetting the goals of what us “average” clubs can achieve. They are proving that a great “team” can still be better than a bunch of fantastic (expensive) individual players wearing the same shirt. They are showing that winning football games is about scoring goals – not endless tikka- takka possession that doesn’t go anywhere. They are showing that even if everyone knows what a team is capable of, and individual players are renowned for – knowing it, and stopping it, is two different things.
Your recent match against Man City was an absolute delight for us “old schoolers”. The Man City team talk, pre-match, must have featured dealing with Leicester’s corners and set-pieces as well as trying to deal with Leicester’s ability to counter attack so often and so well – and look what happened!
Of course the likes of Man City will create chances and have periods of dominance and pressure in a game – but when teams defend as well as Leicester do, work as hard for each other as Leicester do and have players that understand their roles as well as the Leicester players do – then if Man City don’t score, they are always likely to be heading for trouble.
Watching the pundits discuss Leicester is equally revealing. We all know what a Barcelona or (somewhat less so) Arsenal are capable of. They put out teams made up very fast, often small, very skilful players that have the capability to retain possession and pass it around. All well and good and there is nothing wrong with that – it plays to their team’s strengths.
However, we must not allow the thought that that is the “right” way and every other way is the wrong “way”! A headed goal by a big centre half from a set piece is as valid as 30 pass build up - it’s just different. If the opposition defence cannot deal with the big centre half, then that is a huge flaw in their team. If a defence can’t handle a fast break out (because their “defence” was in the opposition half applying attacking pressure) then that is a faulty defence! At the very extreme, the Chelsea V Barcelona game, when Torres scored on the break, highlights my point.
In summary, most football fans want Leicester to win the league if their team cannot. I read some of the comments and, understandably perhaps, many are still finding it hard to “believe”. Look, the stats show that Leicester will finish in the top four – frankly that is done and dusted. The highest ever 5th place points total was 67 – with the average being sub-65. The idea that Leicester will not get at least 15 points from the next 13 games is silly (OK, it is not impossible – but really, a point a game? That is the form of relegation teams and it will not happen)!
So given that top 4 is done – win the bloody thing!
