Post Match Aston Villa 1 Leicester 1

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As has been said, one cannot feel too disappointed when we're a point clear at the top of the table (!!!) and, I only watched on TV; but the thing that did concern me, I felt that, in the first half, we played as if we deserved the points, simply for being there. We seemed to be playing too well within ourselves when a bit more hunger would have seen us several goals up. I'd be interested to know if others saw the same, or am I being too critical?
 
The Old Fox said:
As has been said, one cannot feel too disappointed when we're a point clear at the top of the table (!!!) and, I only watched on TV; but the thing that did concern me, I felt that, in the first half, we played as if we deserved the points, simply for being there. We seemed to be playing too well within ourselves when a bit more hunger would have seen us several goals up. I'd be interested to know if others saw the same, or am I being too critical?
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All this OF.

It was a languid display fuelled, it appeared to me, by the thought we would just turn them over...until the second half when Villa rolled their sleeves up and we looked shocked that they could take it to us. Then it was the back four against their attack.. with Morgan, Fuchs and Simpson immense and Huth buckling more and more as it went on.
 
Though the terrible penalty is hard to ignore, I'd only join in the scapegoating of Mahrez if we were playing a style of football which included him rather than the opposite. I was cheering as hard as anybody while we were bossing it, but a side with our ambitions subjecting a side rooted at the bottom to a crude up and under barrage and little else doesn't bode well. Mahrez (and Drinkwater) were largely superfluous - there's also the thought that Mahrez is far more effective when he's paired with a rampaging right back drawing off defenders - RdeL anyone? - thought not.
 
My solution for Mahrez is to send him on holiday. He misses Stoke and so there is 12 days from now until the Liverpool match. Ferguson used to do it for his key players. Recharge and be ready for the final push.

I haven't taken account any commitments for Algeria however. Will they have a game?

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Happy with a point away. Last season I was always a bit concerned about our games against Villa not sure why.
We had the chances for all three points, but were not quite sharp enough. It happens to the best.
A bit worried about the form of Mahrez, hope its nothing to do with any behind the scenes transfer speculation.
I would play him against Spurs and then if there was no improvement give him a rest, (not sure about a holiday)
 
We've almost thrived on non-passing this season. We sit at or around the bottom of all the stats tables for possession, passing, successful passes, etc. Drinkwater is the only player in the team with passing stats that aren't embarrassing.

We don't do passing because it isn't a strength of our players. The form of Vardy and Mahrez turned this 'weakness' into a strength. They've made goals from nothing and very simple, quick breaks forward. This is highly unusual and loads of stats suggested that it wasn't sustainable.

We're now going through a phase where our two match winners aren't delivering remarkable performances any more. The stats on both Vardy and Mahrez yesterday were poor. In fact, the stats show Vardy to be easily our least involved player. I think the penalty miss has focused attention on a fairly typical (recent) performance from Mahrez but Vardy was not only involved a lot less than anyone else but, when he was, he also gave the ball away more than anyone. He did his usual runs but he isn't closing down defenders and he isn't looking sharp or composed any more. In short, both Vardy and Mahrez have become ordinary.

Ranieri has been saying that we always need our best players on the pitch so I really don't think he's considering making changes. I think he's just hoping that we can stay organised and tight until our two match winners come good again.

This is fine if they do. However, if they don't come back into previous form again, we'll slide without back up forward players that can deliver and no ability to retain possession. We either start packing the midfield or we need to sign a couple of new attacking players.

With this in mind, I wouldn't be letting Inler leave and I would be rather desperately looking to add quality forward players to the squad.
 
We were poor by our usual standards but if our final ball / finishing had been better on a couple of occasions we'd all be talking about a comfortable win. Fine margins.
 
I'm still trying to get my head around why he took off Okazaki, I thought he was comfortably the best player on the pitch in the first half and topped it off by shoving RDL on.

If the penalty goes in its game over, they never looked like scoring but through a handball and a deflection they did. As others have said you'd have taken 4 points from the two away fixtures before the week began, just after taking 3 at Spurs its bitterly disappointing, given how abysmal Villa are, to only take one there.

Hopefully Stoke do us a favour and if they don't, we are only back where we started the week two games later. Arsenal and Man City dropped points midweek, we dropped some yesterday, it happens and it will happen again.
 
Had a feeling Stoke might do us a favour in that one. They are a decent side. Let's hope they do us a favour next week too by not turning up xD
 
Although Simpson is playing well he simply isnt up to a high enough standard, his control is poor, positionally he gets caught out, and crucially he is lacking creativity going forward, teams are now doubling up against Mahrez something that Simpson should be exploiting.

I hope he rests players midweek, a top four finish is a priority and achievable, I think he will strengthen this month, he should have replaced Mahrez earlier buts thats life! Had he scored the penalty ( which should have been retaken )we would have put 3 or 4 past them.
 
big_mac4824 said:
Although Simpson is playing well he simply isnt up to a high enough standard, his control is poor, positionally he gets caught out, and crucially he is lacking creativity going forward, teams are now doubling up against Mahrez something that Simpson should be exploiting.

I hope he rests players midweek, a top four finish is a priority and achievable, I think he will strengthen this month, he should have replaced Mahrez earlier buts thats life! Had he scored the penalty ( which should have been retaken )we would have put 3 or 4 past them.
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The Bournemouth penalty should have been retaken as well.
 
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