Post Match Brighton 1 Leicester 1

[H T B]

Before our game today, on sky sports news, Geoff Stelling asked Paul Merson about Leicester City.
Merson said that they should be given a free ride until the New Year, after everything they have been through. [or words to that effect]

I fully agree with Merse, it appears others are not so in agreement!

 

[Brown Nose]

Before our game today, on sky sports news, Geoff Stelling asked Paul Merson about Leicester City.
Merson said that they should be given a free ride until the New Year, after everything they have been through. [or words to that effect]

I fully agree with Merse, it appears others are not so in agreement!

You'll rarely find anyone that wants to be associated with that pricks opinion. Fair play to you.

A free ride means what exactly? Free from any criticism or should we not pay any attention at all to the games?

Between the accident and New Years Day, we have eleven Premier League games. Pretty much 30% of the season. I'm fecked if I'm zoning out for all that.

More importantly, you wouldn't find one person at the club that would agree either. However, if you and Merson want to do crosswords until January, you get on with it.

 

[The Old Fox]

I have always thought that TB offered a more thoughtful critique of LCFC: I may be forced to reconsider on the basis of some of the comments around today's game:

1. We have a cup game next week - a chance for silverware
2. Vardy was injured. Puel didn't want to rush him back, unless absolutely necessary.
3. Ndidi hasn't been on his best form of late, had done a lot of travelling AND might be needed for the cup game.
4. We need to keep a large squad content.
5. We will need to sell before bringing in new players. This was a chance to showcase Iborra.

None of the above seems to have registered.

 

[ThaiSweetChilli]

What style of football do we play? What's actually good about our play?

Are we a team which passes the ball excellently?

Do we play boring football, park the bus and set up like an Allardyce/Pulis team?

Are we team with a back line who are robust, well-organised and reliable but also play decent football, using width and a measure of counter-attack?

Do we soak up pressure and play solely counter-attacking football with no regard to possession or anything else?

Perhaps we're a team which uses the width of the pitch by playing with wing-backs and we cross the ball to our CF who is very strong in the air and we use the target man to dictate the way we play?

Maybe we're a team which passes the ball brilliantly and use tricks and flair to score goals with use of players who can beat a man using creativity?

What the hell are we?!

For me, football style, a way to play and having some sort of identity with a plan is important to gaining consistency. We have some good players but it's redundant unless with play with purpose. I just can't see that purpose. Even Messi or Ronaldo couldn't carry a team for an entire season, so our players sure as hell haven't got a chance!

 

[homer]

, Vardy always starts if he's fully fit

You mean apart from when he dropped him the other week in yet another stupid team selection ?

That starting line up today not just baffling, it was complete and utter madness

No Ndidi, leaving Iborra and Mendy in midfield FFS
Okazaki in the starting one up, and Vady picking his nose on the sideline FFS

It's absolute stark staring steaming madness, I tells ya

Take your insane blinkers off and look at the dog turd being served up on the pitch

 

[City Fan]

I have always thought that TB offered a more thoughtful critique of LCFC: I may be forced to reconsider on the basis of some of the comments around today's game:

1. We have a cup game next week - a chance for silverware
2. Vardy was injured. Puel didn't want to rush him back, unless absolutely necessary.
3. Ndidi hasn't been on his best form of late, had done a lot of travelling AND might be needed for the cup game.
4. We need to keep a large squad content.
5. We will need to sell before bringing in new players. This was a chance to showcase Iborra.

None of the above seems to have registered.

What evidence over the last few years suggest we’ll prioritise the cup over the league?

 

[ThaiSweetChilli]

I have always thought that TB offered a more thoughtful critique of LCFC: I may be forced to reconsider on the basis of some of the comments around today's game:

4. We need to keep a large squad content.

I see your point for some of those, but this one is completely barking mad for me.

Whether we have a large or small squad, we always should play the best team whether that be in terms of consistency or for that individual match as exemplified in 15/16.

I'm all for squad morale etc., but selecting teams to keep players content is silly. If playing every match makes them content then they should work harder, not be given a place to keep them happy.

Man City have a brilliantly large squad and leave players out unless they're playing well, and we don't have half the talent they do and you're saying we can't do the same? Do me a favour....

 

[popillius]

Iborra over Ndidi was utter, utter madness. Iborra isn't good enough as a substitute most of the time, never mind as a direct replacement for our best midfielder.

A trained chimp can see that Okazaki isn't at all a good fit for this team anymore. Iheanacho looked three times as effective in his cameo than Okazaki looked all game.

There is absolutely no justification for that team choice. The only time we looked like a half decent outfit was after the substitutions had taken place.

 

[Feriol]

Iborra for Ndidi I can understand, we don't need 2 defensive midfielders all the time, and Iborra has shown he can boss a midfield when he's on his day, add the fact that Ndidi hasn't been his best recently and I can certainly see what Puel was thinking.

I am baffled by playing Okazaki as a lone striker though, never going to work. I still like to think that Shinji has something to offer the club, but it can only ever be as a support striker. I am unconvinced by Iheanacho, but assuming Vardy wasn't fit enough for 90 minutes, then Iheanacho was the only choice, either with Okazaki or on his own.

Overall I can see that perhaps events caught up with the team, and we just weren't concentrating for much of the game, I'm willing to accept this but we need to get our focus back soon. I was pleased to see we still had a desire to fight for the points though.

 

[City Fan]

Apart from Vardy against Wolves, we haven’t even been dirty. Just stupid and clumsy.

 

[camberwell fox]

More importantly, you wouldn't find one person at the club that would agree either. However, if you and Merson want to do crosswords until January, you get on with it.

There’s a couple of words there that you never see in the same sentence - Merson and crossword.

He can barely write his own name ffs.

 

[PFKAKTF FOX]

Have to say I was completely baffled by the team selection today, we. Have just come back from an international break so can't see the justification beingwe have a cup game in midweek as I imagine the majority of the squad will have been itching to get game time under their belts ready for Southampton.

The lack of discipline is also a concern most of the red cards we have received have been for soft fouls we are not a dirty team and for me Puel is not stamping this out and we are leaving ourselves a mountain to climb in far too many games.

Finally for me Barnes has be recalled from his loan spell in January at worst he would be a fantastic option off the bench and at best he would give Puel the option to shake up the 3 that play just behind the striker.

I am not 100% Puel out by any means but i am concerned he is not the right man to take this club forward long term.

 

[popillius]

Iborra has shown he can boss a midfield when he's on his day

Has he though or is this one of those ‘Slimani was a genius used incorrectly’ type myths? I can remember patches of games where he’s looked decent or cup games against dross when he’s been okay but it’s incredibly rare that he has looked anywhere near good enough over a 90 minute Premier League game. He’s just so hit and miss and the hits are too far dispersed among a plethora of misses.

To start him at all would be concerning but to start him over your best midfielder by a country mile is nothing short of incompetent.

 

[pork pie fox]

Has he though or is this one of those ‘Slimani was a genius used incorrectly’ type myths? I can remember patches of games where he’s looked decent or cup games against dross when he’s been okay but it’s incredibly rare that he has looked anywhere near good enough over a 90 minute Premier League game. He’s just so hit and miss and the hits are too far dispersed among a plethora of misses.

To start him at all would be concerning but to start him over your best midfielder by a country mile is nothing short of incompetent.

He was brilliant away at West Brom last season, but that was alongside Ndidi and, despite me liking him as a player, he hasn’t looked anywhere near that level recently.

 

[Redditch Fox]

I think we have to be realistic. There will be no change of manager this season unless the wheels come off completely. And much of the mediocrity stems from that.

It’s going to be a big summer. The next manager of this club will be one of the most important signings in the history of the club.

Sad but true. A wasted season. Quite a number of talented players wasting their time playing for a born loser.

 

[Brown Nose]

The only two central midfielders that we have that are effective in a two are Ndidi and Mendy. The others are all perfectly decent, but need to be in a three. Iborra, Silva, King, James, Choudhury can all do a job in a system that the manager will never play.

We're far from the only club in this situation. Central midfield is changing just like strikers and wingers and full backs have recently. Lots of midfielders are struggling to find a role nowadays.

 

[SJN-Fox]

Quote from Maddison

“Apologies to everyone for what happened today," he wrote. Nobody wants to see diving in our beautiful game.

"I was anticipating contact that never came, but that’s no excuse. It’s a mistake and I will learn from it.

"Lads showed fantastic fight and determination to get us back in the game and go home with a more than deserved point."

 

[H T B]

Quote from Maddison

Here's hoping he does learn from it.
He has the talent, I'd like to see it come to fruition with us.

Some of our, oh so patient, fans are already awaiting in the wings with the knives (figuratively)

 

[homer]

Is that the oh so patient so-called fans, or the oh so patient normal/real fans ?

 

[Skitzo]

Our squad is a badly balanced mess, too many CBS and CMs not enough attacking options