Pre Match Chelsea v Leicester

[Graz]

Good that Vardy's attitude is that it's down to himself to adapt. However, you should play to your players' strengths. Particular your best player's...

Puel needs to adapt, and he doesn't seem willing to. I understand wanting to transition our style, it makes sense and people should have more patience with that as we can't be only reliant on counter attacking. But neither should we abandon and totally disregard a playing style that's worked well for us.

More concerning in the immediate term though are Vardy's comments on his fitness. He's clearly struggling with that groin injury and him not being able to play successive games is going to be tough over Christmas.

 

[H T B]

Good that Vardy's attitude is that it's down to himself to adapt. However, you should play to your players' strengths. Particular your best player's...

Puel needs to adapt, and he doesn't seem willing to. I understand wanting to transition our style, it makes sense and people should have more patience with that as we can't be only reliant on counter attacking. But neither should we abandon and totally disregard a playing style that's worked well for us.

More concerning in the immediate term though are Vardy's comments on his fitness. He's clearly struggling with that groin injury and him not being able to play successive games is going to be tough over Christmas.

So we adapt to the strength of our best player, who could be crocked for the foreseeable future.
Hmmmm

 

[Feriol]

I understand Vardy having these feelings, but I don't think it's good saying it publicly.

 

[Ike O'Noclassed]

So we adapt to the strength of our best player, who could be crocked for the foreseeable future.
Hmmmm

I'd have thought the suspicion that he's lost the edge off his pace, that those servicing him are mostly long gone, and their successors lack the ability and vision to step up to the job, panicking under even the most mild of high presses operating in the game today, makes this even more problematical, unless there's a time machine nearby.

He's coming up to his 32nd birthday in the new year, time to look at strikers who have adapted to their inevitable physical decline and extended their Prem careers on the back of their footballing brains (which talent Vardy uses equally with his pace) and experience. One obvious being Sir Les.

 

[glyn]

Hope it’s not a message to other teams that he’d rather be at a team that did recognise his strengths.

 

[pork pie fox]

Beginning of the end....

 

[H T B]

Beginning of the end....

That started after we won the league

 

[City Fan]

I understand Vardy having these feelings, but I don't think it's good saying it publicly.

What’s he supposed to say? Would you rather be refused the question? The press would have made an absolute meal of that.

I don’t see an issue with what he said. It’s not like he said “our football is shit, we’re not playing to my strengths...Puel out”

 

[Jeff]

I understand Vardy having these feelings, but I don't think it's good saying it publicly.

I'd rather players answered questions honestly instead of the usual non answers they're told to give. Most interviews with players are pointless because you know what they're going to say, and it's the same every time.

 

[Blue Maniac]

It’s not like he said “our football is shit, we’re not playing to my strengths...Puel out”

Not directly, no…

 

[City Fan]

Not directly, no…

Oh don’t get me wrong that’s definitely what he’s trying to say, but his choice of words to indicate that without saying it are perfection.

 

[City Fan]

Most interviews with players are pointless because you know what they're going to say, and it's the same every time.

Same with managers. Errr qualiteeee....errr intensiteeee....errr possibility...err

 

[SJN-Fox]

Head-to-head

• Chelsea are unbeaten in their last seven meetings with Leicester in all competitions (W5, D2).
• Leicester's last win at Stamford Bridge was back in September 2000, when goals from Muzzy Izzet and Stan Collymore gave them a 2-0 victory.

Chelsea

• Chelsea have won three of their last four Premier League matches.
• The Blues are unbeaten at home in the league this season (W6, D3).
• Chelsea have scored 37 goals in the Premier League this season - their most at this stage of a campaign since 2014-15 when they had 38 goals and went on to win the title.
• Eden Hazard has provided an assist in each of his last four league games. The only Chelsea player to do this in five consecutive Premier League games is Gianfranco Zola in December 2002.
• Marcos Alonso has hit the woodwork four times this season, more than any other top-flight player.

Leicester City

• Leicester have lost their last two Premier League matches - it's almost two years since they lost three in a row.
• Exactly half of Leicester's 22 points this season have been earned away from home.
• Leicester are without a win in their last 10 Premier League visits to London since beating West Ham 3-2 in March 2017 (D4, L6).
• The Foxes have had four red cards in this season's Premier League, twice as many as any other team.

 

[alex]

Thing is James, your main asset (pace) is on the wane - you need to start thinking about playing different ways.

 

[homer]

Thing is James, your main asset (pace) is on the wane - you need to start thinking about playing different ways.

He doesn't actually need any pace if he's left standing all on his own, completely isolated from the rest of the team

He's still one of the most dynamic, fast-paced strikers in the League FFS, not some old man

Wasted in a team led by this half witted twat

 

[camberwell fox]

Can the people on here who are saying Vardy has lost a yard of pace please quantify this with facts?

No, thought not.

 

[Brown Nose]

Can the people on here who are saying Vardy has lost a yard of pace please quantify this with facts?

No, thought not.

Vardy was interviewed in August and he was specifically asked about this. He said that his pace had been extensively tested in pre-season and was as good as it had ever been. There were no signs of any lessening off. I think I recall him saying that his stats were the second highest he'd ever recorded.

His age / pace is nothing to do with anything. It's utter drivel.

There may be a case that he's carrying a groin injury which necessitates some management of his sprinting, as well as how often he can play or train full pelt. That would be a more reasonable way of excusing the dismal management of our best player.

 

[Lako42]

We are wasting the final good years of one of the best strikers in the Premier League, never mind our own history.


It's a ****ing disgrace really.

If It were me I'd be looking to **** off as soon as possible.

By the time he's adapted to this snail football hell he'll be finished at this level.


What a ****ing waste

 

[Micky]

We are wasting the final good years of one of the best strikers in the Premier League, never mind our own history.


It's a ****ing disgrace really.

If It were me I'd be looking to **** off as soon as possible.

By the time he's adapted to this snail football hell he'll be finished at this level.


What a ****ing waste

But he probably doesn't want to as I am sure he loves the club.
I guess he will just have to hope (like us all) that Puel gets relieved of his duties.

 

[fitz]

Which strikers would flourish in our team realistically? I bet we'd see much more from Vardy and many other players if we played for goals rather than sideways passes. It's amazing that he doesn't rate Silva given he's the ideal Puel player.