Pre Match Leicester v West Ham

[Jeff]

Lack of reasons between New Street and Nuneaton is a bit of a pain.

If you want to avoid the bus, going via Coventry used to be a valid route. Not sure if it still is though.

 

[bocadillo]

If you want to avoid the bus, going via Coventry used to be a valid route. Not sure if it still is though.

It's still a permitted route but all services between Coventry and Nuneaton have been bustituted for some time now.

 

[H T B]

Hope he gets dogs abuse

 

[olibar]

It's a pain to not be able to get to Nuneaton? It must have changed since I was there.

 

[Jeff]

Head-to-head

• West Ham could win four competitive games in a row against Leicester for the first time since 1997.
• Leicester have conceded at least three goals in each of the past three league meetings.

Leicester City

• Leicester won their last three home league games in 2021 but have dropped points from winning positions in both fixtures at the King Power Stadium this year.
• The Foxes have lost half of their past 12 matches in all competitions, winning only three.
• They have conceded an unrivalled 10 goals from corners in the Premier League this season, while their tally of 18 conceded from all set-pieces equals their total from the entire 2020-21 campaign.
• Leicester have let in 39 goals in their past 19 matches in all competitions.
• Brendan Rodgers has lost three successive meetings with David Moyes in all competitions - the only managers he has lost four in a row against in his career are Alex Ferguson (2011-2013) and Carlo Ancelotti (2014-2020).

West Ham United

• The Hammers have lost four of their past seven away league fixtures, as many as they had in their previous 20.
• West Ham have scored 42 league goals so far, their most after 24 matches of a top-flight season since a similar tally in 1982-83.
• Jarrod Bowen has been directly involved in 14 Premier League goals in 24 games this season, one more than he managed in 38 appearances last season.
• Michail Antonio has scored four goals in his past five Premier League appearances against Leicester.

 

[alex]

I think nine out of ten of us would prefer Zouma didn't play in this one.

8 out of 10 tballers would vote Joe Fox

 

[Micky]

Schmeichel

Pereira
Justin
Soyuncu
Thomas

Ndidi

Tielemans
Maddison
Dewsbury-hall

Barnes
Daka

 

[olibar]

I'm really not sure who I'd select at the back. I thought the Amartey/Ndidi combo did ok against Liverpool. They were at least there - I certainly wouldn't say solid but consistent at least. I like Soyuncu, I think on his day he is a better defender but he can lose it, get out of position and get rash. Antonio will relish that, as he seemingly always does, and play Soyuncu for a chump. I'd be inclined to leave him on the bench again.

Mendy (if back and sufficiently rested) might get a look in perhaps. That at least gives a tenacious midfield option that could be useful.

 

[SJN-Fox]

Referee: Michael Oliver.
Assistants: Stuart Burt, Simon Bennett.
Fourth official: David Coote.
VAR: Chris Kavanagh.
Assistant VAR: Sian Massey-Ellis.

 

[City Fan]

I would go with:

Schmeichel

Justin
Ndidi
Amartey
Thomas

Tielemans
KDH

Ricardo
Maddison
Barnes

Iheanacho

 

[Micky]

I would go with:

Schmeichel

Justin
Ndidi
Amartey
Thomas

Tielemans
KDH

Ricardo
Maddison
Barnes

Iheanacho

Soyuncu for Amartey for me. Soyuncu is a good player playing poorly. Amartey is an average player playing inconsistently. I'd sooner take the former.

 

[Brown Nose]

I'm sick of the constant chopping and changing of players and formations. It's not even just from match to match, but it seems to change several times during each game. We need to stick with a formation, a method of playing and the nucleus of the team.

Who are our best players? Which position are they best in? Then stick with it.

Of the players currently available, the most proven are: Schmeichel, Justin, Ricardo, Tielemans, Ndidi, Barnes, Albrighton, Iheanacho, Maddison and Soyuncu. All have delivered for us over a sustained amount of time. So play them. I'd go with;

Schmeichel
Ricardo Ndidi Soyuncu Justin
Albrighton Tielemans Dewsbury-Hall Barnes
Maddison
Iheanacho

The stats suggest that we create more and are slightly stronger defensively with a back four. For example, we've played a back four for 72% of our PL season but have scored 82% of our goals with it. We've conceded 67% of our goals with a back four. There will be reasons for this beyond the simple formation but it seems the most likely to work.

Put simply, work out what formation works best with the players available and just get on with it.

 

[Brown Nose]

38 years ago - this lot beat West Ham 4-1

Wallington
Williams Hazell O'Neill Smith
Lynex Peake McDonald Wilson
Smith Lineker

Simpler times.

 

[Blaarev]

38 years ago - this lot beat West Ham 4-1

Wallington
Williams Hazell O'Neill Smith
Lynex Peake McDonald Wilson
Smith Lineker

Simpler times.

Not a good time to be a miner though. If it ever was.

 

[Bobbins]

Put simply, work out what formation works best with the players available and just get on with it.

Piece of piss then - 5-0 to us.

 

[Bobbins]

38 years ago - this lot beat West Ham 4-1

Wallington
Williams Hazell O'Neill Smith
Lynex Peake McDonald Wilson
Smith Lineker

Simpler times.

And Relax by Frankie goes to Hollywood was number one - we could all take a lesson from Hollie and his crew.

 

[Blue Maniac]

38 years ago - this lot beat West Ham 4-1

Wallington
Williams Hazell O'Neill Smith
Lynex Peake McDonald Wilson
Smith Lineker

Simpler times.

Two years ago, this lot beat West Ham 4-1

 

[Lako42]

We're going to get bummed something rotten today.

Moyes has BR fully worked out. His easiest game of the season

 

[Micky]

We are going to win this today. All of you bed wetters are going to be blown away by us. 3-1 to the city slickers.

 

[Jeff]

Some comments from a West Ham forum:

Haven't felt this confident about a result all season.

Under Rodgers, they are the perfect opposition for us.

1-5 to West Ham!!

Never good when a manager publicly attacks his squad like he has. I agree in that I think he'll be gone by the summer.

I can't see them falling into the trap of playing how they've played against us the last 3 times, surely?

Leicester look a mess atm. I mean, how they managed to lose that Tottenham game from that position. It's the sort of thing we would manage to do under Avram Grant. There is a problem there and they are still without key players. I also wouldn't be surprised to see Rodgers go in how he has the last 3 times we've beaten them. I think he seems the type that he would want to beat us on the 4th occasion and give it an 'I told you so'.