Lillestrom match thread

[Talking Balls]

Whats the guy at the front doing with his left hand?

Mr Bocadillo has got some explaining to do when he gets back.

 

[highland fox]

Didn't take a great deal of notice of the result when we won 5-1 the other night so consequently I don't take much notice when we lose 5-1.Pre-Season friendlies mean nothing,if I remember rightly we won a lot of Pre-season friendlies last season and look what good that did us.At least CL gets to iron out the problems before Sheff Utd.

 

[Steven]

CL is philosophical.

Levein On Defeat

City boss Craig Levein says that all is far from lost after his side went down 5-1 to Norwegian League side Lillestrom SK on Saturday afternoon.

The Foxes went into the second and final game of their mini tour of Norway on the back of a convincing 5-1 win over Bodo Glimt.

Levein made seven changes to that side to face Lillestrom, handing debuts to goalkeeper Paul Henderson and new signing Patrik Gerrbrand.

But City would go down by the same scoreline that they had won by just two days earlier in front of a 653-strong crowd.

Speaking after the match, Levein said: "In some ways it is not a bad thing that we were beaten. You can take our first game that we won - everybody thinks 'this is going to be easy'. We came to Norway to play good teams in difficult matches. That's the type of game that we could play in the Championship so from that point of view we need to be a hell of a lot better.

"As good as we were against Bodo on Thursday we were hopeless today. That's what it's about sometimes.

"I was surprised how well we played against Bodo, but that's the thing with pre-season. The things that we did well the other night, keeping possession and passing, we didn't do today. We gave the ball away constantly.

"Defensively we were poor - and that includes players all over the pitch. I think we lost to five headers, which from our point of view is a major disappointment.

"We didn't stop crosses, we gave away free-kicks in dangerous areas and we didn't attack the ball in the box. Everything that went right on Thursday went wrong today."

But Levein says that Tuesday night's match against Celtic at the Walkers Stadium will give his side the chance to right a few wrongs.

He added: "The trip has been good and I am quite happy. Obviously the Lillestrom result was disappointing, but our match against Celtic gives us an opportunity to wash this out of our minds."

Source

 

[Redditch Fox]

CL is philosophical.



Its an obvious point but I think pertinant - you can't keep making massive changes in squads and expect to get decent results.

CL is doing the right thing in bringing in players on longer contracts but I do think that this result suggests that we will be fielding an effectively 'scratch' side for a few weeks - maybe couple of months - and I don't think people should expect too much in the short term - or they are likely to be disappointed - again!

 

[highland fox]

CL is philosophical.



Its an obvious point but I think pertinant - you can't keep making massive changes in squads and expect to get decent results.

CL is doing the right thing in bringing in players on longer contracts but I do think that this result suggests that we will be fielding an effectively 'scratch' side for a few weeks - maybe couple of months - and I don't think people should expect too much in the short term - or they are likely to be disappointed - again!

Agreed although I don't think this result shows that much in the same way the 5-1 win didn't.Its going to take until Christmas for the team to 'gel' IMO.The best I'm hoping for is that we can stay around mid-table until Christmas and then mount a Play-Off push in the New Year.Expecting anything else is unrealistic with what is virtually a brand new team.I will be pleased if we finish in the top half.

 

[Durham Fox]

Agreed although I don't think this result shows that much in the same way the 5-1 win didn't.Its going to take until Christmas for the team to 'gel' IMO.The best I'm hoping for is that we can stay around mid-table until Christmas and then mount a Play-Off push in the New Year.Expecting anything else is unrealistic with what is virtually a brand new team.I will be pleased if we finish in the top half.

Come on HF !! How pleased will you really be if we finish in the top half? honestly. I don't think anyone will be genuinely pleased unless we get in the play-offs. With the squad we have even allowing for a period of settling in early season we should finish in the top 8, no excuses IMO.

 

[highland fox]

Come on HF !! How pleased will you really be if we finish in the top half? honestly. I don't think anyone will be genuinely pleased unless we get in the play-offs. With the squad we have even allowing for a period of settling in early season we should finish in the top 8, no excuses IMO.

Fecking hell DF Top 8 near enough to Top half isn't it ? Yeah I want us to finish Top 3 but if I wasn't a fan and I was looking at it from the outside then I wouldn't be expecting a team with a virtual brand new squad to finish Top 6.'With the Squad we have' ? You don't really know how good some of the Players we have brought in are going to be at this level.Gerrbrand for instance? ever seen him play? Sylla ? Kisnorbo ?.So if we don't finish Top 8 then its 'Levein Out' is it DF? I'd expect better from you..

 

[Durham Fox]

Fecking hell DF Top 8 near enough to Top half isn't it ? Yeah I want us to finish Top 3 but if I wasn't a fan and I was looking at it from the outside then I wouldn't be expecting a team with a virtual brand new squad to finish Top 6.'With the Squad we have' ? You don't really know how good some of the Players we have brought in are going to be at this level.Gerrbrand for instance? ever seen him play? Sylla ? Kisnorbo ?.So if we don't finish Top 8 then its 'Levein Out' is it DF? I'd expect better from you..

No not Levein out at all. Fair enough we know little of Gerrbrand and Kisnorbo but we know enough about the others don't we???

Douglas - Played for Scotland, makes mistakes but what keeper doesn't. Easily good enough for this level.
Maybury - Class act at this level, must be amongst the top 3 rb's in the league.
McCarthy - All the hallmarks of a first class CB, needs time to flourish but again, easily good enough for this level.
Johansson - Premiership quality
Sheehan/Stearman - Exciting prospects, good backup at this level.
Williams - established in the team, again must be one of the better midfield players in this division.
Hughes - quality, class act.
Tiatto - easily good enough for this level.
Sylla - pacey winger which is easily enough in this league.
Connolly - proven goalscorer, showed signs of this again at the end of the season.
MDV - scored for fun in the SPL, we havent seen him properly yet.

Plus if you add Gudjonsson, Gerrbrand, dublin etc as backup I think we are strong this year. I can understand people being overly cautious after last year but I think we will make the play-offs.

Come on HF it isn't all that bad is it???

 

[PFKAKTF FOX]

Whilst this result does bringing us crashing back down to earth with an almighty bump, we must remember a few things, firstly this was Gerrbrand's first match and he has had little if any time to work with new team mates, we had played just 48 hours earlier, which will have taken a lot out of the players although it will be useful fitness work. Also that was nowhere near the starting XI that will play against Sheff Utd. IMO we shouldnt get too carried away by either result, the team and the club appear to be moving in the right direction and we are still another 2 or 3 players short of the squad that CL requires. IMO we will be in the top 8 but we have to be paitent, there is a lot of hard work still to be done and at the end of the day it is what happens from August 6th 2005 that really matters.

 

[highland fox]

No not Levein out at all. Fair enough we know little of Gerrbrand and Kisnorbo but we know enough about the others don't we???

Douglas - Played for Scotland, makes mistakes but what keeper doesn't. Easily good enough for this level.
Maybury - Class act at this level, must be amongst the top 3 rb's in the league.
McCarthy - All the hallmarks of a first class CB, needs time to flourish but again, easily good enough for this level.
Johansson - Premiership quality
Sheehan/Stearman - Exciting prospects, good backup at this level.
Williams - established in the team, again must be one of the better midfield players in this division.
Hughes - quality, class act.
Tiatto - easily good enough for this level.
Sylla - pacey winger which is easily enough in this league.
Connolly - proven goalscorer, showed signs of this again at the end of the season.
MDV - scored for fun in the SPL, we havent seen him properly yet.

Plus if you add Gudjonsson, Gerrbrand, dublin etc as backup I think we are strong this year. I can understand people being overly cautious after last year but I think we will make the play-offs.

Come on HF it isn't all that bad is it???

No it isn't all bad at all but its not a case of being 'over cautious' either its more being realistic.We were a million miles away from being a Promotion side last season and to expect us to suddenly become one of the Promotion favourites now with a virtual brand new Squad is folly IMO.I still think we will struggle for goals,MDV as never 'scored for fun' to my knowledge although I still think he will come good but not as a 20-25 goals a season man more of a supplier and although he did improve a few of Connollys goals towards the end of the season came from the Penalty spot but again I do rate him I just can't see him scoring more than 15 this season hopefully I'll be wrong.I will be content with a top half finish this season not ecstatic and I hope for more but I see CL building for the next 2-3 years and they make take longer than some will allow him.

Finally Durham...do you want a Fight?

 

[Durham Fox]

No it isn't all bad at all but its not a case of being 'over cautious' either its more being realistic.We were a million miles away from being a Promotion side last season and to expect us to suddenly become one of the Promotion favourites now with a virtual brand new Squad is folly IMO.I still think we will struggle for goals,MDV as never 'scored for fun' to my knowledge although I still think he will come good but not as a 20-25 goals a season man more of a supplier and although he did improve a few of Connollys goals towards the end of the season came from the Penalty spot but again I do rate him I just can't see him scoring more than 15 this season hopefully I'll be wrong.I will be content with a top half finish this season not ecstatic and I hope for more but I see CL building for the next 2-3 years and they make take longer than some will allow him.

Finally Durham...do you want a Fight?

:icon_lol:










































YES! Bring it.

 

[Granite Fox]

I am expecting a marked improvement over last season and hoping for a play-off push. I think this is realistic. We have to give Levein three seasons to build what he wants.

If he can get this lot to gel for early games then he would have done very well. I think we may end up being a bit inconsistent in the first half of the season.

 

[silkman]

does anyone else miss mrs durham?

 

[highland fox]

:icon_lol:
































YES! Bring it.

I feel it is only fair to warn you DF that having now been made The Laird of Kinloch that I have entrusted with my own Prize Fighter who takes care of any Combat in my name.A huge 35 stone grotesquely ugly beast who for some strange reason insists on going into battle 'Bollock Naked'...'McHomer the Horrible ' hails from the Flatlands of Coalville.Still wish to fight?

 

[MKFox]

Top half would be a right result for us.

 

[LS6_Fox]

It's going to be a tough season, but we'll finish top six I tell thee...

 

[The Voice From Above]

any score yet?

 

[SilverFox]

IT WAS A F-R-I-E-N-D-L-Y!

Chill! No need to write off the whole season yet!

Had a great holiday...any interesting signings in my absense?

 

[Steven]

IT WAS A F-R-I-E-N-D-L-Y!

Chill! No need to write off the whole season yet!

Had a great holiday...any interesting signings in my absense?

 

[SilverFox]

Why I oughta...

I take it thats a no then!?!?

As for the friendly, don't worry, they mean absolutely nothing!