Match Thread Middlesbrough (a), 3rd August 2013

[Cate Fox]

Subs: Marshall, Dyer, Waghorn, Schlupp, Moore, Logan, Nugent

 

[FryattFox]

Well, I'm going for a 3-0 City win. Why? Because this side looks so awful, that I cannot perceive of any way that we could win and, usually, I am proved completely wrong about such things!

Pretty much how I feel.

That line-up has mid-table mediocrity written all over it. How the **** have we got here when two years ago we had Yakubu, et al.

 

[ThaiSweetChilli]

Shakey on RL just confirmed no injury to Knockaert, left out for tactical purposes.

 

[M17TT C]

Are we losing yet?

 

[ThaiSweetChilli]

Shakey on RL just confirmed no injury to Knockaert, left out for tactical purposes.

But it's fine cause we have Vardy.

 

[city-faithful]

I can't bloody wait for this match, regardless of who is in the team.

 

[Miles Away]

Shakey on RL just confirmed no injury to Knockaert, left out for tactical purposes.

What a piss take.

 

[Miles Away]

When you've left arguably your best player out of the squad I'm led to believe you've lost the plot.

 

[Motown Fox]

Subs: Marshall, Dyer, Waghorn, Schlupp, Moore, Logan, Nugent

Surprised Danns not make it on the bench as other than Moore/Logan it's full of strikers or wide players.

He's there in Middlesborough (as he called it - see below)

neil danns ‏@dannzy1 22h
On route to middlesborough
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Emmanuel LedesmaFans ‏@11ELedesmaFans 21h
@dannzy1 It's *Middlesbrough you uneducated moron
Expand
neil danns ‏@dannzy1 20h
@11ELedesmaFans and it's also called predictive text, that spelt it #whosthemoron
Expand
Emmanuel LedesmaFans ‏@11ELedesmaFans 17h
@dannzy1 You obviously are if you need to use predictive text
Expand
neil danns ‏@dannzy1 16h
@11ELedesmaFans zzzzz

 

[FryattFox]

When you've left arguably your best player out of the squad I'm led to believe you've lost the plot.

I'd argue that there are at least 5 players who are better. Schmeichel, Morgan, James, Nugent and Wood are more important for our team imo.

Knockaert is our most creative player, so I'm just hoping that we have a plan (and more importantly that it works!).

 

[Jeff]

Shakey on RL just confirmed no injury to Knockaert, left out for tactical purposes.

Signing for a Prem team on Monday then.

 

[LeeCovFox]

When you've left arguably your best player out of the squad I'm led to believe you've lost the plot.

Has the way the season ended made people think Knockaert is more important than he is? He is without doubt our most able player, but he doesn't perform anything like consistently. I can't remember him doing much more than running into defenders since last Christmas.

It looks like Pearson has gone deliberately conservative in the hope of grinding out a result away from home. We didn't do that anywhere near enough last season and, given that we have no new personnel, the only thing to do is experiment tactically to get something different. I would hope that he changes up the players depending on who and where we are playing. We'll see.

 

[Leigh]

I'd argue that there are at least 5 players who are better. Schmeichel, Morgan, James, Nugent and Wood are more important for our team imo.

Knockaert is our most creative player, so I'm just hoping that we have a plan (and more importantly that it works!).

I'd add King to that list as well.

 

[Motown Fox]

Mockery is on the ball with yesterdays headlines

Former Leicester City star tips Anthony Knockaert to be ace in pack

David Nugent set to lead Leicester City's attack at Middlesbrough

 

[Matt_B]

Why would people think Nugent is anywhere near match sharp when he's missed all pre-season?

 

[Cate Fox]

Why would people think Nugent is anywhere near match sharp when he's missed all pre-season?

There you go again, expecting sensible posts. Have you learned nothing?? :icon_lol:

 

[Profondo Rosso]

Has the way the season ended made people think Knockaert is more important than he is? He is without doubt our most able player, but he doesn't perform anything like consistently. I can't remember him doing much more than running into defenders since last Christmas.

It looks like Pearson has gone deliberately conservative in the hope of grinding out a result away from home. We didn't do that anywhere near enough last season and, given that we have no new personnel, the only thing to do is experiment tactically to get something different. I would hope that he changes up the players depending on who and where we are playing. We'll see.

I can understand leaving him out the starting line-up but leaving him off the bench is non-sensical to say the least. He's the player you'd want to bring on if you're losing in the latter stages of the game.

I'm a Pearson defender but it's a bizarre team to say the least and he's setting himself up for a fall if we lose this one.

 

[Miles Away]

Has the way the season ended made people think Knockaert is more important than he is? He is without doubt our most able player, but he doesn't perform anything like consistently. I can't remember him doing much more than running into defenders since last Christmas.

It looks like Pearson has gone deliberately conservative in the hope of grinding out a result away from home. We didn't do that anywhere near enough last season and, given that we have no new personnel, the only thing to do is experiment tactically to get something different. I would hope that he changes up the players depending on who and where we are playing. We'll see.

He is, undoubtedly worth a spot on the bench, surely?

I totally understand the conservative approach, especially as it relates to the midfielders. But he offers something off the bench that we now dont have today.

I'm not arguing he should definitely be in the 11, but to leave him out of the 16 smacks of typical tough guy posturing from Pearson to me. Could damage the confidence of one of our few flair players in the long run too.

 

[LeeCovFox]

I can understand leaving him out the starting line-up but leaving him off the bench is non-sensical to say the least. He's the player you'd want to bring on if you're losing in the latter stages of the game.

I'm a Pearson defender but it's a bizarre team to say the least and he's setting himself up for a fall if we lose this one.

I'd have started him myself and I am surprised he isn't in the squad at all, but can't agree that Pearson is setting himself up for a fall if we lose on the basis of Knockaert's absence. We lost plenty with him in the side last season.

 

[LeeCovFox]

He is, undoubtedly worth a spot on the bench, surely?

I totally understand the conservative approach, especially as it relates to the midfielders. But he offers something off the bench that we now dont have today.

I'm not arguing he should definitely be in the 11, but to leave him out of the 16 smacks of typical tough guy posturing from Pearson to me. Could damage the confidence of one of our few flair players in the long run too.

Posturing based on what though? Are there problems with Knockaert I'm unaware of? I've paid no attention over the pre-season because I like to ignore Leicester City for the summer, so it's quite possible I've missed something. If not it would seem extremely unusual for Pearson to decide to pick on a talented player for the sake of it. Pearson needs to win games for his own sake. Why would he spite himself?