Post Match Stoke 2 Leicester 2

[cambiassoo]

So? He was good enough then and clearly isn’t now. We need a new left back in January or the Summer as I see Chilwell playing further forward.

I think Ihenacho did fine. He tracked back well and picked up some good positions but wasn’t found by the final ball. Of course losing Iborra was a blow because he was having a great game. But King coming in to midfield was not why we lost two points.

I didn’t agree with the Albrighton substitution as Gray was a constant threat but i can see the rationale in bringing on fresh legs

Very impressed with he performance overall. Being disappointed with an away draw is a positive. Mahrez was excellent. His first touch for his goal was pure class. Good performance by Vardy but I think he was a bit wasteful. Should have scored when he spun the defender. Ndidi had a very good second half. Morgan and Simpson once again were our best defenders. If only we could clone a left footed Danny Simpson. Gray proved once again why he deserves to start. Glad we have two weeks to (hopefully) get Iborra fit. In the last two games he has been excellent.

Two games in and it’s two thumbs up from me for Mr. Puel.

Agree with all of that.

Onwards and upwards [emoji170]


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[City Fan]

Wasted opportunity against absolute fodder today.

Maguire and Fuchs need dropping. All three subs were poor. When we signed Nachos I was under the impression he was quick, yet I’ve seen Ulloa move faster than him. Another £25m spunked away.

Andy King. Holy ****ing Christ.

 

[Billyjof]

We were saved at the end but really should have put them to the sword. Unlucky not to get the third or even fourth.

An entertaining game though. That Stoke team has some decent players unlike the Stoke of a few years ago, shame they had to bring on lanky bollox to rescue them.

It's probably to their detriment that Hughes wants them to try and play football and not play to their boring strengths. Stoke are like the Coventry of old going nowhere really just surviving.

 

[Rock Fox]

So we are in 12th position having played some tough opening matches against top teams. However, looking at others in the table, it also puts our win against Brighton and draw at Hudderfield in perspective - perhaps in retrospect 4 points wasn't such a bad return from those two 'easy win' games

 

[Redditch Fox]

Very decent performance. We shaded it but I thought Stoke weren't too bad.

Much depends on how quickly Iborra recovers and past mishandling of midfielder matters could continue to haunt us.

On Nacho, he obviously needs time and games but I begin to suspect that it would have been better to have got a money back clause from Man City rather them having a buy back option but hopefully I'm being unfair.

 

[Ike O'Noclassed]

This is turning into a good run and it's gratifying to see Iborra starting to show us what he is capable of, seems a long time since that woeful debut against Liverpool. Midfielder with an eye for goal - yes please. Iheanacho needs time but that ball through for Vardy shortly after he came on was superb and the shape of things to come I'm sure.

I still love Kingy and he's good to have in the squad, but oh, that second goal where he left his post to half-heartedly jump for the cross which Crouchy then buried was truly awful.

Stoke were quite good, especially in the second half. No shame in coming away with just a point, though if those two chances (Okizaki and Iborra) we had when we were one-nil up produced a goal, I'm sure we'd have cantered it.

 

[Brown Nose]

So we are in 12th position having played some tough opening matches against top teams. However, looking at others in the table, it also puts our win against Brighton and draw at Hudderfield in perspective - perhaps in retrospect 4 points wasn't such a bad return from those two 'easy win' games

Alternatively, you could choose to pick upon the spineless home defeats to Chelsea and Liverpool sides that weren't pushed out of their comfort zones. Neither side were strong when we played them and yet we allowed them to carve us apart almost at will. Just because they are a 'top team' doesn't mean we should assume defeat. And also the game at Arsenal who were terrible and totally unprepared to beat anyone that night. How we conspired to lose that game remains inexplicable.

Brighton and Huddersfield were both awful against us. That away draw felt like points dropped rather than a point gained thanks to a(nother) Maguire error.

It's much better to judge us performance by performance against the opponent that turns up on the day. Stoke can be a decent side but they weren't yesterday. They were fragile and toothless aside from our mistakes and set pieces.

I think we're at least six points short of where we should be given our ability levels and the performances of the opposition we've faced. Ultimately, those points have been dropped because we've not defended properly all season. If we're going to get anywhere we have to stop conceding so many soft goals.

 

[camberwell fox]

I thought we were the better team and significantly we shaded the possession % over stoke.

We are controlling and passing the ball much better and haven’t lost our cutting edge at all.

Although you could argue that the first 20 minutes passing was a little ponderous it was still much better than the predictable punt into the channel or a pass, back to the opposition.

We are mixing up our style of play quite nicely and tweaking our formation prior and during games very effectively.

I really like what CP has done this far and I’m certain he will continue to evolve the personnel, style and effectiveness aligned to negate and outplay the opposition.

The top 6-8 awaits our inevitable inclusion.

 

[camberwell fox]

I thought we were the better team and significantly we shaded the possession % over stoke.

We are controlling and passing the ball much better and haven’t lost our cutting edge at all.

Although you could argue that the first 20 minutes passing was a little ponderous it was still much better than the predictable punt into the channel or a pass, back to the opposition.

We are mixing up our style of play quite nicely and tweaking our formation prior and during games very effectively.

I really like what CP has done this far and I’m certain he will continue to evolve the personnel, style and effectiveness aligned to negate and outplay the opposition.

The top 6-8 awaits our inevitable inclusion.

Alternatively, you could choose to pick upon the spineless home defeats to Chelsea and Liverpool sides that weren't pushed out of their comfort zones. Neither side were strong when we played them and yet we allowed them to carve us apart almost at will. Just because they are a 'top team' doesn't mean we should assume defeat. And also the game at Arsenal who were terrible and totally unprepared to beat anyone that night. How we conspired to lose that game remains inexplicable.

Brighton and Huddersfield were both awful against us. That away draw felt like points dropped rather than a point gained thanks to a(nother) Maguire error.

It's much better to judge us performance by performance against the opponent that turns up on the day. Stoke can be a decent side but they weren't yesterday. They were fragile and toothless aside from our mistakes and set pieces.

I think we're at least six points short of where we should be given our ability levels and the performances of the opposition we've faced. Ultimately, those points have been dropped because we've not defended properly all season. If we're going to get anywhere we have to stop conceding so many soft goals.

I typed up my post before reading BN’s.

Two glasses, one half full and one half empty.

Funny how differently people see things, isn’t it? And all the better too, I might add.

 

[Brown Nose]

I typed up my post before reading BN’s.

Two glasses, one half full and one half empty.

Funny how differently people see things, isn’t it? And all the better too, I might add.

I wouldn't describe myself as glass half empty at all. I totally agree that a place in the top eight is there for the taking and I highly regard the quality and capability of our squad. I'm very excited about our potential this season in what is a pretty average league.

However, it is incredibly frustrating that we're chucking points away so easily. How many of the sixteen goals we've conceded have the opposition had to work hard to score? Very few.

We're at the same place we were early in our title winning season when Ranieri recognised the need for us to tighten us up defensively. Maybe Puel needs to offer the players Escargots?

 

[camberwell fox]

I wouldn't describe myself as glass half empty at all. I totally agree that a place in the top eight is there for the taking and I highly regard the quality and capability of our squad. I'm very excited about our potential this season in what is a pretty average league.

However, it is incredibly frustrating that we're chucking points away so easily. How many of the sixteen goals we've conceded have the opposition had to work hard to score? Very few.

We're at the same place we were early in our title winning season when Ranieri recognised the need for us to tighten us up defensively. Maybe Puel needs to offer the players Escargots?

Fair enough. Yes we’ve thrown points away but under different management.

I think it would be unfair to judge CP as having wasted points against Stoke, he needs some time to evolve things to his liking don’t you think?

 

[pork pie fox]

I wouldn't describe myself as glass half empty at all. I totally agree that a place in the top eight is there for the taking and I highly regard the quality and capability of our squad. I'm very excited about our potential this season in what is a pretty average league.

However, it is incredibly frustrating that we're chucking points away so easily. How many of the sixteen goals we've conceded have the opposition had to work hard to score? Very few.

We're at the same place we were early in our title winning season when Ranieri recognised the need for us to tighten us up defensively. Maybe Puel needs to offer the players Escargots?

Funnily enough, the debate after the game yesterday, regarding Fuchs, reminded me of the same discussions in the title winning season.

 

[Brown Nose]

Fair enough. Yes we’ve thrown points away but under different management.

I think it would be unfair to judge CP as having wasted points against Stoke, he needs some time to evolve things to his liking don’t you think?

I haven't seen any change in how we defend under Puel so far. The only real changes I've picked up are pushing the full backs further forward and tucking the wide players in/enable them to switch positions more.

Both of those changes are positive ones. However, encouraging Fuchs to push forward when his defensive partner Maguire likes to step out of defence too is pretty dumb. Much better to switch the positions of the two central defenders, tell Maguire to do his primary job as a defender better or just drop Maguire. It cost the first goal yesterday.

Our defending at set pieces has been awful all season. Improving it is a priority that I don't blame Puel for at all but he needs to work on it quickly. We've no excuse for it as we have enough height and physical presence. It's just bad coaching.

 

[camberwell fox]

I haven't seen any change in how we defend under Puel so far. The only real changes I've picked up are pushing the full backs further forward and tucking the wide players in/enable them to switch positions more.

Both of those changes are positive ones. However, encouraging Fuchs to push forward when his defensive partner Maguire likes to step out of defence too is pretty dumb. Much better to switch the positions of the two central defenders, tell Maguire to do his primary job as a defender better or just drop Maguire. It cost the first goal yesterday.

Our defending at set pieces has been awful all season. Improving it is a priority that I don't blame Puel for at all but he needs to work on it quickly. We've no excuse for it as we have enough height and physical presence. It's just bad coaching.

I would say though that Crouch is pretty much the best exponent of headers I have seen.

At 9’2” he is practically impossible to defend against without committing a foul.

 

[Micky]

The second Stoke goal isn't scored with Iborra on the pitch. He defends the near post and would have headed that ball away.

I too feel quite positive about the team but I did feel frustrated yesterday. I wanted us to take that game by the scruff of the neck and destroy Stoke. They are a horrible team and yet we somehow gave them a point (and nearly 3).

With the addition of Silva in January I hope we can push on and make the top eight. As much as I like and respect Andy King we must move on from him. He just cannot offer enough, other than league cup and perhaps FA cup matches.

Iborra is starting to look very good and an attacking trio of Vardy, Mahrez and Gray is mouthwatering. As for the defence, I think Mr Puel needs to be brave and give Maguire a rest. Dragovic must be chomping at the bit for a game.

 

[Volpone]

I thought Fuchs was to blame for both goals yesterday. He was the closest to Crouch when the ball was headed. A bit more bravery, thrust and effort and Fuchs would have beaten him to it.

 

[City Fan]

I thought Fuchs was to blame for both goals yesterday. He was the closest to Crouch when the ball was headed. A bit more bravery, thrust and effort and Fuchs would have beaten him to it.

His head is already in the USA. We need to get rid.

 

[Blaarev]

I thought Fuchs was to blame for both goals yesterday. He was the closest to Crouch when the ball was headed. A bit more bravery, thrust and effort and Fuchs would have beaten him to it.

The first one is Maguire. You don’t push forward as a CB when your leftback is further upfield than you

 

[camberwell fox]

His head is already in the USA. We need to get rid.

Completely agree.

 

[Brown Nose]

I would say though that Crouch is pretty much the best exponent of headers I have seen.

At 9’2” he is practically impossible to defend against without committing a foul.

To be fair though, he could have been a foot shorter and still score that goal. He barely had to jump. We have plenty of players that know how to block a run without committing a foul. It's purely down to coaching.