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rebuilding job

Discussion in 'Leicester City' started by MARTIN IS BACK AGAIN, May 21, 2017.

  1. BigFox

    BigFox Well-Known Member

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    Forget Silva - we aren't in the Champions League so he won't come here.

    King and Amartey need to be played in their proper positions - King was asked to play much deeper then he should be while Amartey was in the ACON team of the tournament as a CB.

    Mendy - no clue what he is about as he hasn't played but is meant to be a DM with excellent passing which hopefully would mean that Amartey can play as a CB although considering that Shakespeare preferred a LB who never played there over him doesn't give me confidence
     
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  2. BigFox

    BigFox Well-Known Member

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    Being really harsh on a kid just starting out - I'd give him a chance if the likes of Liverpool haven't poached him as an extra season of maturity could have done him good.

    Can't see us getting Sigurdsson as teams in Europe are after him and he isn't a winger anyway - we are linked with Bruma who is meant to be half decent.
     
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  3. Proud Fox

    Proud Fox Well-Known Member

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    We dont know what we have in Mendy yet just like with Kapustka. Tom Lawrence looked a waste of time until this season so he should be given a chance

    Harvey Barnes really impressed aswell but that was in League 1 so another loan may be his best option

    I really want us to sign a number 10 and not Gaston Ramirez. I dont rate him at all.

    Albeit I cant see us doing it because of marketing I would like us to move Shinji Okazaki on. He just dont have the quality and 12 goals in 2 season for a striker who has started 85% of the games is pathetic
     
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  4. BucksFox

    BucksFox Well-Known Member

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    Can't believe I'm reading this. Gray was too often brought on by Ranieri when we were chasing the game and because no one else had managed to score or even register a shot on target. He would have been trying to change the game. Yes he has made some bad decisions, but did show signs against Everton that he was trying to bring players in better positions into the game. He needs game time so he can play himself into a match from the start. As for being worse defensively than Mahrez? You've got to be kidding me. He works much harder and can make a challenge, unlike Mahrez who just turns his back. I'm not blind to the fact that Mahrez wins in the department of out and out skill going forward but lacks the pace and directness that Gray has. I think we've seen the best of Mahrez, but we've yet to see the best of Gray.
     
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  5. FosseFilberto

    FosseFilberto Pizzeria Superiore and some ...
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    Amartey is a good footballer and I hope that we will see him playing at centre-back in the future ... it will be his best position I'm convinced.
     
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  6. Champions of England

    Champions of England Active Member

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    All I've seen from Gray is Lloyd Dyer so far. He's got nothing in the final third because he doesn't look up and he's selfish and always opts to shoot rather than pick someone out. Southampton away sticks out when Vardy was all on his own in the middle but instead of playing an easy square ball for a sitter, he shot instead.

    He's not as good as Mahrez and isn't even close and no we haven't seen the best of Gray yet but we won't be for a few years either.

    Mahrez just needs to put this season behind him and find some self belief.
     
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  7. Champions of England

    Champions of England Active Member

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    Yeah I'd like to see him given a proper go at centre half.
     
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  8. Champions of England

    Champions of England Active Member

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    Sigurdssson is well within our reach now and he'd be perfect.
     
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  9. Proud Fox

    Proud Fox Well-Known Member

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    You cant compare Demarai Gray and Riyad Mahrez

    Mahrez is 26 years old and was the best player in the country this time last year

    Gray is still only 20 and making his way in the game. It took Mahrez 18 months to really get to grips here so give Gray the same before you judge the 2

    Gray has alot of potential and where that could take him who knows. Both have alot to improve on defensively and the only winger we have who is good going forwards and backwards is Albrighton
     
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  10. Champions of England

    Champions of England Active Member

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    Yeah exactly. Gray is a kid and needs to learn and he's a great prospect but he's not in the same class as Mahrez and won't be for several years but that's not to say he won't.
     
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  11. BigFox

    BigFox Well-Known Member

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    Everton have reportedly had a £25M bid accepted but he wants £120k p/w wages - is out of our reach.
     
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  12. BucksFox

    BucksFox Well-Known Member

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    The reason I mentioned the Everton game is because Gray had the chance to shoot but chose to lay it square to Slimani who tucked it away. The difference here was that he was starting the game and not feeling like he had to make an impact coming on as a sub with 20 minutes to go. He's not 'a kid'...he's 20 and been around the Prem for more than 2 years now after a spell in the Championship, so don't belittle him.

    As is pointed in a later thread we shouldn't be comparing Mahrez with Gray. One is a proper winger and the other should be playing more centrally. Unfortunately we keep playing Mahrez wide which is not where he should be doing his kind of work. Play him more centrally and if he can't hack it there then don't just drop someone else to create a position for him.
     
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  13. Champions of England

    Champions of England Active Member

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    Actually yeah I remember thinking he needs to do that more often and was happy that he laid Slimani on. There's no doubt he has talent but I don't think he's good enough in the final third yet to start and I wouldn't want him starting next season because I would hope for us to sign someone who is going to get double figures in goals and assists, which he isn't.

    I also agree about Mahrez playing in the middle but we have to change formation for that to happen but really Mahrez needs to start moving the ball quicker because that's the issue, he's low in confidence and that's why he's doing it. He just needs to rediscover his self belief and he'll be like last season, he's just doubting his ability too much because he's struggled to reproduce his form of last season. We should be doing all we can to keep players like him because he has the X factor that most players don't.
     
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  14. Champions of England

    Champions of England Active Member

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    Hmmm £120k seems a bit steep.
     
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  15. BucksFox

    BucksFox Well-Known Member

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    The trouble is, if Gray doesn't start games then he'll never be able to show if he can score goals or provide assists. The things he has in abundance are pace and a belief that he can go past an opponent, and if he fails once he'll beep trying rather than hide, and he shows determination to try and win the ball back if he loses it; things which are vital in all winners in the game. We signed him for a reason and pundits were acclaiming that as an inspired signing at the time. And he fulfilled that promise in his first few games but kept being dropped for the following match and very often didn't even get time as a sub, so was never able to settle into a rhythm. In a way we are changing our formation to accommodate Mahrez. He is being used wide right in place of a winger or wing-back, and he is neither. He doesn't have the pace going forwards and he doesn't have the defensive capabilities which means we are always being exposed on our right flank.

    Mahrez (as you've probably guessed by now) is a real enigma for me. I like flair players, and we've had our fair share in the past - Gibson, Worthington, Weller, Birchenall, Parker, Izzett - to mention a few. They were all the sort of player who could take the game by the scruff of the neck and make things happen. As well as skill they had a determination and a presence about them and you always knew they were on the pitch - they didn't just flit in and out of games. Mahrez just doesn't have their drive and determination and their will to win. He should be doing the same things as Sigurdsson, Barkley, Eriksen or Dele Ali. Undeniably he has the skill and ability but he lacks application. Once he has those things he can play attacking midfield, but don't make him a winger when he isn't one.
     
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  16. JohnTheFox

    JohnTheFox Well-Known Member

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    I definitely agree where you say he needs to start to develop and show what he can do.
    I hate the fact we seem scared as a club to blood young players. I admire the Southampton model in that sense and would love to see us try this more as our record of chucking money at expensive signings hasn't been a great success
     
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  17. Champions of England

    Champions of England Active Member

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    Personally, I think he needs to start showing it when he comes on first and not have to be starting before he actually looks up, that **** should be done in training day in day out and then relayed on to the pitch but it won't be happening in training either. He's not got the maturity yet, he's simply too young and isn't ready. If it's not Mahrez then it needs to be someone like Sigurdsson, not Gray. He's just not good enough yet.

    Mahrez has the ability and the desire but not the self belief, it's a pity Gray can't give him some of his because he's got too much for his ability.
     
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  18. Champions of England

    Champions of England Active Member

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    Don't get me wrong I think Gray is an exciting talent but anyone thinking he'd get regular games anywhere else is off their heads. He's not getting in Spurs or Liverpool's first XI, no chance so I don't see why he should get in ours? He doesn't deserve to play yet and isn't good enough but he's only 20 and should be biding his time and working hard to improve so that he does warrant a start.

    I want to see more than Lloyd Dyer before he's in the starting XI and I believe we will just not for a while.
     
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  19. nzfoxfan

    nzfoxfan Well-Known Member

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    For me our player of the year was Albrighton and I don't see how he, Gray and Mahrez all play at the same time. Mahrez was magical last year but the future is now Gray with the steady and dependable Albrighton
     
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  20. BucksFox

    BucksFox Well-Known Member

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    Don't forget how far we finished behind Liverpool and Spurs. I don't believe Gray would get into their sides at the moment, but we are talking about a team that was struggling against relegation, not one that was fighting for the title. We might have aspirations in that direction but we are way off it at the moment.

    I'm not sure I buy all this talk of Mahrez being a humble guy lacking self confidence. If you're having a poor spell then start showing some determination and desire to get the ball back and show what you can do; don't act like a big Jessie. I know some players need an arm round the shoulder and some need a kick up the backside but, at the end of the day, football is a physical game and when you're on the pitch you have to man up and show you want it.

    It just shows how difficult it is to pick a decent team that works when you don't have the right quality players. Managers of Spurs and Chelsea had it easy last season because they knew their best 11 or 12 players and the way they wanted to play and they were able to keep playing the same system. Unfortunately Shakespeare doesn't have that luxury and we armchair managers are poles apart!
     
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