Match Day Thread Sevilla v Leicester City (CHAMPIONS LEAGUE)

Saw a few flashes of last season in that second half. Fingers crossed that's the start of a turnaround in form.

 

Decent result lads. Doing England proud.

LeicesterCity pride of England. Enjoy

 

Huth really looked off the pace tonight, shame Wague got injured, don't think Ranieri trusts any of the others to come in and do a job. Musa hardly justifies his price tag either, Gray should be first name on the team sheet.

 

Brilliant team performance for the last half hour. Definitely shades of last season against a technically very good side. Before that it was only Kasper keeping us in the game.

Some of you were calling for Musa to be replaced. Admitted he wasn't great but, for me, it was Mahrez who really disappointed again. In a match where we needed pressing and all out effort he just wasn't in the game again. He was ineffective going forward and provided no defensive cover whatsoever.

Ranieri's obsession with 4-4-2 still worries me. Without Kante it just doesn't work. With him in the side it was like playing 4-5-2. Tonight we had that huge gap between the forwards/midfield and defence and we surrendered huge swathes of space for Sevilla to play in. We were so open to the counter attack it was like playing against Leicester City last season. Give me a 4-2-3-1 with the current squad.

 

We watch differenr games obviously ... what did Musa contribute? ... nowt (and the first goal could have been prevented if he was more alert (twice)) - for me it's him or Vards, you can't accommodate both - too similar.

Mahrez was great in the second half IMO .. His potential threat helped to limit attacks down that side ... Escudero couldn't handle him and took a booking for the team as Mahrez accelerated away from him ...that helped put their defence on the back foot - and if he had managed to get that shot away at the end after turning them inside out it could have been one of the UCL goals of the season. He is not robust in the tackle admottedly but his technique and guile is what we are going to need if we are going to progress. He rarely wastes passes, in marked contrast to Drinky and Albrighton, who concede possession way too easily at times.

The biggest single problem we have is the central defensive partnership - Huth is currently awful and Wes has gone back to his stupid habit of flinging himself about rather than staying on his feet - there was no need for that penalty - weak header from Huth - bit of indecision bewteen Huth and Ndidi - but the forward still needs to work the ball to get a shot away until wes does his flying Swan ... Rio Ferdinand summed it up ... no need to go off your feet there.

Mahrez one side and Gray the other was working very well in that second half ...

 

No, we watched the same game. As I said, Musa wasn't great. But again he was played out of position. Agreed Musa and Vardy are too similar to play together and one of them has to stand down. The improvement in the last half hour came down to intensity and that's when Mahrez (for me) doesn't do it. Going forward he has no pace and therefore slows the game down and gives defenders time to regroup. It was significant that our goal came with a quick interchange on the left side. It's okay turning the defence inside out, but where was the end product? I've admitted in the past he has skill and guile but I don't think that this season we can afford the luxury of someone who doesn't contribute enough all round. There is no Kante to pick up the slack and cover for him.

Albrighton and Drinky did give the ball away far too easily at times, but the work rate of those two and the defensive covering by Albrighton in particular saved us at the back on a couple of occasions and was worth a goal to us.

 

Mahrez has no pace? <doh< ...he has plenty ... but also keeps the ball under control way better than most .. Escudero got booked because he couldn't afford to let Mahrez get away from him (with the ball) but he was getting left behind ... he is far and away our best player in possession ... I think you would be happy with a team of Paul Dickovs tbf "we got relegated but we ran around loads" ... we are trying to move to the next level ... and I don't mean down to the Championsip ... I can't remember a single thing that Musa did well yesterday (and you haven't been able to either ) ... I can remember plenty that Mahrez did ... including beating his man in the air more than once ...

I think it comes down to personal taste ... I like Mark Albrighton but he doesn't get people off the edge of their seats ... Mahrez certainly does ... well apart from you obviously

 

Oh, Mahrez does get me out of my seat......I have to get right up close to the TV and shout at him. But still he takes no notice!

He has pace???? Well why doesn't he bl00dy use it when it comes to tracking back? Reminds me of the commentator who reckoned that Yaya Toure gets forward like a sprinter and gets back like a marathon runner. It's time to stop making excuses for him and picking out selected snippets of his performance to justify putting him in the team. The fact he can win flick-ons with his head isn't that memorable a feature of his performance for me.

Why do you keep on about Musa? I haven't said anywhere that he had a decent game or was better than Mahrez. Maybe you're inferring that I think he was better than Mahrez because I would have preferred to have replaced Mahrez rather than Musa with Gray. To clear that up, I don't think Musa should have started with Vardy. And I'm sorry if you think I'm dumb enough to want a team full of Paul Dickovs. We are clearly never going to agree on Mahrez's contribution this season,but I shan't resort to belittling your opinion.

 

"Some of you were calling for Musa to be replaced. Admitted he wasn't great but, for me, it was Mahrez who really disappointed again"

... Mahrez can score or create in the blink of the eye - he's a game changer - a genius - and that's why he will always be a shoe-in for me .. but he needs to see plenty of the ball ...

... have spent way too much of my life watching players who aren't ... which isn't very exciting ... particularly when you are a goal down and you know that despite all the huffing and puffing going on ... the result is inevitable ...

 

The curse of European football when your not a Man Utd or a Chelsea, It definitely effects your league form,,,,,I wonder sometimes if it is worth it. We have been in your shoes and I remember our league form suffering and it was not until we were knocked out did our league form change for the better...

 

On the Mahrez argument.....IMO, he hasn't got blistering pace, but he isn't a slouch either. He does need to work on his back tracking and helping out Simpson, but he is our "luxury" player who is an absolute joy and privilege to watch. Some of his skills are mind blowing and very often has 2 if not 3 players around him. Admittedly, he has been disappointing this season, but who hasn't!!

 

Mahrez is our most gifted player by far, but when you are struggling you need to work your tabs off to turn things around - this he doesnt. When he cuts in from the wing you wait for something special to happen - to be fair, this season we are still waiting. Would I start Mahrez? - Deffo, but there again I would have stuck with Claudio.

 

The reason he has 2 or 3 players round him is because he isn't direct enough. There have been numerous times this season I've seen him receive the ball in one on one situations and because he hesitates and shuffles around it gives time for other players to get to him. I agree he is a luxury player and at the moment, when we can't get a win, there is no place for a luxury player who isn't giving their all and isn't producing.

 

second leg and its off to super start. We are a different team, or maybe lasts seasons team is back.

 

Leicester is definitely winning the first half!

 

Morgan 1-0 (2-2 aggregate)

 

2-0 Albrighton!

I must be dreaming...

 

Hope you lot are enjoying as much as we enjoyed our run in 2011

 

Yesss!

 

Absolutely brilliant. Worthy Champions of England