Of the current top four: Positives Cardiff have the points on the board and an annoyingly large and versatile set of players. Leicester have the momentum and had the best transfer window. Hull have the only manager of the three to have outwitted Zola (Cardiff fluked a win at home against nine men in injury time), and had the most interesting transfer window. Watford are where they are despite a very poor start by promotion-chasing standards. When we're at our best, we're probably the most-feared team in the league, and despite the Bristol City debacle we have some pretty useful backups (Fernando Forestieri was undoubtedly the difference between a Leicester win and a Watford win, for instance). Negatives Malky Mackay's teams always fade towards the end of the season. They will almost certainly do so again this season, but I think the gap is too big for the likely poor form to deny them promotion. Could I be wrong? Leicester have had more false dawns than Cardiff, and while you have had a couple of outstanding runs you have also had a couple of very inconsistent ones. Can you peak at the right time (or better yet, keep anything like the current run going)? Hull came into 2013 with the smallest squad, and came out of it with the most players to try to integrate into the team. If it wasn't for the two or three months Watford spent bedding in the foreign players/trying to be Barcelona with Sean Dyche's players, we would probably be a comfortable 2nd at the moment. Can Hull do a better job on this front? The flip side to "when we're at our best" is that we're not at our best as consistently as others. Zola has been a breath of fresh air for the entire division, but his main weakness is making wholesale changes once every so often, rather than the British tendency to keep more or less the same team throughout, making minor tweaks as needed based on form and fatigue. We probably have the toughest April too: the three teams above us, two teams we haven't beaten this season, and a team that will be scrapping for their lives. Will the tinkering pay dividends then, when the stakes will be much higher than in late January? Predictions My heart says that things have generally improved as the season has gone on, and that we will clinch second. My head says that going up automatically is too good to be true, and that things will stay as they are. Although over two legs I fancy us to beat anyone, so we would at least get a Wembley trip out of it.
I'm sure Leicester played like Brazil whilst losing 1-0 to Leeds this season. We've played well at times this season, very well at others and been awful away from home at the start. In our 10 win run to start only Huddersfield in the first match could feel hard done by with getting back on the bus with nothing. We started away from home trying to out score team which as blue said meant we few a 2 goal advantage 3 times, so while your adding points to your imaginary 'if everything had gone our way total' stick 9 more on for those. 2 on for Gunnar missing a great chance v Ipswich (0-0) and the 3 we 'should' have got v Peterborough. It's a ridiculous point and if you've watched the sport for any sort of time surely you know that?
But in answer to the original question, at our best we play the most exciting football, no question. Unfortunately, at our worst we are clowns.
I debate the fluked past 9 men. I thought you played well but both were correctly sent off and it was like the alamo till we got the winner. I said back then I thought you were a threat though and honestly think Vydra is as good as anything in this league.
I disagree. We play some very good football with fast attacking exciting players. On our day we have already proven we can cut teams open and score pretty much at will
This could turn into a dick waving exercise with no way of winning. Both Leicester and Watford do play some decent attacking stuff with quality footballers. The we're more exciting than you argument really doesn't have any sort of definition and I doubt either have seen enough of the other to know. Obviously a few of you have seen 4 of our games and decided we're ****e though and that's fine.........
The 10 point gap doesn't lie, I'm just saying there are other teams I would rather watch. Other teams whose best is more exhilarating. As a neutral I'd rather watch the current Arsenal than Jose Mourinho's Chelsea, but consistency won the latter team several trophies, and inconsistency will probably see Arsenal playing in the Europa League next season.
Oh, no question, and you demolish teams more often than us too. Where we come to the fore is in the style with which we do it. The class Forestieri showed against Leicester. The creative genius that is Almen Abdi. The humiliation of Leeds. The Battocchio goal, which even Robbie Savage, an ex-Leicester player who routinely uses his position to slag off Watford, is calling the best Football League goal of the season. (Stevo's right that no Leicester fan is going to admit that his side is any less exciting than another team, but just thought that as the visitor I'd at least make the case)
I've no issue with that. The misconception though is that Jose's Chelsea couldn't and didn't play teams off the park. But his side also knew how to win ugly. Wengers gunners were brilliant with Henry, Viera and co. but I don't think they play the best football in the pl anymore. Totally off topic but I thought there were some very promising signs for the Liverpool 'revolution' this afternoon. Hull won ugly at mill wall, we did at Leeds, Leicester will need to plenty more times this season if they want either of the top 2 spots. I think Watford will end up in the playoffs but they'll be a handful for whoever gets them.
We started the season by winning ugly - we weren't great against Peterborough. Then we played well and didn't get the results we deserved. Then put some form together, then a blip, and now won our last 5 league games. We have played some of the most attractive football on the way since Jimmy Bloomfield was manager. Just recently we have won a couple that quite frankly we could have dropped points in. The difference between ourselves and Cardiff is simple - they have held on to more leads in close games when we have dropped points. Cardiff haven't really had a major blip like all of the chasing teams. Can't see them screwing it up now - they have too many experienced Championship players. Both Hull and Watford have the opportunity and ability to put a good run together. A real test for us will be at Posh on Saturday, somewhere we have a pretty dismal record at. If we can win that match, then I will be a lot more positive about our run in, cos more often than not, we have slipped up against teams in the lower half of the division. Gonna be exciting, and whilst ideally I would wish us automatic promotion, the most exciting way to get it is at Wembley.
Sure, but I just can't bring myself to say United, and didn't want to offend by saying Swansea. Arsenal are still up there in the entertainment stakes though (I rarely watch full Premier League matches for fear of tempting young relatives into "supporting" certain teams, but look no further than the entirety of their league cup run, or a highlights reel of Theo Walcott).
West Ham played some fantastic football but it didn't stop them getting relegated to the championship. This league is probably the hardest league to gain promotion from and I think it sometimes takes more than an attractive style to do so, you also need to have the players able to grind out results when attractive football isn't an option. WWBWB good luck to all
I try and give you a complement and that is what I get back! Typical, I remember you having the same argument with DMD, with you giving him a complement and him having a go at you for it! Hypocrite!
I take it you havent seen Knockaert. When he ticks the whole team does. He can unlock any defence with some magic. For some reason for the past few years everytime we got to Vicarage road we just totally forget how to defend just like you lot do when you come here. But when you come here we will be alot more solid defensively. Big Wes Morgan has deep pockets to put all your strikers in The front 3 of David Nugent, Anthony Knockaert and Chris Wood are more then a handful and probably the best front 3 in the league. Between them they have scored 40 goals already this season
Charles smashing in 6 against Ipswich and Huddersfield along with playing exciting attacking football with the best goal difference in the league by a decent amount. Yeah very boring. If you couldnt notice my comment was tongue in cheek then its probably past your bed time. These late night arent good for when you get up early for school
I just said that you play the best football in the league, along with us and Watford! Yes, here, Nigel played boring football, with the players that he had! But at Leicester he doesn't play boring football, it's bright and vibrant!
I think you can pretty much forget about Cardiff. They are 10 points clear and even if they do screw up a bit like they normally do towards the end of the season they will take 2nd at worst. So looking at us. We have the best defence in the league and with Chris Wood coming in we look **** hot in front of goal but that can change. We have alot of depth in some areas and not so much in others. With Sean St. Ledger and Zak Whitbread set to return its like 2 new signings. Hull I think their lack of firepower will cost them dear. They have a decent team but their disadvantage which has already cost them a few points this season is the loan deals they have arent very secure. Stockdale and Elmohammady have already been recalled once this season and can easily be recalled again. The difference would be this time they wouldnt be able to return and Hull dont have a transfer window to replace them so they would have to rely on more loans or what they have. Watford are the unpredictable ones. Like Hull they have a few loans but their loans are a little more secure with the partnership (or whatever you want to call it) with their parent club. IMO they lack the depth and quality throughout to sustain a top 2 challenge buts they are still in with a shout. Watford have also played an extra game so they could fall off the pace should both us and Hull win our extra game. All 3 clubs are decently backed so should be able to use the loan market if needed but both Nigel Pearson and Steve Bruce have better links in this country then Zola. Zola obviously has links with Chelsea and West Ham, im not quite sure if you can loan players from outside the UK in the emergency loan window
