Good article http://www.independent.ie/sport/soc...d-qpr-may-bring-each-other-down-30604561.html "The first question you need to ask about a player's attitude when he moves from a team competing for trophies to one battling relegation is "would he have done that at his old club?" Had Manchester United been beaten and embarrassed 4-0 at either Upton Park or Elland Road in the past 12 years, would Rio Ferdinand have released a statement the following day expressing his gratitude for reception he received at his former club?"...
The other side of the same coin, and further down the page, this caught my eye. Says it all about the difference between ourselves and Leicester, and why Leicester are tipped to emulate Southampton and Swansea whilst everyone predicts us to follow Fulham: 'The question nobody askedHow many of Leicester's players who beat Manchester United were there last year?Against hundreds of millions worth of players in the Manchester United team yesterday, Leicester produced a stunning comeback backboned by a group of players who, one year ago exactly, were drawing 2-2 with Blackpool.Starting with the goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, Leicester also had the same back four as yesterday when they travelled to Bloomfield Road with Richie De Laet, Paul Konchesky - who scored against Blackpool *‑ Wes Morgan and Liam Moore although United did at least manage one goal more than Blackpool.Danny Drinkwater was also involved while two of yesterday's goalscorers, Jamie Vardy and David Nugent, make it eight players who beat United yesterday that couldn't beat Blackpool exactly one year ago. - See more at: http://www.independent.ie/sport/soc...other-down-30604561.html#sthash.H6yApVrS.dpuf
The potential pitfalls of such a signing were all too obvious before we brought him in. So far its gone according to the most predictable of scripts. Depressing
I think the thing that annoys me the most about Rio is he seems to be unfairly keeping Ned out of the team.
As a comparison one year ago we won 1-0 at Yeovil, the starting 11 were: Green, Simpson, Dunne, Hill, BAE, Phillips, Jenas, Carroll, O'Neill, Traore, Austin.... So 3 that played at Yeovil started against Stoke, Phillips came on as a sub making 4, Dunne was an unused sub on saturday, 2 were loanees whilst Simpson, O'Neill & Jenas have gone and Hill wasn't in the matchday squad....effectively 6. EDIT: Barton, Nico and SWP were the subs used at Yeovil.....
Nice one Tramore! I was wondering whether anyone would be arsed to do this. I think the key comparison is the defence. Green aside, we've changed them all, Leicester have the same 4. Partly explains our terrible goal difference, and why we haven't 'gelled' (again).
Interesting post, Tramore. I was at that game. Our defence now is little more effective than it was then - However, I live in hope that we have more scope for improvement now, as players become more familiar with each other with every game
