please log in to view this image Leeds United vs Leicester City please log in to view this image Saturday January 18th, 2014 - K.O 12:15 - Elland Road please log in to view this image Time to get back to winning ways with the match threads! This game finds two teams in very different form shaping up against each other. Leeds on a run of 6 without a win entertain Leicester with the Foxes enjoying a run of 5 straight wins in the league. They will arrive at Elland Road full of confidence and with the impression that the points are there for the taking. That's a far cry from the record that the Whites were building earlier in the season, on the way to making Elland Road a fortress once again. New signings Cameron Stewart and Jimmy Kebe featured in Leeds' 6-0 defeat at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday, seeing Brian McDermott alter the commonplace 3-5-2 formation to include them. With Matt Smith picking up a 3 game ban, the 4-3-3 may be the formation going forwards. Leicester fans will be hoping that they pour on more misery at Elland Road, the Foxes have scored an average of 2.8 goals their last 5, a run which has elevated them to the top of the league. Leeds however hold the upper hand when looking at the history of this fixture. Recent meetings haven't provided explosive viewing, and the 0-0 draw earlier this season certainly won't be making it into either teams' seasonal highlights this year. Nigel Pearson has the easier preparation of the two managers, to simply tell his boys to keep doing what they are doing. McDermott however faces a tougher challenge, with confidence throughout the squad unquestionably low. Form Guide (Last 5 League Games) [TABLE="width: 500, align: center"] [TR] [TD]Team[/TD] [TD]Form[/TD] [TD="align: center"]F[/TD] [TD="align: center"]A[/TD] [TD="align: center"]Pts[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Leicester[/TD] [TD]W - W - W - W - W[/TD] [TD="align: center"]14[/TD] [TD="align: center"]5[/TD] [TD="align: center"]15[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Leeds[/TD] [TD]D - X - L - L - L[/TD] [TD="align: center"]3[/TD] [TD="align: center"]11[/TD] [TD="align: center"]2[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Head to Head (Previous League Games) [TABLE="width: 500, align: center"] [TR] [TD="align: center"]Team[/TD] [TD="align: center"]P[/TD] [TD="align: center"]W[/TD] [TD="align: center"]D[/TD] [TD="align: center"]L[/TD] [TD="align: center"]F[/TD] [TD="align: center"]A[/TD] [TD="align: center"]GD[/TD] [TD="align: center"]Pts[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]Leeds[/TD] [TD="align: center"]115[/TD] [TD="align: center"]45[/TD] [TD="align: center"]33[/TD] [TD="align: center"]37[/TD] [TD="align: center"]196[/TD] [TD="align: center"]171[/TD] [TD="align: center"]25[/TD] [TD="align: center"]168[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]Leicester[/TD] [TD="align: center"]115[/TD] [TD="align: center"]37[/TD] [TD="align: center"]33[/TD] [TD="align: center"]45[/TD] [TD="align: center"]171[/TD] [TD="align: center"]196[/TD] [TD="align: center"]-25[/TD] [TD="align: center"]144[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Early Betting Odds (Correct on 17/01/14) [TABLE="width: 500, align: center"] [TR] [TD="align: center"]Leeds Win[/TD] [TD="align: center"]Draw[/TD] [TD="align: center"]Leicester Win[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD="align: center"]11/10[/TD] [TD="align: center"]13/5[/TD] [TD="align: center"]11/4[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Leeds United Top Scorers (League) Ross McCormack...17 Matt Smith...7 Rodolph Austin...2 New boys Jimmy Kebe and Cameron Stewart will both be in line for a start again this time out, with Matt Smith missing the game through suspension. The usual suspects are otherwise all available for selection, though Scott Wooton remains out of the squad (still injured?).McDermott will have some tactical thinking to do after his switch to the 4-3-3 last weekend to accommodate the new signings yielded an embarrassment in the local derby. Playing a more conservative 4-5-1 could be the answer to make all of the pieces fit. Ross McCormack will start his tenure as club captain on Saturday, after Rudy Austin relinquished the armband. Leicester City Top Scorers (League) Dave Nugent...14 Jamie Vardy...8 Lloyd Dyer...5 Nigel Pearson should have both Chris Wood and Sean St Ledger back in the squad for this clash, although it is likely they will start from the bench. Wood may have to break back into the side after the partnership of Nugent and Vardy as a front two has been yielding some very positive results. New Fox Riyad Mahrez, a winger from the French League 2 should have a place in the squad, but probably not the starting lineup. Leicester fans will be buoyed by the news that captain Wes Morgan has had his contract extended. Durham's Prediction: 1-2 Loss Sorry! There's no hiding, or dressing up the fact that Leeds have been on an awful run recently. So the question of a score prediction for me came down to, is this the game that we will break our streak? Unfortunately the realist in me says no it isn't. Without Smith I think we'll pursue a new formation in order to use the new players. I just don't think they'll have bedded in with enough confidence to beat the league leaders on their current form. please log in to view this image I've gone with a 4-5-1 rather than a 4-3-3 though in practice theres scant differences. I expect Kebe and Stewart to play more as "Inside Forwards" when we push up on the attack, and then hold down a more traditional wing role when defending / countering. At this point the rest of the team still picks itself for me, with the usual suspects as a midfield trio and the back 4 remaining largely consistent. I'd still go with Byram in to start, but I've not really seen much of the last few so I could be right out on that one. I just hope we can put an end to the stat that we have conceded at least 2 in our last 3 games. Over to the not606 faithful, let's have some score and team predictions (and a bit more positivity than I have at the minute!!)
Morning all. To cut a long story short, I can see us winning this. But everything will depend on who BMD picks. Assuming no additions to the squad between now and beer o'clock tomorrow, I hope we'll have a team of: Kenny Byram Pearce Lees Warnock Kebe Austin Tonge Stewart Ross Hunt We need effort by the CM & We need Kebe & Stewart to feed Hunt and Ross as often as they can. 3-1 Leeds
I would pick ZM before Lees. He had a bad game but he CAN play well, so we need to persevere. Not sure we can afford to keep bedding in both the two new boys, depends how they have done this week in training. If any doubts, I would play one of them, and Murphy and Mowatt, not Tonge
Nice match thread LID Just out of interest, how long do these normally take you!? Anyways, on the football... You can't buy a win, we keep winning, means only one thing... A Leeds win! I genuinely can't see us winning this one, and would happily take a point.
I have decided not to post on the match threads anymore because each time I do we don't win ... sorry LiD, keep up the great work mate
Fair comment 20. The reason I choose Tonge(or Brown if I thought he wouldn't get sent off inside the first hour) is that they're both better in the tackle and more likely to secure the midfield than either Mowatt or Murphy.
Cheers fella With repeated practice I can get it done within a couple of hours now The stats take a bit of doing, but I'm pretty interested in what they have to say myself so don't mind it
you just posted!! We'll never win now I noticed that we lose games that I don't get around to doing match threads for... so fingers crossed me making this one has us covered!
If you were a betting man and you had watched the last 5 Leicester and Leeds games you would say this is the banker away win of the weekend. For that reason and because football results bite you in the ass I am going to go for a Leeds win. It should be good odds for a home win?
Very nervous about this one, although I was more nervous about the Derby game. As long as we keep our heads down and focus we'll win. If Leicester turn up I expect them to win, if they don't then i'm sure BM will have his team raring to go and will gobble up the points. These are the type of games that Champions win. Lets see how we get on. Good luck after tomorrow boys, if we were to go up then i'd like you to be one of the clubs to join us.
Well I'm a pessimist most of the time and after watching the last two matches, one on TV and the other live I just can't see how our defense will deal with Leicesters attack. I just can't see how this side can suddenly lift themselves and start playing well. I'm worried regarding the result, but obviously I hope I'm proved wrong and all you positive supporters are right........
f**ksake we lost 6-0 to relegation fodder and after watching Leicester v Derby I think I will be betting on Leicester with over 4.5 goals!!! I don't want to go to Elland Road, will get dragged their and hate it Probably gonna be 1-0 Leeds win then
After recent performances can't really see us getting anything from this. Although I'm surprised how the foxes on here are not very confident.
We've been in the Championship for far too long for me to be confident about any game All signs do point to a Leeds win, to be fair.
