The few times we did get decent crosses into the box he was nowhere to be seen, and that is meant to be his strength. I've said it loads of times before so can't really be bothered to go into it again, but Pelle completley restricts the way we play as he is very one dimensional, and today we never really looked like scoring (except for Mane running through from a good through ball from Pelle). Playing the target man type striker just doesn't work consistently enough for it to be all a striker has in their locker. Long is not that much worse than Pelle in the air, but offers so much more in terms of running in behind and general movement to split the centre backs and create space for others.
We went toe-to-toe with the league leaders (who have lost just three games all-season and haven't lost at home in 18 games). They nicked a goal, we didn't. Our delivery into the box isn't quite what it should be - or has been - and we didn't get a clear-cut chance. Credit must go to the Leicester defence for defending as well as they did. They are clearly very organised and have a lot of belief in each other. Fraser was great for us, he stopped it getting away from us and made it possible for one goal to get us a point. In the end, it didn't happen. But they'll win the league, so there's no shame in that. We'll smash Newcastle if we play like that.
Pelle didn`t get anything out of Huth and Morgan, so a more mobile option would have been better - pity Long was out, and JRod and Austin maybe not ready for 90 mins yet. We didn`t make anything of numerous crossing opportunities either.
yes, think sixth is going to be required and if Man Utd pick up a result then it's going to be too much of an ask now. hope we use the remainder of the season to try and find an attacking balance which can work. Need to see how we can make Austin the main man
Yep 10 penalties given to Leicester this season and had a huge piece of luck not giving away 1 today (Huth). Everything's going for them this season.
Can't blame it on Pelle. Austin did ****all when he came on, too. Mane had a moment or two but was also contained. Their defense was pretty well organized. The difference was that when they attacked, all their players were on the same page. Everyone knew which runs the others would make, and they are very quick. When we attacked all we did was play crosses into the middle, so Leicester just packed the box and took that away from us. We didn't play badly. It could have gone differently, but Leicester got the first goal and then knew exactly what to do to see it out. They sat back well and were also dangerous on the counter and really should have had another. They did enough to win. In the end it looked more like a workman-like victory than a nail-biting 1-0.
Austin had 20 minutes or so coming from an injury lay off so not really going to blame him. And the 2nd paragraph just backs up what I was saying about being one dimensional when Pelle is playing. Mane doesn't get into the game because we usually spread it wide to the full backs to cross into the box. Or Pelle receives the ball with his back to goal and doesn't see the runs Mane is making in behind players. I'm not blaming Pelle for today (or any loss) he is what he is. I'm just saying that we become very one dimensional in attack when he is playing.
So basically Leicester are an Italian club side from the 70s but without the spitting, hair-pulling, play-acting, stamping and 'horse-bites' when helping an opponent to his feet . Let's hope if they win the league this style of football is not what influences tactics for ten years or so.
We played better than them - they scored a goal. Mane was awarded a foul when he didn't fall over and wave his arms about.
Leicester's style of play has a lot to do with their opponents. Earlier in the year, they were known as a swashbuckling, high-scoring side that won every match 3-2 or 4-3 and seemingly couldn't defend for the life of them. What changed? Teams got scared and stopped throwing bodies forward in the hopes of negating their chances on the counter. Now they win 1-0 and people complain that they're negative, despite being a whisker off from the top goals total in the league.
