Match Day Thread Leicester vs Southampton 02/09/2016 KO 2:15pm

Yes, having watched the game live and watching the full 90 again I'm getting a slightly different impression as well, although mine is that we're most certainly the better team second time around.! What possession Leicester had was efficient because they are so direct.

Tell you what though, for a 0-0, it was a pretty good game and worth the repeat viewing if only just to concentrate on all the technical, tactical bits one misses first time round.

 

Yes, noticed this. Though in fairness a few of the papers are leading with "Saints coping better than Leicester".

 

By implication, Saints must have used underhand tactics, by daring to rotate their squad. The media need to have a reason not to credit Saints with playing well, so rather than give us plaudits for having a squad of players, who can slot into the first team seamlessly, they use Leicester's inability to have a similar squad rotation as a reason why they played poorly.

It won't be long before every other team in the Premier League, not to mention teams in the Europa League, plus any lower league teams that we meet in cup competitions, all have bad days that exactly coincide with our matches against them. Oh, and how long can we keep getting lucky with our replacement players and managers. As Lee Trevino once said, 'People call me lucky, and the more I practise, the luckier I get'.

 

Ranieri himself was very gracious saying we were better and that he might need to look at rotating players himself.

 

Having just watched MOTD2 the BBC pundits have the good sense to credit us with playing well and to keep regenerating (like Dr Who?)
Who else does this at the moment? No-one

...apart from the Doctor, obviously!

 

Has anyone see the Doctor and Les Reed in the same room, at the same time. Hah...thought not.

 

Forster picked up a slight thigh injury.

 

Funny that during the match and hearing the comments from Whispering Dave and Adam Blackmore I suddenly realised that Fraser Forster is a two footed goalkeeper. Most keepers can't kick decently with one foot but Fraser manages to be pretty competent with left or right foot. He may not have the best of Gazzaniga accuracy but his clearances are often long range passes rather than thumps upfield.

 

Talking of Paulo, he's not playing much over in Spain is he.

 

Hmm, one league game according to Wiki. Not enough is it. Still, early days.

 

Under study to fairly old but reliable keeper, he'll have to bide his time & seize his chance.

 

Had yet another look at this game over a bite to eat. And I've suddenly remembered who Virgil reminds of when he ventures forward deep into the opposition half to influence the game, with or without the ball. None other than Franz Beckenbauer. In FB's time it was almost unheard of, and nowadays it's kind of cute, because Virgil does it almost exactly the same as Beckenbauer did. Like FB, VVD is a proper ball-playing defender who is a bit too big to be playing quick one-twos around the opposition, but his size and change of pace allows him to eat up the ground, while the opposition players are backing off. Beckenbauer used to use this to such good effect he would sometimes just carry the ball through the opposition lines and take a shot. I expect to see Virgil doing this before too long.

 

He'll start more threads if he stays here, though. He won't get used as much on the Everton board. He's in contention here for England match threads too - surprised but glad he wasn't called up this week.

 

He's the Mane of referees. Shop window ref.

 

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/row-zed/maya-yoshida-quick-theo-walcott-8986588

Go on Maya and Shane

Piss off Sadio

 

Marks a funny one, he's almost more suited for big continental games. Really composed, doesn't show pressure, makes good calls. Then you see some domestic games and he sometimes loses the plot. Cup final Tats & the only ref to have an agent.........that don't help his case.