Off Topic The General Chat Thread.

That was in THAT season wasn’t it if I remember? I think there was nothing riding on the game to the point neither team could move positions so it was purely playing it out to honour the TV deals etc but they couldn’t do it if something was riding on the game?

 

I was being flippant and agree they will play it but for the reason in the post below yours due to broadcasters as well. Doubt they’ll take point off Man U though. Tbf i saw on Sky they said in the Fa rules points would be awarded to a side where the opposition hasn’t fulfilled the game but premier league rules said otherwise...

 

Early days but Newcastle should have put this to bed already, we are fortunate to still be in it! I know they’ve had great results recently but they’ve still ground them out so up step Leicester to make them look like prime Barcelona!!

 

Wow, I thought putting us down for a draw on the predictions was a negative outlook, turns out I was overly positive thinking we’d get 1 point! I genuinely expected Newcastle to come and frustrate us and get a point, they haven’t taken points off West Ham, Liverpool and Spurs in their past few games for no reason. However, I didn’t expect them to tear us apart to the extend it wouldn’t have flattered them if it was 4-0 at HT! Embarrassing by the lot of them.

 

Self destructing at the wrong time. Without Evans I'd have played a back four, we are at home to Newcastle, not one of the big teams. Maddison and Pereira were ineffective, Praet must be wondering what he's got to do to get a game. Castagne has been playing well recently, why take him out of wing back, Amartey could have played centre back. Some very questionable decisions from management and players on the the pitch, we never make things easy for ourselves.

 

I think we may have reached what will turn out to be our final points total tbh. It’ll be slow and painful seeing how many of the chasing pack reel us in but at least it’ll be over in 2 weeks. Hopefully one of them at least drops enough points that we get a EL spot. Nightmare scenario is West Ham, Liverpool and Spurs winning out there easy run in sand Chelsea getting enough that we could end up as low as 7th and that crappy new competition. I’d take EL now if we could!

 

Well, what an absolute shocker!!!!!

When we are good, we are REALLY good, but when we are poor, words can not describe how s*** we are!!!!! I just don't get it!!

We really missed Evans at the back last night, but it was a lot more than that IMO.

Soyuncu was abysmal and apart from his assist, Vardy may well of stayed at home!

Maddison looked bright early on, wanting the ball, but that soon disappeared.

Ricardo is still not fit and what has Praet got to do to get some game time?

Perez did well when he came on and must start in front of Maddison against Man Utd.

Kasper made an excellent save at 0-0, but didn't have any chance with any of the goals.

We need to have the results go our way this weekend, but if they do, it would still be a huge opportunity missed.

1 point from Southampton and Newcastle is nowhere near good enough!!!!

 

It's right to say we can look very good at times and then absolutely awful in the next match. We look good when we move the ball quickly going forwards. We look poor when we play sideways and backwards and let the opposition get 11 players behind the ball. We don't have the guile in the side to unlock massed defences. We have become so predictable when we play out from the back that teams now know exactly where the next pass is going, which is why Wilf was suddenly surrounded by 3 players at one point last night and lost the ball. That can't happen to the player just in front of your 2 central defenders.

Confidence was already starting to look a little fragile after the last couple of games, and last night's debacle won't have helped. It wasn't ideal to lose our main man at the back before the game even began, but it did seem a strange decision to completely change formation from what had presumably been worked on all week for such a vital match.

Personally I don't see us being able to compete in the CL, but I'd still like the kudos of a third or fourth place finish, just because of what that actually means. The thing that concerns me more is that the cup final could be as one-sided as the Man City v Watford one, and that would be a real downer after waiting 52 years.

If we want to end the season successfully Maddison has to prove he can really step up and take the game by the scruff of the neck again. I just don't see Perez being able to do that, so that could open the door for Praet (who must surely be looking to move on if he doesn't get more game time). And Vardy has to get involved more in what will surely be his final few games as our first choice striker. But most of all, move the bl00dy ball forwards!

 

I may be proven wrong but I don’t see Chelsea as a side that would put the opposition to the sword as Man City did to Watford. That said, if Evans is out who knows as 6 or 7 wouldn’t have flattered Newcastle! More likely we lose by a couple of goals and extend the unwanted record of most finals lost....
Problem is that the performances where we turn it on come what, about 1 in 4 games if that often. At least as often, we put in absolute shockers. The rest of the time we look average but manage to get results. I can’t honestly think of any games this season where we haven’t won but you could honestly say we deserved to. That’s the problem.
I’m just really disillusioned with this side. We’ve had some really untalented sides over the years in the championship but you could rely on them to put their all in. I just think this side are so unrelatable. On the fact of it, you’d look and say how can you not be happy with the league positions and the progress but it’s not all about results for me.
Mostly embarrassingly, only a few years ago we mocked Spurs for being bottlers, weak mentality and no substance. We have basically turned into that. Poundland Spurs. Awkward....

 

Moving forward, do you think we need to react to that game or put it down as ‘one really bad one’ which teams have and move on?

For me, I’d replace Maddison with Praet, if Evans is out play a back 4 with Castagne right and Thomas left, and play 5 in midfield.

schmeichel

castagne
Fofana
Soyuncu
Thomas

N’didi
Tielemans

Alrighton
Praet
Perez

Ihenacho


If Evans I’d back, I’d just revert back to the normal team

 

I think Iheanachos resurgence is due to him playing with Vardy up front. I’d play a 4-4-2 with Vardy in for Perez.

 

Looking to the Man Utd game, Solskjaer has said that he would have to rest players due to their fixture pile up. I just hopes he rests his main stars against us, as I'm sure they would prefer to beat Liverpool 2 days later.

Man City to beat Chelsea today and West Ham to drop points against Everton tomorrow and things could be back on track.

 

Whatever happens now, just remember that for the majority of this season there have been 17 teams playing consistently crapper than us.

 

Think you will be playing a shadow Utd team as they don't have a game next weekend so Sat & Thurs for first 11 and shadow for the Tues .
I just wish your game had been moved back a day and us given the Tuesday .

 

I have to agree with your last comment, John. Back in that season we had a far stronger mentality and there was a hunger for the fight throughout the team. The 'Foxes Never Quit' and 'Fearless' tags applied to every player who pulled on the shirt in that season. And I think that came down to the character and philosophy of the manager who put that team together, ie Nigel Pearson. It was very much no nonsense. Rodgers' man management style is very different. It seems to be much more chummy. The all round playing ability is probably higher today, but the steeliness has gone. Maddison is a prime example. He got a little knock last night and made a right meal of it. Would Kante or Drinkwater have reacted like that? Not a chance. We have a squad that is capable of playing decent, fast-flowing football. We've seen that sporadically over the last 2 seasons. We need to combine that with a lot more old fashioned grit and determination. That is something that Pep Guardiola realised after his first couple of seasons in charge at Man City, and it's paid off. Brendan, look and learn.

 

Personally I hope you draw all your league games, happy to see you lift the FA cup though.
As fans, which would you prefer? Qualifying for the Champion's League, or winning the FA cup?

 

I think has to be cup as we haven’t won the FA cup before. Missing top 4 wouldn’t be an issue if not for the same last year.

 

Agree with this and the popular phrases you have quoted. This is what I mean by more than league positions and wins. This isn’t a Leicester side to me.
I reckon Rodgers has probably taken us as far as he can. That’s not me saying get rid as that’d be harsh but I don’t expect us to take that next step. However, I’d drive him to Spurs myself if they came in for him. Yes we may end up lower in the table but on a personal level, I just want to enjoy watching my team again...
Also you mention Pearson, it’s sad that the scouting which has remained good seems to be the only part of the back room structure he built to remain. The mental side of the players that was looked after seems to have gone and the sport science side where we managed to keep a fit and healthy squad. Full of mentally weak crocks now...

 

FA Cup would be the icing on the cake for me. I know the CL brings lots of money in and puts the club on the big stage, but I don't think we are good enough to compete in it - for goodness sake we struggled in this season's Europa League - and I don't think it would encourage 'better' players to come here. Other 'bigger' clubs with 'bigger' managers and bigger budgets will continue to attract them.

 

Looks like Chelsea third and Liverpool or West Ham to finish 4th. I’d rather Liverpool do tbh as West Ham could really kick on and pull away from us with that kind of windfall. That’s the Leicester fan in me whereas there’s a small part of me that says go on West Ham f*** the greed 6!
That Spurs defeat could be important for holding onto a EL place though, could still do with them dropping points in another game though so we don’t go into the final game with them with it being a 6/7th place play off with Kane tearing our defence apart to dump us in the conference league