Thought Davies was very good so I don't get the criticism. Pretty sure it was his crosses that found Lamela in the box twice and he kept Mahrez very quiet and had him pushed back a lot which helped. Other than a poor pass from Lloris in the first half, a poor backpass from Walker in the second which Lloris snuffed out and the move which resulted with a couple of good chances in the box for Leicester(I was surprised they didn't score from there) Leicester really didn't threaten. Overall the defence did pretty well but to give one of Leicester's biggest players a free header from a corner for a second game in a row is pretty unforgivable. We can't keep giving away these soft goals. Carroll needs to play further forward but in games like this where we control the midfield with little competition, I feel he does quite well. Had Kane and Lamela put away their chances I'm sure we'd be talking a lot more favourably about Carroll. He's no Dembele but when the game suits him he's quite good. As for the subs, I thought we were looking more dangerous with Kane, Lamela and Alli all getting good chances in the second half so I didn't think substitutions were a good idea. I'd like to see Bentaleb and Dembele come in for Dier and Carroll this weekend, and I'd like to see Son start upfront with Kane either playing off the left or as a number 10. Kane's a marked man in these games and I think we should mix it up a bit by having Kane attacking the box late. Sunderland will look to set up similar to Leicester and have more of a physical presence in midfield which I think we should match.
Barca have been the only side, in recent years, that has been able to play its way, regardless of the opposition, and expect to win.
I disagree - we are beginning to look desperate as players start to tire. We weren't desperate at the start of the season because there was a hope - however small - that Njie or Son would be able to lead the line when necessary. But now with the former out for 3 months and the latter demonstrably not able to lead the line, we are beginning to look desperate. And if Harry picks up a nasty injury, we won't just be desperate, we'll be royally f***ed. There's a world of difference between signing a player who is a disruptive influence and a negative drain on team spirit, and signing one who albeit doesn't quite fit in with precisely the way of playing but can be called upon to do a job. That's why I was in favour of booting Adebayor out even at a massive cost to the coffers and despite complete lack of options up front. But to bring a player in, for example - Defoe or Crouch type signing who know the club, love the club, adored by the fans etc. where's the risk in that? I'm not saying I'd like to bring either of them in, but surely someone like that is better than the prospect of being royally f***ed?
Why isn't T Carroll playing with the under elevens ?., This is a tough game at this level. Can I suggest a 'bulking out' routine for the young'un. In the meantime, 'come back Dembele,... all is forgiven'.
Totally agree with that. He hardly put a foot wrong all evening and the booking he picked up was a dive by Mahrez. His passing from the LW has a real precision and he almost always seems to find a Spurs shirt. Seems to have come on a load this season.
I'm not sure that Davies was booked for that Mahrez dive, you know. I thought so at the time and I'm pretty sure I posted it on here, but it's not on the match reports. Dier was also called the first booking of the game when he had his name taken. Pretty sure I saw Mason with the card in his hand, though.
So just to recap this week... - David Bowie dies - Alan Rickman dies - Two games with Leicester that were varying degrees of irritating and dispiriting Yup, I'm happy to see this week consigned to Room 101 and move the hell on.
Strange that. I also can't see it on any reports but I clearly saw Mason with a card. Maybe he simply changed his mind: he ignored his linesmen at least twice and seemed to be in a general state of confusion throughout the game.
Maybe someone told him it was a dive, but he'd already given the decision the other way? Wouldn't want to admit something embarrassing, so just pretend that it didn't happen and take the free-kick.
Why are you so convinced that it was a dive, Mahrez's ankle was clearly clipped. Davies was too slow for him.
Mahrez lost the ball and instigated the minor contact that there was with Davies himself. It's an Ashley Young special. http://www.fullmatchesandshows.com/...-vs-leicester-city-highlights-full-match-2/#4 Watch the replay at about 44.30 on the clock at the bottom, rather than the match clock. Kicks it round and then throws himself into the air. Clearly no contact from the feet. Eriksen and Davies both take the piss out of him afterward too, which gives it away. You can tell a lot from players' reactions, though match officials don't seem to understand this, for some reason.
Raneiri has certainly schooled the Leicester players in the Italian art of diving, over reacting and falling over. Their players are very adept at winning soft free kicks by falling to the ground after little contact.
Cheers PNP. On closer inspection it appears as though Mason started reaching into his pocket for a card but then probably received a whispering in his earpiece along the lines of 'Don't you pillock' and quickly grabbed the shaving foam instead. These fouls annoy me in the sense that Mahrez probably would've won a free kick anyway due to obstruction. Why throw yourself around like you've been shot in the back of the head just to get a fellow professional booked or sent off? So yes @AKCJ , it was a foul every day of the week, but Mahrez made an absolute meal out of it, taking a page out of Ashley Young's bestselling autobiography 'How to lose friends and piss people off'.
So that's one in each half. I think he ended each half fairly well too, so I'll give him four decisions.
Disagree. He blew the HT before the minimum minute of stoppage time had elapsed, and blew FT when we were launching a ball forward.
In matches like the Leicester ones we still created more chances and if we had finished better in each match we would all be thinking that we'd done very well. I really think that we shouldn't draw too many conclusions from small samples of matches. My preference is that we play the same system all the time (so players know where they are supposed to fit in) but alter the personnel to best counter the opponents strengths and exploit their weaknesses. Against Leicester that would probably mean playing our fastest front four.
