We're back. Different and unfortunately unprecedented circumstances but football is back XI: Schmeichel, Justin, Chilwell, Soyuncu, Evans, Tielemans, Maddison, Albrighton, Ndidi, Barnes, Vardy. B: Ward, Morgan, Gray, Iheanacho, Perez, Choudhury, Mendy, Fuchs, Bennett. Difficult to predict given all that's happened. Although it's pretty difficult to predict us on a normal day! It would good to get off to a win obviously, especially after the useful results from the games already played.
A typical Leicester performance, dominate for long periods, concede the best chances, take the lead and then hang on for a draw. A few bright spots. Justin is no Ricardo but was solid, Kasper is in great form and another great cameo from Gray. Thought Tielemans, Barnes and Vardy were pretty anonymous. Dont get the hype on Maddisons delivery. One good freekick opportunity hit straight into the wall and none of our corners threatened. Still shouldnt be too glum, it was great to have football back and we will get better.
Poor performance really, then again it seems most teams are rusty from the restart. Need a win tomorrow so get a bit of momentum as we could quite easily finish up below Chelsea and Man Utd. It seems to be a theme under Rodgers than we either come out and sweeper the opposition aside and have no mercy or we are completely turgid. There’s been loads more of the latter than the former all season really but we managed to turn them into wins during the good run. We need some performances like Palace away where we weren’t brilliant but controlled the game and saw it out once in the lead. We were weak minded Saturday and panicked. Gray was a bright point, can he finally turn it around and be more consistent?
I thought Kasper made a couple of excellent saves at important times and was unlucky not to keep the goal out....would have been a world class save if he had. Justin was solid defensively and Chilwell had, shall we say, an indifferent game.........WHAT A GOAL Evans and Cags were very steady as per. Wilf gave quite a few fouls away, but was also very steady, but Tielemans looked off the pace at times. Albrighton and Barnes weren't in the game at all IMO and neither was Vardy. Madders came deep for the ball, but needs to be 10 yards further forward and support Vardy more. Gray was good when he came on. I was shoutng at the tv to get Big Wes on in place of Vardy as soon as we went 1 up. Next time Brenda, listen to HarboroughFox
Kasper was superb. Gray turned it around for us. Barnes, Tielemans and Vardy not so good, although Vardy was often isolated. Nobody has mentioned Albrighton... wholly ineffective also ... and his sloppiness nearly cost us a goal (not for the first time) but for a cracking stop from Kasper. Chilwell - what a goal. Did well getting forward. Thought he got better through the game against a real threat in Sarr. If the guy could pass he would be some player. We were linked with him before he joined Watford - he is rapid. Thought Hamza steadied us when he came on. Overall not a bad performance - rusty - but we were playing a physically intimidating bunch, yet held our own.
So bad again. Hopefully he makes some changes that have an effect like Gray did Saturday. It’s amazing how we are still third, it seems like we’ve had a lot more performances like this than we have good. Clearly the 8 game winning streak set us up well but any sides with anything about them (Chelsea and Man Utd) should have caught up by now. give em a rocket Brendan
Absolute ****. That should have been a pen at the end and if it’s against us it would be as it has been countless times this season. Doesn’t take away from the fact we were so bad and should have been behind after the first half. Aside from 5 games I can count (Newcastle home and away, Southampton away and West Ham and Villa at home, we’ve been no better than under Puel yet people accept it because Rodgers speaks English and has a bright white smile?
piss poor performance - nobody looked up for it - at this rate we are sliding out of the champions league places and starting to look at other clubs for a favour. why did we start with mendy and ndidi ? i get the squad rotation at the moment but 2 defensive midfielders to start ?
Agree about Ndidi and Mendy. We’re st home to a team in a relegation battle and we play two defensive midfielders, and Maddison I assume was wide right, why play people out of position? We certainly didn’t deserve to win.
Well that was sh!t. No creativity, too negative and no urgency to get forward. I know they lack match fitness and it was warm but it was Puel ball all over again.
Hard to disagree with any of the comments. We are third and have just played two bottom five sides and have not won either and scored one goal, from a defender. Entitled to a little grizzle I feel. Never saw Mendy get above a jog or pass the ball forward. If we are a goal up or playing away maybe include him but surely Hamza offers more. We dont play at pace and we dont stretch sides. Often when playing the ball wide it was to full backs who immediately cut back. Other than a couple of Evans long balls and one great off the ball run from Justin we just never looked likely. Whilst our defensive clearances from corners were great, What was with the big loopy corners to the edge of the D? I understand two games in four days after not playing for some time but these are games we should be winning. Roll on the FA Cup.
If it weren't for Kasper we'd be 2 points fewer and looking at dropping to fourth. Defensively we look very competent. Even Justin is looking pretty sound, even though he doesn't offer the same threat as Ricardo going forwards. Ignoring last night's penalty, he has made some vital interventions in the 6 yard box to deny attackers a clear contact on the ball. We aren't offering any threat going forwards and Vardy has probably touched the ball fewer times than anybody on the pitch. I don't get all this passing around at the back just for the sake of it. It isn't drawing the opposition out and leaving gaping holes for us to exploit. It is merely giving them time to get everybody behind the ball and set up defensively, making it more difficult for us. It might work for Man City, but with all due respect they do have better players than us to be able to break teams down when they do go forward. We are lacking creative partnerships all over the pitch. Madison and Tielemans don't seem to be clicking in midfield any more, Chilwell and Barnes don't work effectively on the left and on the right we've lost Ricardo and Perez. I don't know what NZ thinks will be better about playing in the cup at the weekend, but I hope he's right.
Very, very poor last night!! We offered absolutely nothing going forward. Thank god for Kasper at the moment (apart from kicking the ball straight out of play) We look very solid at the back, but as BucksFox has said above, this sideways passing for the sake of it, is very boring to watch and just sems to frustrate everyone. Just imagine the backlash if Puel was still in charge after that display!
Spot on. That was as bad as anything served up by Puel. Obviously the short term worry is slipping out of the top 4 or even Europe altogether this season but beyond that, end of season run in form is so often a factor in how the next season pans out. The form since December would suggest a relegation battle....
