Leicester v City post match

[Robinho's Subbuteo]

The problem with that or sticking VK at left centre half is you leave a huge Salah sized hole between la Porte who favours his left foot, and Stones/Vinny who favour their right. We tried this in the first leg of the champions league game and he exploited that space. Better option is La Porte LCB and Danilo LB-then Salah cuts inside onto Danilo's strong side.

That’s a good suggestion.

 

[HarrytheBlue]

We spent over 100 million on 3 fullbacks a season and a half ago, two of which have spent more time injured than playing, the other has played nearly every game as well as every round of the world cup bar a final and looks knackered, mentally and physically.

But what these three have in common, fit, unfit or knackered, is they were purchased more for the attacking capability than defending, when we have an off day attack wise or are pressed we have difficulty coping. When injuries occur we have been slotting midfielders into the position which has worked against poor opponents or when our attack and positional play is at it's peak. When the fullback replacements are under pressure they struggle and we don't have a plan, how often does Sane and Sterling fill in?

We've know for ages we needed cover for Fernandino (the club know it, and every pundit and fan does), we are now in a run of games were he is rested/injured, and we have no cover. Moving Stones there doesn't work, firstly it destroys our best centre half partnership, secondly, he's never played there before and needs time to learn.

And with the worst run of injuries for two years it's now causing us big problems.

I hope Pep was joking when he said nothing would be happening in January, we need something

We had a lot of players at the World Cup and they all came back surprisingly fresh. Is the World Cup now catching up with us ?

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

Exactly - last season no one attacked us and we built up an impression of impregnability even if either Zinc or Delph were playing LB. This season we have seen both players exposed which is not a slight on them as they are midfielders by trade. We were ruthless last season going forward but this season we're wasteful like we were in Pep's first season. Well organised teams can stay in the game against us and have enough ability to carve out chances when they choose to go forward due to our defensive fragility. The amount of clear chances Everton created had alarm bells ringing for me.

Yep and this season they can have a go at Walker too as he looks flaky. We seem incapable of getting a lead and just playing out a win at the moment. Throwing away 6 points when leading 1-0 in both games is poor from a side with as much quality in it as we have.

 

[manimanc]

Might as well save your breath mate. This place won’t change. You’re only a top blue if you never criticise the team. That’s not allowed.

You're the toppest of top blues mate.

 

[blueballs84]

I just think we’ve lost that edge, that ability to go back to front in a second. We’ve started slowing the play down, partly due to personnel and maybe for other reasons. We’re allowing teams to get back and settle before we try to get a ball into the box. Dare I say it, we look easy to play against at times. Mahrez is not the right player in that type of set up. He’s good running into a ball and beating a defender when he’s got acres to play with. When it’s tight, his step over and cut inside (every single time) doesn’t work.

Something else I was saying before we bought him that noone wantee to hear.

 

[HarrytheBlue]

We seem to be just floating crosses in at the moment. It’s clearly a tactic but fuck knows why as it’s not working and goes against everything we have done so well in the last 18 months.

I cannot believe it's a tactic with our rather short attacking personnel. Mental tiredness maybe ?

 

[stan bowles]

What’s he had to say , is he worried about the team , how does he think the title race is going , when will he be back playing ?

He's just reached level 250 million on Call of Duty and got 200 pairs of new Nike trainers in gold with diamante inlays.

 

[Kazzydeyna]

Pep needs to start playing Foden this season or that'll be another young player who's career is ruined/stalled by his refusal to trust talent that didn't cost tens of millions.

 

[cleavers]

Draw would of been a fair result today, that bell end Mike Dean cost us today with his shameful impersonation of a referee.

Agreed, the first goal should never have been near our goal for them to score, as its a clear foul, and the sending off is just pathetic, he clearly wins the ball, well before their player got near it, and wasn't dangerous.

I don't think the aimless balls into the box are anything to do with Pep. It's happening at the back as well - so many attempted sliced clearances. My guess is that, David and Kevin apart, there's a collective lack of confidence - hence we're going for the lazy option instead of the usual slick, sharp, fast, stabbing passes to feet. Pep will be more frustrated than we are.

He will, but he needs to stop floatyball and aimlesscross that we have developed into, there's no excuses for it.

Fernandhino is now being appreciated more than ever by all, simply because he's not there, but its not just about him, the other issues are glaring, Danilo was better than Walker has been today, but 4 times he went to head a long ball in his direction, 3 times was underneath it, letting the forward in behind, the 4th he headed it straight up (and out of play), both FB's are similarly affected.

We've also stopped pressing, and we're giving the ball away needlessly in the opposition half too often.

Worse still, we'll probably have to break up Laporte/Stones again on Sunday, now Delph is out (hopefully they'll appeal that and get it overturned), even though he's been poor at LB, we really don't need to be playing Laporte there, and Zinchenko is worse as LB.

That said today, Sergio missed 2 sitters, and we still had enough good chances to win the game.

Poor month all round from the players and the manager, it started second half at Watford, and got worse at Chelsea, the wheels look to have fallen off at the moment, and the football has become as slow as the last season under Pellegrini.

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

I cannot believe it's a tactic with our rather short attacking personnel. Mental tiredness maybe ?

If it was one off I would agree but it’s been happening all game for the last 3. Pep surely wouldn’t tolerate that.