First of all, it's worth mentioning that anyone trying to hold onto a 1-goal lead against that Arsenal team this year is going to have their work cut out. They have some serious attacking talent, Giroud is always a player we don't want to see with our style of play, and Lacazette is clearly the real deal.
However, what we saw tonight from our point of view really highlighted the best and the worst of our new managerial appointment. On one hand, he's got the players fit and raring to go; the hoofing from last year was gone, replaced with far more deliberate long passes, often following a couple of passes out of defence instead of just being a punt from the edge of our own box; Vardy was sharp and looked incredibly dangerous, back to playing in the position that he needs to. The simple things working well was what the old team was all about and we saw that tonight in many ways.
But then, on the other hand, he suddenly goes and does something strange. He makes a good substitution, Amartey for Okazaki, and it works. Arsenal look stifled. Granted Giroud will always be a threat as the game wears on and we get deeper, but they're struggling to create chances with Ndidi just in front of the back 4. Then suddenly it's Iheanacho for James, back to something resembling a 4-4-2, the game flies wide open again and Arsenal capitalise.
He looked prone to "inventive" subs that didn't work on occasion at the end of last season, not least at home to Spurs when we ended up with no centre halves on the pitch. But I'm not sure whether this was inventive or just some attempt to get his new star player onto the pitch. It was possible, but it had to be for Vardy if so. It was also possible to replace James with King (nobody will convince me that King isn't good enough for just 15 minutes' worth of defending in a 4-1-4-1). But I find myself worrying: Was Shakespeare thinking that he has to get Iheanacho onto the pitch because he promised him he'd play, he can't remove Mahrez because he has to make him feel wanted, he can't remove Vardy because he's on a hattrick, but maybe James is dispensable...?
I'm not for one minute asking Shakespeare to start trying to play bad cop - he's not like that and trying to do so would be the end of him. But whatever caused that impractical decision today probably cost us a point, possibly more. I like Shakey and he's been part of the club through a lot of great times, but he's got to learn these lessons and fast to remove these niggling doubts I have.
Shakey, or shaky?
posted on 12/8/17
YH - I wouldn't worry. He'll have a catheter and a zimmerframe before sees Leeds gracing the top division again.
posted on 12/8/17
We where on the ropes but the first sub worked and then it seemed we paniced. Hand ball or not can't blame the Ref,Thats clutching at straws.
Tough place to go a good advert for football glad to see Vardy's back on form.
posted on 12/8/17
Ok, I'm going to disagree. Ish.
I was so frustrated by the Amartey sub. That was where it went wrong for me. We'd started to invite Arsenal on, and we were coming under so much pressure. So what did CS do? Invite more by camping us in our own half.
We were always going to concede so he did the right thing in trying to push Arsenal back. It was too late.
So for me the mistake was Amartey. Nacho for Okazaki would have been better. Keep them on the back foot. In other news, hoe good was Okazaki (when not on the floor!)...
posted on 12/8/17
Mersey the competition for places has motivated him even more. I would agree too at least run that for a bit longer. But Arsenal had everyone apart from the keeper in our half.
posted on 12/8/17
Yes, Oki proved he too can score when the ball is placed on the end of his nose.
Kasper as well, despite conceding 4 was outstanding.
posted on 12/8/17
It was a very disappointing result, at three two up they were there for the taking,yes as usual the ref was bad , but CS showed that he just is not a good judge of substitutions.
Gray Is hungry and wants to play ,Mahrez isn't and should have hone off on the hour.
We lost our shape completely in the last ten mins,we will never get a better opportunity to get something at Arsenal,and blew it big time.
They in my opinion are only a top ten team,with a defence no better than ours,and ours isnt good.
Next few games will be interesting to say the least.
posted on 12/8/17
Spot on Dunge.
I usually find it easy to predict our subs and called the Amartey for Shinji - 5 across the middle to try to halt Arsenal's possession. But the Nacho for James was clearly wrong (should have been King) and completely gave the incentive back to them.
I am not saying for one minute that Kingy could have prevented the fourth. MacGuire had a great game but was partly out-muscled (and partly fouled) by a fresh Giroud. But the space afforded on our left to Ramsay was amateurish - and Nacho was all at sea in the middle covering nobody.
Shakey as good as admitted on Sky Sports last night that he might have got the substitution wrong and his plans was based on attacking their back three and not on defending our back four - naive !
A real shame but for Shakey to last the distance, he should have gone for a much more experienced No. 2.
On the program after the game on Sky Sports, Danny Mills (who clearly has a long-standing distaste for Leicester) predicted that Shakey will be the first managerial casualty of the season. Although the said the same of Claudio !
posted on 12/8/17
Danny Mills can go stick his head in an oven. Besides, first managerial casualty of the season has Mark Hughes written all over it.
posted on 12/8/17
Mark Hughes was Matt Elliott's nomination on the same program !
posted on 12/8/17
Danny Mills is an utter T- watt