Since we won the Premier League (I still love using that phrase) we have signed:
Jakupovic (£2m to £3m)
Zieler (£3m)
Hernandez (£5m)
Maguire (£17m)
Dragovic (£?)
Ndidi (£15m)
Iborra (£11m)
Musa (£15m)
Slimani (£28m)
Iheanoacho (£25m)
Mendy (£11m)
Kapustka (£7m)
That is about £140m of incoming 'talent' in less than 18 months and only Maguire and Ndidi are playing regularly.
We are still playing resorting to playing King in midfield and have no effective cover at RB.
I know we have sold players - Kante, Drinkwater, Schlupp, Kramaric etc. - that have bought in £80m to £100m, but our strike rate at buying and bedding in new signings is shocking.
No idea whose fault this is - Rudkin's, Shakey's, Ranieri's, Walsh's - but it raises questions?
Are we buying players to suit our 'system' and it's not working?
Are we buying player's to develop and move onto a new system but not attempting it?
Are we just buying playing poor players?
Are we just not giving them the chance?
Our recruitment is a farce...
posted on 3/10/17
comment by The_Dungeon_Master (U4830)
posted 33 seconds ago
I have an opinion! Pick me!
Regarding Chilwell and Gray, it's a bit catch-22. They need experience to improve, but they can't get that experience because they're not doing well enough with the time they have on the pitch. The good thing for Gray is that he may get a run in the team now, either through the non-performances of his direct competition or perhaps a change in formation to a 4-3-3. For Chilwell it's always difficult as we're leaking goals and Fuchs is so good. Essentially, I think it's best that they get short runs in the team and then go and learn from them.
As for a player to build a team around, if that's what we should be doing then that player remains Jamie Vardy.
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Thanks DM, I was hoping that Silva would be the play maker that we could build around or that Iborra would settle into that role and that Vardy would benefit from from us having more possession. If we buy experienced players that are used to playing different systems, why aren't we trying those different systems, ie three in midfield?
I work on a Dive Support Vessel for the oil and gas industry, I don't dream of alcohol but when you're denied access to any for 6 months a year and we're playing like we are at the moment, drowning your sorrows seems like a great idea!
posted on 3/10/17
We may need to go 3 in midfield if things carry on as they are, but the problem is that it knocks other areas out. For instance:
4-3-3: Probably the least intrusive solution but you can only really pick one from Vardy, Iheanacho, Okazaki and Slimani in that formation.
3-5-2: Keeps the two up front, but difficult to get either Gray or Mahrez into that and involves several players like Simpson, or Fuchs not playing in their best positions, if at all. And there's no real backup for Albrighton.
The squad has been designed around a 4-4-2 type formation. I believe the tactics aren't being employed correctly to make this work right now, while Mahrez and Gray's lack of defensive abilities constantly leaves a big hole in it. The whole team needs to work together and they just aren't.
By the way, I can understand why they'd want a no alcohol policy in a dive support vessel. The comedy disasters pretty much write themselves.
posted on 3/10/17
comment by The_Dungeon_Master (U4830)
posted 12 minutes ago
We may need to go 3 in midfield if things carry on as they are, but the problem is that it knocks other areas out. For instance:
4-3-3: Probably the least intrusive solution but you can only really pick one from Vardy, Iheanacho, Okazaki and Slimani in that formation.
3-5-2: Keeps the two up front, but difficult to get either Gray or Mahrez into that and involves several players like Simpson, or Fuchs not playing in their best positions, if at all. And there's no real backup for Albrighton.
The squad has been designed around a 4-4-2 type formation. I believe the tactics aren't being employed correctly to make this work right now, while Mahrez and Gray's lack of defensive abilities constantly leaves a big hole in it. The whole team needs to work together and they just aren't.
By the way, I can understand why they'd want a no alcohol policy in a dive support vessel. The comedy disasters pretty much write themselves.
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I agree with your 'working together' comment and previous mention of not pressing as a team DM. But that does point to bad recruitment if we're not buying in players that fit the way we want to play and puts a question mark over Gray and why we didn't sell him when we had the opportunity and get someone who 'first better....not to mention Simpson!
And believe me there has been comedies in the past that would turn your hair grey hence the alcohol ban lol
posted on 3/10/17
I think the idea is to have more possession. Maguire, Iborra and Iheanacho have all been brought in with that in mind - to enable us to play out from the back. The problem right now is that we can't see exactly what's been practised in training because it's just not being translated to the pitch. Do the players understand what's being asked of them? Do they have faith in it? Does Shakespeare himself fully understand what he's asking his players to do, or is he still "learning"? We can only judge based on what we've seen on the pitch, and recently it's been pretty woeful in the first half of each match.
All in all, I still think implementation of tactics is the problem rather than recruitment.
posted on 3/10/17
comment by The_Dungeon_Master (U4830)
posted 1 minute ago
I think the idea is to have more possession. Maguire, Iborra and Iheanacho have all been brought in with that in mind - to enable us to play out from the back. The problem right now is that we can't see exactly what's been practised in training because it's just not being translated to the pitch. Do the players understand what's being asked of them? Do they have faith in it? Does Shakespeare himself fully understand what he's asking his players to do, or is he still "learning"? We can only judge based on what we've seen on the pitch, and recently it's been pretty woeful in the first half of each match.
All in all, I still think implementation of tactics is the problem rather than recruitment.
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Which sounds like the exact same problem that Ranieri had last year so We're absolutely no further on development wise sadly.
posted on 3/10/17
FFS I think you are missing one other option
on your list
Money Laundering 😜
posted on 3/10/17
I think a key difference to last year is that the recruitment is better and has more about it:
Maguire, Iborra, Silva, Iheanacho
>>>
Hernandez, Mendy, Musa, Slimani
posted on 3/10/17
Dunge and True, you have said what i was saying yesterday,players look clueless, Cs does seem to know what he wants from them.Hopless hoofball.
posted on 3/10/17
thorney - That is what's been happening. Shakespeare should definitely get some more time to get the team to apply what he's asking as he can't be telling them to play that way in training; it's more panic and abdication of responsibility on the pitch. The team does need time to get used to tactics in order to implement them and it won't happen immediately.
But on the other hand we can't wait forever. 10-12 matches in, I think the owners will have to assess the situation one way or the other.
posted on 3/10/17
I agree the tactics aren't working, and that they should be given time to bed in.
But Shakey can't be blamed for the players resorting to hoof ball when pressed. He said in his interview that they were informed not to play long balls up to Vardy via defence but that was all that happened.
Clearly the midfield needs sorting and fast. Let's hope Silva gets sorted and he and iborra are the answer. Because if they're not, we're in trouble! And so is Shakespeare.