Well I have decided to take my head out from either the sand or my own arsen-hole and I am still struggling to come to terms with where we find ourselves.
As we discussed time and time again through this season there are polar opposites of opinions on what is wrong at the club / on the pitch etc.
Now I have been and still am a staunch supporter of CR and believe that what he bought to our club last season means that he has to be given the whole of this season to sort out the predicament that we find ourselves in.
There is no one issue that has caused us to be fighting for our PL lives at the moment ( even though its not yet Christmas), its a number of differing factors such as
1) Higher number of injuries this season
2) Squad rotation to take into account the CL games
3) Loss of form of 9 or 10 of the first 11
4) The new signing have not yet had the impact that was hoped in the summer
5) CR sticking with a 4-4-1-1 when he should be brave and try something different just to shake things up
6) Benching players that really should be in the starting 11 on form/impact at the moment ( Shinji and Gray for starters)
7) Debate over whether our recruitment programme was as good as it could have been through the pre season
And that's without touching on the anti Leicester defending regulations( what a load of rubbish that is) or the fatigue issue ...... sorry BS couldn't resist that one!!!!
We wouldn't be having these discussions if we were getting turned over week in week out BUT we all saw the players giving 100% and playing with the passion/determination we saw last season. CR has to take a certain amount of responsibility for this but we must also call the players to account as well, CR is responsible for selecting the team, the type of training and the formation/tactics etc but when the players get out onto the pitch it is down to them and their own decision making as to where they run, who they pass to, how they challenge the opposition and when etc.
So while I agree CR has to be accountable if he was going to be sacked then so should the players who are just as culpable as he is.
But I firmly believe that CR WILL get it right, we will turn the corner and the players WILL start to get us going each week in the crowd by playing like we know they can.
We all know its a rough time being a City fan right now but it will get better and we will show we deserve to be in the PL.
When we get to January and we have a squad that has Kasper, Drinky, Mendy, James, Chilwell and a potential 3 new signings raring to go I think things will look brighter and we will see a more solid Leicester City team, whose first thought isn't " I wonder how early we can concede today"
All in all its a tough time, and we are all worried, some are overly worried, some are just in denial but we all want the same thing.... CR and the players to put pride back in being a Leicester City player/supporter.
UTF
Ostrich or Realist?
posted on 6/12/16
But it not the so called plastics that are moaning its long term fans who are getting things out of perspective.
I dreaded listening to the moanin last night but i was surprised how positive it was much more than on here.
posted on 6/12/16
comment by Flip78 (U7985)
posted 48 minutes ago
Champions, I agree think we could do with playing 352 or variant, the opposition know what to expect and we could mix between the 2 formations, as it's doing its job in Europe where they havent experience of playing us.
I'd go slightly different though to allow us to shift to back 4 mid match with Simpson occupying the wasileski slot;
Zieler
Simpson Morgan Huth
Albrighton Fuchs
Mendy King
Okazaki Musa
Vardy
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Yeah you could go Simpson and Fuchs for Schlupp but I'd have Amartey because he'd be better sitting in front of the back four and could essentially become a fourth centre half. I also think he's been better than King.
Playing this formation is as much about getting Mahrez into the middle as it is giving the defence more protection. Mahrez given a free role makes him a lot more difficult to nullify and that's what he needs.
posted on 6/12/16
Merseyside, I can and have put up with a lot from watching Leicester. But I'm not going to sit here happily or excuse it when I see players not trying hard enough with my own eyes.
posted on 6/12/16
Do you think its not trying Dung. I hear that Marhez did not do much Tracking back on Saturday. But i think the confidence is shot and also we seemed to get out muscled more this season.
posted on 6/12/16
I think it is indeed not trying, particularly from Vardy and Mahrez although we've also seen it from others. Schlupp, for instance.
The one whose confidence is shot is Amartey; I always think he's trying but he just looks completely out of his depth right now.
posted on 6/12/16
comment by The_Dungeon_Master (U4830)
posted 9 minutes ago
I think it is indeed not trying, particularly from Vardy and Mahrez although we've also seen it from others. Schlupp, for instance.
The one whose confidence is shot is Amartey; I always think he's trying but he just looks completely out of his depth right now.
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I know you're a fan of King but what do you think of his recent performances?
I feel sorry for Amartey because he should be getting support from King being the senior player but he's not. He's almost having to do it all himself because King is MIA and quite rightly, as you say, he's looking out of his depth. I'm a fan of King for his service to the club but I'm really disappointed by his performances recently.
posted on 6/12/16
I didn't see his performance against Sunderland, although it sounds very similar to his performance against Middlesbrough, which I did see. In that, he was not taking the responsibility that he needed to. I know others disagree with me, but I am without doubt that he's better than this because I've seen it.
It is partly lack of confidence, but it's also partly lack of effort because he's simply got to get over it and act like the senior player that he is. It's lack of effort by way of lack of courage, and he's got to have a word with himself before he disappears from the first team forever.
posted on 6/12/16
One of the big problems is paying £30M for one striker and paying another striker a vast increase in wages to keep him. I'm not saying either of the payments is fundamentally wrong but I think Claudio feels obliged to play both of them as a result. So we drop Shinji and are no longer playing 4-4-1-1 but now a genuine 4-4-2, leaving our midfield looking horribly exposed, especially with the loss of Kante.
Trying 3 at the back for half an hour is not long enough, particularly when it's 3-4-3 rather than the tried, trusted and successful 3-5-2.
Mahrez needs to be smarter, if he is being double or triple teamed there will be space elsewhere which he needs to utilise better.
posted on 6/12/16
comment by Merseysidefox (U4842)
posted 4 hours, 8 minutes ago
What I like is that Ranieri is seeing the issues exactly as they are and trying very sensible things to fix them.
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Not like you to be so sarcastic Mersey?
posted on 6/12/16
As for Vardy not trying, maybe but I noticed two things on Saturday, his desire to win the ball led to the goal and his desire not to give up won us a corner from nothing in the dying seconds.
I also noticed Vardy pass to Mahrez but that was a one way street, didn't see a single pass come the other way unless I blinked and missed it.
I also noticed from the start as did the commentator and nearly every other fan that Sunderland targeted Simpson with their big guy as he was left on his own by Mahrez nearly the whole game, in fact I don't think I've heard a commentator so blatantly accuse a player of not covering in any match commentary from nearly the start of the game.
Not sure CR noticed though, if he did though he still did sweet F*ck All about it.
Others will disagree but I also though Amartey had a good game as DM covering the defence making some key interceptions while Huth gawked as he lost his player hence scoring the own goal while no one gets within yards of any of their players for the second goal, defence, what defence, it's certainly not the Italian way but after all we are Leicester not Milan and Co. Time the manager woke up and realised it.