IS the quality better in the bottom half of the Prem? Or are we simply playing poorly?

[Bert]

The problem at the minute is I don't think Nigel knows his best team. If he does then he doesn't know the best formation for it.

People will say "well what about the start of the season" and that can be answered with the new experience of the premiership buzz. Or maybe we've let our guard slip slightly.

Either way I fancy us to get a result at Swansea. Typical Leicester, gift a team their first win of the season then impress at one of the harder places to go in the league. Although, we've never scored at the Liberty.

[Fez of Mahrez]

Played very poorly in the second halves against Palace and Burnley. Pretty average all game at Newcastle.

We're just not creating enough chances against some of the poorer teams in the division, of which we are now one.

It was never going to be mid-table comfort all season but one point from those three games is rubbish.

I think it's fair enough to raise our expectations. We've seen what these players are capable of when they put their minds to it.

[The Horse's Mouth]

yes

[Frost]

Personally think NP hasn't got a clue what his best eleven is, and formation for that matter. Sometimes Albrighton doesn't make the match day squad, and then suddenly he's in the starting XI?

 

Dropping Vardy for Newcastle was the most bizarre thing this season so far. Still can't get my head around it. NP needs to settle the team down a little bit more. No need to panic at all - I think we've done okay, started very which then raised expectations instantaneously, but its only been a dodgy three games and the last thing we need is an over-reaction.

 

Would've liked more defensive cover/options as I think we're very weak in that department. Seems to be absolutely no competition/cover for Moore/Morgan (who have generally been very good) - it'd be nice to have an alternative.

 

I think our tactics have been wrong for the last three matches and ultimately its left Ulloa isolated. But Its still early days and 3 points against Swansea would completely change everyone's perspective looking at the season so far.

 

Thought before the season that we'd stay up and I'm still very optimistic that we'll achieve exactly that. Its essential we back the players over the next few weeks.

[Col city fan]

Personally think NP hasn't got a clue what his best eleven is, and formation for that matter. Sometimes Albrighton doesn't make the match day squad, and then suddenly he's in the starting XI?

Dropping Vardy for Newcastle was the most bizarre thing this season so far. Still can't get my head around it. NP needs to settle the team down a little bit more. No need to panic at all - I think we've done okay, started very which then raised expectations instantaneously, but its only been a dodgy three games and the last thing we need is an over-reaction.

Would've liked more defensive cover/options as I think we're very weak in that department. Seems to be absolutely no competition/cover for Moore/Morgan (who have generally been very good) - it'd be nice to have an alternative.

I think our tactics have been wrong for the last three matches and ultimately its left Ulloa isolated. But Its still early days and 3 points against Swansea would completely change everyone's perspective looking at the season so far.

Thought before the season that we'd stay up and I'm still very optimistic that we'll achieve exactly that. Its essential we back the players over the next few weeks.

Good post...

[Frost]

I think we're truly missing a creative player against the 'lesser teams'. I remember hoping in the summer we'd go for Sigurdsson.

 

When the chips are down or we're forced to break down a compact side (a case to be made with all three of our previous opponents) we need a little bit of creativity in the middle of the park to sway the game in our favour, a touch of class if you like. He seems the sort of player that would compliment our side, and especially like the game at Newcastle, his link up play with a striker Ulloa would've been a real asset, and would've made the big man a less isolated figure.

 

Against Burnley I think we lacked any real quality and ended up playing a Championship standard match, and to be quite honest I thought they were worth a point (considering 3-4 of their best players were out).

 

Our ability to succeed at the beginning of the season was due to our work rate and the fact that we could counter against teams who retained possession more, but also took more risks, leaving gaps across the pitch we could attack. We should've done our homework better.

 

I think, in an actual attempt to make a slightly relevant post to the thread, that the quality is clearly better in this division, but we're not helping ourselves or playing to our strengths at the minute. Hopefully that will change at Swansea, a team who've also had a dip in form lately.

[Col city fan]

I think we're truly missing a creative player against the 'lesser teams'. I remember hoping in the summer we'd go for Sigurdsson.

When the chips are down or we're forced to break down a compact side (a case to be made with all three of our previous opponents) we need a little bit of creativity in the middle of the park to sway the game in our favour, a touch of class if you like. He seems the sort of player that would compliment our side, and especially like the game at Newcastle, his link up play with a striker Ulloa would've been a real asset, and would've made the big man a less isolated figure.

Against Burnley I think we lacked any real quality and ended up playing a Championship standard match, and to be quite honest I thought they were worth a point (considering 3-4 of their best players were out).

Our ability to succeed at the beginning of the season was due to our work rate and the fact that we could counter against teams who retained possession more, but also took more risks, leaving gaps across the pitch we could attack. We should've done our homework better.

I think, in an actual attempt to make a slightly relevant post to the thread, that the quality is clearly better in this division, but we're not helping ourselves or playing to our strengths at the minute. Hopefully that will change at Swansea, a team who've also had a dip in form lately.

I completely agree. The team is crying out for a midfield playmaker. We are 'solid' enough, but a modern day Steve Thompson, Garry Parker or dare I say it, Gary McAllister would make a huge difference to this team. Someone who can put their foot on the ball and open up a defence with one pass. I still believe the problem isn't our strikers but the supply they receive. Quality ball, enabling a striker to take it down and shoot quickly is massively important in the Premiership. Costa thrives off the delicious assists he receives. Finally, Central midfielders who score goals would be good as well. When the forwards run dry, as they usually do, someone who can ping one in from twenty yards would be most pleasant.

[Frost]

Again I agree. It seems easy to blame the frontman (as people have/are doing), but our link to Ulloa when we've succeeded has been mainly through Vardy and Nugent. To then drop the pair against Newcastle seemed to send out the wrong message.

 

An important point you make is that we need the midfield to chip in with goals, but hopefully as the season progresses and we become more settled, that will start to happen. We've not been in the Prem for so long its easy to start getting carried away and highlighting problems, and we shouldn't forget we are newly promoted and its difficult to go managing expectations from running away with a title to surrendering possession etc.

 

Vardy was dangerous when he came on and Nugent (although he was extremely wasteful with his final ball in the game) both provide a solid interchange within the front 3 (maybe not so for the Palace game but for Newc it would've been perfect).

 

But again, we can't rely on Vardy and Nugent to make sure Ulloa is in the game, to then bench them the next game. 

 

A big difference between this level and The Championship is the need to take our chances, but we need to create the bloody things in the first place! 

[Dan LCFC]

Should of gone to specsavers mate.

 

I used them in my post which I had assumed you'd read before commenting on and quoting. You just need to scroll up about 2 yards. Put some effort in!

 

So your "bad result" is now "very poor". Things are getting worse all the time. Can't wait to see what it will be next time: "Catacylsmic"?

 

You've said losing two away in a row is not great. Given the opposition it's undoubtedly worse than that. Palace have only won one game at home this year.

 

I'm not over-reacting in the slightest. You don't genuinely think there was no concern about the display on Saturday do you? We played against an awful side and lost. I don't see the harm in pointing that out. One result (well, even three) doesn't change my faith in the set up of this club.

[Babylon]

You've said losing two away in a row is not great. Given the opposition it's undoubtedly worse than that. Palace have only won one game at home this year.

 

I'm not over-reacting in the slightest. You don't genuinely think there was no concern about the display on Saturday do you? We played against an awful side and lost. I don't see the harm in pointing that out. One result (well, even three) doesn't change my faith in the set up of this club.

If you read all his posts he seemed to me he was talking from the view point of away games being a bonus in this league and home games being the ones we need to be winning. Hence why he mentioned the away records of Stoke and their finishing positions.

[Babylon]

I think, in an actual attempt to make a slightly relevant post to the thread, that the quality is clearly better in this division, but we're not helping ourselves or playing to our strengths at the minute. Hopefully that will change at Swansea, a team who've also had a dip in form lately.

[Guest ttfn]

If you read all his posts he seemed to me he was talking from the view point of away games being a bonus in this league and home games being the ones we need to be winning. Hence why he mentioned the away records of Stoke and their finishing positions.

Stoke were an absolute freak case last season though. They finished 9th and had the 5th worst away record in the league.

[chapero82]

I honestly cannot see us staying up atm, we don't have enough quality in certain positions, im not being pessimistic im just being realistic, I don't want pearson to go and I will support us wherever we are, even if we go down I want NP to stay, we just need more quality

[David Lowe]

There is a misconception that a lot of these sides in the bottom half are poor. With the top 7 positions out of reach for these sides it is likely that there will be teams regularly finishing in the bottom half. The likes of Villa and Stoke are certainly not top quality but they are good enough to keep stopping up and will provide us with difficult matches.

[C-man]

Surely this isn't a genuine question? Of course the bottom half of the PL is better.

Promoted teams must play with unreal intensity and some degree of ambition (Swansea, Southampton, Hull in recent seasons) throughout the season to get enough points to stay up. Once they've done that they can strengthen considerably without people really paying attention other than to the fact it's 'only' Swansea or Hull. Thus comes the misconception that we're better than them because we had a great season last year, started this year with some fantastic results that punched way above our weight and we have a bigger fanbase.

Yes we can play better and we will once NP has settled on his First XI. I'm sure we'll see it tomorrow, but we might not get a result because Swansea are a good side. That's the nature of the league and if people are panicking now over 3 average to poor results then they need to prepare for worse to come.

Win your home games, make yourself difficult to beat away. We've made a pretty good fist of that so far so I'm not concerned.

[Col city fan]

Surely this isn't a genuine question? Of course the bottom half of the PL is better.

Promoted teams must play with unreal intensity and some degree of ambition (Swansea, Southampton, Hull in recent seasons) throughout the season to get enough points to stay up. Once they've done that they can strengthen considerably without people really paying attention other than to the fact it's 'only' Swansea or Hull. Thus comes the misconception that we're better than them because we had a great season last year, started this year with some fantastic results that punched way above our weight and we have a bigger fanbase.

Yes we can play better and we will once NP has settled on his First XI. I'm sure we'll see it tomorrow, but we might not get a result because Swansea are a good side. That's the nature of the league and if people are panicking now over 3 average to poor results then they need to prepare for worse to come.

Win your home games, make yourself difficult to beat away. We've made a pretty good fist of that so far so I'm not concerned.

Of course it was a genuine question. Based on quite a few posters on here stating that the bottom half of the Prem is no better than the top half of the Championship.

[filbertway]

Of course it was a genuine question. Based on quite a few posters on here stating that the bottom half of the Prem is no better than the top half of the Championship.

 

Ahh don't indulge them types.

[Manwell Pablo]

There's not really a debate to be had here.

 

Obviously the bottom half the Premier League is better than the vast majority of the Championship (Although the gap between the top of the Champioship and the bottom of the Premeir League is not as wide as some make out) Obviously we haven't played well in our last three games and been punished as a result (this being the difference between the Championship and Prem as we got away with poor performances numerous occasions last season and still got results)

 

So your answer, put simply, is both.

[Corky]

Of course it was a genuine question. Based on quite a few posters on here stating that the bottom half of the Prem is no better than the top half of the Championship.

 

There isn't a huge gap between them, we made our name last season by sweeping aside the rubbish at the bottom, who are nowhere near Premier League quality. However, games at Derby, QPR, Forest (when they were quite good) were all tight games that we nicked or kept close, this season they've gone the other way.

[reynard]

The quality is far far greater. It isn't just the starting elevens it is the subs as well. Most teams have 2 quality players for most positions. We don't, neither do Burnley and neither do QPR and that's 3 of the bottom 6 sides and likely to stay that way.

People may think Burnley were poor but they were missing 4 or 5 key players. Take 4 or 5 out of our team and we would look equally poor. Yet we couldn't beat them. The Man utd result hasn't helped either, apart from the points. We simply won't play a side as poor defensively like that again this season. We played with an intesity and pace sorely lacking in the last three games.

Defenses are generally better and so are strikers. Players don't need multiple touches on the ball and movement off the ball is just more intelligent and constant.

 

I'm not saying we can't compete and the first few games showed we may be able to. But the last three show how tough this league really is. At the moment we are conceeding too many and we're not creating enough. It is a league where any side can get beaten badly never mind how big a club they are because the league is littered with quality players in nearly every side.

[shailen]

i do not believe the difference is that big, especially recently. Clubs like Southampton, Hull, Swansea, Palace...etc were teams struggling in the championship to get promoted but don't seem to face relegation. For me, the reason is a lack of motivation to why we've struggled in the last three games. Playing Burnley/QPR were our biggest games last season and so hold less significance considering how we started especially. My point is there could easily be a league of the bottom ten in the PL and top ten of championship and I guarantee it will be a close call.