smudger63

Everton will finish above Notts Forest regardless. Bournemouth are looking like they will be fine, so we need at least one of Burnley or Luton to step up. Burnley probably being the best bet of the two in the long term, but I'm not confident. Notts Forest, should have dropped last season, their football stunk the league out. They have been fortunate this season to have such poor promoted teams to contend with, which will probably save them, and give them another big chunk of money, and another season to get it right. I can't see Cooper lasting much longer though, and then their next managerial appointment will probably define which direction they go in, in the next couple of seasons.

I think what sets that "tackle" apart from other horrendous challenges that happen every week, is the intent. You could see he meant to hurt Alves, whether that be born out of frustration or malice, that is totally unacceptable on a football pitch

Yes the much postponed game, not really a pleasant night. Freezing cold, and we were shite, and definitely not up for it. I loved how their fans first thoughts after their win, was to run straight to our fans and chuck things at us. No thoughts of actually celebrating, although I suppose that was their idea of celebrating. Of course in the next round they played Luton, which turned into a riot, with them chasing the police onto the pitch, while chucking seats at them!

Before his injury McAteer was making some really intelligent runs inside, taking players away, and offering himself as an option, and getting on the end of things too. I've not really seen that from him since he's been back, whether that's down to instruction I'm not sure, but I don't think McAteer offers a great deal other than hard work, as an out and out wide player.

"I was there" as they say! I remember Linekers debut against Oldham very clearly too. It was bloody freezing, and I couldn't feel my feet. Lineker who was 17 or 18 if i rememmber correctly, and was played on the wing, and never really made an impression, Buchannon who was 16, played up front and was fantastic on the day. Pretty sure the Oldham game was Bobby Smiths debut too, and looked a really decent player, which he was. He ended up here playing as a full back in later times, which I never felt he was ever at his best, and wasted his talent further up the pitch. The following game from the Oldham game on New Year's Day, I'm pretty sure was Andy Peakes debut, who was 18 or 19, and a cracking player. The second half of that season really sowed the seeds of our promotion the following season. Even now the 1979/80 promotion was right up there with my favourite season's. Such a young team, with Big Jock as our manager. Not always the best football, but blood, guts, passion and 100 per cent commitment is what we got from Jocks team, and I will never forget his time with us, and be forever grateful I was there to enjoy the ride.

Truth is we got away with one. They should have been 3 up before we scored. A truly awful performance, lacking any redeeming features. Wednesday were absolute shite, but the draw was the least they deserved. Shockingly bad, and the warning signs have been there for a while now, but we haven't heeded those warnings, and I suspect nothing will change. Maresca has already said, we will live or die by his style of play, he ain't going to change. One thing is for sure, if we do go up, it's going to take some top notch recruitment, and serious money, for us to stay up in the premier league, playing Enzo ball, because the current players, may or may not get away with it this season in the championship, but they're not good enough to play that way in the premier league.

Didnt know Micky, only through reading his posts on Bentleys Roof, but seemed a proper good bloke, with lots of passion for his interests. His leicester City legacy of course will always be the magnificent Filbert Street model that he built, and which still resides at the King Power. RIP Micky.

Well they've admitted they knew they were in the wrong, they're not contesting that, only the severity of the sanction. How do we prove it hurt our club, well difficult in the sense that if we hadn't give a toss about ffp last season, like Everton hadnt been bothered, and brought in some decent players in the summer, instead of trying to keep within ffp, we ourselves may have been in breach of ffp ourselves. The big difference being we played by the rules, they didn't. It makes no difference at the end of the day, because I dare say in the end we won't pursue it, and Everton will have got away with it, due to the Premier league this season, having at least 4 teams that are no where near good enough being in it.

Which is the point many in the media seem to be ignoring. They knew well before last season started they were in the mire, and should have sold some of their better players in order to try and comply with ffp. They chose not too, we chose to abide by the ffp rules, and so never had the refresh of players that almost certainly would have seen us finish above Everton, and stay up. Bizarrely to me, there almost seems to be some sympathy within the media towards Everton, when the reality is, the fact they've been deducted the points this season, with Sheff Utd, Luton, Burnley and Bournemouth, probably being the worst in the history of the premier league, apart from Dismal Derby, meaning there isn't a cat in halls chance that they go down. They could have given them a 15 point deduction and they wouldn't have gone down. Everton, have basically got away with it.

Plus if we had been given a 10 point penalty that season, we would still have gone up. Also, we had done a deal with all our creditors that would have meant staying out of administration, apart from one, Eric Hall the agent of Dennis Wise, who wouldn't agree, and threatened to serve a winding up order on us, which pretty much forced our hand in going into administration. The same could not be said of Ipswich, who went into administration a few months later, and also didn't get a point deduction, but somehow that always seems to be forgotten.

There's a surprise! Every season! I was wondering how long he would last without getting an injury.

What I'm trying to say is, the instances you are alluding too, they are long passes with a reason, not just aimless balls for someone to chase for the sake of aimlessly chasing. Often you will see the run about to be made before the pass. Something we were doing earlier in the season, was a long central pass, with mavadidi coming off of his wing into the centre, as the pass was made. Of course, on the odd occasion the ball will be hoofed away, when the player with the ball is under extreme pressure, but even then, more often than not, they will risk trying to play their way out, because its what they've been encouraged to do under Enzo. Enzo is just not going to tell the players to hit it over the top and chase it, most of the long balls/passes will have been worked on in a structured way. There will be a trigger, when they do it.

We won't be just hitting it long for any of our strikers to chase for the sake of chasing, while Enzo is the manager. We will, and have at times, be passing long when certain occasions arise, often from our keeper. When that happens, you can usually see from the movement of a couple of our forwards, that there is a trigger, when that long pass will be played.

I'm assuming your a Leeds fan. You pressed us with high intensity at the beginning of both halves, should have scored early on when Piroe missed when my 9 year old nephew could have scored. Scored from a pretty standard corner, that we didnt defend properly, played some decent stuff at times, but I always felt that you were only going to score from poor defending from us, which you did. I thought you looked OK, without looking anything special, but that could be said about us, in many of our games this season. From our point of view, I didn't think we got enough bodies in the box when we went forward, mainly because I think we were very wary of you on the counter attack, with the pace you have going forward, and the lack of pace we have at the back. If any side edged it, I thought it was Leeds, but I don't think either team could complain if it had finished as a draw. Honestly, only if Ipswich can maintain their form throughout the season, can I see the top two being anything other than Leicester and Leeds at the end, mainly because the standard in the championship is really poor.

Most surprising thing about these match ratings for me is Casadei averaging above 1. In fact if there had been a minus 1, personally i would have given him that. He was completely inept, and it was like playing with 10 men while he was on the pitch. I actually felt like he was happy to get off the pitch when he was subbed, not as happy as I was though!!

Completely agree about Fatawu, he scared them to death first half, had Byram on toast, and on a yellow, then right from the start of the second half, he stopped running at him, and was playing sideways and backwards. It made no sense, and like you, I wondered if Enzo had told him to reign it in, and move the ball more, to try to create spaces, rather than run at the defence. Casadei was awful, I was encouraged against Sunderland, but thought he was quiet against QPR, and tonight was more a hindrance than a help. I wouldn't play him next week, if Yunus and Wilf are still out, I would either try McAteer there, or do what he done after he took Casadei off tonight, and play Ricardo higher up, with Hamza behind with Winks. Vardy spent more time facing our goal than theirs and so was completely out of the game, and Nacho wasn't any kind of threat either. All in all, a disappointing night, because although Leeds were OK, I thought they were very beatable too. Anyway 13 wins from 15, we can't complain too much, so onwards and upwards!

I'm sure their fans were confident of beating Stoke a couple of games ago too!

Very true, although it wasn't just a little push, where the player has to chuck himself on the floor to make it look worse, it was with enough force to genuinely make Fatawu fall on his arse. Absolutely another yellow card, to go with the one he got for the drag back on Fatawu's neck, which was actually quite dangerous, and may have merited more than just a yellow. Either way, it was rightfully a sending off, and they can have no complaints.

He is a Winks understudy for sure. Match made in heaven them two, in terms of Winks helping him make the step up.

Great Point, and fully deserved in my opinion. Improved the decisIon making in the second half, and could have won it. Today has also shown me that the referee big club bias is alive and well in the womens game as well. All their players had to do was chuck themselves on the floor, which they gleefully did on many occasions, for him to give them a free kick, and book our player. Anyway, well done the Ladies!

Well pretty much all of the problems we`ve had, have been of our own doing! Some of the decision making has been shocking, and yet i think if only we had a bit more composure on the ball, this game is there for the taking, because Man United havent looked anything special so far.

Blimey! That's me told!

Got away with one there! Evertons missed penalty, the open goal that the italian girl missed for them, and the linesman needing an appointmaent a specsavers tomorrow saved our bacon. Decent first 25 minutes first half, but faded. Second half we were shocking, apart from one piece of quality. We should have enough to stay up, but any thoughts of a mid to higher end finish looks fanciful on todays showing.

Our current squad is better than Burnleys current squad. It was ridiculous that we were relegated last season, which was down to mismanagement at all levels, and a number of players already thinking of their end of season move, and really not giving a toss. With Sheff United, Luton and Burnley in the premier league this season, no way would this current squad have finished below any of them. That said, with the likely relegation of those three this season, next seasons Premier league will likely be tougher, and I think we will need to have some decent investment and recruitment, if we do go up.

I certainly think Yunus can play inside, he looks a clever player, but I also thought he was decent today out wide too. Casadei, was decent today I thought, but without really affecting the game much. Looked to have more physicality today, and so not being knocked off the ball so easily, as has been the case in some of his other games, and he put a shift in. More to come from him hopefully.