Thracian

It was clear from the manner of our first goal that Mahrez would shine on Saturday. Brighton's left-back looked more like a doorman at The Ritz the way he stepped aside to let Mahrez pass in that first crucial minute. And from that point, Mahrez knew he was in a theatre of fun for the day and took centre-stage with relish. But all credit to him. Given licence, he enjoyed himself and did much to see we won the match. I doubt he'll find life so comfortable against Manchester United and am quite sure he'll get clattered from time to time. Yet it's opponents like United that'll essentially shape his future because they're the sort of teams any prospective suitor will expect him to provide an edge against - a moment of magic to make the difference. Brighton didn't stir enough to provide a test for oxygen in the air.

Encouraging win against quality opposition at that level. Heartening to know Mendy had some action. Hope there's no adverse reaction and he starts building his career again.

It's hardly encouraging but then if Shakespeare knew he was likely to be loaned out why would he use him ahead of those he knew would be lining up for us. .

A couple of years ago Mahrez was still a self-contained footballer but he was regularly rating 7-9 for his performances - not because of his tenaciousness when we lost the ball but because he scored goals, made goals and ripped even organised defences apart with some regularity. Albrighton at the time was a solid team player rating 6's and 7s. Now, for a good while too, Mahrez rates anything from four to seven - and too often at the lower end of those figures, while Albrighton has lived, learned and developed so become one of the best and most dependable players in our squad and one who's forever adding to his game at no cost to his incredible energy. From the sort of guy you could play or bench with equal justification he's all but indispensible at the moment and a guy who's so clearly committed to the cause and whatever part his asked to play I even feel guilty marking him down a touch when he's not quite been at his best because it's never for the want of trying and then trying some more. Mahrez no longer reflects the sheer joy of football as the likes of Vardy, Shinji and Albrighton do - somehow he's become a peripheral figure who's tolerated for his undoubted ability to still do something or consequence but who's long since stopped being wedded to the group. And it means that Leicester today are "all the one, one for all" minus about 20 per cent and it's that 20 per cent we want back if we're ever to realise our owners and our club's ambitions again.

Centre-back may end up his strongest position with his tackling becoming tighter, his strength/determination improving and his not having to worry so much about tracking runners from midfield. It might enhance his strong points and negate his weaknesses to some extent. Huth is not an "urgent" player but then he's bigger and more dominant than Amartey and there's the rub. Will Amartey ever be fearsome enough as a stopper centre-back? I have my doubts and, if he's not, I fail to see where his stand-out strengths are likely to be in any position. As a footballer I'd see him as a machine minder rather than an innovator. Willing enough but not a ruthless warrior or busy go-getter. He's still coltish in his style but it's hard to see an astute, unfluttered thoroughbred emerging.

It's not amartey's tackling that's the problem it's his failure to see and track runners. Tackling-wise he seemed a bit tighter against arsenal than he's been in the past and certainly showed determination to win the ball.

He already seems to have far more enemies than I ever imagined.

I was all interested til you mentioned more game time for gray who also doesn'the altogether convince me he wants to be here. Gray has been a near constant disappointment and no less in his efforts up to and including his cameo at arsenal. I see no evidence of his being our answer to anything.

Underwhelmed from what I watched...which was about two thirds. Nothing whatsoever against any of our staff but when kids of that age and ability are scoring "nil" there's got to be more inspiration, cunning and inventiveness to the exercise. It all looked a bit stale and predictable to me...which is the last thing I'd expect at the beginning of a season.

It's clear that some people disagree with Shakespeare's appointment and intend to take every opportunity to justify that view. Indeed they seem to want him to fail to support their opinion rather than supporting the club first and foremost. They are not alone. Others seem determined to pick on certain players to justify the inclusion of replacements instead of genuinely judging people on their merit whatever. When an intended "victim" does okay they say as little as possible about it but when he does badly they fire every weapon they can. Shakespeare was fair and frank enough to admit he made mistakes but he could as easily have pointed to by far our best attacking performance at Arsenal in recent memory, three excellent goals and our being as close, time wise, to our first win at the Emirates in ages. Everyone I've spoken too was thrilled with the game which was in many ways a brilliant advert for Leicester City and for the game of football. I watched West Ham play Manchester United last night and they hardly had any shots, rarely carried any threat, lost 4-0 and it might have been 10-0. They were 100% outplayed. We scared Arsenal's manager what looked like close to tears and even earned his always grudging praise yet are calling our reforming team every which way. It wasn't the substitutions, bad defending. an indefensible refereeing decision or any other single factor which cost us victory it was that our commendable three goals wasn't enough to beat ever-dangerous Arsenal's four goals any more than Ranieri beat them when they scored for fun at the King Power not so many months back and really did take our defence to pieces. Was Ranieri a no-good manager? Or not the man for the job? Very few were saying it at the time so the hyprocrisy is shameful. We lost a winning position away from home against one of the most dangerous attacking teams in the country and we were all desperately disappointed because we could have had a dream start tgo the season and then what would have been written about our manager? I'm not noted for being shy to criticise but saw a whole lot of good among the less good on Friday night. Along with the condemning of Shakespeare I've read fulsome praise for Maquire. Yet Maguire contributed to our losing at least one goal as as he did in helping us score. He wasn't perfect by a long way and neither were any of our central midfielders as indicated by the volley of shots Arsenal fired, many from runners coming from deep positions. And while I'm exposing the failings of people who did put their head above the parapet consistently - and there were more I could have mentioned - what about the guy who didn't. Riyad Mahrez. He made a goal too - just like Maguire and there ere a couple of other momentary flashes of promise - but, even as something of a believer in and forgiver of the bloke because for his brilliance so many times and in so many places since he's been here - he really left his colleagues to shoulder the burdens of Fridays pressures and it's hard to fight Arsenal for 90 minutes with only 10 seemingly committed men. But that's what it amounted too. Some like Shinji, Albrighton and James worked themselves to ineffectiveness but Mahrez so often didn't compete for the momentary chance of winning the ball let alone for 90 combative minutes. And that's what we need to look at first at Leicester. Getttng 11 players on the field who are prepared to strive for the cause til they drop. Too many of those who've been the main focus of criticism at Arsenal have shown themselves to be those kind of guys - and Shakespeare afterwards showed himself strong enough to stand with them and admit to his failings for all that no-one would doubt his commitment any less that Morgan's or Simpson's of Fuchs to name just three at random. Lets give this team a chance to properly form itself and gel before we pull it to pieces. Because there are people there yet who aren't committed and don't belong.

What pace?

As usual some are going over the top about a noticeable and clearly committed player who is by no means flawless. It reflects the hope of having a new signing rather than any constructive analysis. We'rec conceding too many goals and it'seems not all down to the old hands.

To me James did a disciplined covering of space but rarely won the ball and delivered anything constructive. We were wanting in central midfield all night. Our passing went from middling to poor as the game wore on.

Shakespeare wasn't perfect but he took us as near to victory at arsenal as we've been for a while and presiding over a thrilling game. He made mistakes just like the players but there were lots of positives too and we could so easily have been sitting top of the premiership tonigHTC had we added the finishing touches to a commendable effort and shown just a little more faith and awareness.