Jobyfox

Let’s think how that would’ve worked for the match on Saturday. Spurs would have challenged our first two goals. We would have challenged Spurs first two goals. That’s two more VAR stoppage than we actually got then.

I’m in the ground. Just to say that the boos were definitely for the ref. Not for the VAR and Kane’s goal, but the rising frustration that they get a free kick every time they fall over. Don't know whether it looks the same on the telly!

I really don’t think it’s rose tinted specs at all to suggest that Lennon and Izzett were special players. They were up there with the best in the league. We also had nothing like the resources we have now to build a team around them. I actually think the question is a little premature. Maddison & Tielemans are incredibly talented, but need to convert that into consistent performances over time. Their potential may be greater, but ultimately they have to realise that potential. Wilf is the only one who has really been around long enough to compare. Personally I don’t think he’s as complete a midfielder as Lennon was or as talented as Muzzy. But it’s quite nice to imagine him playing in that era with Lennon and Izzett slightly in front of him. None of them are probably as good as Kante or Cambiasso but, for reasons of longevity, I will still remember them more fondly in some respects.

A bloke near me said it was fine, although he did say it in the medium of British Sign Language.

What is this? The Beano?

Always seem to be an annoying bogey team for us - although we did beat them at home last season, which felt like the first time ever. I think this will be a good benchmark for where we are. Teams who have come and set up defensively and played on the break have made us look very ordinary (Crystal Palace and Newcastle last season, Wolves this season). Bournemouth look like they have the attributes in their side to do that given the pace that they've got up front. I'm hoping for a performance almost (but not quite) as much as a result. But I'll predict 1-1

Bit disappointed. For fitness, form and morale I'd have included a few more who haven’t been getting in. Not wholesale changes to break up the rhythm, but just a few more. Probably just add: Ward, Justin, Albrighton to Morgan and Barnes and one or two new ones on the bench

Matty James has been a decent player for us at Championship level and, occasionally, at Premier League level. He played a role during our Championship seasons and our PL great escape season. i also think he’s a player who has gone through that classic cycle of having his stock rise through absence. People remember the good bits, forget the bad bits and have a great deal of sympathy because of his injuries. MJ was always a limited player in my opinion. He could sit in midfield and look nice and comfortable, but didn’t have a great range of passing, acceleration to get past opponents or the disruption qualities of a Kante or N’didi. Just average to good at Championship level and average at PL level. You can pick moments when he was a better performer than the likes of Drinkwater out, but to say that he’s ever threatened the heights reached when Drinkwater was at his best is nonsense. He’s never reached anything like the quality of Cambiasso, Kante, Drinkwater, N’didi or Tielemans. To some extent I’d even rather have Hamza, Mendy or even King in the team. If he was fit and available and we were still using him then I’d take it as evidence that we’d failed quite badly in the transfer market since 2015.

I’m not putting forward Fuchs as great, but I’m also not saying that there is a massive gulf between him and Chilwell. I like Chilwell and think he’s right to be first pick, but for me he’s often not good enough defensively. Also, as stated, he often fails to hurt the opposition when he gets into great positions. If Chilwell improves in those areas he’ll be miles ahead of an ageing Fuchs. Unfortunately he’s not quite there just yet.

It’s right that Chilwell has been first pick for the last couple of seasons as he is the future. I don’t, however, think he’s that far ahead in terms of what he brings to the team. Chilwell brings speed and athleticism and is a constant threat and outlet for the team offensively. Fuchs lacks Chilwell’s running, but probably has the edge defensively and his final ball is miles better than Chilwell’s. Chilwell’s lack of a final ball is currently what holds him back from being a promising player to a great one. It’s a great position to be in to have Chilwell, but also have somebody of Fuch’s ability to be prepared to sit on the bench.

I hope so.

It’s not the fact it’s Morgan coming on that makes me nervous, but a change of formation with only 15 minutes to go. I always used to think Puel used to over-manage at times. I hope BRodgers isn’t going to be the same.

I first started watching football in the old Kop at Filbert Street. I loved standing and the atmosphere generated in pen 3. I sit in a similar position at the KPS as I stood all those years ago. The demographic of the people in the area has changed. There are many more women, many more older people, many more people who want to sit and watch quietly. I’ve long thought that a true atmosphere will only return when safe standing returns. The like minded fans can stand together and, although it’s a sweeping statement, I feel this area will also contain the more vocal fans. The chants and songs will not die out as they do now when they reach the old lady doing her knitting or the old fella reaching for his flask, That’s not to undermine the value of those fans at all. In fact those older fans are similar to me. 30 years on I don’t want to stand and jump around anymore. With age and maturity I’m far less vocal than I used to be. I’m happy to sit and watch now. But I’m a firm believer that safe standing will enhance the match day experience for many and probably for all with the atmosphere it will generate.

Personally I want to keep the league cup open to PL clubs and want it to maintain some semblance of importance. Mostly because we’ve only won 4 major trophies in our entire history and 3 of them were the League Cup.

Personally I’m not reacting to anything. Whether we sign Praet or not won’t change my opinion. An optimistic forecast is that we’ll break top six. It could happen, but probably on the upper limits of what we’ll achieve. A realistic forecast is probably 7th-9th. That’s because the top six of last season still have strong squads and Everton, Wolves, West Ham and Watford will all have similar ambitions to us. Based on the market bookies have us finishing 8th. Top six is possible, but don’t confuse realism in some quarters with being “embarrassingly reactionary”.

I totally agree. 6th place Manchester United were 14 points ahead of us last season. Arsenal were 18 points ahead in 5th Yes we’ve strengthened, but so have they and everybody else.

Wang Chung will be as well ... ..... in about 35 years time

In terms of Manchester United’s “bigness” then there are many hard measures that make them a global brand. It’s difficult to imagine that one day they won’t be in the same way that you can’t ever imagine Real Madrid or Barcelona slipping from their lofty status. It’s also difficult to see what clubs could usurp them. With the investment in the PL, however, Man United face challenges that a lot of foreign giants don’t. In Germany, Italy, France and Spain it's still the same one or two clubs that dominate. The rise of Man City and Chelsea shows that it’s different in England. People say that Man City and Chelsea will never supersede Man United and Liverpool. The former clubs have the new investment, but they don’t have the history of the latter clubs. Would it be impossible for Man City to be a bigger global brand than United? It’s very difficult, but not impossible. The clubs with the new money are already creating their own history. Kids outside of Manchester & London and over the world are already starting to wear Man City shirts when before they may have chosen United. The problem is that creating that history will take sustained effort over a long period of time. Eventually they could start to match and overtake what Liverpool and Man United achieved, but who is to say that those clubs won’t make come backs themselves. It can be done, but it would take 2 or 3 generations for these clubs to be truly bigger than the traditional elite.

Yes, despite the battering he takes he does have some great little nuggets of information

I can’t be bothered to read all the posts. Would someone be kind enough to just summarise the previous 281 pages?

Agreed. He’s not been great for us for sure, but that video doesn’t make me feel any more or any less for him. Looking at the comments here would imply that he’d just head butted Mahrez, urinated on the trophy and had a shit on the centre circle.

That was a must win game!

FITNESS!!!!!

This seems reasonable to me. The usual top six have to be favourites to finish there again We’re in a group with teams like Wolves, Everton and West Ham as the chasing bunch Our personal views are just that and won’t reflect the market. I’m sure there will be a lot of expectation around Wolves and Everton this season. Personally I could see us finishing anywhere from 5th to 14th. We are Leicester after all - and half way between those levels is: 9th