ThaiFox

Four reasons we wont qualify for the top four...................................... If OGS, Ponch, Lampard, or Emery are appointed as our manager.

You spelt Albrighton wrong! Otherwise, I agree it's the best Arsenal Leicester combination.

Usually Crooks just picks players that score a goal, or grab the headlines. But amazingly he hasn't picked Ndidi. I doubt any player in the P/L played better than him on Sunday. His teams usually have no balance, are weighted in favour of Spuds and the other so called 'big clubs'. He's just another pundit I have no time for, along with Sutton, Bleat, Jenus and Murphy. So glad that out here I can only read what they say, and don't have to listen to their verbal diarrhea.

After the Man Utd match, I posted my disappointment, not only at how badly we played, but for setting up so negatively and not imposing our game on what I still say is the worst Man Utd team I've seen in the P/L. I also said I couldn't think of any Man Utd players who would get in our side. A few on here responded by saying Man Utd have better players. Well, reading the below on the BBC website this morning, it looks like Dion Dublin agrees with me! (and not just only Man Utd players!). Dublin added: "If you are choosing players now it's very difficult with the way Leicester are playing to say 'I would take him out and put that Manchester United or Arsenal player in'. "Leicester at the moment have players that are more in form. [Youri] Tielemans is better than anybody [from United or Arsenal] on current form, [James] Maddison definitely, [Wilfried] Ndidi, as a defensive midfielder, is better than anything seen in these teams this season."

Its only +5 this morning!

Tony Pulis, Mark Hughes or Fat Sam will come in to rescue them!

Chilwell was far better when Albrighton came on. I think having a senior pro in front of him gives him confidence.

Yesterday was special. Newcastle were poor, bereft of any quality. We played positively and won well. 'Genius' we read on here! Man Utd were equally as poor. We played negatively and lost. 'No better than Puel' we read on here! The reactions on here will always reflect our latest results. Half a dozen bad results where we play badly and this forum will be full of 'get rid'. Martin O'Neill was right when he said 'a manager is only as good as his last result'. We're probable not as good as we think when we win, we're probably not as bad as we think when we lose! Enjoy the good times!

They are both out of their depth. Lampard may turn into a decent coach, but it's far too early to say if he'll be successful. As for OGS.....I still can't believe Man Utd appointed him. I doubt any other P/L club would have even considered him. So far out of his depth it's almost embarrassing. And to think he is in change of rebuilding that club! If he's still there by Xmas I'll be amazed.

Spot on. I must add that his reading of the game gets better and better too. It's not just about goals and his high energy pressing game. A few times yesterday his intelligent running created space and opportunities for others. It's a part of his game that has improved so much. Just look how his run pulled defenders out for Ricardo's goal. And his gesture to Barnes in the first minute, knowing he was offside, not to pass to him, which created a huge chance for Perez. And so glad he gave England up too. England had no idea of how good he is and how wasted he was there. It'll probably prolong his career by two of three years.

If we had played against Man Utd like we did yesterday, we'd be above Man City. Still gutted with that result. No way would we have lost to a dire Man Utd team if we'd played like yesterday. They were just as poor as Newcastle were. However, maybe it's a good thing we lost to them if it's changed BR's way of thinking that we are far better than that. It just shows that setting us up positively, with intent from the start, is a far better ploy that two defensive midfielders, no width, and Maddison operating from the left wing.

Vardy's reading of the game was outstanding yesterday. We know he presses hard and gives defenders little rest, but it sometimes goes unnoticed but his off the ball movements is as important as his goals. In the first few minutes (when Perez should have scored) he knew he was in an offside position, so immediately gestured to made sure Barnes didn't pass to him. He really is a top, top striker and just seems to be getting better. So glad he gave England up. It'll probably prolong his career for another year or two.

In the pre match post I said we must start with high tempo and I'm glad that we did. So much better when we play in a positive fashion, with drive, intent and passion. It really puts a stamp of authority on our game. No way would we have lost to Man Utd if we'd played like this. I hope this style is now our identity and there is no reason to be fearful of any sides in the P/L, and that includes Liverpool & Man City. Kasper -7- Nothing to do in terms of saves, but again I thought his distribution was good. Ricardo -8- Outstanding game from him. Great goal and solid in defense. Evans -8- Gave none of their strikers a glimmer. Man Utd should have bought him rather than Maguire! Soyuncu -8- Another composed and dominating performance. Shrugs off attackers with ease. Chilwell -7- A better game and lots of energy, but still not producing those end products with enough quality. Ndidi - 9.99- MOTM. Simply outstanding. Can't give a 10 because one pass went astray! He is outstanding this season. Perez -7- A much better match and starting to look like the player we know he can be. Should have scored early in match. Tielemans -7- Certainly looking more like last seasons player. But those corners........very poor! Preat -7- Some nice touches. Brushed off the ball a few times, but imposed himself more as the game went on. Barnes -7- Lively performance, worked hard. Vardy -8- Two nice goals, always a menace, ran and ran and outstanding reading of the game yesterday. Subs: Choudhury -6- Did what he had to do. Albrighton -8- Outstanding cameo. I said pre match he should play if Maddison was out. Superb cross for Vardy's second. Gray -6- Nice tackle near the end. Nothing else of note. BR -8- So much better when we impose ourselves on teams rather than the timid weak performance we put up against Man Utd. I hope we don't go to Anfield with a negative attitude and gift them the game. Set the team up well and got them playing at the right tempo from the off. Newcastle -4- Poor. Nothing of quality in that team. It'll be a long struggle for them this season and I'd be surprised if they stay up Officials -6- Not too bad. Missed a corner from a Tielemans shot, Correct booking of Vardy and correct red card. Liverpool next. If we go there and play like today we can get something. Liverpool have an important C/L match on Wednesday whilst we have the full week to prepare. I hope we can take advantage of that. We must not go there in a negative way.

However we line up, BR must get them going from the start, with pace, drive and intent. The more we pass it around needlessly the more Newcastle will feel settled and comfortable. I read a review of the match where BR said our fans have got to be patient and not get on at the players if we can't break them down. I hope this isn't an insight that we're going to play a high possession match with no intent, and try slowly to break them down, because I think that will play into their hands. High intensity, lots of forward and dangerous passes. Look to take the game to Newcastle from the start and don't let up if we do score early.

Spot on. I very much doubt BR would have even considered coming here with the squad Craig left. And whatever we thought about his football, he got the team playing passing football. Shakespeare's style of Fat Sam football, and an aging squad, wouldn't have appealed to BR at all. His big problem was his outward image. BR is very personable, CP was not. I for one, wish poor old Claude well. I supported him fully when he was here and I could see all the good things he was trying to implement, even though our football and results were poor at times. However, he changed the squad, got shot of a lot of older tired players, whilst keeping us well away from the relegation zone. That was certainly an achievement in my view.

Love to think our players would see through this, but money and having a 'big club' on your CV seems to turn heads very quickly. Even with us winning the P/L Kante cleared off as soon as an offer came in from a 'big club', and they didn't even qualify for the P/L that season, and Vardy could well have too if Arsenal had guaranteed him a regular starting slot. Maguire has swapped an ambitious, forward thinking club, for a club with inferior players and an out of his depth manager who will be lucky to see the season through. Maguire was top dog here too, but is now just another player in the worst ever Man Utd P/L team. Drinkwater did the same and he's now on loan at Burnley. There are countless examples of players at decent clubs swapping them for big money moves to 'big clubs' then fading into oblivion. If players think the grass is greener, or want to leave, just let them go. Because if you don't you end up with what Spuds are going through. A bunch of unsettled players and poor team spirit.

I can totally understand your point of view. It took me a lot of time to make my decision on a top 4 or cup win. We all want sustained success for the club. Achieving champions league each season doesn't mean we'll win anything (ask Spuds) and out here if I see one Spuds shirt on someone every 6 months it's a lot, so C/L hasn't increased their Asian appeal much! In fact I don't even see people wearing a Man City shirt out here more than once every six months! It's all Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus shirts people are wearing. Teams that have been at the very top for decades. It would take at least a decade of C/L qualifications, probably even needing to win it, to achieve the reputation of a club like Chelsea (who were pretty shite when I was growing up, but the FA cup win raised their profile). We're not based in a part of the country which is considered 'sexy'. That doesn't help either. We are a club which will always be slightly under the radar. I love that about our club. It's what made winning the P/L and the league cups so special for me. Europe is great, but winning a trophy, or a league gives feelings which you just never forget. One of my greatest memories was being at the Orient match where we clinched the (then) second division championship under the great Jock Wallace. Those memories never leave you, and I guarantee if we won the FA cup you'd never ever forget that. Surely that must be better than a few games in Europe, maybe playing a campaign or teams who you'll soon forget?

Of course there is the chance we could attract better players, or hold onto our best ones. However, I still think that if we finish top 4 it wont stop players leaving, if it's to a big name club, for one minute. Look at Kante as an example. We nearly lost Vardy too, and would have if Arsenal could have guaranteed him a starting place every week. Do you honestly think Tielemans, or Maddison would stay with us if we finish 3rd, and Barcelona, Rael Madrid, Man City, PSG etc, came knocking? Or even if a huge club which didn't even qualify for the C/L? And who did we attract by winning the P/L? No-one of note. In fact we signed inferior players to ones we already had! Maguire went to Man Utd, which has an inferior group of players and an out of depth manager, when he could have stayed and kicked on with us. Because it was Man Utd. Players heads are always turned by big clubs. Champions League doesn't mean we'll keep anyone, or attract anyone better than we already have. Winning a cup may not attract players, but it's a trophy and football is about trophies, not finishing 2nd, 3rd or 4th and maybe getting a few games in Europe.

Has to be the FA cup, for reasons I've already stated. And could you guarantee any players sticking around for the Champions League with us? Kante didn't. He was off the first chance he got. Vardy was half tempted with the Arsenal interest. Even Ranieri said it would be difficult holding onto players and almost pleaded with them 'one more year'.

I read on some sports site out here that Levy wants 65 million for Ponch should anyone come knocking...... Add that to the 250 million he's asking for Kane......... And you have........ no takers.

It was a fantastic strike. He lobbed it at such pace it hit Kasper's crossbar and it flew threw the air and over a stunned Bournemouth keeper.

It was amazing to think that team against Newport contained 10 P/L winners, including our entire back 4! It just shows that too many changes doesn't work and gives the underdogs the confidence boost they need to think they can compete and maybe get a P/L scalp. Just ask any fan of Bournemouth, Sheff Utd, Spuds, West Ham who made the same mistake this week as we did v Newport.

It's only gonna be 16 minutes long as a reminder of the time they were top in 2015/16.

If Maddison is out, I'd bring in Albrighton and move Perez just behind Vardy. I'd definitely play Ndidi (or Choudhury) Maybe: Kasper Ricardo Evans Soyuncu Chilwell Ndidi Albrighton Tielemans Praet Perez Vardy Bring Barnes & Gray on if we need to chase the match.

For me, one big difference between us is the way we are run. Levy is made out to be this 'shrewd businessman'. But as every season goes by he's looking more and more like a novice businessman. Probably losing Eriksen for nothing by demanding a crazy 100M for him with under a year left on his contract, not supporting Ponch in the transfer market when they really had the chance to challenge, racking up huge debt on a new stadium, offering silly money or deals for potential signings, and overpricing want away players which has lead to squad disharmony. All decisions which could hinder Spuds for a very long time. Meanwhile, I think our club is in much better hands. We are building slowly and strongly and our business model looks on a much sounder financial basis that the one Levy is doing at Spuds. Spuds are lucky they are based in a very high population area and are in London where they have become media darlings. Winning one trophy this decade doesn't, in my view, even put them in the same league as the other five teams they are compared with. Out here I rarely see anyone wearing their shirt, in fact I see more people in Leicester shirts!