Alan Frost

Writing after Liverpool v Watford, not a lot, but enough. BR must learn to find a way to convince the team the next match is always the most important.

Jesus, I've made the youth team--not bad at 76 years old. (I'm a late developer). I reckon by the time Vardy is too old in about 10 years (maybe earlier) I'll manage a fe reserve games.

I like Brendan Rogers and if each season the managers were drawn out of a hat I think we'd be well pleased. However it will be interesting to see if he can raise the motivation level for the rest of the season to a final flourish. Its important because it will set the tone for how we start next season. Nothing is going to change much this season except a cup win (we're still in one are n't we ) or finishing second would be nice but we've definitely got to kick on a bit to maintain and I hope exceed what we've achieved this year. For this team playing at their best, little has been impossble, but everything has been a bit disappointing since Man City and Liverpool over Christmas. The worst jobs in football are being either a manager or a fan. We have to achieve regular miracles or we're not happy bunnies. Mind you I'm not paid in millions as compensation.

There's only one possible bad resuit for me, a win or a draw away to Man City would both be very good. Even a very narrow loss is ok (just) provided we play well. A deserved loss by say two goals or more would be the only bad result, a disaster. On what I've watched this season so far, Liverpool won't keep winning and once they've lost one or two watch the doubts creep in. We're still a little bit off halfway through the season and altho a betting man would be backing Liverpool we will still be in with a chance whatever the result against Man City. But a win against Liverpool at home is a must . Whatever happens I'll be crushed if we don't make the Champions league from here. At the start of the season I'd have been delighted with that.

I'm so glad ,as a remote supporter to read all this. We've hard more than our share of the good guys managing the team going back to Matt Gillies and we seem to have found another one. I'm glad Rogers seems to meet general approval as he always impresses me in the interviews I see, and the results have been pretty good too.

Why not do it again, we've had a fine start,and the teams looking very good ? We don't have surprise on our side but an away win at Palace is another good result. I'm in Scotland so don't see us live very often so might need correcting here but I think there's a couple of things that would help. One . Among neutrals I suspect we've got a lot of friends. Lets make a friend who counts more than most, the referee. I've said it before but take a leaf out of Cloughies book. His teams always got a more than square deal from refs. as he would n't stand dirty play and his players did n't argue with the ref. so the refs. loved Forest. I'm not saying we're bad now but clean it up a bit more and get the ref. well on side. Cloughie made sure refs. knew it by fining players who got booked,or even dropping them. Every one knew this including the refs. There is a time for an over the top foul but not very often and how often does a ref . change his mind because players argue ? Only when the pigs take off . Now the VAR guys will also know giving even more scope for favourable decisions. Two. As I remember a lot of key goals were scored by our big defenders in the championship year especially at the end of the season .Soyuncu should be sent forward for every corner. I've rated him very highly since he arrived . I reckon he could score a few from corners and he could automatically be covered at the back by one of the shorter midfielders until he can get back. Well why not? Ranieri , God bless him, IMO should never be criticised but Rogers may be an even better manager, certainly tactically. I rate him pretty highly. Let's prove last time was n't a fluke and set our ambitions high.

Good god, only watched the highlights and goals but I'm starting to dream again when a second team remind me of Liverpools first team. How are we going to hold on to the team thats starting to build . At the moment maybe third is a bit flattering if you look at the rest of the stats. but watching this maybe not. Lets dream a bit more . What if Soyuncu who I rate very highly and must be still learning to fit in with the team turns out to be another Van Dijk !!!! If that did happen and with the confidence that should now be building who knows what could happen? Yeah I know its football where dreams hardly ever work out ,and I only saw highlights but I'm still dreaming. One thing I would like to see is for the excellent Rogers to take one leaf out of Cloughies book. Forest always got a more than even break from refs. because refs. knew they were n't going to get dissent of arguing or even many bad fouls from Clough's players. Ever see a player argue the ref. into changing his mind ? Result fewer sending offs , suspensions, more free kicks and penalties. If anyone thinks Clough's teams were soft as a result just say, Keane, Pearce, MacKay,Gemmell to yourself, and there were others who had to clean their act up or they got punished by the ref. and fined and sometimes dropped by Cloughie. Must have been worth a good few points every season and it cost nothing. LCFC made a lot of friends in football in their miracle year. We're pretty good now but let's be clever and keep it that way. I was never happy with criticisms of Morgan, Huth, in the season following the miracle year. All of that team, and the manager, and maybe most of all the chairman earned respect, for life. However if Soyuncu turns out the way he's started he'll be worth two defenders.

I live in Scotland but have been a supporter of the Foxes since I had 3 spells of living in Leicester in the late 1950s early 1960s (I'm an oldie) when they had a fine and successful team. I never however dreamed they could ever win the Premiership and I count it one of the highlights of my life. I did attend the match following which the chairman was killed the only time I've visited the "new" stadium although I attended every home match at Filbert Street when I lived in Leicester and away matches when they played near my address at the time in the years after. In the matches I did attend back in the 50s/60s I was always impressed with the football knowledge and behaviour of the fans who stood on the halfway line in the all standing Shed. I was even more impressed with the whole pleasant atmosphere when I visited this year for the West Ham match. The dignity and wonderful spirit with which LCFC handled the Chairman's death , I admired even more . I think most football supporters everywhere did. So unusual in football. In the long term I doubt we will ever be a very long term force as Arsenal, Liverpool,Man Utd. are and Man C, Spurs, Chelsea are well on the way to becoming BUT, and here is the point. We need everything going for us and being unique in football for a wonderful spirit and sporting attitude can continue to win LCFC friends everywhere. Leicester are not the richest club but currently are probably wealthier than usual. Lets show that sporting spirit by remembering the contribution Pearson made to the premiership winning season by miraculously keeping us up the season before. Lets never forget Ranieri's wonderful attitude and the friends he made us through out the championship season, and his dignity when as a recently sacked manager he returned to the club to give tributes to the deceased Chairman. No pettiness there and so unusual for this game. Ranieri and the players received recognition for their achievement and I think it would be sporting if the club can ever do some favour to Pearson, maybe a job in admin. or scouting if he ever falls on hard times. Keep that "nice' , "paternal' club family spirit, almost unique in football and LCFC will continue to win friends across the game. Its unusual in football. Results of course count but results with a sporting attitude count for more in my book and I think in most peoples'. Final comment.The match I did attend (v West Ham) I was so impressed with Soyuncu's intelligence . I think it was his debut. Throughout most of the match, until substituted you could see he very sensibly looked all the while to Mcguire for guidance on positioning and passing. Not many players are that smart the first time they play for a new team. I think he''ll definitely become a star. When he was substituted he got a small standing ovation from many of us on the halfway line. He had n't done anything brilliant, he was just smart and effective and many of us recognised that. Rogers I think might be good enough to get us back into Europe for several seasons, and he seems to have a very good sporting attitude, a worthy successor to Puel who at least had a good attitude (but a bit too low key), and Ranieri. I would n't claim Pearson had all the right attitudes but lets not forget not many could have achieved the miraculous escape from relegation and without that we could n't have won the Premier League. I was n't ever a big fan of Schmichael's dad but I am a big fan of the spirit and attitude of Schmichael. He's worth another player on the park and all the guys who played for us through the relegation battle , the championship year , and are still playing deserved every honour they got, and will win soon.. A long way away but very much a fan

There is no point changing the manager unless we can get someone clearly better. Most management changes bring only a short term improvement and often a deterioration. Puel is not bad enough to sack but i would certainly think if we don't finish in number seven or eight spot then maybe if someone clearly good is available then go for it but i see little point in not giving Puel most of the rest of the season. Who are we going to get? I can't think of anyone realistically available who is clearly superior to Puel. Personally speaking i was very impressed with Soyuncu's opening match. Nothing spectacular but clearly intelligent, smart enough to listen to McGuire for guidance. On the small side and not super fast but i thought a real tryer and I think he could do very well. Some of his more ambitious passes were excellent. Vardy is a good player but now we play higher up the pitch and have more possession (which is good) he's being misused. Like Michael Owen he's difficult to get the ball to in a position where he can use his pace. We really need a Pirlo ,Messi or Iniesta to find the pass that puts Vardy in and we ain't going to get one of those. A good test for Puel is how well he solves this problem. My opinion is that playing Vardy as an attacking midfielder might solve the problem. If Vardy accepted it and realised it might extend his career in the top flight when his pace begins to go. it might work. He's too good to let go but not quite good enough to be an exceptional striker in a team with more possession. Southgate did n't solve the problem either. As for the rest of the team they are of a good average standard and should achieve 7th or 8th spot. Delighted as I was with the 2015-6 season I've never worked out , or found anyone else ,who knew how we did it. The best answer I've had was from a guy I sat next to at the WH match who said "Chemistry, everything worked well.' Well IMO this side is better than the 2015-2016 team and with better reserves, although Mahrez and Konte were big losses . Why can't we do it again.? Well we can, but Puel has to believe it and we'll know by the end of the season whether he believes it. At the moment he looks like a competent manager who'll keep us in the Premier league. That's worth quite a lot and will do for now , but next season with the players we have we should be aiming for a top 5 spot, minimum. If Puel can't deliver that then look for someone who can, but leace it until early next season.

Could money be better spent than a statue of Ranieri and the late Chairman together as per the photo in the post on thjis thread. Two of the good guys, smiling as usual. I can think of few people who desrve a statue more and I'm sure the sum necessary coukd be raised by subscription frm Foxes fans. It would be nicer if the fund for a statue was raised from the fans , all of whom owe both these gentlemen so much.

I would love to see LCFC back in the table top 7 or 8. Last Saturday I visited the new Walker stadium for the first time (I live in Scotland) although I've been to the old Filbert St. stadium many ,many times. Against West Ham I thought the side played excellently with the new signing having a very good game for a new boy. he's not super fast or big, but i thought it was an impressive debut. One thing struck me, we should have had about 5 goals altho WH could have had a couple more too. We were not lucky in finishing and Fabianski had a very good game. However the main point is that Jamie Vardy is a great player if used correctly and like England LC are not using his attribute of pace correctly. On Saturday we were generally attacking with our forwards well up the pitch. Vardy in this situation works hard and is a good forward but not outstanding. In the winning year Vardy broke with pace and this is not possible when he starts his run in the crowded last third of the pitch, when Leicester are well forward. If Leicester are to play with more possession higher up the pitch (not a bad thing ) Vardy shoud be played as an attacking midfielder who can break quickly forward. He won't score as many as in 2015-2016 but the team will score more IMO and he'll probably have a longer career at the top.. I think we have bought pretty wisely but have not quite managed to replace Mahrez and Konte successfully. I have hopes that the new guy Soyuncu could develop into another Konte. His passing was very good on the easy passes and he played several less easy passes forward. Madison, Iheanacho, Albrighton,Maguire and Ndidi all seemed pretty good to me and they play together well enough to make up largely for the loss of Mahrez. Amartey, and Okazaki are also impressive and there is the makings of another very good team IMO. Sorry to talk football when everyone's mind is on the tragedy but I don't think the chairman would want us to do anything other than try to suggest ways in which LCFC could improve.