Lillehamring

But even if, say, we get 2 wins and a draw from hull, qpr, sunderland and lose to southampton and leeds, that's still 1.4 points per game - which amount, even if it was the standard for the entire rest of the season, would still get us to 94 points. In fact even if we take zero points from those five games - to get the 23 points needed to get us to 95 from the other 11 games is still only a fraction over 2 points per game.

Jesus - this is exactly the negativity this thread should be avoiding. Take your paranoid speculation back to the multiple miserable threads where this sort of nonsense thrives.

wow-

We have a win rate of 77%, 11 from 16 is 69% - so not unreasonable

Sensational stuff from Bunting - totally deserved, and knocking out the world champ on the way is impressive and, heh, for me, extra satisfying.

I would be interested to see how their conversion rate compares....

Incredible goal - the pass for Winks is perfection, allowing JJ to swoop it to Vardy first time - but OMG why doesn't JJ do that more! he's clearly capable, but is the worst culprit for turning and going backwards. I feel like Maresca is happy to have Doyle back and keen to see what JJ can do on the right, where he clearly is better. If he can sustain the confidence to play balls like this, he might even be a contender to play more often as an attacking winger - alas, one swallow does not a summer make!

Which is why their moaning is so asinine - they booed against swansea, where we played exactly the same, the only difference was a second penalty and a brilliantly worked jamie vardy classic

This is true - but my problem, moving forward with him, is that he isn't and never will be a natural attacking player, and is unlikely to develop all the skills needed to play as a number 8 - crucially - at PL level. As good as he's played his shooting isn't reliable enough and his passing, though improved, isn't as slick as it will need to be at that level. The real question is, do we resign him to play a position he can play, on, i suspect, a relatively high wage, not knowing whether he'll be good enough - or do we bring in a cheaper, younger player who is a natural in the position. Or do we focus our resources and time on developing someone like yunus, mcateer or alves. I just feel, for that position, there must be better, cheaper alternatives. I know he's a legend, but maybe it's time to move on

Don't know how many of you watched the post game interviews with Daka and Maresca, but it was interesting to hear the response when the reporter suggest to daka that it was 'easy', and to maresca that we 'weren't in top gear'. Needless to say, the reporter was firmly put in his place.

No, replying to someone's comment - it's called 'discussion'. You'll find that i am in the top 1% of positive fans - i kid you not, ask around.

Yes - a 'muscle' injury apparently

His summing up of the game:

JJ is clearly better playing down the right. Doyle still looks rusty but is far better suited than JJ to that position on the left.

It made sense tactically - as bad as stoke were, they were quick and pressing us quite well at times, i think nelson was the obvious choice pace-wise

Has to start hitting the target though

Or... That's what happens when you play like this most weeks but finally take your chances?

You joke, but there were a lot of people on here believing relegation was a distinct possibility. You know who you are!

Brilliant quote from Steven Schumacher after today's win at stoke:

ref doing his best to get leeds the points - some very soft calls around the box.

Kubiak has interviewed for New Orlean's OC job...

really? he makes a difference, sure, but long term, especially if we go up, he's way too limited to play as #8 long term. and he doesn't have the skills to play the winks or ricardo role. i'd be very surprise if we resign him, he doesn't feel like he has the enzo stuff.

no one outside of this thread will care about this - we won't be the only team who have a deal fall through.

That's not evidence. It seems clear there was a verbal agreement satisfactory enough for all parties to move forward. Someone has either reneged on that deal (why would we if we want to complete the deal?) or the situation changed because we didn't make any last minute sales. Either way there's really nothing to say one way or another what went wrong. But it seems to me more likely that inter decided to try to take advantage of us wanting to get this done and having no option but to accept their terms, and we've just said 'actually, we aren't that desperate, we'll take our chances in summer'.

But why would they do that - it's never going to pay off - and surely if they had done, then they come back and say ok, let's just go with what we agreed. It was more in our interests than inter's to see this through.