egg_fried_rice

I understand what you are saying in that I think Vardy could have stayed on his feet if he wanted, but it was still a foul and you don't get those sort of fouls given in the box unless you go down. He was impeded, it just wasn't necessarily enough to send him to the ground. It was much more of a penalty than the one we were actually given in my opinion.

That was actually the co-commentator who was a generic Scottish ex pro who I can't remember the name of. He was actually saying he thought it was a penalty and couldn't see why it wasn't overturned, and when asked for an explanation as to why it wasn't said that it could have been his reputation preceding him. He didn't say he got what he deserved at all. Both Hargreaves and Le Saux said they didn't think it was a pen because he took a step before he went down, which is a load of old bollocks. They did say it wasn't worthy of a yellow though.

They were pitch-side rather than in the studio, but it was Graeme Le Saux & Owen Hargreaves. Probably even less insightful than you'd expect.

Agreed on both counts. Special mention to Fuchs who filled in seamlessly - think he only got done once by an absolute speed merchant. I honestly don't think I can think of a better right back in the world than Ricardo right now. He'd be good value at £120m.

Succession planning ahead of time with Justin for Ricardo like we did with Soyuncu and Maguire - excellent PL debut for him. Ordinary performance, job done. The type of workmanlike victory I'll be happy with all month to keep us ticking over through the busy period. Barnes my motm, he just needs a wee bit of luck to convert one of his probing runs into a goal and I reckon he'll go on a scoring run.

Pawson absolutely dreadful as always. How can the VAR person look at that and not give a penalty? Perez should've scored twice, looks short of confidence. Barnes probably been our biggest threat but we're struggling to break down the low block. Onwards and upwards in the second half - I think we'll come good if we persevere, just need to be careful not to get caught on the counter.

https://www.football365.com/news/f365-says-leicester-show-everton-the-power-of-planning F365 Says: Leicester show Everton the power of planning It is a common misconception that Leicester won the Premier League title by chance in 2016. It was the consequence of the perfect storm, of course: the normal frontrunners all tripped over their shoelaces and they ruthlessly capitalised. But it was not entirely unplanned. “I am asking for three years, and we’ll be there,” said the late Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha in May 2014. With Leicester having just won the Championship with 102 points, it felt like a jarring plea for patience. Who asks for more time to complete not only mission impossible, but mission uncontemplated? His aim, as head of a consortium that bought a club fresh out of League One in 2010, was to reach the Premier League’s top five. “We won’t take the huge leap immediately,” he added, with a blissful unawareness. “Do we have a chance to beat them? Yes, we have, but I think we need to establish our foothold in the league first and then we think about our next step.” Everton, at that stage, had just enjoyed their greatest Premier League season ever in terms of points. They had finished above Manchester United and Tottenham, closer to champions Manchester City than eight-placed Southampton. They came fifth: the first of Leicester’s unscalable mountains. Their paths have certainly diverged in the five years since. While Leicester reached an unthinkable peak – and are planting as many rods as possible to make lightning strike twice – Everton have meandered and muddled in search of their own promised land. The Toffees were in perennial pole position to challenge the elite; the Foxes have planned their rear-view mirror overtake impeccably. That was the story of their 94-minute meeting at the King Power Stadium on Sunday – and those stoppage-time minutes do bear including. A disciplined, organised Everton took, deserved and defended their lead. Marco Silva, the bell for last orders having rung in his ears for weeks, chose to share his latest sip at the last-chance saloon with a three-man defence. If this was to be an unlikely encore, Richarlison was a fitting final clap. He started and finished a sweeping move that incorporated Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hold-up play and decoy run, Alex Iwobi’s dribbling and Djibril Sidibe’s cross, before the Brazilian headed home to repay his manager’s unwavering faith in him. And for exactly 45 minutes, that was enough. Both teams channelled their former managers: Leicester as slow, predictable and plodding as they ever were under Claude Puel, countered at ease by an Everton side Sam Allardyce would have been proud of. Therein lies the problem; Everton cannot maintain performances for more than half a match, and Leicester cannot be expected to underperform for anywhere near as long. The visitors led the race but had run out of gas by the time the hosts pressed on the accelerator. Silva orchestrated the opening stages with his tactical approach, but Brendan Rodgers has developed a particular sense for finding intriguing answers to new questions. How could Everton be broken down? By introducing a player with no Premier League goals or assists since November 24. Of 2018. It was a novel approach, not least because this was Kelechi Iheanacho’s first Premier League appearance of any kind since the cameo that included his title-clinching miss against Manchester City in May. Liverpool supporters must not have expected him to burn them for a second time so soon. His assist for Jamie Vardy’s equaliser was sublime, coming six minutes after his introduction. His winner, ably laid on by VAR, was wonderful. His impact was astonishing. But the key was always that “foothold” that Srivaddhanaprabha referenced in 2014. Leicester’s was Nigel Pearson, who elevated them to Claudio Ranieri. When they needed the same effect, Puel came in to steady the situation and Rodgers inherited the best elements of his work and was employed to eliminate the poorer parts. Everton’s only dalliance with stability over status was their Allardyce panic. They need someone to help them walk again before they run. And so the paths these two teams follow only continues to split. Leicester have established themselves as Liverpool’s main rivals for a second title in four years. They have more than twice as many points as Everton, who spiral further towards the relegation zone. Neither know where this journey will end, but only one has cause to fear the unknown. It is now clear that Silva will not be – and arguably has not been – guiding them.

The best run clubs in Europe scout managers ahead of time in a similar way they do with players. They identify managers that fit the philosophy and playing style they wish to implement, and often sound them out ahead of time. As I consider Leicester to be one of the best run clubs in Europe, I am pretty sure we will be doing the same. I thought Carragher made an interesting point post match on Sky yesterday - that we were one of the most desirable jobs in Europe for those managers that just missed out on a job at the traditional top teams. So for me, we'd be looking at a similar bracket of managers come the next appointment. If he doesn't get the Bayern job (or Dortmund if Favre goes), then I think someone like Nagelsmann at RB Leipzig would fit the bill perfectly - but I'm pretty sure we'd need Champions League to convince him. Should Rodgers leave - be it next week, next season, or years from now - who do you think the club is keeping tabs on and who would you like to see come in?

Seems like I'm in the minority but I hate this seasons home kit. Last season's would probably edge it as best home kit for me, but I haven't been tempted by one for a while. My personal favourite would be the grey third kit from last season, and I've got a soft spot for pretty much any of the ones with a sash. The pin stripe white away from our CL season deserves a special mention, but I never buy our white kits.

I'm rarely confident going into games but I think we'll win this comfortably - 3-0.

Thanks for sharing, enjoyed the article. In case you were bothered about fixing it, Vitoria & Ricardo won the cup in 12/13, not 11/12. For anyone else interested, Riccy's goal can be seen seen this video at 6:10 - a classic Ricardo run followed by utterly dreadful goalkeeping. Incidentally the Benfica keeper was at fault for the equaliser too.

Thanks. I'll give it a miss then. Already got an eye watering list of games in my library still sat in the 'unplayed' category. Wasteful really, but I'm sure most gamers are guilty of this

What are the chances of me picking up the story having never played the first two? I'm currently rotating between Doom which I'm finding a bit samey as I progress, and the Witness which is a pretty challenging but relaxing puzzle game. Picking up crash team racing this eve as it should prove to be a good multiplayer over the xmas period.

I don't know what's worse, the 40m price tag or the idea he'd be backup to Emerson

https://www.planetfootball.com/trending/never-mind-philippe-coutinho-james-maddison-is-playing-like-eric-cantona/ Never mind Philippe Coutinho, James Maddison is playing like Eric Cantona Leicester City are playing with the unabashed confidence of a team who know they deserve to be in the Champions League positions, and there’s no better illustration of that than James Maddison. The England midfielder has received heat for assumptions of arrogance, and the easy way out of this would be to take a lower profile and retreat out of the public eye. It’s certainly tougher to take the other route, namely attempting to justify your levels of self-confidence by repeatedly delivering on the pitch. However, as Maddison has shown, it’s undoubtedly more rewarding when you get it right. In previous years, a meeting between Arsenal and Leicester would not have had the dynamic we saw at the King Power Stadium. Even on those occasions where the Foxes were the in-form team, there would often be a level of deference to their opponents to the point that the London club received openings without necessarily earning them. This time, though, Leicester knew exactly where they stood, and Maddison was a big part of that. No Premier League midfielder can better Maddison’s three shots per game this season, while he’s eighth in the league for key passes and 11th for dribbles per game. He’s also the fifth most-fouled player in English football’s top flight. To say Maddison has been in the thick of things this season would be an understatement. Things have been in the thick of James Maddison. By the time he doubled Leicester’s lead, Maddison had already come close once, sending a free-kick out of Bernd Leno’s reach but watching it land just the wrong side of the netting. Was this cause to ease off or shy away? Don’t be stupid. When Jamie Vardy collects the ball on the edge of the Arsenal box, Maddison is already screaming for it, with such intent that it’s enough to make us wonder whether he added “scream for the ball in the 75th minute” to his to-do list before the game had even kicked off. It’s part intent, part absolute certainty: a man convincing himself the earlier incident was a sighter rather than a miss: he was simply getting a feel for what was required to beat Leno and find the net. Rather than treating each moment as it comes, he was using each one as part of a whole. Unlike the first effort, though, there’s no time here to set himself or even to look up. All of that needs to take place while the ball is still at Vardy’s feet. Unlike the beauty of a curled free-kick, like the one he converted earlier in the season at Southampton, there’s an ugliness to Maddison’s execution here. The shot is neither driven nor curled, blasted nor shaped: it’s simply delivered where it needs to go with a minimum of fuss. James is a bit like Philippe Coutinho — they’re players who are recognised for their talent,” Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers said of his No.10 in an interview with The Athletic. “But then to maximise that talent, in order for them to participate in the game at the highest level, they also have to be able to contribute to a press. “Of course, James has his strengths, so you let him flourish with those strengths. But then we helped him with the tactical discipline. And he’s becoming very, very good at it.” As Rodgers has quickly learned, it’s about finding the balance between indulging a player and reminding him of his wider role within the squad. However, with someone whose talents are so noticeable, it must be tempting to err on the side of the former – especially when you see him deliver a finish as perfect as the one at St Mary’s. Getting the crowd off their seats is important for any attacking player, but Maddison often looks as though his default position is one of waiting, back arched and fingers cupped to ears, to receive their adulation. Maddison is the kind of player who seems empowered by his own confidence, as if the wider the grin on his face, the greater the level to which he feels he must elevate himself. While the Coutinho comparison fits him stylistically, there are parallels with Eric Cantona in this self-fulfilling excellence. By remaining part of a more productive whole, his individualism can shine through, while those around him can be equally empowered by his excellence shining through. It’s no coincidence that it’s working so well.