davieG

Can you only watch this on a phone?

LCFC Women's upcoming games in the inaugural Perth International Football Cup will be streamed live and for free on Foxes Hub around the world. - The match is free to watch on Foxes Hub in the UK and globally This week will see City feature in two games at HBF Park in Perth Australia, as they compete for the chance of silverware with Manchester City, Paris-Saint Germain and West Ham United, while also preparing for their fourth consecutive campaign in the Barclays Women's Super League. Wednesday will provide the first chance for new Manager Amandine Miquel to scope out her new side, when they face the Citizens in Western Australia, where you'll be able to join us on LCFC.com for kick-off at 11:15am. The second game of the pre-season competition will see West Ham take on PSG the following day, where the winners of both games will go head-to-head in Sunday's final at 10:05am at HBF Park, while the remaining two sides will face each other at an earlier kick-off time of 7:05am, on the same pitch. Leicester's second match in Perth will also be streamed live, so stay tuned to LCFC Women's social media channels and the Club's official website for further details. All times BST.

Born and Raised in Leicester · Follow 17 h · FILBERT STREET FOOTBALL STADIUM Filbert Street was the home of Leicester City football club from 1891 until 2002, although officially titled the "City Business Stadium" in the early 1990s, it remained known almost exclusively by its address. The ground originally consisted of simple earth banks and a small main stand on the west side, until 1921, when a new and much larger main stand was built. In 1927, a new stand was built at the south end (known as the Spion Kop), and became known as the "Double Decker". The roof which had previously covered the Kop was rebuilt at the north, or Filbert Street end of the ground. It was in this form that Filbert Street saw its record attendance of 47,298 for the Fifth Round FA Cup tie, against Tottenham Hotspur, on 18 February 1928. This game also saw spectators watch the match from the roof of the Filbert Street end. The first phase of ground development concluded with the covering of the East or Popular side in 1939. The middle section of the Main Stand suffered bomb damage in 1940, and was later further damaged by a serious fire. By 1949, it had been rebuilt, with much of the labour being supplied by German POWs from a nearby camp. The ground's maximum capacity was now around 42,000. Floodlights were installed and first used for a match against German club Borussia Dortmund in October 1957. Leicester City purchased the freehold of the ground in 1962, for the sum of £30,500. In 1971, the first moves towards an all-seater stadium were taken as the North and East sides were converted to seating. Four years later, 20 basic executive boxes were added to the North Stand. A pioneering polythene cover was introduced to protect the pitch in 1971. The Air Dome covered an area of 90,000 square feet, weighed 24 cwt and took 15 men two hours to lay out and inflate using four electric fans. The Air Dome was removed in 1982. At the beginning of the 1990s, after considering moving to a new stadium, and a total redevelopment of Filbert Street which would have seen the pitch rotated by 90 degrees, onto the car park behind the Main Stand, City opted to build a new Main Stand, demolishing the existing structure in the summer of 1992. Completed in December 1993, the Carling Stand held 9,500 seated spectators and expanded corporate facilities, costing £6million. In 1994, the final terraced area, the Kop, was converted to seating giving Filbert Street an all-seated capacity of 21,500, and bringing it into compliance with the Taylor Report which required all Premier League and Division One teams to have all-seater capacity. Following the success of the club under Martin O'Neill during the later part of the 1990s, an expanded stadium was required for higher attendances and to provide better facilities. Expansion of Filbert Street would have been very difficult, as the North and East Stands backed onto housing which would have been expensive to place under a compulsory purchase order. Although expansion was considered, the club decided in 1998 to relocate. After a failed attempt to build a 40,000 all-seater stadium at Bede Island South the club purchased Freeman's Wharf, a former power station site 200 yards south of Filbert Street. The new 32,500 seater stadium was opened in the summer of 2002. Filbert Street was sold to a development company for £3.75 million in March 2002. The last game to be played at Filbert Street was the last game of the 2001–02 season, bringing to an end 111 years of football there in the autumn of 2002.

I'm happy to let them use my drive for turning provided they pay the £25 fee.

or loan him now with an option to return in January if he or the club need it.

Will try that nearer the ko time.

Last-Gasp Man Utd Defeat In U18 PL Cup LCFC MEN U18s Published 42 mins ago 1 MinuteReading time Leicester City's Under-18s were beaten late on in their U18 Premier League Cup opener against Manchester United, losing out 2-1. The first game in this season's competition saw the young Foxes, coached by Adam Barradell, back in action at LCFC Training Ground just three days on from a 2-2 draw with Reading in U18 Premier League South. It was full-back Olabade Aluko who opened the scoring in Seagrave, converting a 57th-minute penalty to hand Leicester the advantage, but the Red Devils hit back with just over 10 minutes of normal time to play - Gabriele Biancheri with the equaliser for United. And there was to be late drama in the seventh minute of stoppage-time, when the visitors won a penalty, also dispatched by Biancheri, to snatch all three points at the death. Games against Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur are still to come in Group B, while City's next outing is back in the league, away to Chelsea on Saturday (12pm BST kick-off). The details... City: Donohue; Aluko (Toko 90+2'), Adedeji, Diallo, Khela; Dyke, Lawrence; Owusu (Jacklin 81'), Page, Omobolaji; Otchere (Fletcher 72'). Unused subs: McNab, Manyumba. Goal: Aluko 57' (pen).

It's not listed Leeds, Sheff U Brum Everton

Yeah but can you get that on Sky Go?

Can you watch this on Sky Go?

Born and Raised in Leicester 3 h · Narborough Road, seen here in 1952

Born and Raised in Leicester · Follow 2 h · An amazing old photograph sent in by Harry~with thanks x

https://www.lcfc.com/teams/staff/men?lang=en Andrew Hughes First Team Set Piece Coach

Anywhere where he's with guys playing for living where he experiences a professional dressing room winning and losing is way better than stagnating in the U21s.

Neither do Ithat's why I never boo ro clap a returning player but it seem way over the top considering it wasn't him scoring.

...and the one after whoever he's playing for.

@The Bear Pedro Neto didn't even score and celebrated like this against his former club I'm sure he'll get a warm welcome back at Molineux

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/what-next-future-alves-overlooked-9510809 What next for future of Will Alves and why he may be overlooked for Leicester City v Tranmere The 19-year-old attacking midfielder has been with the first team throughout pre-season but has not been in the matchday squad for either of the two competitive games ByJordan Blackwell 17:06, 26 AUG 2024 Leicester City are trying to plot the right path for Will Alves’s development and that could see the teenage starlet head out on loan. City’s Carabao Cup tie against Tranmere on Tuesday night had seemed like the ideal occasion to give Alves his first senior appearance in more than 18 months. But a possible move away before Friday’s transfer deadline may see him miss out. The 19-year-old attacking midfielder has trained with the first team through the summer and featured in most of the pre-season friendlies, signing a new deal to 2028 earlier this month. He was left out of the matchday squad for the opening two Premier League games, but potential rotation for the cup offered Alves an opportunity to make his first senior outing since his knee ligament tear in December 2022. However, the arrival of Facundo Buonanotte and the potential signing of a new attacking midfielder before the end of the window looks set to limit Alves’s chances across the whole season, meaning a loan move is possible. And so, fans heading to the King Power Stadium on Tuesday night may not get to see him in action. Asked if Alves was in contention to play against Tranmere, Steve Cooper responded: “Will is very much with us. We just need to make the right decisions on some of these young players and what could be right for them going forward. “It’s about their development and regular game-time. Will’s a player we really like. Getting him to the level of being a regular in our first team, we need to try to plot that for him and see what that looks like.” Rotation is expected when City host their League Two opponents, with Cooper having one eye on the weekend’s all-Midlands affair with Aston Villa. Caleb Okoli could make his debut for the club, while Oliver Skipp and Jordan Ayew may be handed their first starts. City beat Tranmere 2-0 at this stage of the Carabao Cup last season, but they will arrive at the King Power Stadium in good form. They’ve made an unbeaten start in the league, where they are yet to concede a goal, with their only defeat this term coming in the EFL Trophy against Everton Under-21s. Cooper said: “Do you make a load of changes or do you carry on playing the same team? Whatever team we play on Tuesday, it will be with the intention of winning and it will definitely be capable of winning, whether that’s with wholesale changes, a few changes, or something in between. “It’s early in the season, and we have to recover well. The physical demands are a lot higher than in the Championship, so it might take longer to recover, but we’ll deal with all of that. For sure, we’ll be putting a team out with the expectation of playing well and playing our way and getting through to the next tie.”

Richards Double Earns Victory At Liverpool LCFC MEN U21s Published 6 hrs 21 mins ago 1 MinuteReading time Leicester City's Under-21s secured their first success of the new campaign with a 2-1 triumph over Liverpool at AXA Training Centre on Saturday. 2024/25 got up and running with a narrow home defeat to Southampton in Leicester's Premier League 2 opener, followed by a reverse at Burton Albion in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy, but they were on the right side of the scoreline at the weekend, coming away from Merseyside having claimed all three points. Forward Amani Richards continued his fine start to the season by netting after just 12 minutes, teed up by Jayden Joseph, but the hosts hit back through former Foxes youngster Trey Nyoni, who equalised with five minutes of the first half remaining. The visitors had the chance to regain their advantage from the penalty spot, but Sammy Braybrooke missed from 12 yards, leaving it all square at the break. Undeterred, City edged back ahead courtesy of Richards' second of the game - and third this season across all competitions - just before the hour mark, and saw out the final 30 minutes to seal a hard-fought win on the road. The young Foxes currently lie 13th in the 26-team PL2 table at this early stage and next up is a trip to face Fulham at Motspur Park on Friday afternoon (3pm BST kick-off). The details... City: French; Cover (Ononaye 61'), Godsmark-Ford, Grist, Lindsay (Wormleighton 46'); Braybrooke, Cartwright; Joseph, Golding (Ewing 61'), Briggs (Hill 61'); Richards (Popov 61'). Goals: Richards 12', 59'.

So off to Wolves then.

https://www.birminghamworld.uk/sport/football/player-left-out-of-squad-ahead-of-possible-transfer-to-wolves-or-leicester-city-4756195 Player ‘left out of squad’ as transfer talks held with Wolves and Leicester City Charlie Haffenden By Charlie Haffenden Football Journalist Comment Published 26th Aug 2024, 08:22 BST Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City are battling to sign the same winger before next Friday’s transfer deadline. Wolves are reportedly narrowly in front of Leicester in the race to acquire the services of Fiorentina attacker Jonathan Ikone, who was left out of La Viola’s squad to face Venezia over the weekend. Both Premier League teams are eager to improve depth and quality in the wide attacking areas and have turned to Ikone. The 26-year-old scored five goals and made three assists in 43 appearances across all competitions last season, with many showings as a substitute. Hide Ad Reputable Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio reports Fiorentina are looking to sell Ikone before the end of the summer window. It’s stated the winger was excluded from the weekend’s matchday squad down to ongoing transfer talks, not an injury. Ikone is said to be in contact with both Wolves and Leicester ahead of a potential transfer to the Premier League, with Wanderers “slightly ahead”. The former France international could be available for a cut-price fee as his contract expires in just under two years. Start the conversation Have your say. Leave a comment below and let us know what you think. Be the First to Comment Jonathan Ikone is reportedly in talks with Wolves and Leicester. Jonathan Ikone is reportedly in talks with Wolves and Leicester. | Getty Images An academy product of Paris Saint-Germain, Ikone’s most successful spell was in his home nation. The forward rarely played for PSG but shone for LOSC Lille, whom he made his first permanent transfer to back in 2018. A century and a half of appearances for Lille delivered a respectable 16 goals and 27 assists, including several in either the UEFA Champions League or the UEFA Europa League. Ikone’s efficiency in front of goal dropped when he moved to Italy, though his main strength is taking on defenders rather than striking the back of the net. https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/leicester-city-target-france-forward-9510219 Leicester City target France forward omitted from squad ahead of potential transfer The 26-year-old was first linked to Leicester City four years ago when he was at Lille, and is now on their radar again, with the club named alongside Wolves as a suitor ByJordan Blackwell 12:26, 26 AUG 2024 Leicester City have made contact with Fiorentina forward Jonathan Ikone as their search for new attackers continues. City have been named alongside Wolves by the Italian media as suitors for the 26-year-old. He was left out of the Fiorentina squad for their 0-0 draw with Venezia in Serie A on Sunday with the club anticipating a sale. Two new attackers are craved by City before Friday’s deadline, with an attacking midfielder and a striker thought to be the focus. Ikone has played more often as a winger in his career, but is versatile. Steve Cooper has shown to value players who can operate out wide, in the number 10 slot, and up front, with Bobby De Cordova-Reid and Jordan Ayew both signed this summer. Ikone also ticks that box. It’s not the first time since have been linked with the French international. They were said to be interested four years ago, when he was making his breakthrough with Lille and had a reported price-tag of £40m. He’s been with Fiorentina for two-and-a-half years, registering 12 goals and 14 assists in that time. Last term, he notched five goals and three assists in 43 outings, mostly playing from the right wing and cutting in onto his favoured left foot.

https://footballeconomyv2.blogspot.com/2024/08/premier-league-losses-and-debt-pile-grow.html The Premier League has now lost money five years in a row, adding up to a substantial £3.1 bln before tax. This is a dramatic worsening compared to the £1.3 bln profit that was generated in the preceding 5-year period, when it had posted profits on four occasions. In 2022/23 half of the clubs in England’s top flight lost more than £50m, led by Aston Villa £120m, Tottenham £95m, Chelsea £90m and Leicester City £90m. Operating losses have significantly grown, so the Premier League lost an eye-watering £5.1 bln in the last five years, compared to just £369m in the preceding 5-year period. In fact, operating losses have more than tripled from the £413m before the pandemic in 2018/19 to the £1.3 bln in 2022/23, when no fewer than six clubs lost more than £100m: Chelsea £249m, Leicester City £151m, Aston Villa £139m, Everton £120m, Leeds United £106m and Wolves £101m. The magnitude of the operating losses underlines the importance of profit from player sales to the Premier League, so the good news is that this increased from £647m to £695m in 2022/23. This was the highest for five years, though still a fair bit lower than the £836m record in 2017/18. There has been a clear increase in two activities as a result of the pressure to improve profit from player sales: Sales of Academy products, as these represent “pure profit”. Player swaps, where profits can be boosted with a degree of “creativity”, thus benefiting both sides of the deal. This includes separate deals between two clubs that just happen to take place at the same time. However, there’s no doubting the Premier League’s ability to grow revenue, as it set another all-time high in 2022/23, breaking through the £6 bln barrier for the first time. The Premier League’s broadcasting income rose £284m (10%) from £3.0 bln to £3.2 bln in 2022/223, as this was the first year of the new 3-year cycle in the broadcasting deal. Commercial had its highest ever share of total revenue in 2022/23 with 32.4%, though broadcasting remained the most important revenue stream with 53.4%. Match day’s share slightly increased from 13.8% to 14.2%, though this has significantly reduced in the last ten years from 18.6%. However, the Premier League’s impressive revenue growth has been eaten up by increases in the cost base. Wages have more than doubled in the last ten years, rising by £2.2 bln from “only” £1.9 bln in 2013/14 to £4.1 bln. In 2023 gross debt rose £358m from £4.0 bln to £4.4 bln. If we exclude Chelsea from the calculation, the resulting £4.2 bln is the highest ever debt in England’s top flight, more than doubling from £2.0 bln in 2017. Premier League debt levels would have been even higher without owners writing-off £1.7 bln owed to them and also converting £796 m of their loans to equity in the last three years. Premier League owners have had to provide £4.5 bln funding in the last 10 years, comprising £2.7 bln loans and £1.8 bln capital injections. This has significantly increased in the last five years to £3.4 bln, compared to “only” £1.2 bln in the preceding 5-year period. Owner loans were up £832m from £1.9 bln, while equity capital rose from £337m to £1.5 bln. Indeed, the £1.1 bln owner funding in 2022/23 was the highest ever with the largest amounts being a £425m loan at Chelsea plus capital injections at Newcastle United (£127m) and Aston Villa (£124m). Debt and owner funding continued to grow, as losses had to be covered somehow. This has led to total debt, including transfer payables, reaching an unprecedented £7.4 bln.

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/match-reports/ricardo-pereira-not-playing-leicester-9509252 Why Ricardo Pereira is not playing as Leicester City chant shows transfers needed to save window Analysis from Leicester City's 2-1 defeat to Fulham, looking at the attacking transfers required, James Justin's performance, Stephy Mavididi, and Steve Cooper's away record ByJordan Blackwell 14:34, 25 AUG 2024 S Chasing the game with 20 minutes to play, leading the line for Leicester City was a striker who has averaged one goal every 12 games over the past four seasons and an attacking midfielder who is, by trade, a defensive midfielder. It didn’t inspire confidence among the supporters at Craven Cottage, nor was it a combination that gave Fulham much trouble. City had one half-chance in the final quarter of the match, Wilfred Ndidi stabbing a shot through the bodies into Bernd Leno’s hands, a moment not deemed worthy of making the Match of the Day highlights package. And so, with a few days to go in the transfer window, it feels like City are short of a creative attacking midfielder and a goal-hungry striker. Facundo Buonanotte and Jamie Vardy cannot play every second of every game, and if City want to pose a threat for 90 minutes each week, it feels like they need reinforcements. While it seems City are in the market for both of those signings, budget constraints may restrict how prolific the new recruits are. City may not be able to afford the brilliance that fans are craving. If that’s the case, they at least need to be players who can develop over this season and beyond, so that fans can be excited for their futures. That would help save the reputation of the transfer department. The moment Jordan Ayew came onto the pitch for his debut, City fans started chanting for director of football Jon Rudkin to leave the club, a response that showed they’re not satisfied with the club’s business. Transfers are a collaborative process involving many different people and departments, but the director of football is always going to be the face of the deals and bear the brunt of the criticism. At £15m for Caleb Okoli, at £20m rising to £25m for Oliver Skipp, and at £5m rising to £8m for Ayew, fans at Atalanta, Spurs, and Crystal Palace were surprised by how much their clubs were receiving, claiming the offers were too good to turn down. City supporters have been given the impression that their club has overpaid for their summer signings. And it’s not as if City are buying other clubs’ star men. These are rotation options at best. Neither does it feel like many of City’s signings have improved the starting line-up. In supporters’ preferred teams, there may only be two of the seven new recruits. One is Abdul Fatawu, who was here last season anyway, and the other is Buonanotte, who wouldn’t be in the team if the club had not sold Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. City have also watched fellow promoted club Ipswich make exciting signings, bringing in Jack Clarke and Sammie Szmodics, the two best opposition players to visit the King Power Stadium last season, for under £25m combined. There may have been concern over Szmodics’ age and resale value, but £9m for a 28-year-old looks better business than the £8m City spent on 32-year-old Ayew. What Ayew has and what Szmodics doesn’t is Premier League experience and that seems to be the route City are taking. It’s perhaps why Will Alves and Tom Cannon have not had a look-in. Cooper is cramming his squad full of players who understand the league. It could be a shrewd move. Certainly, the usual criticism levelled at promoted clubs, that they lack Premier League know-how, can’t be directed at City. But it also means there’s no grace period for these new recruits. Fans will give leeway to new signings from overseas or without top-flight experience, but the players City have signed need to hit the ground running. If those that do the buying and selling at City are to regain the faith of supporters and stop the chants, they need the likes of Ayew, Skipp, and Bobby De Cordova-Reid to start making an impact, and they need two more promising attacking signings before the deadline. It’s a big week for the club. Why Ricardo isn't playing with Justin not wholly to blame for goals That Ricardo Pereira has played zero minutes so far this season was a point of contention among supporters even before City conceded twice from their right-back position against Fulham. Now it’s a huge focus of frustration. But while James Justin received much of the blame, he was not the only player at fault. For a start, both Emile Smith Rowe and Alex Iwobi’s finishes came from Fulham goal kicks. In those moments, City should be organised. They weren’t. The first goal was a defensive disaster all around. Wout Faes ran high into the midfield to press Andreas Pereira, only for a chipped ball to take him out of the game. So when Jannik Vestergaard charged out to the left to challenge Rodrigo Muniz, he had to win his duel. He didn’t. That left Adama Traore on the ball in the centre of the pitch with both of City’s centre-backs out of the game. In that moment, Justin has a lot of space to marshall, and it is natural for him to shuffle into the middle, where the danger usually is, and concede more space on his flank. Justin’s error came from being too eager. When Adama played the pass out to the Fulham left, the City right-back made a slight step forwards, as if to attempt the interception. He quickly realised that wasn’t on, but even one step in the wrong direction put him on the back foot, and he could not get back to shut down Smith Rowe, with Iwobi’s dummy run obstructing him too. That eagerness was a problem for the second goal too. Nobody was covering Antonee Robinson on the halfway line, so Justin made the jump and tried to press him, perhaps not thinking he was capable of a first-time ball around the defence with his weaker right foot. Justin left a gap for Iwobi that neither Harry Winks nor Vestergaard were ready to cover, and the Nigerian streaked away. Even before those goals, fans thought there should be a place in the 11 for Ricardo. Now those calls are deafening, with many questioning what Cooper is not seeing. Ricardo is one of the best technicians in the City squad and was integral to their success last season, and yet he’s not been given an opportunity so far. Cooper sat down with Ricardo ahead of the first game of the season to tell him he was selecting Justin as his right-back for now. The manager gave the impression that it is a choice between the two, and that he won’t consider either in place of Victor Kristiansen on the left. Right now, it feels like it’s Justin’s greater physical attributes that are getting him the nod. He is a proper athlete. He’s stronger and more suited to dropping in to form a back three, while he’s got the stamina and legs to do lots of running, something that is required now City aren’t dominating possession, and something that is no longer one of Ricardo’s strong suits. Plus, one bad game does not make Justin a bad defender. Last Monday, he held his own against Son Heung-min, one of the most difficult opponents any full-back can face in the Premier League. While doing exactly what the fans want is not going to be at the forefront of Cooper’s mind, it does feel like Ricardo needs a chance, given what he showed last season. Him and Winks built up a great partnership in midfield last season and it feels like City would retain possession much more comfortably if that combination was utilised again. Equally, Victor Kristiansen had a tough time at left-back at Fulham, and so it does feel like it shouldn’t be ruled out that Justin can swap flanks. Really, fans need to see Ricardo in a competitive game to understand why Cooper might not be picking him, because the evidence of last year and the seasons before suggest he would make this team better. Efficiency needed in attack if possession football not possible Scoring and creating chances from set-pieces is a big plus for City, but they need to be as an addition to, rather than instead of, opportunities from open play. At Fulham, City had six shots from inside the area, and Faes had three of them. Vestergaard and Ndidi had one each from a set-piece too, leaving just one effort from open play inside the 18-yard-area. That’s not a recipe for success. City had 45 per cent of the ball at Fulham compared to 30 per cent against Tottenham, but had fewer touches inside the final third and the opposition’s penalty area. If they’re not going to dominate the ball as they did last season, they have to be more efficient in attack. Against Spurs, in the second half, they did that. Excluding set-pieces, they completed 11 passes and crosses into the penalty area in their opening match. At Fulham, they did it just twice. There were some poor decisions at the top end, with players trying overly-audacious passes or shots, while there were a couple of swift attacks that didn’t lead to a chance. Twice in two second-half minutes, Vardy had the opportunity to find Fatawu in space in the box, but couldn’t squeeze the pass through. It’s a clear area for improvement. Because of the level of the opposition City will face this season, it may be unreasonable to expect their rates of possession to rise, so what they need to work on is ensuring that in the moments they do have the ball, they are able to get it into the final third, and into the penalty area, on a greater number of occasions. Mavididi needs to win over Cooper to oust De Cordova-Reid Cooper was giving little away on transfers in his post-match press conference, insisting the priority of the final week of the window is to prepare for the games against Tranmere and Aston Villa, and to show faith in the players currently in the squad. He can’t pin his hopes on players who aren’t at the club. The manager has been trying to strike a balance when it comes to transfers, making it clear that signings are a natural part of making the step up to the Premier League, but also wanting to show that he has confidence in those that won the Championship and will give them their chance. Aside from Ricardo, there’s perhaps one other promotion winner that has been overlooked so far and that’s Stephy Mavididi. The winger could, admittedly, be frustrating at times. Enzo Maresca pointed out that you could tell whether he was going to put in a good performance based on how he did in the first few minutes. That’s not a great look. But he still delivered 20 goals and assists and a handful of games where he looked unstoppable. City haven’t really seen anything like that from his replacement in the first two games, De Cordova-Reid. For Cooper, it appears Mavididi needs to work to win the spot back. For supporters, it’s a case of De Cordova-Reid proving he is worthy of starting on the left. Bar a couple of nice touches and interplay in the second half against Spurs, fans haven’t seen that yet. Because although the Fulham goals came down City’s right, it didn’t mean their left flank performed much better. As part of the gameplan, De Cordova-Reid drifts into a central position when City have the ball, becoming a second attacking midfielder alongside Buonanotte, so that Kristiansen can advance into a left-wing role and giving City four forward players behind Vardy. But at Craven Cottage, De Cordova-Reid was drifting inside far too early. It meant Kristiansen, who looked uncomfortable throughout, had no options up the line, and was forced to turn backwards every time he received the ball. They are two players who have never played with each other, and two players who weren’t in the team last season, so teething problems are natural. But the longer they go on, the louder the calls for Mavididi to start will become. Away result needed sharpish to avoid Forest repeat Because of the second-half performance against Spurs, City fans went into the first away game of the season with belief. To do so, they had to overlook Cooper’s record on the road in the Premier League. In 28 away games with Forest, he won two. They earned 13 points from those matches, less than half a point a game, scoring 18 and conceding 63. Their survival under him was very dependent on their form at the City Ground. The King Power Stadium could become a fortress for City, but to ease the burden on their home form, the club need to feel they are capable of picking up the odd point here and there when on their travels. City’s performance at Craven Cottage was nowhere near as calamitous as their last visit there 15 months ago, but they were second-best throughout. City had the best away form of any English club last season. They rewarded those supporters who regularly travelled the hundreds of miles around the country. To do so this season, Cooper needs to have learned from his away days with Forest and find a solution that allows City earn points away from the King Power. The comeback against Spurs will give City belief that they can take something from every home game. They now need a similar moment on the road. Otherwise, confidence will drop the moment City get on the team bus and head for the motorway, knowing they are easy pickings.