davieG

@Tommy G Not sure why it's so funny, I've certainly been to meetings in them with a small company that had a box and no space for a meeting room at their business premises, surely that's saving them having to expand, move or pay for a room elsewhere whilst having the benefit of the box on matchdays for themselves/staff. It was just a thought not a fact as I'm not and accountant

I thought they used them as meeting rooms during the week, I presume that helps to reduce the cost.

In case you missed them at the time of the matches. https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/leicester-city-manager-comments-maresca-8744905 What rival managers have said about Enzo Maresca's Leicester City after record breaking start Latest Leicester City news as we take a look at some of the comments from opposition managers about Enzo Maresca's Foxes ByAmie WilsonMidlands football writer 07:00, 11 OCT 2023 It has been a start to remember for Leicester City in the Championship this season. Under the guidance of new manager Enzo Maresca, City have won 10 of their 11 league games so far this season. The one loss came at the start of last month when the team fell to a tight 1-0 defeat against Hull City. The results have lifted City to the top of the table, and their goal difference means that they have officially had the best ever start in the history of the Championship. Maresca's men are two points clear of Ipswich in second place and 10 points clear of third placed Preston North End. Following the defeat against Hull before the last international break, City have recorded a 100 percent record in the league. They did though fall to defeat against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup. City came out as 2-0 winners against Stoke City in their last outing, thanks to goals from Kelechi Iheanacho and Jamie Vardy. Maresca will now have two weeks to work with the players who are not on international duty before the next Championship clash against Swansea City. So, what better time to look back of the L season so far? What have City’s rivals made of the team under Maresca? Here’s a look at what Championship teams that the side have come up against so far have had to say... Mark Robins (Coventry City), following the 2-1 loss vs City (August 6) : “I think Dewsbury-Hall is going to be one of the best players at this level. He’s found the top corner. You’ve got to say that that is the quality they are likely to show. Somebody just said to me that they’ve £100m worth of talent on the bench, which is nice. “It’s disappointing to lose, especially from a winning position, but when you look at the quality of the opposition and the way we coped with their rotation… There’s a lot of Manchester City in that, with the movement. “Callum Doyle we know really well, he’s got quality and can switch the play. Thankfully he didn’t have his best game, because when he starts to grow into this team, he’s going to be a big player for them. “They move the ball quickly and they move quickly themselves. That ended up running the legs out of one or two. Gus had to come off, he was feeling his calves, Kasey Palmer stretched his calf as well. You don’t want to have to make those changes if you don’t need to. The changes came at 1-0.” Neil Warnock (Huddersfield Town), before the Championship clash (August 12) : What you don't want to do against a team like that is give them a head start, because once they get in front they’re so good. They keep the ball, possession wise, and you can see he's managed under Pep [Guardiola] – they have similar styles and things. And they've got good players, but I've got some good players as well. Asked where Leicester’s strengths lie, Warnock admitted: “I think everywhere. You tell me where there's a weakness, let alone the main threat. They've got attacking players, wide players, as good as anything, to international strikers that would get in anybody's team in our league. “[Their] midfield [is] very strong, they paid millions for the midfield players and they’ve been linked with another player today that we spoke about, another midfield player. Then you look at the back line, and that’s as strong as anything. After the 1-0 loss vs City, Warnock said : “They've got a good squad. The guy who went to watch them for me last week said ‘they've got two teams to get promotion here’.” Erol Bulut (Cardiff City), before the Championship clash, which ended in a 2-1 win for City (August 19) : "Leicester are a really good team. Just relegated from the Premier League and they have strong individual players. “I think the whole Championship knows Leeds, Leicester are one of the favourites. Some other clubs can also surprise. The season is long." Matt Taylor (Rotherham United), before the Championship clash (August 26) : "They have won the Premier League and the FA Cup and have been a Premier League team more than a Championship club and they are really going for it with the backing and recruitment they have had. "You cannot do too much about that apart from making sure we get our best version out onto the pitch consistently, competitively and for a lot longer time." After the game, which finished 2-1 to City, he said : "We got a little bit weaker as the game went on, but we have more than held our own against one of the best teams in the league. We just needed a little bit more in terms of the bench." Liam Rosenior (Hull City), after the Championship clash, with Hull coming out as 1-0 winners (September 2) : "We’re playing an incredible team, a magnificent club in a big stadium. If we’d have conceded in the last minute, I’d have been just as proud of the group. "We came here with bravery, we were fearless and wanted to play our way, and that’s why I’m so proud of the players. We changed our press because they’re an outstanding team and I wanted to take the rhythm away from them. "Once Leicester get rhythm, it’s very difficult to stop them.” Russell Martin (Southampton), before City's 4-1 win (15 September): “I don't know Enzo (Maresca), but I think if we sat down and had a chat about the game, I think we would probably believe in quite a few similar things,” he said. “I've been really impressed by them and I've really enjoyed watching them. They are early on in the process as well." David Wagner (Norwich City), following City's 2-0 win (20 September): “I think Leicester will finish top this season and the rest of the teams will be battling for the other positions. It’s tough to take but I have every faith in this group of players going forwards.” Nigel Pearson (Bristol City), following City's 1-0 win (23 September): "What I've seen tells me they'll be tough opponents to beat," Pearson said on City. "It's whether they can find a consistently high level of performance. But I don't doubt that will be the case. "They're in here because they didn't perform well enough last season. They've made changes but not just any changes. When you bring new players in you don't just look at what they can do, they've got to be the right people. It's evident now that they have a collective again, which is really important. "People talk about being too good to go down. They went down! But they'll probably go back up this year and they'll have learned who they don't want at the club any more and will get rid of them. That's how it should work, it's what I've done for the last two-and-a-half years." Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool), following City's 3-1 Carabao Cup defeat (27 September): "With all of the quality of Leicester, and we have to admit that as well, they are a super-coached team, they have a super set-up. You can pretty much see, feel, and smell the confidence they have because of their situation. That made life difficult. But we kept going and improved during the game as a team, but individually as well." Jon Dahl Tomasson (Blackburn Rovers), following City's 4-1 win (1 October): “We caused them plenty of problems in the first half with great football and great movements. We gave two soft goals away in the first half. In the second half, we were in the game, we were on top of the opponent, and we got a big chance to score a goal. I think they only had four shots on target. “They get the penalty and I think it’s a soft penalty. You can give it but then you give 10 penalties in each game. Then the game was over. “It was a great effort by the lads. We shouldn’t forget this is an excellent side, probably champions of this league, and a Premier League team.” Ryan Lowe (Preston North End), following City's 3-0 win (4 October): “I thought we were fantastic for 50-odd minutes until they scored the first goal, which was disappointing on our behalf – we go to ground when we could probably have intercepted it. Leicester have some quality, they are different class, and we nullified that early on – we caught them out a little bit. “We didn’t have much possession but I can’t fault the effort. Late on we were out on our feet a little bit, which was expected. We had the best chance first half – Duane’s had a fantastic opportunity and it’s gone just beyond the post – but they are a Premier League team in the Championship. “They have got a player in Dewsbury-Hall who shouldn’t be playing at this level. But we didn’t fear them. We respected them. They are normal human beings but they have got different qualities to most in the Championship.” Alex Neil (Stoke City), following City's 2-0 win (7 October): “If we get to half-time and it’s 0-0… Our intention was always late in the game to have a go. You could see why when we did have a go why you don’t come here and try to go toe-to-toe with Leicester. They’ve got some really good players. The minute we squeezed the space, we could hear the coach for them saying: ‘They’ve changed.’ “The minute we changed, they brought on pace at the top end of the pitch. If you’re going to squeeze and try to compress the game, Jamie Vardy at this level is going to cause you all sorts of problems. “They’ll be one of the best Championship teams in a long time, I think. Just look at the stadium, fans, and players they’ve got. I think they’ve got four internationals that have played for England, I can’t ever remember that having happened anywhere else.”

I'm sure no one cares but....... https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/how-does-coventry-citys-trophy-cabinet-compare-to-leicester-city/ How does Coventry City's trophy cabinet compare to Leicester City? BY BEN WIGNALL PUBLISHED 13 HOURS AGO FLW compares the silverware that both the Sky Blues and the Foxes have won Collage Maker-10-Oct-2023-08-03-PM-519 The M69 motorway in the Midlands is best known for one thing - keeping apart two bitter rivals in the form of Coventry City and Leicester City. The two cities find themselves 24 miles apart and when their clubs face each other, it normally gets a bit tasty. Both outfits have won plenty of silverware in their existence - but who has won more? Let's take a look. How many times have Coventry City and Leicester City won the top flight of English football? There was a world before the Premier League in 1992 where the First Division was the top division in England - but Coventry haven't managed to win that. Their best-placed finish has been sixth in the 1969-70 season, but Leicester have had more success. Having been runners-up in 1929, Leicester shocked the world in 2016 when they defied all the odds to win the Premier League title, pipping all the juggernauts of English football in the process. It is something that the Foxes hold over many English clubs, and it's an achievement that Coventry fans resent. How many second, third and fourth tier titles have Coventry City and Leicester City won? Further down the Football League pyramid, both clubs have had plenty of success over the years. When it comes to the second tier or the Championship, Coventry have won that once in the 1966–67 season, but Leicester have won it a mammoth seven different times, as well as winning the play-offs twice too. Cov have also won the third tier on three separate occasions, whilst Leicester have won it just the once in 2009, owing to their time mainly spent in the top two leagues in their history. And whilst Coventry have never won the fourth tier of English football, they were runners-up in 1959 and won the play-offs in 2018. How many FA Cup and EFL Cup's have Coventry City and Leicester City won? When it comes to the major domestic trophies in England, Leicester also have one over Coventry too. They are still equal in FA Cup's however, with the Sky Blues winning their one and only in 1987 under John Sillett's management after defeating Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 at Wembley. Leicester equalled that achievement in 2021 when five years after lifting the Premier League title, Youri Tielemans' screamer saw the Foxes win 1-0 at Wembley in the final against Chelsea. They were runners-up on four separate occasions before they finally lifted the famous trophy, with the most recent second-placed finish being in 1969. As for the EFL Cup, Leicester have been three-time winners of that, including winning it twice in the space of four years in 1997 and 2000 under the management of Martin O'Neill. It all means that Leicester's trophy cabinet is more full than that of Coventry's, and they can add two Charity Shield's to that as well from 1971 and 2021. Coventry did appear in the Charity Shield final of 1987 of course following their FA Cup win, but they were defeated 1-0 by Everton to make sure they did not lift that trophy.

Dump - Subjective https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/worsening-picture-leicester-city-councils-8819320 Broke - well on it's way. ‘Worsening picture’ of Leicester City Council’s ‘bleak’ finances revealed An overspend of £12.7 million is expected this year ByHannah RichardsonLocal Democracy Reporter 06:04, 11 OCT 2023 Leicester City Council is facing “significant financial pressures” and the situation is only expected to get worse in future years, a report has revealed. Based on spending in the first part of the current financial year, the local authority is now predicting it will spend £12.7 million more in 2023/24 than budgeted. Overspend across all council departments totals around £17 million. However, this is offset by around £4.3 million of underspending in some areas, including £3 million savings due to energy costs being lower than anticipated. The position “provides early indications of the significant financial pressures the council is facing this year, and the worsening picture for future years’ budgets”, council finance officers have said. The additional costs are not expected to be confined to the one year, but will carry into future budgets. READ MORE: Defiant leader says 'hell will freeze over' before struggling county council declares bankruptcy While the £12.7 million can be offset this financial year by departmental reserves – which are separate to the council’s central reserves – those pots of money are one-off resources, officers warned, adding that the funding outlook for “next year and beyond” was “bleak”. It is “imperative that significant savings are identified as soon as possible to safeguard the council’s longer-term financial position”, they said. Almost £10 million of the expected overspend is rooted in education and children’s services, the report stated. Some £9.2 million of that is anticipated to be spent on looked after children, because placement costs “have increased faster than budgeted”. Strain on that service presents a “significant issue” for the next financial year and would "need to be addressed” through the next budget, officers said. A further overspend of £4.9 million is predicted in the city development and neighbourhoods budget. Homelessness “is the main reason" for the overspend and "is a significant national issue”, the report stated. Around £3 million of additional costs in the city development and neighbourhoods budget are caused by spending on temporary accommodation in the city. This pressure is “likely to be ongoing”, it added. A likely higher-than-predicted pay award for council staff is expected to add a further £2.2 million to this year’s spending. This year’s budget, approved in February, saw maximum council tax increases for Leicester residents and heavy reliance on central reserves to balance the books. The use of the reserves meant the council could avoid what city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby branded “crisis cuts” to services. However, the use of around £34 million of the then around £55 million of reserves came with a warning from the council that this pot of money was expected to run dry part way through the 2024/25 financial year. Some savings have been identified which will reduce the strain on the reserves this year by around £2.8 million. Poll: Do you feel safe in Leicester city centre? These include additional “efficiency savings” which have been approved by Sir Peter. Among these are savings in parks and grounds maintenance and in building management. Finances bosses at the council are continuing to “identify and make savings” throughout the year to “help reduce the scale of expected future deficits”.

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/leicester-manchester-city-guardiola-maresca-8818597 Leicester City repeating Pep Guardiola trick that saw Manchester City beat Real Madrid Latest Leicester City news as Enzo Maresca talks about replicating a training method used by Pep Guardiola at Manchester City ByLuke PawleyMidlands Football Writer 09:14, 10 OCT 2023 Leicester City manager Enzo Maresca is using a proven Pep Guardiola strategy to get results in the Championship. Maresca and his players have already come up against teams who have sat deep when facing City, looking to soak up the pressure and making themselves tough to break down. It's something Leicester are more than prepared for, but no matter the opposition, it can often prove a difficult task. Speaking in his press conference last week about how Leicester combat that in training, Maresca revealed he drafts in the club's young players to help out. It's something that works for Guardiola and Manchester City and is now being replicated at Seagrave. READ MORE: Kelechi Iheanacho opens up on competition with Leicester City 'legend' Jamie Vardy READ MORE: When Jamie Vardy and Wayne Rooney will come up against each other as decision made "Almost every time, the day before the game, we use the under-21s," Maresca said. "And we try to use them in the same way the day after we are going to face a team. "Even against the under-21s, when they sit back, we struggle to find the golden solution. But not because we are bad, because it's complicated to find when they are all there. "When they press higher, we have more space. But even with the second team, that we use a lot, we struggle. It's normal." It is a strategy used by Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, and one that seems to be working well for Leicester so far this season with just three points dropped in the league so far. One of Maresca's current colleagues, first team coach Danny Walker, spoke about the exercise under Guardiola back in 2020. Walker led their second team in a session against Guardiola's first team when they were preparing to face Real Madrid in the Champions League. City ended up winning that game 2-1. "We were Real Madrid so we did a great job!" Walker said three years ago. "Taking aside training our boys, just to go next to the pitch and watch Pep work... he's the best coach in the world so just to see him work and how he puts his ideas across, how he is with the players. The players in the first team environment are the very best in the world so the way that he gets his ideas across and the way that they buy into it."

Hmm, not for me.

Butt plug for breaking wind musically when in company.

It's no use making it bigger and sticking to the current selling practices. It needs to be so that people can decide on the day obviously not going to go back cash on the turnstile but make so you can buy tickets on line on the day on your phone, I guess you'd still have to be registered but any insistence on having to fork out for a membership needs to stop it's just robbery.

Waiting till going up to the PL is just as risky as doing it now, the way the PL is structured you're always going to be one season away from being relegated no matter how good you are and we're proof of that.

But it looks like they're struggling to sell Hospitality Packages and I suspect a good part of any justification to expand is more of those and Boxes certainly judging from that survey they put out a few years ago. None of which was about the majority of fans that go to watch the football, meet some mates/family and go home. It was all about add ons where they could charge a premium they need to be in the PL for that. I'm all for the expansion but I hope it's to get more younger adults in at decent match day prices. I don't live in hope though.

https://www.tranmererovers.co.uk/news/2023/october/match-preview--leicester-city-u21-h/ 138 views Tranmere Rovers welcome Leicester City under-21s to Prenton Park on Tuesday 10th October (7pm kick-off), in their second EFL Trophy fixture of the campaign. The hosts were beaten 2-0 by Fleetwood Town in the opening match of Northern Group D at the start of last month, now needing a win to boost the chances of qualification. The young Foxes sit below Rovers in the standings, following a 7-1 thrashing at the hands of Wigan Athletic. Tranmere come into the game having earned seven points from their last four league outings, most recently drawing 2-2 with Grimsby Town on Saturday. Leicester find themselves 18th in Premier League 2, winning twice and losing the other four of their opening six matches. If the game ends level after 90 minutes, each team will earn one point, with a penalty shootout taking place to win an extra bonus point. Our EFL Trophy group matches: Fleetwood Town 2-0 Tranmere Rovers | Highbury Stadium | Tuesday 5th September (7pm) Tranmere Rovers v Leicester City under-21s | Prenton Park | Tuesday 10th October (7pm) Tranmere Rovers v Wigan Athletic | Prenton Park | Tuesday 14th November (7pm) Team news: Jake Leake, Luke Norris and Chris Merrie continue to work hard on their recoveries from injury, and won't be available for the match. Paul Lewis and Reece McAlear have been taking part in training for the last week and could be selected in Nigel Adkins’ team. 138 views Tranmere Rovers welcome Leicester City under-21s to Prenton Park on Tuesday 10th October (7pm kick-off), in their second EFL Trophy fixture of the campaign. The hosts were beaten 2-0 by Fleetwood Town in the opening match of Northern Group D at the start of last month, now needing a win to boost the chances of qualification. The young Foxes sit below Rovers in the standings, following a 7-1 thrashing at the hands of Wigan Athletic. Tranmere come into the game having earned seven points from their last four league outings, most recently drawing 2-2 with Grimsby Town on Saturday. Leicester find themselves 18th in Premier League 2, winning twice and losing the other four of their opening six matches. If the game ends level after 90 minutes, each team will earn one point, with a penalty shootout taking place to win an extra bonus point. Our EFL Trophy group matches: Fleetwood Town 2-0 Tranmere Rovers | Highbury Stadium | Tuesday 5th September (7pm) Tranmere Rovers v Leicester City under-21s | Prenton Park | Tuesday 10th October (7pm) Tranmere Rovers v Wigan Athletic | Prenton Park | Tuesday 14th November (7pm) Team news: Jake Leake, Luke Norris and Chris Merrie continue to work hard on their recoveries from injury, and won't be available for the match. Paul Lewis and Reece McAlear have been taking part in training for the last week and could be selected in Nigel Adkins’ team.

Casadei

https://the72.co.uk/2023/10/09/leicester-city-scouts-spotted-on-portuguese-scouting-trip-as-fc-porto-secure-narrow-victory/ Leicester City scouts were in attendance to watch Porto vs Portimonense over the weekend, O Jogo has reported (via Sport Witness). Leicester City’s squad is looking pretty strong as they sit top of the Championship table after 11 games. The Foxes boast what is up there with the best teams the second-tier has seen after dropping from the second-tier, maintaining a number of standout performers after relegation. While there were summer exits for high-profile names like Harvey Barnes and James Maddison, Enzo Maresca boasts a squad many believe is far above this level. Now though, it seems they’re not resting on their laurels having been spotted on a transfer mission over the weekend. O Jogo (via Sport Witness) reports that Leicester City scouts were on the short list of teams in attendance as Porto beat Portimonense over the weekend. It remains unknown who was on their radar. The game was decided by a single goal, with Brazilian striker Evanilson securing a 1-0 victory for the hosts. 1 of 20 leicester city, Leicester City scouts spotted on Portuguese scouting trip as FC Porto secure narrow victory On the lookout It seems Leicester City have one eye on potential January transfer window targets. It shows they’re looking to strengthen and further bolster their ranks despite enjoying such a strong start to the season, and that can only be a good thing. Time will tell if anyone from the Porto vs Portimonense game appears as a firm target further down the line, but there’s certainly no harm in taking in a game or two, even when the window is still a few months away. Leicester City have already recruited from Portugal this season. Abdul Fatawu signed on loan from Sporting CP so it will be interesting to see if the club dip into the same market later in the campaign following this recent mission.

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/upgrade-look-feel-one-leicesters-8816607 Improvements to the ‘look and feel’ of one of Leicester’s most historic streets begins today as part of £1million investment Grey Friars will be closed during the work which is expected to take nine weeks. ByBen Carr 13:19, 9 OCT 2023 Work has begun today (Monday 9 October) to improve the ‘look and feel’ of one of Leicester’s most historic streets. Grey Friars, located in Leicester’s Old Town, will be closed to traffic as access for pedestrians is improved with widened footpaths and a raised carriageway. The city council is set to dedicate over £1million toward the improvements, which will also give St Martins and Hotel Street a facelift in the new year, as pedestrian areas in the city centre are extended. It is hoped that the changes will bring the streets up to the standard of nearby Peacock Lane and neighbouring streets in the Old Town area. Grey Friars will be closed to all traffic during the nine weeks it is expected to take to complete the work. Diversions will be in place and access to shops, businesses and homes will be maintained, say Leicester City Council. Work will pause for the busy Christmas period, before improvements begin on St Martins and Hotel Street early in the new year. Read More: Concern as sinkhole opens up close to major Leicestershire attractions This will see the main carriageway of St Martins resurfaced in high-quality porphyry stone to match streets in the Cathedral precinct. Hotel Street will be improved with a raised carriageway to improve pedestrian access and connections to Leicester Market. Deputy city mayor, Councillor Adam Clarke, said: “St Martins and the nearby lanes are home to a great many brilliant independent businesses. It is vital that we continue to support local businesses like these by investing in high quality, people-friendly streets and spaces. "These historic streets, at the heart of the city’s Old Town, close to the market, cathedral and Richard III Visitor Centre are also an important and popular destination for visitors to the city. By investing in these improvements, we will create a much safer and more attractive environment and encourage more people to walk, wheel or cycle to, in and around the city centre. “We know that creating healthy streets like this can increase retail spend by as much as 30%, as well as provide cleaner air that’s good for people's health and good for the planet.” All three streets were originally made traffic-free in summer 2020, to help businesses bounce back from COVID restrictions. In August 2022 the city council received legal permission to make these measures permanent after consultations with visitors and businesses in the area. The existing temporary extension of the city centre pedestrian zone to include the whole of Grey Friars was incorporated into the city centre pedestrian zone. This means access for loading only is available between 5am and 11 am from Sunday to Friday, and between 5am and 9am on Saturdays.

Casadei did a lot of ball winning helping to keep Stoke penned back in their own third.

I think it help with most Stoke fans leaving early and probably going up the A50

Sort of tactics https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/sport-opinion/wilfred-ndidi-leicester-city-maresca-8766239 The pragmatic Enzo Maresca decision that has led to Leicester City's biggest turnaround Wilfred Ndidi set up goal for the third game running against Stoke as his renaissance continued as an attacking threat following two years of plummeting form in defensive midfield ByJordan Blackwell 08:00, 9 OCT 2023 Wilfred Ndidi was on the pitch for 13 minutes plus injury time during Leicester City's 2-0 win over Stoke, and yet no player had more shots. All three of his efforts were inches away from going in, with one blocked near the line, another deflected over, and one headed just wide. He then set up Jamie Vardy – maybe with an excellent pass, maybe with a wild fourth attempt at goal – for his third assist in three Championship games. The outing before that he won the penalty that earned City victory. In any other season, this would be unusual for a player who has made his name at the other end of the pitch. But not this year. Now, after 14 games in all competitions, Ndidi has contributed to seven goals for City. Only Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (eight) has had a hand in more. Nobody would have thought that could be true a few months ago. In fact, very few thought there would be a role for Ndidi at City at all. Get Enzo Maresca to explain exactly what he wants from each position in his City set-up and Ndidi of the previous six-and-a-half seasons does not fit into any of them. There is no role in Maresca’s team that asks for a bustling, long-legged destroyer to win tackles and interceptions. Now, the player at the base of the midfield is there to build the game. Harry Winks is the opposite of Ndidi. But just when Ndidi’s career at the King Power Stadium looked to be over, Maresca got pragmatic. He was short on players to operate in the two number eight roles and saw attributes in Ndidi that he felt could work. Now, 14 games in, Ndidi is one of only two players, along with Dewsbury-Hall, to have featured in every match. His tally of three goals – two in the Carabao Cup and one in the Championship – matches his best scoring season for the club. Speaking to the club after he waltzed around Southampton defenders to score at St Mary's, Ndidi joked that he’d shown his “striker’s instinct”, sarcastically acting as if it’s the type of goal he scores every week. His reaction to scoring may be as pleasing as the goal itself. Watching Ndidi now, it feels like a weight has been lifted. In the two years leading up to City’s relegation, most players suffered a drop in form, but perhaps none as starkly as Ndidi. City’s defence looked so vulnerable in part because Ndidi was no longer protecting them well. The number of tackles and interceptions he was making fell through the floor. For so long, City had relied on Ndidi. The attacking players were granted the freedom to venture forward and take risks because they had the Nigerian behind them to bail them out. When he stopped providing security, not only did City’s defence look more vulnerable, but their attackers became scared to be inventive in case they set up counters for the opposition. That’s a lot of pressure on Ndidi’s shoulders. Moving him into a forward area relieves that pressure. There is a freedom that comes with being a more attacking player, and one that perhaps the world isn’t expected of. The big, beaming smile is back. At the mention of Ndidi's name, Maresca starts smiling too. “I don’t know if he’s more or less happy but the only thing I can say is that he’s very happy,” the manager said of the midfielder last month. “He’s enjoying it, and he’s open-minded. He’s trying to learn something new and he’s making the effort to try to understand it and learn. “He’s doing very well at arriving in the box. He’s doing not so good at staying in position and moving in the right way in the pocket. Most of the time he’s higher, close to the opposition central defender and sometimes he has to drop a little bit more. But as I said, it’s new for him and it’s not easy. But for sure he’s always in the box.” If Ndidi does improve in those areas outlined by Maresca, if he does keep getting on the scoresheet, and if that does help City to achieve promotion, it could be the manager’s biggest success story of the season. But patience is required to see if that’s how it plays out. For now, let’s enjoy that a City great is enjoying himself again.

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/what-enzo-maresca-doing-solve-8815107?fbclid=IwAR3eO47XnVULAVR8mOQNe-V124mh44hnVtIAhazkbkxT5LLj1-glqshT9us What Enzo Maresca is doing to solve the only two future problems that can stop Leicester City Analysis of Leicester City's 2-0 win over Stoke, looking at how Maresca is guarding against complacency and fatigue, the need to become master safe-crackers, and that maths of promotion ByJordan Blackwell 16:36, 8 OCT 2023 Who can stop Leicester City? Maybe at this point it is only themselves. Their 10th win from 11 Championship games had an inevitability about it. There were very few pre-match nerves in the crowd. Supporters weren’t just coming to see their team play, but to see their team win. They know what to expect now, with matches following a similar pattern: City will dominate the ball and try as many different combinations to pick the lock as they can. With patience and application, they will more than likely break through. With visitors Stoke struggling for form and fit players, there was an even greater confidence that City would break their resistance. Indeed, with Enzo Maresca’s side controlling the ball to a greater degree than ever – they’d had 89 per cent possession in the first quarter of the game – and with the back three stationing themselves further up the field than ever, they scored their earliest home goal of the season, Kelechi Iheanacho netting after 24 minutes. Despite that sense of inevitability, it wasn’t easy. City’s probes often fell short of finding a blue shirt in the box. They had very few chances in the first hour. They were not quite as sharp on the ball as they can be, appearing to play in first gear for periods. First touches were sloppy at times. There were two moments in the first half where Jannik Vestergaard and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall threw their hands up in frustration because Hamza Choudhury and Abdul Fatawu respectively had switched off and not moved into the space where the ball was clearly going to be passed into. Then, inside 30 seconds of the second half, Stoke had their best chance, Nathan Lowe heading over after a quick attack had caught City sleeping. This may feel like nit-picking, but City have set expectations extremely high with how well they're doing. Right now, it feels like complacency is the most serious possible threat to derailing City. It's not a problem now, but it could be. An inevitability of victory has the potential to cause a dip in concentration. What's clear is that their gameplan, how they’re improving at it, and the quality of their players is not going to be a barrier to their charge for promotion. Maresca's plan to guard against two future problems So how do they guard against complacency? Maresca is already working on it. Making six changes for a league game, particularly ahead of a two-week international break, is not the norm around the division, but it is for the City manager. With Harry Souttar handed his first league appearance of the season on Saturday, there are now 22 players at City who have started a Championship fixture this term. Only bottom club Sheffield Wednesday have more. And that number could yet rise higher. City have Marc Albrighton, Tom Cannon, and Patson Daka still waiting in the wings for their first league starts this season. Maresca denied City had exorbitant squad depth this week, pointing out that Choudhury was needed to play in a position he was not totally suited to, but they do either have more players than their rivals, or they have a manager who is willing to put his faith in a greater number of his squad. Maybe it’s both. Maresca’s regular rotation means that 17 different City players have now been on the pitch for more than 200 minutes this season. You have to go down to Millwall in 15th before finding a club with more players hitting that figure. It helps twofold. Resting players reduces the risk of injury and allows for physical and mental breathers that should mean there are more players available, and more players at the top of their game, come the final few months of the campaign. Plus, it keeps everyone on their toes. Standards are less likely to slip when every player knows the manager will rotate and a team-mate gets regular opportunities to stake a claim. It’s also why Maresca doesn’t reveal his line-up to his players until a couple of hours before kick-off. It keeps everyone on their toes. There will be no slacking in the final training session of the week if every player still feels like they have a fighting chance of making the weekend’s 11. Up front, there is a shared role. Of the 990 Championship minutes so far, Jamie Vardy has played 510 and Kelechi Iheanacho has played 480. It doesn’t feel like either are going to wear themselves out, nor is the burden of goalscoring solely on the shoulders of either. So while complacency and squad fitness feel like the only obstacles in City’s way, Maresca is already removing them before they even truly arise. It’s yet another sign of very good management. City must work to become master safe-crackers In terms of what City must continue to work on at the training ground, it is obvious. Games are still at their most difficult for them when they face a deep-set defence. Stoke, even with two midfielders in their back-line, proved difficult to beat for large swathes of the game. They set up that way because they know that is the best option for denying City. While Maresca’s men are getting better at piercing holes in opposition defences, they can clearly still improve at it. They will want to make themselves master safe-crackers. Because when games open up, there are no problems. In the first 70 minutes on Saturday, City had five shots to Stoke’s two. When the Potters then pushed higher in search of an equaliser, it had an adverse effect. For the final 20 minutes, City had nine shots to Stoke’s none. The moment teams open up against City, the moment there is space to exploit, that’s when their individual talent can be on show. Wilfred Ndidi, a man reborn under Maresca, could have had a hat-trick in the final quarter of the game. When teams go toe-to-toe with them, they have no problems whatsoever. That bodes well for when they face more forward-thinking outfits. Maresca gives sarcastic response over progress report When a team is playing this well and earning results as good as City’s just a couple of months into a manager’s reign, questions will be asked about how good they can become. Maresca raised excitement levels when he said towards the end of August that his side were only 10 to 20 per cent of the way along their journey. Heading into the October international break, it felt like the ideal time to get a progress report from the boss. The problem is that it’s been going so well that Maresca is now on expectation management, and so provided a sarcastic response. “We are 100 per cent!” he said. “You know why, because I said 20 per cent and you start to say: ‘Only 20! Imagine when we are 100!’ So no, we are 100. Better than this, it’s impossible!” He then gave a serious reply, saying: “You cannot measure. We are improving. We need to improve a lot because we are going to face these kinds of games many times. “We are in the right direction. Now if we are 40, 50, 60, I don’t know, the only thing I can say is that, as you can see, they are working well and we are trying to combine winning and playing well.” Maresca is happy for supporters to get excited and dream big. Just don’t expect him to join in publicly for now. Promotion maths look very promising So, 30 points from a possible 33 is a lot. A 10-point cushion inside the automatic promotion places is considerable. And it feels like enough of the season has passed for a spot of speculative maths. Over the past 10 seasons, the average number of points required to finish in the top two is 86. Nineteen more wins for City would take them to 87, meaning they can possibly afford to drop points in 16 of their remaining 35 games. So far, they have dropped points once in 11 fixtures. Since the September international break, not only have the results been perfect, but neither have City looked like drawing, never mind losing. At this stage, based on the games so far, it feels like it would be a big surprise if City were to drop points in as many as 16 matches. Even the most pessimistic of supporters would have to admit that there is an extremely good chance of promotion.

The Dark Side

Bran Dish - never heard that at the football

Presser Time wasting Todays Match officials

Probably but not just Man City it’s become par for the league we’re just late to it.

https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/ben-chilwell-20-4-leicester-city-players-who-could-be-the-next-big-stars-to-emerge/#sammy-braybrooke FLW takes a look at the current Foxes who could go on to replicate Ben Chilwell's success... Collage Maker-29-Sep-2023-01-08-PM-3265 HIGHLIGHTS Kasey McAteer is Leicester's top young player and has shown promise with his early season goals. He has the potential for both immediate and long-term success. Wanya Marcal, a versatile midfielder, has also been making strides and opened his account with a goal in August. There's a lot more to come from him. Will Alves and Sammy Braybrooke are both highly touted prospects. Alves, known for his trickery and speed, has faced injury setbacks but is still exciting fans. Meanwhile, Braybooke, a composed midfielder, has captained both Leicester and England at youth level. Leicester City's youth talent production has proved a real plus point in the East Midlands recently. The Foxes count the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Luke Thomas and £39m-Newcastle United export Harvey Barnes as their most projected academy graduates as of late. However, no player has emerged from within to harvest a more eye-watering outlay than Ben Chilwell, who made over 100 appearances for his boyhood club prior to joining Chelsea for £50m three years ago. It's set the precedent and ever since then, Leicester fans have been wondering who the next big cab off the ranks will be from their youth-set up and into the first-team before eventually, and potentially of course, netting the club some healthy cash. Dewsbury-Hall may be next-in-line to do just that, but supporters always want more and they'll look back to Chilwell as a prime example. So, that said, we've decided to analyse the next four players who could replicate the defender's success at the King Power Stadium and beyond in years to come... Kasey McAteer Collage Maker-22-Sep-2023-09-10-AM-8457 It's not going to ruffle too many feathers by citing McAteer as Leicester's best young player by some distance right now - barring their loanees, of course. He's been with Leicester since the age of eight and is finally achieving his dreams in the game. The 21-year-old winger was on loan in the fourth-tier with AFC Wimbledon last term but has received a window of opportunity under Enzo Maresca and he's certainly repaid that faith. Early season goals against the likes of Rotherham United, Southampton, Norwich City and even Liverpool in the EFL Cup have all provide a clear idea of what McAteer could go on to achieve in both the immediate and long-term. Wanya Marcal Collage Maker-27-Sep-2023-03-20-PM-9525 A fixture of Leicester's various youth sides during his rise, the versatile midfielder has also enjoyed increased prominence this term. He opened his account during a 2-1 home victory over Cardiff City back in August, provoking the feeling that there's so much more to come. Equally at home in midfield or out wide, expect big things from the Portugese prospect further down the line... Will Alves King Power Stadium Even though he's only played twice for Leicester's first-team in cup competition, Alves' name is far from unknown among the Foxes faithful. Alves, who joined Leicester at under-9's level and is known to be a fanatical supporter of the club, has long been among the most exciting and gifted academy operators in his age group, leaving onlookers enthralled with his trickery, flair and frightening speed off the mark. He's a hugely-captivating prospect, all things considered, and one that Leicester fans are rightly excited about. Alves has been out of action since last December through injury, but there's still every chance he'll come good upon his return. Sammy Braybrooke Collage Maker-02-Oct-2023-09-52-AM-4999 Braybooke is also another name to expect big things from. Akin to Alves, he too suffered an ACL injury last term but it's just as likely that he'll bounce back from it well and continue reaching his potential, which has long been a cause of real excitement in this corner of the country. A composed and technically-gifted central midfielder, Braybooke has been with Leicester for over 10 years now, captaining the Foxes and even England at youth level. He's not played much senior football at all, but expect him to seize the opportunity when he receives it.