davieG

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Who is that?

Not forgetting how long the ref takes to set up a freekick within range of the goal and not allowing quick ones to be taken pisses me off. Give both sides a minute max to set up if they're not ready tough.

Barrow forum complaining about letting that "young lad" run the show, should have been man marking him apparently . Gave me a laugh.

I get the feeling that Fuchs has released the shackles off him as he was almost a 2nd CB in the previous games I watched and often bypassed.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c9w7pj224xeo Cifuentes focused on Leicester form not legal case Marti Cifuentes has overseen six wins and six defeats from his 19 games in charge of Leicester City ByAndrew Aloia BBC Sport, East Midlands Manager Marti Cifuentes accepts that his job depends on misfiring Leicester City picking up points and halting their slide down the Championship table. Keeping hold of all those points, however, is something he defers to Leicester's legal team. The Spaniard is undoubtedly a boss under pressure after Saturday's 3-2 defeat by Sheffield United at the King Power Stadium saw them slip to 16th in the second tier - but the troubles at Leicester extend from the dugout all the way to lawyers' chambers. Charges for allegedly breaching spending rules when Leicester were promoted as Championship title winners two seasons ago has them locked in a legal battle with the Premier League. And if found guilty, the English Football League could hit the Foxes with a points deduction. It is case reportedly being heard now,, external not that the club or football authorities have acknowledged it publicly. And so, it is left to Cifuentes to field questions about the threat of point deductions when he also finds himself being quizzed about chants of 'you will be sacked in the morning' – a song started by Sheffield United fans and picked up by pockets of Leicester supporters when the Blades were 3-0 up in the first half. "I'm not a lawyer, so I can't give you details on things that are far away from my competence," Cifuentes told BBC Sport when asked about the ongoing case against the club. "But what I can say is what I see behind the scenes, that the club is trying to work as hard [as] they can to try to be in the best position on this situation as well." 'Results have been worse than we wanted' After Saturday's defeat, Cifuentes said he always "knew it would not be an easy task" taking charge of a Leicester side that had been relegated from the Premier League twice in three seasons. But has it been harder than anticipated? "Obviously, we cannot hide from the fact that the results have been worse than what we wanted," he admitted. "This is a big club. And at big clubs, the expectations are big and you need to be ready to accept those demands." When Cifuentes replaced Ruud Van Nistelrooy at the Foxes helm in the summer, he was aware of the charges against Leicester, the threat of a points deduction and the lack of funds at a club attempting to financially right itself - meaning he did not have money to spend on summer signings. But when asked about how he, his coaching team and players are dealing with the unknown of battling for points that they do not know they will keep, Cifuentes said "it is something we don't try to pay too much attention to". The 43-year-old continued: "My focus is 100% on trying to win the next game and trying to develop the football side of the club. "I don't want to turn my energy on those matters when actually there is not much we can do. "The only thing we can do is try be in the best position we can be in the table and try to improve every week as a team." And there have been moments for optimism in the early months of the season, with Cifuentes pointing to back-to-back wins against Norwich City and Stoke earlier in November. There was even "encouraging things" in the second half against Sheffield United on Saturday as they pulled two goals back - through Stephy Mavididi and Jordan James - to set up a tense finish. Although Cifuentes quickly said "the bar wasn't very high" after a "very frustrating and disappointing first half". He even said the boos aimed at his side at half-time were merited. As for having 'you will be sacked in the morning' sung in his direction, it was not something new. "It's not the first time that I got this song," he said. "Fortunately for me I've always got the confidence to turn things around. "I understand the frustration and it was completely fair the reaction at half-time because it was absolutely below the level. "But I'm very committed to try give the fans something back. I just hope they understand that I came here to fix something, and that they let me fix it." And when asked if he felt that the backing was there from owner Khun Aiyawatt 'Top' Srivaddhanaprabha and director of football Jon Rudkin, Cifuentes said: "We constantly have meetings about how we can improve things. "It's not an easy moment, of course, but I feel full of confidence about the task that I was signed for, which was to try improve things."

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/match-reports/what-marti-cifuentes-50m-point-10678212 What Marti Cifuentes' £50m point shows as certain Leicester City slide may spark board concern Talking points from Leicester City's 3-2 defeat to Sheffield United, looking at the start, the second-half response, Cifuentes' future, the empty seats, and relegation Jordan Blackwell 10:47, 30 Nov 2025 Marti Cifuentes was dumbfounded. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before,” he said of watching his Leicester City side go two goals down inside four minutes. He was perhaps alone in his bewilderment. For City fans, it didn’t seem that farfetched. They saw their team concede after 10 seconds at Everton in February and then trail 2-0 inside six minutes. At home to Newcastle in April, they were two goals behind after 11 minutes. Yes, Saturday was a more rapid capitulation but it was hardly out of the ordinary. In all of those games – on Saturday, against Everton and against Newcastle – City went on to let in a third before half-time. Throw in Tuesday’s match at Southampton, and last season’s embarrassments at home to Brentford and Wolves, then that’s six times they’ve been losing 3-0 at the break in less than 12 months. So the first-half showing was not an outlier but the sort of performance that’s become all too common of late. After the Southampton defeat, Cifuentes said the loss wouldn’t define City, but how they reacted would. Was that the true City on display against Sheffield United, then? One where they appeared to lack energy and motivation and were completely overwhelmed by their opponents? Really, Cifuentes’ surprise over the speed of the first two goals was a surprise in itself. Because when asked why he thought his team had begun so poorly, he pointed to deep-seated problems, as if he knew City had a recent history of early calamities. “Everybody knows why I’m here,” he said when asked to explain the slow start. “I came here to fix some issues. I never said those issues were easy to fix, and that it would be quick. I’m aware of the things we need to improve.” Cifuentes didn’t explicitly say on Saturday what those issues were, but it would not be unfair to guess he’s referring to the culture around the club, something he’s mentioned frequently. It does feel like the slow start might be a mentality issue, but it’s deciphering what exactly the problem is. Is it fear of making mistakes? Is it fear of a negative reaction? Is the doom and gloom around the club seeping into the players? Do they simply not care? Cifuentes has always denied the latter, but it remains a criticism that is often levelled at the squad by the fans. It’s a barb that comes to the fore more often in games where loanee Jordan James is the star man. His all-action style naturally gives an impression that he cares more, but his demeanour and personality add to that feeling. It’s not a good look for the squad if a player not even permanently contracted to the club appears to be trying harder than the others. Those two fast goals mean City now have the joint-worst record in the division for the first 10 minutes of matches, with one goal scored and six conceded. Cifuentes is right in that it’s something for him to fix, and it would have been hoped that he'd have made progress by now. But if it’s that deep-rooted, it’s also a problem for the people who assembled the squad, and those who steer the club from the very top. Credit for second half must be tempered In those five previous games in the past 12 months in which City have trailed 3-0 at half-time, they didn’t score a single goal. In some of the matches, they went on to lose 4-0. So perhaps there should be some credit afforded to the manager and players for at least making a fist of a comeback attempt. It’s difficult to know how much credit though. As Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder pointed out: “When you’re 3-0 down, the game becomes easy and you can afford to take risks because everybody thinks the game’s done and dusted.” City did appear to be playing with a weight lifted off their shoulders. There was much more fluidity to their play, and much greater intent. It felt like the players wanted to get the ball forward more quickly. But it also felt like Sheffield United retreated into a mindset of wanting to protect that lead. They definitely weren’t as adventurous, and that afforded City more control. And how many good chances did they really create? At 3-1, there was only really Jannik Vestergaard’s bundled effort that Jairo Riedewald cleared near the line. After James made it 3-2, there was no final opportunity. The stats say City created 1.2 expected goals in the second period, with more than half of that figure made up by Stephy Mavididi’s header. In normal circumstances, that’s pretty good. When an opponent lets you dominate, it’s only okay. Substitutes Boubakary Soumare and Oliver Skipp had some of their best games in a City shirt. Soumare looked a level above Harry Winks in the way he controlled the match from the base of midfield, shrugged off Blades players and spread passes about the pitch. Skipp, tasked with filling in at centre-back, was composed in defence and progressive on the ball. But these were unique circumstances where both players were under far less pressure than usual. For how City meekly accepted defeat, or solely worked to keep the opposition’s score down, in those other matches in which they trailed 3-0 at the interval, praise can be afforded to the players for how they responded on Saturday. It helps Cifuentes too. Watching that second half, it could not be said the players are downing tools on his watch. But any credit afforded needs to be tempered by the circumstances of the game, and by the fact they were only quite good after the break, rather than excellent. When questions over a manager’s future are credibly asked, it can feel like the start of an unrecoverable situation. That a handful of City fans joined in with Sheffield United supporters’ sack taunt of Cifuentes just before half-time meant it was a valid topic of conversation in the post-match press conference. Later, the Spaniard was asked if he felt he had the support of the board. It feels like a significant moment when that question first arises. No matter the confidence in the answer, it seems like a tipping point. Those doubts over a manager’s future tend to linger until they’re gone. But Cifuentes was pretty bullish in his replies. He mentioned that he’s been in such situations and had such chants directed at him before and that he’s come through the other side. He again set out the long-term nature of the “rebuild” at City and that he’s on a mission to fix the club. He spoke of his meetings with the chairman and director of football in which they collaborate on ideas to turn the club around, as if to point out they’re on his side. He did also mention, unprompted, the lack of money spent at City in the summer compared to the £50m put into each of the squads at Southampton and Ipswich. Cifuentes said: “Everyone knows that during this summer we tried to make certain decisions that were not easy. We didn’t spend money at all, while you see at Southampton and Ipswich, the other two clubs who were relegated, they spent a lot of money.” It’s not an untrue statement from Cifuentes, but bringing it up felt a little like a move in self-preservation. All managers look to protect their reputation when under pressure and drop in those kinds of comments to let others know about the difficulty of the circumstances they’re working in. Again, such comments feel significant. Once a manager starts fighting to protect themselves, it starts a direction of travel from which there's rarely a u-turn. But perhaps Cifuentes is right. The unusual circumstances at City, where there has been very little investment into the squad on his watch, means that patience will be shown. Given the mood around the club and the staleness of the playing group, the pressure to succeed immediately may not be as high as it usually is at a relegated Premier League club in the Championship. But what is true is that if Cifuentes wants to put an immediate halt to those chants and those questions, he needs a win at Derby. Attendance slide may spark board concern That’s the fourth straight home game in which the attendance has been under 30,000 and while the official figure against Sheffield United wasn’t as low as it was for the Blackburn and Middlesbrough games, a packed-out away end on Saturday suggested home ticket sales may have dropped, even if very slightly. To the eye, it felt like there were plenty of empty seats. Perhaps there were a few season-ticket holders who didn’t turn up, but whose attendance is counted in the official figure. There were definitely more than a few empty seats after the third Sheffield United goal went in, and many fans didn’t return after half-time. To the naked eye, this felt like the earliest City fans had had enough. If the stadium was more than three-quarters full in the second half, that would be a surprise. But maybe that will make a difference in forcing change. Even in the past few years, while there have been complaints around the running of the club and there has been a negativity seeping down from the stands, attendances haven’t really dropped. Maybe to cut through to the businesspeople that run a football club, they need to see that punters simply aren’t turning up anymore. When the official attendance is over 28,000, it probably won’t be an almighty panic at the moment. But there is a negative trend right now, and the club may be forced into action if they feel that slide could continue, or even become more severe. City must consider relegation prospect One of the big topics of conversation heading into Saturday’s game was the congestion in the Championship table. City sitting 15th in the standings going into the final game of November seems like a problem. City sitting three points off the play-offs and six points off automatic promotion going into the final game of November doesn’t seem too concerning. But another defeat changes the complexion again. The gap between City and the automatic promotion spots is now greater than the cushion they have to the relegation places. With a potential points deduction to come, it’s not out of the realms of possibility to consider the club falling into League One. The tendency is to look at the table and see how close City are to the play-offs, but they need to look over their shoulder too. They know from the first Premier League relegation that simply believing a bottom-three finish is out of the question does not stop it from happening. City better believe they’re in a relegation battle. That’s the only way to potentially stave it off.

We're caught in a trap I can't walk out Because I love you too much, baby Why can't you see What you're doing to me When you don't believe a word I say? We can't go on together With suspicious minds (with suspicious minds) And we can't build our dreams On suspicious minds So, if an old friend I know Stops by to say hello Would I still see suspicion in your eyes? Here we go again Asking where I've been You can't see the tears are real, I'm crying (Yes, I'm crying) We can't go on together With suspicious minds (suspicious minds) And we can't build our dreams On suspicious minds Oh, let our love survive I'll dry the tears from your eyes Let's don't let a good thing die When, honey, you know I have never lied to you, mm (Yeah, yeah) We're caught in a trap I can't walk out Because I love you too much, baby Why can't you see What you're doing to me When you don't believe a word I say? Don't you know I'm caught in a trap? I can't walk out Because I love you too much, baby Well, don't you know I'm caught in a trap? I can't walk out Because I love you too much, baby

It wouldn't help we'll be losing a lot of these players in June anyway and those that are left I doubt they have a League 1 relegation clause so would put us in danger of administration then we'd be stuck with more points deduction. We'd not be able to maintain the Training Ground or even the Women's Team. KP aren't going to bale us out this time. Unlike last time when we had very few overheads this time it would likely be catastrophic. KP wouldn't be able to afford to sell it as it would be at a big loss.

Trouble is we're like the Invisible Man to the Government and Soulsby's isolation from the rest of the East Midlands paranoia doesn't help. He just wants his little kingdom expanding to include the surrounding districts.

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/wout-faes-nasty-injury-latest-10677797 Wout Faes 'nasty' injury latest as Leicester City run low on defenders for Derby County clash Centre-back Wout Faes was substituted at half-time in Leicester City's 3-2 defeat to Sheffield United after a nasty gash to his face that required around eight stitches Jordan Blackwell 07:00, 30 Nov 2025 Updated 08:53, 30 Nov 2025 Faes sustained the injury during a Sheffield United set-piece late in the first half of Saturday’s defeat and received treatment on the wound at the side of the pitch. He went down the tunnel before the first half ended and then did not re-emerge for the second period, with midfielder Oliver Skipp filling in well alongside Jannik Vestergaard. City are low on defenders at the moment, with Caleb Okoli out until Christmas with a knee injury and with Ben Nelson not yet back in training after an ankle injury sustained at Norwich. Harry Souttar is now back in training, but will need time to get back to match fitness after 11 months out with an Achilles tear. Faes could recover in time to play at Pride Park next week, even if it means playing in a protective mask. Although, City boss Marti Cifuentes did say the Belgian was also suffering from dizziness. If Vestergaard is the only fit senior centre-back, Cifuentes may have to turn to Skipp again as a ball-playing defender. Equally, he could use Hamza Choudhury, who has had a couple of games at centre-back for City before. Bade Aluko, usually a full-back, impressed at centre-back in the summer friendlies and will be back from suspension next week. If Cifuentes wants to go further into the academy, then Kevon Gray is one of the club’s top prospects but he’s never been in a senior matchday squad before. “It’s a very nasty cut,” Cifuentes said in his post-match press conference. “It required a lot of stitches. It was bleeding quite a lot. He couldn’t continue.” The manager added to BBC Radio Leicester: “He felt dizzy at half-time, so we had to sub him. But I felt Skippy did really well to play as a centre-half.”

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/chris-wilder-picks-out-outstanding-10677911 Chris Wilder picks out 'outstanding' Leicester City player as he talks up Marti Cifuentes' squad The Sheffield United boss gives his verdict on his side's 3-2 victory at the King Power Stadium in which the Blades raced into a three-goal lead before City's attempted fightback Jordan Blackwell 08:00, 30 Nov 2025 Updated 08:55, 30 Nov 2025 Chris Wilder talked up the Leicester City squad his Sheffield United side overcame, with a special mention to the “outstanding” Jordan James. The Blades manager oversaw a 3-2 victory at the King Power Stadium on Saturday afternoon, with his side racing into a three-goal half-time advantage, but with City coming close to a second-half comeback. Stephy Mavididi got the first and then James struck a second from distance, the swerve on shot deceiving Sheffield United goalkeeper Michael Cooper. Wilder always felt City’s second-half response was possible, not only because of the quality he believes they have in their squad, but because the scoreline took the pressure off. Wilder said: “I’ve been a pro a long time and when you’re 3-0 down, the game becomes easy and you can afford to take risks because everybody thinks the game’s done and dusted. “Michael’s made that mistake (for the first goal) and then the atmosphere changes around the place. The second goal, Michael may be a little disappointed with it but it’s a fabulous finish. He (James) is an outstanding player. “They’ve all got moments, all of their players. We had to withstand that, it’s a great test for us. The character shone through. “They will come out, they’ve got nothing to lose, and you’ll see them be braver on the ball and taking more risks and they did. “They have, as you see, international players, players that have played in the Premier League, players that can open you up and ask the question, and they did. “Regardless of what’s going on and the environment, the players they’ve got at their disposal are top players who have played at the highest level and won things. “(Jordan) Ayew came on and was a threat, the two wides (Mavididi and Abdul Fatawu) are arguably the best two wides in the division, the young boy (Jeremy Monga) who came on is incredibly highly thought of in the game. “Bobby Reid, (Harry) Winks, (Jannik) Vestergaard, (Wout) Faes, they’re all international players. We know about Luke (Thomas), and Hamza (Choudhury) can’t get a game. (Ricardo) Pereira, the skipper, it’s right the way through. “You could see they were hurt at half-time and they’ve come flying out. We had to deal with it, which we did.” The result means Sheffield United have now won three games on the bounce, moving them up to within three places and five points of City. A second straight defeat saw City drop a place to 16th. They’re now seven points above the drop zone and nine points away from the automatic promotion places.

Replacing some and adding some new stations would help Knighton, Wigston Magna, Kibworth. Not forgetting the Ivanhoe line to Ashby. If you look along the South East Coast every town has a station some have 2 or 3 but then of course Beeching lived down there.

If anyone likes South American football live at 8.50 BBC3 Copa Libertadores Final Palmeiras v Flamengo

Henry Winter Shocking and sad to see so many empty seats in home sections of the King Power. Shows level of frustration and anger with the mess Leicester are in on and off the pitch. Cifuentes will get the grief and possibly the sack for another loss but problems run far deeper. Leicester need stronger leadership from dressing-room to boardroom. More spirited second half cannot hide the shambles and surrender of the first and the troubles within the Club. Threat of possible points deductions, issues around Top, Rudkin and too many players overpaid and underperforming. Wout Faes has played 28 times for Belgium in last three years so he must be decent but he rarely exudes much authority or security with Leicester. It’s about concentration and attitude as well as ability. It’s about taking responsibility and remembering Leicester’s identity and that Foxes never quit. Recruitment a huge issue. Lost some leaders, didn’t replace them with strong characters, fighters needed in times like this. Why did they start playing only when 3-0 down to Sheffield United? Pulled two goals back, bit more enterprise, Mavididi having a go, Soumare a good sub, James’ outstanding strike, Monga brings trickery and hope. But too late. Damaging defeat at home to a team who started the day 22nd in the Championship (and Chris Wilder, a leader, has got Sheffield United going). Leicester have to wake up. They’re heading towards celebrations of the 10th anniversary of the great Premier League title triumph. Leicester have also to beware they’re not heading to League One. They have to fight back and win back the fans. #LCFC 🦊 #LEISHU

and have stopped pressing which led to the 3 goals

If you want something to hang onto If it's someone decent they're likely to already have a job and we would have to agree terms and notice period.

Can someone introduce the players to each other at half time

Toilets blocked and overflowing with shit

60s Around Sounds Music · Follow 1962 and 1967 for this week's UK NME charts. Have a great weekend.

Sports Barbar · Follow Paul Dodge’s story doesn’t begin under stadium lights or in front of television cameras. It begins on chilly Leicestershire mornings, the kind where the grass feels slick under your boots and the world smells faintly of mud, determination, and possibility. He was just a kid then — a Syston RFC kid — chasing a ball because something inside him lit up every time he touched it. Nobody knew where it would lead. Maybe he didn’t either. But talent has a way of nudging you forward. By seventeen, while most teenagers were still figuring themselves out, Dodge was pulling on a Leicester Tigers shirt for the first time, stepping onto the field in that treasured Christmas fixture against the Barbarians. Imagine the nerves. The excitement. The sense that life had suddenly kicked into a higher gear. Two years later England came calling, and Dodge — steady, grounded, unmistakably gifted — walked into Test rugby as if he belonged there all along. The partnership he formed with Clive Woodward became the sort of pairing coaches dream about: instinctive, balanced, almost telepathic. They carried the Tigers together, they carried England together, and in 1980 they carried the British Lions across South Africa in a tour etched into rugby history. Dodge wasn’t flashy; he didn’t need to be. He was reliable in the way great players often are — the kind of centre who made the space, made the tackle, made the moment matter. By 1985, the armband found its way to him. Eight times he captained England, leading with quiet authority, the sort that doesn’t need shouting to be felt. Later, in 1987–88, he guided the Tigers too, adding another chapter to a career already overflowing with loyalty and grit. Four hundred and thirty-six games for one club — numbers like that don’t happen unless the jersey becomes part of you. And when the boots finally came off, Dodge didn’t drift away. He simply shifted roles, giving back to the sport that had carried him so far. First as Leicester’s backs coach in the mid-90s, then nurturing young talent from 1998 onward in the academy. It felt fitting, really — the kid from Syston helping the next generation find their own way onto the field, maybe even into the same colours he once wore with such pride. Paul Dodge’s journey isn’t just a career; it’s a lifetime stitched into one club, one country, one game. The kind of legacy you don’t measure in caps or appearances alone, but in the quiet, enduring way he shaped the world of rugby around him.

Good Old Britain · Follow Ron Greenwood carrying the FA Cup back to West Ham on the Tube, 1964.

It'll never ever get back to this. Good Old Britain · Follow Ron Greenwood carrying the FA Cup back to West Ham on the Tube, 1964.

History of Leicestershire in Images Mervin Wallace ON THE 29th NOVEMBER 1530 Thomas Wolsey died in Leicester. A statue of Cardinal Wolsey stands in Leicester's Abbey Park by the elegant bridge over the River Soar, near the ruins of Leicester Abbey where he died. The York Stone statue was donated to the city in 1979 by the Wolsey Hosiery Company Ltd. named after him. A bronze plaque on the statue identifies him as "CHANCELLOR TO HENRY VIII" and notes that he "DIED AT LEICESTER ABBEY, 1530". Thomas Wolsey was born in Ipswich and became a priest at Marlborough. His meteoric rise under Henry VIII led him to become Archbishop of York, a Cardinal and the King’s Lord Chancellor. In the meantime he had been Bishop of Lincoln, Bishop of Bath and Wells, Bishop of Durham, Bishop of Winchester and Abbot of St. Albans. However he failed to persuade the Pope to agree to the annulment of Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon, necessary if he were to marry Anne Boleyn. Wolsey was summoned to London, where he would probably have been executed, but only got as far as Leicester, where he died.