funkyrobot

I never get the whole leaving early thing. Stay til’ the end and accept you might be home a bit later or just don’t go and give your ticket away to someone who isn’t obsessed with leaving on 85minutes. The queues of early leavers down the steps block the view for what is still the majority that want to watch the full game and it does have a disrupting effect on the atmosphere that inevitably feeds down onto the pitch.

This will become a legendary comment joining the likes of ‘my friends the ref’, ‘Kermo was decent’, ‘we should sign Lee Cattermole’ and ‘when’s Musa back from AFCON’ infamy.

Tbf West Brom were targeting Ricardo. It was obviously part of their game plan. He seemed to be man marked every time he was central despite West Brom not fully utilising a man to man system.

I agree with this, the number 8’s in Enzo’s system are absolutely key. There’s a big drop off from KDH and Ndidi to Butch Casadei and Akgun (who might be better playing wide right anyway) and that needs to be solved during the Jan window as AFCON will remove Ndidi for weeks.

And yet Iheanacho played a key role in the winning goal. That’s the enigma of Nacho. Looked off the pace at times, missed a good chance…And yet that good chance came from an outstanding turn that I don’t think Vardy could’ve done and as I say, his movement and pass to KDH was inch perfect and was absolutely key to the winner.

You can just about make out his initials on his tracksuit top. I believe his name is Francis Baumgartner-Sanchez

He’s actually very good in the air. If we could take good corners he’d be a real asset alongside Vesty.

KDH

Coady looks stiff, creaky and one paced if I’m being honest. Doesn’t look that comfortable on the ball compared to Faes and Vestergaard - or even Souttar.

If we are playing risk averse football then I’d love to see risky football. We play massively risky football and we often get caught out doing it. The problem is that this risky style of play can’t cope with many/any passengers or players not at the top of the game. Tonight I’d say the majority of our players were well below par and way too casual against a good press. Trying to sow passes through the eye of a needle and receiving said pass under severe pressure when you’re off the pace results in the shambles tonight. Casadei & Akgun didn’t grasp their opportunity and Vardy showed us that as a starter he hasn’t got the ideal attributes needed for a system that really tests the ability of a striker to take, hold the ball or lay it off in very tight situations.

Maybe too much rotation though. Both number 8’s was a big ask. Akgun and Casadei didn’t step up if we’re being honest. Got out thought and out fought by wily old pros Bannan and Paterson.

The rotated players simply didn’t step up. Casadei was poor, Akgun neat and tidy but far too easily knocked off the ball and out paced. Faes looked very unsure on the left, Coady looked slow and creaky on the right. Alongside that we had two wingers intent on wasting opportunities and a centre forward way off the pace tonight. Then Choudhury coming on seemed to invite them on even more and conceding felt inevitable. I’m very much on the marescalator but that was poor tonight.

An absolute shambles tonight. No getting away from that. Too many players rocking a 4/10 performance and at times. Choudhury coming on had the opposite effect of shutting up shop as well.

Wednesday uniquely combine the multi-ball system with absolutely no ball boys to get the balls back into play.

This is my first experience of watching Leicester on Sky via the red button. Got to say the coverage is an absolute shambles. Shoddy camerawork. No commentary for the first 8 minutes and pretty basic commentary after that. Half time blank red screen with pitch announcer and stadium speaker music and absolutely no highlights.

Faes looks uncomfortable on the left, Casadei passing everything backwards and not in the game, Vardy can’t keep any kind of possession and both of our wingers are being scruffy with the ball. Even Winksy looks a bit off it, he’s struggling with their press. I don’t think Enzo can be happy with that 45 and I expect him to make a change or 2 at half time or not long after.

We have a better squad than Burnley already even before any potential promotion.

Had their big striker in his back pocket. I thought he was outstanding. Pinging balls with both feet, aggressive front foot defending. Looked dangerous in the opponents box. Him and Faes were imperious today.

I thought he did alright when he came on. Pressed well. Won an excellent challenge high up the pitch to create a chance because of it.

Vestergaard every bit as good as those two as well. Very hard to be critical of any of them. They were against a team who were set up to defend and who have been good at doing that recently!

Some incredibly harsh ratings for a game we absolutely dominated, created lots of chances and played some lovely football.

He was excellent but for me it was Vesty

Unbelievable shade being put on Vesty on this post Boro podcast, particularly from Jacket Spud lad! Very harsh. He’s been an absolute lynchpin this season!

Think there’s an overreaction about Mavididi. He’s been a key part of our success this season. I thought he was ok against Leeds. Obviously today was an off day. It’s a fact to say we have less specialist rotation on the left wing, it’s not as easy to bring him in and out of the starting 11 (particularly with the versatile Akgun out.) He’s a dribbler, it’s a case of risk and reward - he simply can’t always win these battles. With our number 8’s faltering and our centre forwards stuttering, our wingers have come under more pressure to be our creative outlets and have been targeted by opponents aware of this. The sooner these other creative areas step up, the more space will be available for Mavididi and his fellow wingers again. Hopefully the return to fitness of Ndidi, Praet, Akgun and Cannon will help Mavididi.

Playing number 9 in this system isn’t easy, Vardy’s probably not got enough technique (outside of world class finishing) to be consistently the number 9 and Iheanacho hasn’t really shone under Enzo as we would’ve expected him to. Cannon surely is more aligned with the skillset that Enzo wants and maybe another alternative needs to be sourced in the January window. The other option is to move Mavididi into an alternative central choice with his ability to beat a man. This would at least create chaos and space for wingers and our number 8’s.