What was the catalyst for our great escape?

[Ric Flair]

Cambiasso, Cambiasso, Cambiasso.

[Manwell Pablo]

Huth signing was huge, less fuk ups and set piece goals has drastically lowered the amount of goals we concead.

 

Our decision to play two up front with Nugent/Mahrez just behind and attack teams has seen is consistently score goals in most games.

 

That and a little contribution from the added optomism and atmosphere in the ground, I think that's drastically contributed to our good home from.

 

If we don't sign Huth and Cambiasso doesn't sign another year, we've got a lot of work to do in the summer as if it weren't for them we'd of been buried.

[Sampson]

It's much closer to a 3-4-1-2 if we're being pedantic. This is the way I've always seen it.

 

[cjslcfc]

For me, it's a mixture of things.

 

1. Huth - the signing of the season for us and maybe, arguably, the best signing Pearson has ever made. He's brought a wealth of experience and something our other CBs could look up to. He's taken a lot of pressure off Wes (note that Wes' performances have been great since Huth came in and we went 3 at the back). His no nonsense style has helped us to cut out the errors and both Was and Wes have grown alongside him.

 

2. Playing the current formation (3-4-3/3-5-2/3-4-1-2) - A major factor is Pearson has eventually found the formation that suits our current players and our work ethic well. Turning Schlupp and Albrighton into wing backs has been a masterstroke. Playing 3 defenders has not only helped Morgan massively but it's taken a little more pressure off the attacking players who previously seemed to need to score 3 or 4 for us to even win because of our poor defensive record. The solidity based from this back 3 and the role of Huth in that back 3 has given freedom to our attackers and taken a lot of the burden off of them. Therefore, they've played a lot more freely and have been consistently more clinical in creating and taking chances. Added to this, the 3 at the back has given us more strength and height at set pieces with 3 big units in both boxes. Ultimately, we've looked far more solid defending set pieces and far more threatening attacking set pieces because of this presence from the back 3. This had been a major achilles heel throughout the season.

 

3. The Fans - from the start of the West Ham home game something happened at the KP. There was almost an air of "this is it, we may as well go down fighting" from the fans, which I truly believe transferred straight onto the pitch. This continued right through the rest of the season and played a massive part in helping to give the players that belief and fight that we could actually pull off something spectacular. Whether it was the clappers or just generally a change in people's attitudes, it had a massive effect on the team and the positivity around the KP.

 

4. Key players finally adapted to the demands of the PL - James, Vardy, Morgan and even Schmeichel when he returned all seemed to finally suss out what was needed in this division. Vardy was beating his man, getting crosses in and dragging defences around the pitch when previously defenders were dealing with him easily. Morgan began to cut out the errors. Schmeichel became more commanding. All of this added to everything else that had been happening at the time.

 

I don't buy any of this business about us suddenly deciding to attack. Like others have said, we'd done this many times before and got nothing from it.

[dmayne7]

A combination of taking chances/eradicating mistakes at both ends of the pitch and getting some luck. Don't underestimate how big an impact luck has. 

 

Ultimately though, we're closer to where we deserve to be.

[Guest bss9401]

Huth and Albright on, then Nuge, Vardy and Schlupp. Then confidence and NP have credit.

[LCCFox96]

Combination of the 3-5-2 accommodating two of our most consistent recent performers, in Huth and Albrighton, into the team and strengthening two positions we'd struggled in, at CB and RB/RWB.

[Tielemans63]

When Matt Taylor's penalty hit the post and Vardy scored a minute later. That felt to me like the moment our luck finally changed.

[Thracian]

For me the signing of Huth was most pivotal but there were other factors which were linked to the big man's inspiring and rocklike presence. Our system was able to be changed to the 3-5-2 which enabled us to pose a greater, faster threat and with more support. We also had a greater threat from set-pieces, the inclusion of Albrighton with his crosses made a difference and so too the return of Kingy with his fast and reliable passing, his ability to be of value in so many areas and, of course, his additional goals threat. All the above served to ease tension and ligten the load on other shoulders so that people like Vardy in particular but others too were able to play with more confidence. There did seem to be a commitment to winning - we had nothing to lose from the position we were in - and the increasing run of results bred belief.      

[QueniboroFox]

For me it has to be Top. If we're to believe what we read, he persuaded his old man to keep Nigel in the job which was pivotal to our success.

 

Otherwise, we started to get a bit of luck (fully deserved), and the introduction of Huth was a massive turning point in our season once he was up to Premiership speed.      

[Grewks]

Huth - The moment the German arrived, cambiasso has a man behind him who he could now rely upon.

 

The 3-5-2 - It allowed us to continue to use 2 strikers to press from the front, whilst still playing two wide men, as well as, at times, 3 central players.

 

Andy king - For me, the guy was the best player on the pitch at sunderland, and his performances since west ham have been exceptional. His goals have been important, but irrelevant with regards to the reasons as to why he has been so immense recently. He also seems to bring the best out of esteban.

[Livid]

Numerous things really but Huth and switching to 3-5-2 mainly. If we were going to go to three at the back we needed someone of Huth's quality.

 

Other than that we finally had a bit of luck, Kingy's late winner against West Ham, Berahino being selfish and deciding to shoot instead of playing in Gardner at 2-1, the Swansea player who could easily have gone down for the penalty only to stay on his feet for Schmeicel to save, Burnley's penalty miss only for us to go up the other end and score.

 

Just getting the confidence back and going for it. Even when we had 30% possesion against Southampton we always looked in control. Back from injury and  Schmeicel seems a far better keeper with Huth in front of him, I no longer get that nervous when crosses come in to the box.

 

I know people say Southampton and Swansea were on the beach but their performances last weekend showed plenty of fight.

 

Always believed we had the quality in the squad to stay up, it just took some time for it to come together.

[Guest]

For me, it's a mixture of things.

 

1. Huth - the signing of the season for us and maybe, arguably, the best signing Pearson has ever made. He's brought a wealth of experience and something our other CBs could look up to. He's taken a lot of pressure off Wes (note that Wes' performances have been great since Huth came in and we went 3 at the back). His no nonsense style has helped us to cut out the errors and both Was and Wes have grown alongside him.

 

2. Playing the current formation (3-4-3/3-5-2/3-4-1-2) - A major factor is Pearson has eventually found the formation that suits our current players and our work ethic well. Turning Schlupp and Albrighton into wing backs has been a masterstroke. Playing 3 defenders has not only helped Morgan massively but it's taken a little more pressure off the attacking players who previously seemed to need to score 3 or 4 for us to even win because of our poor defensive record. The solidity based from this back 3 and the role of Huth in that back 3 has given freedom to our attackers and taken a lot of the burden off of them. Therefore, they've played a lot more freely and have been consistently more clinical in creating and taking chances. Added to this, the 3 at the back has given us more strength and height at set pieces with 3 big units in both boxes. Ultimately, we've looked far more solid defending set pieces and far more threatening attacking set pieces because of this presence from the back 3. This had been a major achilles heel throughout the season.

 

3. The Fans - from the start of the West Ham home game something happened at the KP. There was almost an air of "this is it, we may as well go down fighting" from the fans, which I truly believe transferred straight onto the pitch. This continued right through the rest of the season and played a massive part in helping to give the players that belief and fight that we could actually pull off something spectacular. Whether it was the clappers or just generally a change in people's attitudes, it had a massive effect on the team and the positivity around the KP.

 

4. Key players finally adapted to the demands of the PL - James, Vardy, Morgan and even Schmeichel when he returned all seemed to finally suss out what was needed in this division. Vardy was beating his man, getting crosses in and dragging defences around the pitch when previously defenders were dealing with him easily. Morgan began to cut out the errors. Schmeichel became more commanding. All of this added to everything else that had been happening at the time.

 

I don't buy any of this business about us suddenly deciding to attack. Like others have said, we'd done this many times before and got nothing from it.

 

Great post. Agree with all of it.

 

Huth and Albright on, then Nuge, Vardy and Schlupp. Then confidence and NP have credit.

 

Bang on.

[Guest MattP]

The move to a back three with Huth, it pretty much sorted out all the problems we had.

 

Kasper needs to be able to not worry too much about area command, that seems sorted with a back three (and Huth). Conceding from balls tossed into the box has almost vanished over the last couple of months. The other major problem of not having a full back in the squad who could defend seems to have also been solved by the extra cover the three centre backs provided.

 

Sprinkle that with players like Albrighton, Ulloa and Vardy really finding form and we've been on a winner.

[NotTheMarketLeader]

For me it was the simple fact we started attacking again.

We got ourselves into a complete shit or bust situation and had to play every game at full pace, and to our strengths. That WBA away happened because it was shit or bust, we couldn't sit on the draw. We started Swansea and Newcastle at pace because it was shit or bust. By glorious accident we arrived at our best and most effective formatiion, long may it continue.

Exactly this. It should not have had to be stumbled upon as the way forward was there to be seen all last season I might add.

Of course Huth has been a massive help at the back, but simply having no choice but to attack has meant, as said above, that we started to play again in a fashion that suits our players. With that, confidence returned and the rest is history.

Let's hope he doesn't lose the recipe again over this summer!

[Mark 'expert' Lawrenson]

The signing of Huth, the inclusion of Albrighton, the return to last seasons form for Vardy and for us being in the position where draws were no longer of any use to us so we had to attack and go for it.

[cc_star]

My pessimism and negativity

 

I slated our chances before the West Ham game, because we'd only beaten them something like once in 40 years, or whatever

 

A we won, so I maintained the pessimism all the way through each and every game, except for the Chelsea game, where I fancied our chances to nick something. We didn't, we lost.

 

So I continued with the pessimism, even in 'easy' games like Newcastle & we won or got the  results we needed.

 

It's solely down to me!

 

----------

 

Aside from that, I don't agree with people slagging the 5-4-1 off as negative, NP gave his reasons of doing it as providing sufficient numbers at the back, so our attacking players were free to attack, unfortunately for our team that came at a time that Schlupp & Mahrez hit a poor streak of form, and it was then that that formation evolved into the current variation of 3-5-2.

 

Additionally, who's to say playing the 541 helped prevent thrashings that may have finally seen the players heads drop.

 

Regardless, Pearson did it.

 

Now for my continued help in our great escape, I think QPR with the pressure off & Ramsey appointed fulltime, will see their players playing well & they've created all season anyway, so I'm predicting a QPR 4-3 win

[shailen]

I think a lot of it can be attributed to getting that moment of luck/taking our chances. The first two games of the winning run were literally the stories of our season, but we managed to make that late breakthrough. That scrappy King goal and that solo Vardy goal. Those moments were going against us in our losing run, where we would fail to take our chances. After that we have played some unbelievable football, and for 60 minutes we even made Chelsea look average. So you could argue that getting that initial luck, combined with confidence and momentum are the reasons why we have completed the great escape.

 

I don't see this team as overachieving, because I feel that this team when playing at their best has potential to be a force in this league. And I'm not saying that now, I've been saying that when we were losing too. What is evident is that before January we were very naive and players like Cambiasso and Huth have added that invaluable experience. So we always had the quality, but we have also become a bit more streetwise as well.

[ian_marshall]

If were to pick one it'd be Huth but it's hard to put any one beyond the others. They all helped.

I think we'd seen that West Ham game a few times already this season, it's just that this time the ball went in for us and it stayed out for them. That win got us going.

This too, though. I struggle to pin it down exactly.

I'd even go as far to say the game at Tottenham restored a bit of belief, it did for me anyway.

I agree with this. Whilst the Baggies performance solidified that the tides had indeed turned, the Spurs game was the actual turning point for me. We were excellent that day and deserved to get more from the game as we played very well indeed. The fact that we put three goals past Spurs away from home when we'd been struggling to score beforehand indicated to me we had a renewed desire to have a go. Whilst disappointed, I walked away from that game certain that if we maintained that level of energy and performance we could achieve what at time seemed like the unachievable.

[bovril]

Signing of Schwarzer? Kasper's been a revelation since the Australian joined. I can't see it being down to Mike Stowell, honestly.

[Finnegan]

Huth, Vardy and 343 getting the best out of everyone, particularly Cambiasso.

[Fox Ulike]

I think our season changed at half time at the Hawthorns.

First half we were utterly rank.

Second half, we looked a different side and have looked a different side since.

The Vardy winner, in my mind, heralded the major turning point of our season

Not only for the three points....but for CONFIDENCE.

If you were there, the fans felt it, the players felt it and suddenly the chant changed from 'you are going down' (Baggies fans) to 'we are staying up'.

That goal was priceless and a major reason, I think, for us all going so mental at the end.

There was something in the air that afternoon...a feeling that we could actually do this.

I believe Vardy's goal will, given time, put him into Leicester City folklore AND I say that with all sincerity.

 

It's undoubtedly the switch in formation. Closely followed by Huth. I think without these two factors we would deffo have been relegated.

 

The WBA game illustrated this perfectly. In fact it summed up our whole season.

 

We started the WBA game with the same miserable 442 that had failed us all season, and with Vardy out of position on the wing. We were awful.

 

At half-time we were losing 2-1. It was only after we switched the formation that showed just how good the players are when played in a modern formation.

 

We then started the Swansea game with that formation and have been absolutely brilliant since.

 

Pearson deserves huge praise for the way he turned our season around. But part of me is still incredibly frustrated and exasperated that we threw so many points away due to Pearson plugging away with the archaic 442.

[Wasyls Pec Deck]

not enough options, and I'm not sure a survey or poll adequately does the complexity of this any justice.

 

You can tell I do this sort of thing for a living... 

[MC Prussian]

Personally, I think it's a mixture of all the ingredients mentioned.

 

It just clicked again after months of bad luck going against us.

The January signings completed an already decent side, we found our scoring touch again, Pearson switched to a more attacking formation, etc.

 

And let's not forget the impact the fans have had - the support on a constantly high basis, a repeatedly sold-out stadium and the positivity (in the stadium mostly, not on here - d'oh) must've rubbed off at one point.

[bovril]

Personally, I think it's a mixture of all the ingredients mentioned.

 

It just clicked again after months of bad luck going against us.

The January signings completed an already decent side, we found our scoring touch again, Pearson switched to a more attacking formation, etc.

 

You got there in the end