Bournemouth Pre match

[st albans fox]

Same here

I think Claudio is desperate for a clean sheet. He's Italian after all! wouldn't surprise me if that begins to take over his thought process. If so, it's a big mistake. We all remember what happened last season after the United game when Pearson decided conceding three goals was a big problem compared to scoring five and changed our attitude.

[chicagofox]

I think Claudio is desperate for a clean sheet. He's Italian after all! wouldn't surprise me if that begins to take over his thought process. If so, it's a big mistake. We all remember what happened last season after the United game when Pearson decided conceding three goals was a big problem compared to scoring five and changed our attitude.

Of course he wants a clean sheet but the rest is just conjecture based on a national stereotype.  There is no evidence to suggest that he plans to change our style of play.

 

I see this being an easy win for us by 2 or 3 goals.

[Thracian]

Chelsea apart, I've wondered why such a prominent manager as Ranieri's been sacked on so many occasions - and whether it's to do with the same kind of tactics that so irritated me against Spurs and when Pearson was manager on far too many occasions.

 

It's the strategic theory that, away from home in particular, we sit back soak up pressure and hope e can pinch a goal instead of showing the confidence to attack and then some more.

 

Managerially Pearson changed in the end to a calculated high-speed counter-attacking which saved his credibility because it enhanced the qualities of our team perfectly and started turning draws and narrow defeats into wins. 

 

Huth was the defensive lock that made it possible but for some reason we seem to be slowly abandoning that system and returning to the sort of football which invites crucial mistakes and, when it fails, leads almost inevitably to the sack because it's so boringly compromising.

 

Our strength is in our speed on the break and our ability to hunt defenders down fast and force mistakes. But you can't play like that in isolation - it has to involve substantial support going forward and great determination in getting back.

 

As others have said, it might have been the heat that dictated our approach against Spurs. But I don't see that the same excuse stands firm against West Ham.

 

And for all that there's arguably some merit in any away win, I don't see why, if we have success in breaching  a fully mustered defence, we should somehow find it harder to score when the opposition is chasing the game.

 

For me it's about confidence and philosophy.

 

And, whenever I see our team play, I've got far more confidence in our ability to score (given maximum effort) than I ever have in them sitting back and defending - for all my admiration of the incredible Huth.

 

Yes, we got a draw with this mind-dumbing tactic on Saturday but a) it only served to let us demonstrate how easy it was to score against Spurs with proper commitment and b) It showed how naive Spurs were in not neutralising our main threat immediately after their goal in anticipation of a spirited counter attack.

 

That said we still should have won through Morgan but we didn't. And we never created the chances to enjoy the option of wasting them. You never would with that system.    

[benpicko]

Also not sure why he changed back to the 4 at the back when we conceded something like 5 in 9 matches with the 3 at the back last season

[shailen]

I like Bournemouth but they're too open for their own good. Very good going forward and may shoot themselves in the foot with their over commitment to do so.  Very similar to the Blackpool team that came up imo. Caused a few shocks, but were not good enough in the long run.

[Wymsey]

4-5-1 would be best for this one imo.

Frustrate their attacks and batter their edgy defence.

[Kitchandro]

Also not sure why he changed back to the 4 at the back when we conceded something like 5 in 9 matches with the 3 at the back last season

 

The inevitable plan must be to switch back to 3 at the back. The full backs are our main weakness.

[benpicko]

The inevitable plan must be to switch back to 3 at the back. The full backs are our main weakness.

 

Yeah, hopefully. It's weird because he acknowledged how much better we played with the 3 at the back, went onto play most of the pre-season with it, and then reverted immediately back to 4-4-2 for the Premiership. Maybe he trusts neither Was or Benalouane at this point, though De Laet played well there last year

[yorkie1999]

4-5-1 would be best for this one imo.

Frustrate their attacks and batter their edgy defence.

Playing one up front isn't going to batter any defence, edgy or not.

[Aus Fox]

Also not sure why he changed back to the 4 at the back when we conceded something like 5 in 9 matches with the 3 at the back last season

The form and brilliance of Mahrez, he cannot play wing back as defensively he would be exploited every week.

He wouldn't be as effective in the hole behind a front two as he is running 1-1 against a full back.

To make the best use of our best player e needs to play on the wing.

[Guybino]

third time i've said it

 

0-2 to us, catch them on the break for both goals.

[dylanlegend]

We're Premier League, we will put away our chances, they will panic snatch at theirs. Experience will count!

They are PL also and scored 4 last week away from home. What makes you think they'll snatch at chances?

[dylanlegend]

Just hope we don't play it too negative.

Hopefully that was just because it was against Spurs who CR sees as a "big team" I'd much rather win 5-3 than 2-0 and watch some entertainment! I hope we can sustain the good start rather than just riding on confidence.

It does annoy me when CR mentions "tactics" so much in interviews making out he's some kind of tactical genius! Just go all out attack every game!!

[Grewks]

Not too sure about the criticism of the way we setup against spurs.

 

 

They beat us home and away last season and on saturday they played better than either of those games and came away with only a point.

[Jattdogg]

3 nil for us.

[KFS]

Best scenario is for them to underestimate us.

Every fan I speak to down here lauds their 'attacking style where the full backs play as wingers'. RDL and Schlupp have a good game, we shouldn't be troubled too much.

Game day. Come on City!

[srbfox]

First clean sheet of the season and a vardy brace as mentioned before. We're just goin to have too much for them. Hoping for an inler and Kante start, thing that will settle is down a lot

Oh and dodoo the bag the winner

[st albans fox]

The form and brilliance of Mahrez, he cannot play wing back as defensively he would be exploited every week.

He wouldn't be as effective in the hole behind a front two as he is running 1-1 against a full back.

To make the best use of our best player e needs to play on the wing.

Think this is the reason. He thinks Riyad is vulnerable when he comes infield to being outmuscled. My view is that unless the opposition are going to man mark him, he is too quick in general to be pushed off he ball. clearly, leaving him out wide negates the concern.

Also, add the fact that we no longer need to cover for esteban's legs with the midfield two able to get back and challenge when the opposition midfield break our lines. Whilst EC was great in many ways, his issue was getting back when teams broke our lines at pace.

would be pretty incredible if we went the whole campaign 4-4-2 and survived comfortably. (Unless we buy a new right back).

[TJB-fox]

Hope we smash these. Hate it when a team who comes across as small and plucky, like Burnley was last year. Send them back down lads

[Clever Fox]

The important thing is that we remain professional and do the business. Don't underestimate them as they are decent on the ball. We SHOULD have a bit too much fro them especially if Inler an Kante plays. 

[Heskey2011]

Real chance for some of our new boys to show what they're made of today. A big performance from one of them should be enough for 3 points

[LCCFox96]

Another high intensity performance from Vardy, Okazaki, Albrighton and Mahrez will see us a long way towards 3 points. The more often they do that, the better chance we have of achieving our targets this season as, when they do, they look unplayable at times.

 

Think our CBs can expect a similar type of performance from the likes of Gradel, Wilson and Ritchie though. Keeping the flanks tight and cutting off Ritchie and Gradel's route to Wilson will be important. Wingers need to do their defensive bit and the full backs need to play well today. Can't see too many problems in CM though if Drinkwater and King play as per Sunderland and West Ham. Would like to see Kante - only new boy that earned at start at Bury imo -, but who do you drop? Should be good, end to end game this one. Proper football league ding dong and quite high scoring.

[Danizen]

I don't want to take anything away from Bournemouth, they look a decent side but where has all this talk of them being comfortable winners come from. Most pundits are predicting it and the bookies have got them as big favourites. Maybe they will get a result but it seems like we've been written off all of a sudden.

Agree. I was looking at teams for my acca and saw us at 12/5. Hugely overpriced.

[KP Fox]

A team to give us some goals and a clean sheet

 

                Scheimchel

 

            Huth  Wes  Fuchs

 

Albrighton  Inler  Kante  Schlupp

 

               Mahrez (licence to roam)

 

                 Vardy  Leo

 

 

Come on Leicester!

[Psihobambi]

                         Kasper

 

De Laet      Huth      Morgan     Schlupp

 

                  Kante     Drinkwater

 

Mahrez                                      Albrighton

                        Kramaric

 

                          Vardy