Goals on Sunday.. Guest, Nigel Pearson!

[Captain...]

I'm not quite sure how Mahrez playing on the right of a 4-4-2 constitutes "unleashing him from his team duties" more than him having a free role in the 3-5-2 we were playing under Pearson but I suppose if it fits the narrative... 

 

Noooo, Ranieri has gone on record as saying his instruction to Mahrez has been to go out and play, attack them and cause problems and not worry too much about the defensive side.

 

That is how he has been "unleashed from team duties", but I suppose if it fits your own narrative

[MC Prussian]

It was nice to see him back in the spotlight after a summer's absence, but you won't get a lot out of him until the contractual agreement with Leicester City FC following his dismissal has come to a closure (if it ever will).

 

I suppose either we'll hear bit and bobs about what actually happened from an undisclosed source or in an autobiography later on.

[Guest Mee-9]

Seeing Nigel now is like seeing your ex on a night out, that you haven't got over.

 

Wait till you see him in a night club getting off with Sunderland in a few weeks. 

 

You'll cry yourself to sleep. 

[Viva]

.

I'm not quite sure how Mahrez playing on the right of a 4-4-2 constitutes "unleashing him from his team duties" more than him having a free role in the 3-5-2 we were playing under Pearson but I suppose if it fits the narrative... 

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/leicester-smarter-team-under-claudio-6305769

[Countryfox]

Wait till you see him in a night club getting off with Sunderland in a few weeks. 

 

You'll cry yourself to sleep. 

 

 

Then when they get married and have 11 lovely kids and your own wife turns into a fat ugly boiler, someone will have to remove your shoe laces ...

[Stadt]

I'm not quite sure how Mahrez playing on the right of a 4-4-2 constitutes "unleashing him from his team duties" more than him having a free role in the 3-5-2 we were playing under Pearson but I suppose if it fits the narrative...

The narrative being?

When we were playing 442 Riyad had to track back, Pearson wouldn't tolerate it, seems like Ranieri is less bothered.

[Freeman's Wharfer]

Noooo, Ranieri has gone on record as saying his instruction to Mahrez has been to go out and play, attack them and cause problems and not worry too much about the defensive side.

 

That is how he has been "unleashed from team duties", but I suppose if it fits your own narrative

 

 

.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/leicester-smarter-team-under-claudio-6305769

 

 

The narrative being?

When we were playing 442 Riyad had to track back, Pearson wouldn't tolerate it, seems like Ranieri is less bothered.

 

Ranieri has also said that he is helping Mahrez tactically in knowing what he has to do defensively.

 

When we were playing 4-4-2 then you're right Pearson had an expectation on Riyad to defend as well as attack (still important IMO). However for the last few games Mahrez was given a free role in behind a front two in the 3-5-2 (Newcastle at home, Southampton at home, Sunderland away, QPR at home all spring to mind) so I don't see how Ranieri can suddenly be given credit for 'releasing' Mahrez or 'taking the shackles off'. How about that Southampton home match where he helped himself to two goals from a free role?

 

It's just nonsense and people trying to detract from Pearson and credit Ranieri unneccesarily (which is the narrative at the moment). Had Pearson stayed I wouldn't have been at all surprised to see Mahrez continue in that free role and do every bit as well as he has this season. He's come a long way in two years and he is only going to get better - that's not neccesarily something that should be credited to one manager or the other however.

[Stadt]

Ranieri has also said that he is helping Mahrez tactically in knowing what he has to do defensively.

When we were playing 4-4-2 then you're right Pearson had an expectation on Riyad to defend as well as attack (still important IMO). However for the last few games Mahrez was given a free role in behind a front two in the 3-5-2 (Newcastle at home, Southampton at home, Sunderland away, QPR at home all spring to mind) so I don't see how Ranieri can suddenly be given credit for 'releasing' Mahrez or 'taking the shackles off'. How about that Southampton home match where he helped himself to two goals from a free role?

It's just nonsense and people trying to detract from Pearson and credit Ranieri unneccesarily (which is the narrative at the moment). Had Pearson stayed I wouldn't have been at all surprised to see Mahrez continue in that free role and do every bit as well as he has this season. He's come a long way in two years and he is only going to get better - that's not neccesarily something that should be credited to one manager or the other however.

I was talking specifically about a 442, in another thread I said if we could have the same start with Nige or Ranieri I'd choose Nigel so it's not that I'm caught up in some anti-Pearson narrative

[Steve_Guppy_Left_Foot]

He's still played the majority of games at right wing for us this season, all of them in fact, switched to the middle in the second half in 2. He's not tracking back and helping De Laet when he's playing right wing and he needs to, Pearson dropped him last season for a good few games and I think that was good management, he tracked back a lot more when he was reinstated. I think Ranieri being all 'yeah Riyad, whatevs just get us a few goals' could be detrimental to the team long term when he's being deployed on the wing. Of course you want him further up the pitch where he can express himself and hurt teams but Albrighton gets up and down the wing, as does Kante, with RDL being the clear weak link in defense (imo) having Riyad not tracking back is certainly hurting the team. I'd play him behind the striker(s) with Albrighton on the right as the team is more balanced.