Since Simpson and Fuchs became 1st choice full backs:

[TJB-fox]

ERR.The negatives came from within this forum, not, I repeat not from within the club.So I doubt that some of the dosos

on here would tell them,personally they aren't good enough.

AND TBF, there were others, and many who have rated their performances.

Did I say the negativity came from inside the club? Look at Simpson, let go by first United and Newcastle, 2 clubs lower than us in the league. Fuchs, released by Schalke, Huth not rated enough by Stoke to keep him.

[Bluetintedspecs]

Yet again, I thought Simpson was exemplary yesterday. Especially in the first half.

And Fuchs is just class..solid, dependable, good with the ball, good off the ball. I think some were suggesting Chilwell was very near the first team after his performance against Spurs.

He's not in the same league as Fuchs...He might be at some point, but not now.

Simpson, for me, is the most improved player this season. He looks completely different to last season.

My lad and I were saying the same about Simpson Col, one terrific header prevented a certain goal in the 1st half!

[Dan]

It's amazing how good Simpson and Morgan have both been this season, both firmly emphasising that defending comes above all for a defender, the pair of them have made so few defensive errors this season it's untrue.

[Guest BlueBrett]

Phil Jones however can play multiple positions which is helpful to England

Yeh its great to have the option of someone who can be relied upon to play like a drunken donkey in a variety of different roles

[fuchsntf]

Did I say the negativity came from inside the club? Look at Simpson, let go by first United and Newcastle, 2 clubs lower than us in the league. Fuchs, released by Schalke, Huth not rated enough by Stoke to keep him.

Choice of words, without comment, made it look that it was a forgone conclusion of fact.

[Tuna]

Yes, but have we played any big teams?

 

Not until we face Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League.

[Thracian]

It's amazing how good Simpson and Morgan have both been this season, both firmly emphasising that defending comes above all for a defender, the pair of them have made so few defensive errors this season it's untrue.

Outcomes are everything in football and the improvement in our "goals conceded" since the pairing of Simpson and Fuchs at full-back has been dramatic. Both are so positionally astute and "no nonsense" reliable.

However, Simpson's lack of an attacking element needs to be rectified through having more shots/creativity from elsewhere and there are signs this is gradually being worked on after something of a lean spell goals wise.

There's reduced chance of Vardy and Mahrez maintaining their exceptional scoring/assisting stats with the attention they're getting now from markers, so others have to help out by taking advantage of the spaces around them.

Assuming that happens the current status quo is far better than being constantly exposed down our right and having to score at least twice to have a chance of winning.

It's not only the number of clean sheets we're keeping that impresses but how few chances the opposition are creating...and so much of that is down to the central midfielders covering so effectively and complimenting the rocklike presence of Huth and Morgan.

As you say, Morgan has been immense but then his job has been made so much more contained by the competence of others. We might not always have the silky-smooth passing of some teams, nor quite sufficient goals threat from other than Vardy and Mahrez, but we do function well as a unit now and have every chance of improving still further.

[Guest Col city fan]

It's amazing how good Simpson and Morgan have both been this season, both firmly emphasising that defending comes above all for a defender, the pair of them have made so few defensive errors this season it's untrue.

No coincidence..

Offensive attacks are STOPPING before they reach the back four on a more frequent basis. See Lennon, Walsh, Elliott and now Kante for details.

Wasn't it this time last season we had threads bashing Morgan et al for 'defensive errors'?

Tells it's own story. Thrac has it spot on

This time last season there were oncoming midfielders running through our midfield like a knife through butter.

Ho hum..

[AyewJoking]

if it werent for Simpsons "off field incident" he would be a fan favourite surely.

 

Ok so he isnt good going forward but he has been a key player in a defence that sits top of the league.

 

If it aint broke.......................

 

we have Amartey now and cant really see him dislodging the Huth/ Morgan or Drinkwater/Kante partnerships so maybe he'll be interchangeable with Simpson for when we want defensive solidarity or more threat going forward?

[Julian Joachim Jr Shabadoo]

Ranieri said in an interview he plans to use Amartey as a defensive midfielder. It's good to have options but our defense has been outstanding of late

[AyewJoking]

Ranieri said in an interview he plans to use Amartey as a defensive midfielder. It's good to have options but our defense has been outstanding of late

 

my idea is better but he's the manager so................

[Bert]

Yeah but Simpson is a shit defender because of what he did to his missus so should be kicked out of our club

[Guest]

Simpson had his best game of the season against Stoke.

 

Fuchs is consistently very good.

[KingKante]

Simpson is abit safer at the back than de leat and Fuchs is abit safer than schlupp but as 'wing backs' in a 3-5-2 last year it was most entertaining to see schlupp and de leat going forward, but I'm quiet happy we've gone for a slightly more safe keeping approach this season and still coming out top trumps!

[Captain...]

No coincidence..

Offensive attacks are STOPPING before they reach the back four on a more frequent basis. See Lennon, Walsh, Elliott and now Kante for details.

Wasn't it this time last season we had threads bashing Morgan et al for 'defensive errors'?

Tells it's own story. Thrac has it spot on

This time last season there were oncoming midfielders running through our midfield like a knife through butter.

Ho hum..

 

It is down to the team as a whole offensively and defensively, we are such a threat going forwards that full backs are scared to join the attacks, centre backs don't want to leave space behind them so that increases the space between the defenders and midfielders, the midfielders don't want to over commit because they know how lethal we are on the break, and will look to close the gap between defence and midfield thus creating a bigger gap between midfield and attack. Isolated attackers make it easier for the back four to clean up.

 

Add to that our high pressing, it means that defenders and midfielders are being harried into getting the ball forwards quickly, or going backwards. The difference at the start of the season was that our full backs were getting forwards too much leaving the wide men as the best option for a quick out from defence, giving them time and space to run at our defence and get shots away. Changing the full backs to more positional/defence minded has made a huge difference in just smothering the flanks. I do still think that we leave the wide man as a quick out option too much, but we have players back there so that they can't get a run on us and can be held up while the midfield get back to help out. 

 

Simpson and Fuchs have been very good but it is a system that allows them to look good.

[Manwell Pablo]

Huth has been a fantastic signing, and Morgan has improved no end since playing with him.

 

Let us not forget, this run in form started way way way before we signed Ngolo Kante, Fuchs, or started playing Simpson or Drinkwater regularly. It started once Huth was settled into the side and Albrighton started playing week in week out. We had defensive frailty's and once they were addressed we started beating every side put in front of us near enough, and signings and changes made this season have just strengthened the side even more. We undoubtedly had a major problems at centre back until Huth was bought in.

[foxes21]

Simpson really impressed me at the weekend. Diouf is hench and Simpson handled him quite comfortably.

[Guest Col city fan]

It is down to the team as a whole offensively and defensively, we are such a threat going forwards that full backs are scared to join the attacks, centre backs don't want to leave space behind them so that increases the space between the defenders and midfielders, the midfielders don't want to over commit because they know how lethal we are on the break, and will look to close the gap between defence and midfield thus creating a bigger gap between midfield and attack. Isolated attackers make it easier for the back four to clean up.

Add to that our high pressing, it means that defenders and midfielders are being harried into getting the ball forwards quickly, or going backwards. The difference at the start of the season was that our full backs were getting forwards too much leaving the wide men as the best option for a quick out from defence, giving them time and space to run at our defence and get shots away. Changing the full backs to more positional/defence minded has made a huge difference in just smothering the flanks. I do still think that we leave the wide man as a quick out option too much, but we have players back there so that they can't get a run on us and can be held up while the midfield get back to help out.

Simpson and Fuchs have been very good but it is a system that allows them to look good.

You are right. Very rarely is one area of a team unaffected by another. Ie defenders don't defend in isolation, attackers don't attack regardless of how the rest of the team is playing.

Etc. .

And of course, individuals make individual errors. A striker might miss a sitter, a defender might do an iffy back pass.

But generally individual errors are borne out of how a team is playing per se. A striker in a free flowing team, having lots of chances will become more confident knowing that if misses the first one, five minutes later he'll get another go.

A defender, knowing that if he makes an error, it's not so important because we'll probably win anyway, suddenly becomes more composed.

And so on and so forth.

Again, it's of no coincidence to me that our back four (pre Huth) last season looked so shaky.

The had little support from the midfield and we couldn't score. Immediately then, they were under pressure.

It was the presence of Huth, the change of formation and the form of Vardy that completely turned last season around.

None of this 'Morgan is a donkey' (he isnt). Until we fundamentally changed what we were doing, we looked like going down.

This season, Kante protects the back four, Vardy has retained his form and Drinkwater controls the midfield. Everyone else has benefitted.

Bingo.

[ScouseFox]

no jeff schlupp no party 

[BoyJones]

Yeah but Simpson is a shit defender because of what he did to his missus so should be kicked out of our club

But what if his conviction is overturned on appeal and he is found to be innocent and the police found to have lied?

[EGBFitness]

We look so solid now defensively. These 2 have made a massive contribution and the back 4 seem so settled now. Everyone knows their roles and everyone knows where each other is.

I think the defence has gave the rest of the team a lot more confidence to push forward

[Russell sprout]

But what if his conviction is overturned on appeal and he is found to be innocent and the police found to have lied?

He's being sarcastic :-)

[Loggy88]

Simpson and Fuchs have been superb, I have to day I thought Simpson might have been the weak link in the team but he's proven me so wrong! And I'm glad, the back four is rock solid.

Say

[FireFox]

I still would rather have De Laet play than Simpson.

[TMELcfc]

I still would rather have De Laet play than Simpson.

What? Is this a wind up?

Simpson defensively is 10 times better than De Laet. In fact Simpson has been superb and it's only because so many people are so stubborn to admit they are wrong is why he isn't getting any praise. De Laet is terrible at defending but offers more going forward.