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Leicesterpool

Former Foxes player that we should have never sold?

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Posted

At what point did I suggest that a relationship exists between tracking back and playing with Flair. The two are completely independent of each other. Yes, Mahrez does track back well but this is when the opposition are on the offensive and we don't have the ball. When we are in possession Ranieri has given him the freedom to play as he wishes which allows him to express himself more.

Knockaert was the same. Defensively Pearson improved him and created an expectation of tracking back to support the team. However, offensively Pearson put the shackles on him in my opinion. The more time he spent with the club the more risk averse he became and moved away from his natural attacking game which he showed in abundance during his first season with the club.

This looked to me to be a tactical decision as Pearson appeared to want to keep possession of the ball irrespective of the position on the pitch. I'm not knocking Pearson as he did an incredible job during his tenure, but his style of play was very cautious and this impacted several players not just Knockaert.

To use your example of Mahrez, look at his transformation under Ranieri and the difference it makes when you allow players to use the ball as they desire and play there natural game. He's already yielded more goals and assists after just over a third of the season gone than the whole of last season, but as you mentioned has also improved the defensive side of his game.

 

It's pretty difficult to judge Mahrez under Ranieri and Pearson respectively as he plays with other key players and in a different system now. Our system with 5 at the back under Pearson is probably what comes closest to our current playing style, and Mahrez has performed similarly to then.

Interestingly, the couple of times Ranieri has deployed Mahrez centrally with license to roam, it hasn't actually worked.

 

With Knockaert, he was an unknown when he came here and had a great first season. Once he got sussed out he found himself running into cul-de-sacs more frequently, which led to turnovers in dangerous places. Pearson, rightly in my view, looked to react to that by asking him to become more sensible with the ball and also track back a lot more. This was more out of necessity due to Knockaerts limitations rather than "coaching the flair" out of him.

Posted

He's a player that doesn't get mentioned a lot but I could argue a case he's been the best player I've ever seen in a Leicester shirt.

 

He stuck out in that team like a sore thumb and I was amazed he never really progressed after he left us.

 

I remember us playing Tottenham and Jurgen Klinsmann said after the game, "I'd never heard of Mark Draper before but there he was running the game like a young Lothar Matthaeus". He went back to Bayern Munich a year later and urged them to sign him.

 

He really did stand out. Had he had the career his talent deserved, he might have been mentioned more often but Villa seem to have a way of making players disappear.

 

That Spurs game was superb. I still remember the picture of Joachim taking up almost a whole page after he'd scored! Just tried to find the picture but couldn't.

Posted

Makes me wonder what might have happened if we kept Stan Collymore.

When we beat Sunderland 5-2(I think) him n heskey were on fire... Could have been epic

Posted

Yes I realise. I'm not sure really where I have proven my ignorance of LCFC. Maybe he was having a go for the sake of it. That is fairly standard here.

 

He was referencing the infamous Mark Draper quote about playing for a big Italian club like Barcelona.

Posted

Makes me wonder what might have happened if we kept Stan Collymore.

When we beat Sunderland 5-2(I think) him n heskey were on fire... Could have been epic

We did. He bust his ankle at gay pride park.

Selling Heskey for 11 million was the end of that partnership.

Posted

We did. He bust his ankle at gay pride park.

Selling Heskey for 11 million was the end of that partnership.

 

This game was on TV, wasn't it?

 

I have a vague recollection of watching it at the Hope and Anchor in Syston.

Posted

HighPeak, go to 1:30 and you'll see what a major thinker we lost!

Hell of a player though...

 

I hope he isn't still kit man at Notts County. Deserves more.

 

I wonder if it was his 'intellect' that held him back?

Posted

For me Knockeart, Hobbs and not signing Miquel after his loan from Arsenal

 

Knockeart - For obvious reasons would have been a good player for us to keep and was shocked when he went on a free but that was to do with the fact that him and Pearson had a bust up

 

Hobbs -  I thought would have been the perfect partner for Moore to partner up with in the next couple of years they could have learned a lot of different skills from the likes of Huth Morgan and Wasaleski

 

Miquel - Near enough the same reasons as hobbs

Posted

Nobby Solano was only here for a short period of course, but certainly offered a lot when he was here. If Pearson had stayed first time round then I think we would have extended the deal for him here, of course Pearson left and took him to Hull with him.

Posted

Nobby Solano was only here for a short period of course, but certainly offered a lot when he was here. If Pearson had stayed first time round then I think we would have extended the deal for him here, of course Pearson left and took him to Hull with him.

His running cracked me up. He literally ran like he was old.

Posted

I honestly never look back like that. Once people have gone, they've gone. Yes, there are people I thought enhanced our team and were likely to improve some more but so what? Once the page is turned you're into the next part of the story and so it is in all aspects of life.

Posted

For me Knockeart, Hobbs and not signing Miquel after his loan from Arsenal

Knockeart - For obvious reasons would have been a good player for us to keep and was shocked when he went on a free but that was to do with the fact that him and Pearson had a bust up

Hobbs - I thought would have been the perfect partner for Moore to partner up with in the next couple of years they could have learned a lot of different skills from the likes of Huth Morgan and Wasaleski

Miquel - Near enough the same reasons as hobbs

Is see Hobbs all the time. His career is now just injury ridden, poor fella, lovely chap

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