Spurs (H) FA cup 3rd round replay 0-2 post match

[Vardinio'sCat]

Whole lot of slagging off of players so far... i love CR, but tonight, and recently, he has been outplayed and out managed.

 

Is it that some of our players are out of form, or have we changed style and it is reducing their opportunities and out results?

 

We've just played Spurs 3 times. Won the most important one, drew one, lost one. Over the 3, CR has done ok. Out played, I agree, but out-managed is harsh. I think Spurs fans will probably say the same about Poch, with good reason.

 

The fact that we are short by at least 1 decent forward is pretty obvious, and it is has been affecting us for a while now. I'm wondering if CR saw our goal threat diminishing weeks ago, and looked at the fixture list, and decided that it was wise to shore up the defence as a short term fix.

 

Despite our frustration CR is not stupid. There will be some things he is not going to discuss in public (for example, until recently, the Vardy situation), and we are just going to have to wait to hear quite what he was dealing with, and what he was trying to do about it.

[ozleicester]

We've just played Spurs 3 times. Won the most important one, drew one, lost one. Over the 3, CR has done ok. Out played, I agree, but out-managed is harsh. I think Spurs fans will probably say the same about Poch, with good reason.

 

The fact that we are short by at least 1 decent forward is pretty obvious, and it is has been affecting us for a while now. I'm wondering if CR saw our goal threat diminishing weeks ago, and looked at the fixture list, and decided that it was wise to shore up the defence as a short term fix.

 

Despite our frustration CR is not stupid. There will be some things he is not going to discuss in public (for example, until recently, the Vardy situation), and we are just going to have to wait to hear quite what he was dealing with, and what he was trying to do about it.

 

fair enough... i blame whoever is behind the "focus on the league position" mentality.

 

The FA cup is the greatest single cup competition in the world and we have treated it, and a real chance to do well in it, with disdain.

 

I dont know if its from above and Claudio just knows where his priority has to be.. or whether he thinks that way, but this obsession with finishing 4th is a sign of the focus on money instead of results. An FA cup will be one of Leicester City's greatest achievements that will be a memory forever and is something as a club we should prioritise.

 

If CR had made better team selections and substitutions we could be well along the path to that success, we could've rebuilt the confidence of some players who appear a little out of sorts and we could have maintained a feeling of positivity around the club, rather than the slightly negative cloud that has slipped across recently.

 

The "tiredness" excuse doesnt wsh with me, if youve got 4 games in 12 days or a busy schedule coming up... reduce the intensity in training, work more on tactics and set plays than fitness...cut back a couple of training sessions,

 

FFS if our players cant play 50 games in a season, we are gonna be well shagged if by some chance we do actually make Europe! 

[Carl the Llama]

fair enough... i blame whoever is behind the "focus on the league position" mentality.

 

The FA cup is the greatest single cup competition in the world and we have treated it, and a real chance to do well in it, with disdain.

 

I dont know if its from above and Claudio just knows where his priority has to be.. or whether he thinks that way, but this obsession with finishing 4th is a sign of the focus on money instead of results. An FA cup will be one of Leicester City's greatest achievements that will be a memory forever and is something as a club we should prioritise.

 

If CR had made better team selections and substitutions we could be well along the path to that success, we could've rebuilt the confidence of some players who appear a little out of sorts and we could have maintained a feeling of positivity around the club, rather than the slightly negative cloud that has slipped across recently.

 

The "tiredness" excuse doesnt wsh with me, if youve got 4 games in 12 days or a busy schedule coming up... reduce the intensity in training, work more on tactics and set plays than fitness...cut back a couple of training sessions,

 

FFS if our players cant play 50 games in a season, we are gonna be well shagged if by some chance we do actually make Europe! 

I suppose the argument is that maintaining our league berth is more of a priority because more players are likely to want to join us because we finished in the top 4 than because we won the FA cup and came 7th.

[The Doctor]

I don't agree. I don't think we ever made a great effort in the cups under Pearson (although it was certainly better than under Ranieri). I just think we've firmly stuck ourselves into the category of clubs who should be going for things but won't for some bizarre reason.

 

It can be forgiven this season given how well we're doing in the league but truth be told after Villa and after this I'm starting to believe we will fall down the table, and yet again I'm convinced it's our own doing.

Quarter final run in 2011/12, quarter final league cup run in 2013/14, fifth round last season, on his first spell here we never fell at the first hurdle and the sides were ones who'd been playing in the league. We quite commonly only did a couple of rounds, but we never really (those two games and I suppose actually udders in 2012/13) gave up before the game had even kicked off.

[Callabinho]

I might as well be honest, I thought tonight was an absolute disgrace.

It wasn't that we played a weaker team. It was that we played a team that simply couldn't win. Ulloa up front on his own was utterly pitiful. I wouldn't even pick Ulloa up front on his own for a Sunday league side. Absolutely no chance of scoring a goal whatsoever. At home ass well. Ugh.

At half time we brought Okazaki on but even then, we took Drinkwater off and left King and Inler on, who are not only vastly inferior to Drinkwater, but also put in no effort at all tonight. In fact, other than the defence, only Gray and maybe Drinky put in a shift out of the players that started. So that's 4 outfield players not putting in the effort. No commitment in tackles, few yards covered I expect, not jumping for headers. And sickeningly these were all fringe players who should be fighting for a first team spot. I'd say 3 of those 4 could leave the club tomorrow and I wouldn't be disappointed one bit.

I'm tired of the 'it's only the FA Cup' rubbish so I'm just going to give up on it. Tonight's match was treated as a friendly despite a very large crowd. So I won't be going to another FA Cup game. Ever. And before people say 'I'm sure you'll be first in line for the final' - well I hate to break it to you, but we will never, ever reach a final if we continue to approach the competition like we did tonight. Like we did last year at Villa. Like we did against Huddersfield a few seasons ago. It's the most realistic chance of us winning a massive trophy and we just don't care. So I won't next season either.

I mean, we were battered tonight. Barely got out of our own half in the first half. There was just no interest in winning the game at all until we were already getting played off the park and beaten easily. And then still: We're 2-0 down. Going out with a whimper. Bring the big boys on immediately you'd think. Save some pride. Give ourselves a chance. Nah, let's piss around for 10 minutes, then bring Vardy on, almost as a half-hearted gesture. Leave Mahrez on the bench. Well bothered.

And Tottenham will now go to Colchester with a great chance of getting to the 5th round. And who knows where they'll end up after that. We were beaten by a far worse Villa side last season and they reached the final.

The shining lights were clearly Gray & Chilwell. No exaggeration to say they looked a class above the rest of our players tonight, but since they've made a total of about 6 first team appearances maybe some of those others should take a look in the mirror. But nah it's the cup so they'll get away with it.

With the season we've had there's no reason we couldn't have given the cup a real go, but obviously we really, really didn't want to go through.

I assume this means we'll be in the Champions League next season? #concentrateontheleague

Well said Kitch, couldn't have put it better myself. Sheer disappointment walking away from the ground, a cup run would have done us the world of good in my opinion.

[JPM1983]

Any idea what the turnstile issue was? Missed first 8 mins, only got in because they just ended up scrapping the ticket scanner and letting everyone in.

[The Doctor]

Any idea what the turnstile issue was? Missed first 8 mins, only got in because they just ended up scrapping the ticket scanner and letting everyone in.

Sk1 turnstiles seemed to be because the paper tickets (the email and print at home ones) weren't working with the scanners - poorly organised to wait until 5/6 minutes after kickoff when it'd been queueing for over half an hour to direct people to a single staffed turnstile to deal with the e-tickets

[desertfox2]

It's a sad day when a side like us (and I mean only in 2 competitions now 1 by that) don't take the FA cup seriously and treat it as a chance to give players a run out like a friendly. It's the FA cup for God's sake, not copa Italia nor Spanish cup it's The FA CUP and we should be trying our hardest to win it.

I don't buy in to the whole prem at all costs as if we were near the bottom it would be the same rest players to keep them for the league. So that basically says the only way we are going to fight for the cup is if we are neither top or bottom. It really bugs me that the FA Cup is being so bastardized nowadays. Should let the Scottish teams in that to save it as it's a joke right now if so many teams are treating it like the league cup.

On a positive hopefully Ranieri will see we seriously need another striker to give us a chance in the league.

[Wizerud]

Yeah the FA Cup was great when it meant you could enter the Cup Winners Cup pre-CL. That was a big part of what gave the Cup its prestige. But now there's no added incentive to the very unlikely chance that you could get to the final and win it. It's just the way it is, sadly.

 

But in our situation this year, even if the Cup actually did mean something, I totally get why we played the side we did and treated this game with a lower priority. We may never be in this position again. We have to go all-in with the league this year. The fruits of this year might be the foundation of us taking the club to the next level and that starts with Champions League football.

 

About this game though, I can't fault the players when the tactics were wrong from the first minute. The team selection wasn't a surprise at all and virtually the same squad performed admirably at Tottenham 10 days ago. Sure Dyer was terrible, King was his usual invisible self, Ulloa I was glad to see play because it almost certainly means he won't be playing on Saturday. And Chilwell looked great, despite his mistake for the goal. I just wish we'd have thrown caution to the wind and at least tried to be entertaining for the people who actually showed up to watch it. On to Stoke.

[Jazzy_Jeff]

Lets focus on the positives;

 

1 - Chilwell and Gray both looked very good. Neither of them are the finished article but massive potential in both.

2 - All of our normal 10 outfield players had a rest, not all of them 90 mins, but a rest nonetheless

3 - It leaves us the league to concentrate on. All of our title/top 4 challengers have Europe and at least one cup competition to worry about

4 - Last night highlighted the need for additions this month. Once Amartey is over the line I can see us getting two more in. Some of our fringe players can't quite cut it. Last night being an eye-opener is a positive before you ask!

5 - We're joint top of the league. Have lost 2 league games all season.

 

Bring on stoke, lets get stuck in, take it to them and bring home the 3 points. That'll shut the doubters up, including the ones on here.

[Bayfox]

Yeah the FA Cup was great when it meant you could enter the Cup Winners Cup pre-CL. That was a big part of what gave the Cup its prestige. But now there's no added incentive to the very unlikely chance that you could get to the final and win it. It's just the way it is, sadly.

 

But in our situation this year, even if the Cup actually did mean something, I totally get why we played the side we did and treated this game with a lower priority. We may never be in this position again. We have to go all-in with the league this year. The fruits of this year might be the foundation of us taking the club to the next level and that starts with Champions League football.

 

About this game though, I can't fault the players when the tactics were wrong from the first minute. The team selection wasn't a surprise at all and virtually the same squad performed admirably at Tottenham 10 days ago. Sure Dyer was terrible, King was his usual invisible self, Ulloa I was glad to see play because it almost certainly means he won't be playing on Saturday. And Chilwell looked great, despite his mistake for the goal. I just wish we'd have thrown caution to the wind and at least tried to be entertaining for the people who actually showed up to watch it. On to Stoke.

No the FA CUP should be great because it's a major trophy, when did we all start playing football to finish 17th or 4th FFS.

 

Winning is what counts, why does everyone now days seem so happy to dismiss it, top 4, staying up, winning the FA Cup, when did they all become mutually exclusive.

 

You are allowed to do more than 1 you know.

 

Let's be really honest, if we make the champions league it will be great, but we are still LCFC, we will still struggle to attract world class players and if we do they will soon move on, that's just the way of the game.

 

But the FA Cup, a piece of history, Leicester City engraved on that famous cup, finally winning after 4 defeats in finals. What if.

 

 

I will be as happy as larry (whoever he is) if we make the champions league, I'll certainly be staying on the away ticket scheme for that, 3 trips abroad with LCFC. Wow.

 

But I hate this modern day attitude to the FA Cup as well. If you can't take it seriously, then don't bother entering it.

 

This wasn't just a chance at the next round, it was a chance to go through the next 2. The way Pearson treated it last season and the year before was no better, but I thought CR may just want to take us to wembley.

[surrifox]

By ditching the FA cup they've made a big statement that its all about the league . Well they've got 16 games left between now and the end of the season so no real excuses for the low energy half-assed performances of the past few games - our competitors will be fighting on 2 or 3 fronts and should flag and sustain injuries lets get back to the brand of football that we were playing before the current (relative) slump

[Bluetintedspecs]

This will only wash for so long. It's not so much where we are in the table, it's how we are now playing.

We need to improve at home on Saturday

against a very good Stoke side. One win in 7 now isn't good.

That's the point people are making I think.

Col I am fully aware of the point people are making and I stick by mine it's unreasonable and deluded to not expect a blip?

How many have we lost in that 7?

How many have we lost all season?

Where are we in the table?

Have we not punched way above our weight considering depth of quality? And im not criticising our magnficent squad and valiant battlers.

Do you not think tiredness, niggling injuries and lack of depth in quality would blight our 100 mile an hour pressing game?

Have you not seen results and perfornances of others like Chelsea, ManUre, Liverpool, Man City?

Ranieri his backroom staff and our team have been a revelation.

Accept our shortcomings be realistic and not kneejerk is sensible,fair and my point, which I am not going to deviate from.

I see some other peoples viewpoints as OTT, unrealistic and deluded, that does not make anyone right or wrong its a forum for differing views is it not?

[Fox92]

Awful. There's no other word for it. It was painful to watch. One up front, in which the striker had no support, at home ffs.

 

Was hoping for a good run in the FA Cup, with the way we've been playing I was hoping we'd go far. Very disappointed. 

[Merging Cultures]

The last few games, we have been sitting back about 10-15 yards further back than we did at the beginning of the season. I am sure this is to help improve our defence, but it feels like we are inviting them on us and trying to soak up the pressure. Which you can't keep doing. If these are the Italian tactics, I am not convinced.

 

We need to sit further up the field, but stay compact, and press the opposition, don't invite them on to us.

[desertfox2]

No the FA CUP should be great because it's a major trophy, when did we all start playing football to finish 17th or 4th FFS.

Winning is what counts, why does everyone now days seem so happy to dismiss it, top 4, staying up, winning the FA Cup, when did they all become mutually exclusive.

You are allowed to do more than 1 you know.

Let's be really honest, if we make the champions league it will be great, but we are still LCFC, we will still struggle to attract world class players and if we do they will soon move on, that's just the way of the game.

But the FA Cup, a piece of history, Leicester City engraved on that famous cup, finally winning after 4 defeats in finals. What if.

I will be as happy as larry (whoever he is) if we make the champions league, I'll certainly be staying on the away ticket scheme for that, 3 trips abroad with LCFC. Wow.

But I hate this modern day attitude to the FA Cup as well. If you can't take it seriously, then don't bother entering it.

This wasn't just a chance at the next round, it was a chance to go through the next 2. The way Pearson treated it last season and the year before was no better, but I thought CR may just want to take us to wembley.

Pretty much sums it up for me This

I just think the only way to save it now is to mix it with the Scottish sides who will definitely want to win it and add some spice

[what?]

Didn't see the game, from the sound of it that might have been for the best. It seems like the general consensus is that Gray did well. Should we be starting him against Stoke on last night's performance. 

[Max Power]

Best moment was Benny's backheel flick to Chilwell

[Samilktray]

If we end up playing the likes of Barca & Bayern next season, I won't even remember last night.

[David Hankey]

This season, given where we are, the League is far more important than the FA Cup. 

 

Let's hope we can reach Ranieri's target of 79 points!!

[easilee]

 

One down..............?

[Dan]

What we seem to have done in the past 6 weeks or so, is take a good thing and overdo it into a bad thing.

 

Im fine with the notion of us being a counter attacking team, but not when ive seen performances like Liverpool away, Villa 2nd half, tonight 1st half, and lets be honest quite a bit of the Tottenham league win too.

 

I see 3 main problems with the way we have been playing recently, and these must be addressed quickly

 

1) When we drop off as deep as we do, we win the ball back deep inside our own half. A stray pass and the opposition are right back in on us. And Most of the time from here, the only ball on is a long ball hopefully forward to an advanced player who somehow has to make something of it.

 

2) Even if the most advanced player does get to the ball, his team mates have left him hopelessly isolated and the ball will in all likelihood come straight back. You dont see many goals like the goal scored at Villa.

 

3) The long spells we have without the ball are draining mentally and physically. We can never retain any kind of control on a game dropping deep, because we dont have enough touches to dictate the play in any way.

 

What i also saw a lot tonight, is bodies behind the ball, but not actually doing anything. They were back, and in a structure, but the spurs players could still pop it around easily and look dangerous. There was still no real pressure on the ball or breaking up of play, even deep in our own third.

 

 

Playing this deep style is even worse with a player like Ulloa in the team who cant stretch the play, cant run in behind, and doesnt have the engine to press.

 

For my money, this team needs to get 10 yards higher up the pitch and get the wide men pinning the full backs of the opposition back more. And secondly, they need to rediscover the fundamental of passing the ball. Im getting a bit tired of the "possession is meaningless" rhetoric. Having spells of possession allows you to dictate the play at home, and if nothing else allows you to have a rest. Weve got good enough players to play progressive football.

 

Im not saying we should become tiki taka overnight, but weve over egged the pudding totally.

 

Great post and fully agree. I buy into the way you don't need to have loads of possession but we've stopped doing anything with what little possession we have.

[lcfcsnow]

If we end up playing the likes of Barca & Bayern next season, I won't even remember last night.

 

How will we cope with regular mid week fixtures we already can't cope with a couple of League and FA Cup ties?

[Guest safetosurfthisbeach]

Very disappointed in our approach to the FA cup. Disrespectful to the fans, disrespectful to the competition.

"Foxes never Quit" should be changed to "Foxes sometimes can't be arsed".

[Fatty Arbuckle]

If I ever have to be subjected to watching that lump of shit Ulloa again I will scream.....he's ****ing abysmal.

This. If he's in the team come 2pm on Saturday then I'm seriously not going. Same goes for Inler.

I've heard various excuses in the last couple days as to why we're not playing the style of football that serves us so well up to Christmas but I'm not having any of them. If the players are tired then we blatantly need new back up players who can be brought into the first team when needed. If its because other teams have sussed us out then we need a better plan b because 451 sure doesn't work with the players we have. My big fear is that this is how ranieri actually wants us to play.