Are we basically writing off matches before champions league games?

[elvisfmcfly]

2 hours ago, ScouseFox said:

hope so I'd much rather win the champions league games than the league games and it seems mighty hard to win both in 3 or 4 days so gotta prioritise the big ones. 

Can't stand comments like this,if that's the players attitudes,that's why we keep getting shafted.

[yorkie1999]

I think we're playing with the intention of a result away from home, but as soon as we go a goal down were not exactly pushing ourselves. At half time we subbed our 2 best players who are both game changers, surely that must be saying something about our intentions. Let's face it, we were never going to defend our title, but the European cup happens once in a lifetime and many clubs will never even see it. Ranieri, Shakespeare, the owners and the players are all going to want that on their cv's. 4 wins in our group, especially with the 1-1 draw from last week, and we'll qualify for the knock outs, then its beat 4 teams and we'll have a European cup to our name. We're not going to get relegated as we've shown against burnley and Swansea that we can easily beat the lesser teams and we had a decent result against what looks like a cracking arsenal side. 13 wins keeps you in the prem, we've got 2 so 11 more. Last season we would have been content with that, so let's just make it this season.

[Koke]

We got Chelsea away before Copenhagen and Tottenham away before Copenhagen again. So this will be a reoccurring theme maybe.

[Donut]

Theres no way we are writing off matches before the champions league.

 

It may just be a byproduct of having tough games before the champions league games, but the league is still arguably the more important competition for us and where our focus should be, considering we are defending the trophy and we want to push for as high a finish as possible which seems more realistic than beating the whole of Europe's elite.

[dedlock]

56 minutes ago, Koke said:

We got Chelsea away before Copenhagen and Tottenham away before Copenhagen again. So this will be a reoccurring theme maybe.

You have to objectively look at the quality of the opposition. We have played 2 top six sides away and have 2 to come. Prior to last season holding out for a point was a good result against these sides was a good result. 

The rot can be stopped, conceding 4 must be rectified.

[AyewJoking]

do you want vardy chasing everything like a dog for 45 minutes, with a champions league game in midweek, when you're already 4-0 down?

 

i dont think any of our players/coaching staff/board members believe we can win the league again but we have a good chance of top ten and a decent/lucrative adventure in the champions league.

 

i dont however have an explanation why our players seem so uncomfortable on the ball when they know its not the end of the world if we lose a game.

 

 

[truebluethroughandthrough]

I think it's a combination of things tbh. Wes has already said that the management and team prioritises the premiere league as that's is 'their bread and butter'. It is obviously essential at such a lucrative time to maintain our premiership status. 

That being said, the unbelievable run of away games we face with playing arguably 6 out of the 7 best teams in the league, hasn't helped in the slightest.

Its almost as if the powers that be didn't want us to have a chance of carrying last seasons momentum, or maybe I'm being paranoid.

Have a look at the traditional top 5s opening 8 away games, judge for yourself.

None of this has to with how piss poor we've been mind.

I know the players are professionals but there is no way they can't be at all distracted by the ECL.

At Anfield they were away with the fairies and yesterday our monstrous CB pairing turned into two girl guides having a fit.

Lets hope we see the real passionate organised attacking entertaining resolute Leicester on Tuesday, the one where we never give up a ball never mind the fooking game.

As for the league, target 10 teams we HAVE to beat home AND away bosh 60 points job done

 

[adejo92]

So....maybe ticket prices are set dependant on how much effort the players intend to put into a game? Would make it right for CL however still about 90% over priced for PL games thus far!

 

[Clever Fox]

Truthfully it's hard to know. CR keeps picking strong teams and yet during the matches they don't perform. Is it the players looking too far ahead or is it the manager not sure as to what the priority's are.

If it is Europe then why not rest more players ,DD comes to mind.

 

But there's no doubt the League program hasn't helped us. Surely the program could be adjusted to help the European team somewhat. A home game after every European tie. And no perceived top 6 matches. This would help the players greatly.

[jim5000]

The thing is with 'saving ourselves' for the Champions league matches is we're not building momentum or confidence. We're going into the match against Porto on the back of letting in 8 goals in 2 matches, losing both. We could quite possibly get tonked by Porto, which will destroy confidence going back into the Premier league, and then we are just stuck in that cycle.

 

[foxy boxing]

We shouldn't be writing off any match, the league matters much more than the champions league, the champions league might be a welcome distraction from the league

[ScouseFox]

22 hours ago, elvisfmcfly said:

Can't stand comments like this,if that's the players attitudes,that's why we keep getting shafted.

i dont play for us don't worry 

[Monk]

I find it hard to believe that the reason for shipping goals is nervousness about the following game. We set out with the wrong formation and the wrong tactics against both United and Liverpool and we suffered as a result. 

 

Yea the subs were to save legs for Wednesday but realistically this was a sensible decision at 4-0. 

[Richard]

Liverpool (a), united (a) and next up Chelsea (a) are, last season aside, pretty much unwinnable fixtures so maybe there's some truth to it. I did say at the start of the season I'd take top 10 and knockout stages of the CL

[lcfcdamo]

19 hours ago, adejo92 said:

So....maybe ticket prices are set dependant on how much effort the players intend to put into a game? Would make it right for CL however still about 90% over priced for PL games thus far!

 

Defo not over priced for home games has i think we have bin really good in all pl home games

[oxtonfox]

Looking at the season so far - the top six teams have all improved. Man City are some way clear of others, then Spurs, Arsenal, Man U, Liverpool and to a lesser degree Chelsea are all much better than they were last season. Unfortunately we have dipped quite a bit which puts us back in the crowd though to be honest Southampton, Everton, Watford even are probably performing better than us currently. We are definitely distracted by 1. being champions, 2 the Champions League, 3 new contracts, 4. not being as fit as seems

 

We don't appear to have the desire like last season when we fought back so many times  from being behind: West Brom, Southampton, Stoke games away for example. In fact once we have gone behind this season, we have lost every game and we don't look like getting back into it. Losing the first goal leads to losing more soon after. 

 

It's a few percent but at this level we are getting punished. 

 

Let's hope tomorrow we are on our game but I do fear Porto away as 1. they are the best side in the group (my opinion) and they are in good form and they have a good record away from home in the UCL. 

 

   

[Fox92]

On 9/25/2016 at 09:28, Beliall said:

Errr no. Liverpool played really well, and UTD got insanely lucky. the end

United didn't get lucky, they battered us. We had a good opening 20 minutes in which we should have took the lead but didn't. Our poor defending and inability to defend corners served us right as they took advantage of that. The third goal is laughable as our players - that's professional footballers - aren't even switched on. United took their foot off the gas second half, regardless of Gray's superb goal.

[daddylonglegs]

On 25 September 2016 at 09:28, Beliall said:

Errr no. Liverpool played really well, and UTD got insanely lucky. the end

United did not get lucky. That's a blue tinted spectacles theory. United played very well in a 15 min period where we played very very shit. 

[NotTheMarketLeader]

On 25 September 2016 at 09:25, David Hankey said:

Without doubt something is different this season with many of the same players, why?

 

Do they think they can't repeat the magnificent feat of last season with an improved squad? Are minds concentrating on their Champions League fixtures?

 

Perhaps they feel as a repeat is not expected so why bother. I don't know but Ranieri has to show leadership and sort the failings out. A lot of money has been spent in the close season and the players need to know what is expected of them particularly as many are on improved contracts.

 

The season is not over by a long way but an unbeaten run is required sooner rather than later.

I would agree, but considering we are Champions Im not having that a lot of money has been spent over the summer. 

 

What is the NET spend?

 

£30m? 

 

Thats next to nothing, we've laid out £30m for Musa and Mendy combined. Hernandez was free I believe.

Kante's fee covers Slimani and Zieler, Kramaric = Kaputska.

 

I would argue, as I have in another thread, that failure to recruit has been a major failing since May. We still need a Cm, a left back and replacements for three ageing centre backs. 

 

I don't feel there has been enough investment at all. Not only do we need cover in these positions - particularly defensively - the present incumbents need to know they need to keep performing otherwise they will be dropped. That is not the case now, and it shows that there is no competition for places.

[stripeyfox]

As usual massive overreaction. I'm not having it for one moment that we are "writing off" league games. It makes no sense to do so and I can't see any way that the manager, coaching team, science team and players would agree to do so.

 

 

[st albans fox]

6 minutes ago, stripeyfox said:

As usual massive overreaction. I'm not having it for one moment that we are "writing off" league games. It makes no sense to do so and I can't see any way that the manager, coaching team, science team and players would agree to do so.

 

 

 

Clearly not writing games off as we are starting with a strong line up

 

however, if the message is 'if we go behind by two then don't chase the game' then it's no surprise we have been beaten 4-1 twice 

 

perhaps the intention was to try and get ahead and then take it from there with some subs.

 

If we are good tomorrow and Sunday then you have your answer.

[truebluethroughandthrough]

24 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

 

Clearly not writing games off as we are starting with a strong line up

 

however, if the message is 'if we go behind by two then don't chase the game' then it's no surprise we have been beaten 4-1 twice 

 

perhaps the intention was to try and get ahead and then take it from there with some subs.

 

If we are good tomorrow and Sunday then you have your answer.

What answer is that? That all teams have sh1t games now and then, even the barcas and Madrids of this world.

That no matter what the plan was it certainly didn't involve Wes and Huth losing their man on every corner.

we had a bad game against a massive team, no need for nonsensical conspiracy theories.

The Don got it wrong

the team weren't on song

we move along

porto tomorrow 

bring it on

[Bayfox]

22 hours ago, Clever Fox said:

Truthfully it's hard to know. CR keeps picking strong teams and yet during the matches they don't perform. Is it the players looking too far ahead or is it the manager not sure as to what the priority's are.

If it is Europe then why not rest more players ,DD comes to mind.

 

But there's no doubt the League program hasn't helped us. Surely the program could be adjusted to help the European team somewhat. A home game after every European tie. And no perceived top 6 matches. This would help the players greatly.

We have home games after every tie.

 

Brugge. Burnley

Porto. Southampton

copenhagen. palace

Copenhagen. west brom

brugge. Boro

Porto. man city

 

so with the exception on man city, that's a not the problem is it. hull we could and should have been ahead and took something from the game, but we looked unfit. That seems to have been rectified now, but liverpool took us to pieces and united took advantage of some school, no nursery school defending.

 

We do need to change something away from home that's for sure, the back 4 need better protection from open play, and the forwards need more service.

 

I doubt we would have won the game at the weekend, but had albrighton picked out slimani and made it 1 nil, there fans and players heads could have dropped big time, instead we wasted our golden chance and then handed them 3 goals on a plate.

 

Still think we will comfortably turn over enough teams at home to finish top 10, but either players still don't want to move to the midlands, even for the Champions and CL football or we didn't show enough ambition in our dealings, we spent so much time and effort handing out 100k a week contracts, yet haven't improved our 1st 11.

 

We all knew last year was a 1 off, but i'd have loved to see 60 to 80 million spent, on a RB, CB, CM, if it cost us 15-20 million for a centre half then so be it. It was our one chance to maybe show we could stick around the top 6 for a number of years, it may just have been wasted.

 

Hopefully we are back to our best tomorrow night, follow it up with another home win at the weekend beat copenhagen get a run going, and can go to the bridge and take advantage of them not being fully on it as well, unlike we did this weekend.

[Bablemikey]

31 minutes ago, Bayfox said:

we spent so much time and effort handing out 100k a week contracts, yet haven't improved our 1st 11.

I disagree, Slimani is clearly a better striker than Ulloa or Shinji. We haven't seen enough of Mendy or Musa to make anything like an educated judgement on their potential to warrant a first 11 slot yet.

[thybluefox]

I'm of the opinion that there's a definite difference in player performance the weekend before a champions league game. 

 

I don't for a second think it's a conscious decision - but I think they're less likely to put themselves about and get stuck in because they want to be fit on Tuesday. We had spells of decent play with the ball against Utd - but we were woeful without it.