Slimani

[desertfox2]

I can't think of many players particularly strikers that we have signed that have had the same kind of goal scoring record in such a short period of time. 9 out of 10 players we sign get the ''He's shite'' foxes talk put down by someone. Although in fairness mostly they get shot down by logic by the majority if they are half decent.

[halfpipe]

5 minutes ago, desertfox2 said:

I can't think of many players particularly strikers that we have signed that have had the same kind of goal scoring record in such a short period of time. 9 out of 10 players we sign get the ''He's shite'' foxes talk put down by someone. Although in fairness mostly they get shot down by logic by the majority if they are half decent.

 

Loan signing, but Yakubu

[desertfox2]

1 minute ago, halfpipe said:

 

Loan signing, but Yakubu

Still got called lazy though which to be fair he was

[Guest]

 

14 minutes ago, desertfox2 said:

I can't think of many players particularly strikers that we have signed that have had the same kind of goal scoring record in such a short period of time. 9 out of 10 players we sign get the ''He's shite'' foxes talk put down by someone. Although in fairness mostly they get shot down by logic by the majority if they are half decent.

Tbf Mark Robins was going to score 30+ goals by this time next year

[HighPeakFox]

1 hour ago, m4DD0gg said:

Stevie Wonder could have got 2 assists against that Man City abomination.

Rank non argument. Try again. 

[desertfox2]

1 minute ago, toddybad said:

 

Tbf Mark Robins was going to score 30+ goals by this time next year

Ok I should have narrowed it down to within the last 21 years

[Winchesterfox]

I don't think Slimani's the problem at all.  He's great at heading balls crossed in from around the byline, which gives us more options than just through balls to Vardy.  He wins more aimless hoofballs than our other strikers.  He showed good awareness in his assists against Man City, and in general is unselfish if he thinks others are better placed to score.  And he seems much more up for it than many of our other players.  

 

He's played the equivalent of ten full-time matches since he joined (895 minutes).  In that time he's scored four goals and got four assists.  I think that's good, particularly given he's recently joined, is playing in a different league, and hasn't had great service from his teammates, some of whom have either lost form or desire, weren't great in the first place or are struggling with some questionable tactics that rarely play to his strengths. 

 

OK, Slimani's missed a few (like all strikers do), he's not the quickest and his close ball control isn't the best at times.  But let's try setting the team up to play to his strengths a bit more, and give him a break, rather than blame him for problems which lie elsewhere.

[Babylon]

1 hour ago, Col city fan said:

Great post. I agree with this completely

I have this horrid feeling that you get the likes of Musa and Slim playing in a free-flowing, attacking, confident side and you'd see very different players. These players are far from 'shite'. They are suffering from playing in such a poor, overall side.

Personally, I'm still convinced that the middle of the park is the main issue.

If at all possible, it's imperative we get another quality CM in January.

It might help defensively, not sure it will in attack. We were crap going forward last year when teams started sitting deep and we're crap this year when teams start sitting deep. I think this stems from having full backs who will not get forward. There is almost no overlapping or support, so the wingers get isolated. We've always been a wing play team and it's suffering because of that now teams are so deep or doubling up on the winger.

 

That's just two issues... as you can point out they don't get forward because we have two centre backs who don't want to be running after people or being pulled out of position.

[Guest ttfn]

4 minutes ago, Babylon said:

It might help defensively, not sure it will in attack. We were crap going forward last year when teams started sitting deep and we're crap this year when teams start sitting deep. I think this stems from having full backs who will not get forward. There is almost no overlapping or support, so the wingers get isolated. We've always been a wing play team and it's suffering because of that now teams are so deep or doubling up on the winger.

 

That's just two issues... as you can point out they don't get forward because we have two centre backs who don't want to be running after people or being pulled out of position.

I don't think your assessment of the full backs is fair on Fuchs at all.

 

I suspect the full backs would feel like they could get forward more with the additional defensive support that a 4-3-3 would provide.

[Fox92]

1 hour ago, desertfox2 said:

I can't think of many players particularly strikers that we have signed that have had the same kind of goal scoring record in such a short period of time. 9 out of 10 players we sign get the ''He's shite'' foxes talk put down by someone. Although in fairness mostly they get shot down by logic by the majority if they are half decent.

Probably Ulloa.

[Babylon]

1 minute ago, ttfn said:

I don't think your assessment of the full backs is fair on Fuchs at all.

 

I suspect the full backs would feel like they could get forward more with the additional defensive support that a 4-3-3 would provide.

Compared to how we used to play and support them I think it is fair.

 

 I very rarely see overlapping and I think the players said themselves Ranieri didn't want overlapping unless we were losing (can't remember the interview). 

 

I appreciate why that is, but it is stunting us and making us predictable in attack. At the moment we feel a bit stuck, because you try and solve one issue, we'll see another one open up elsewhere.

[foxes21]

over lapping full backs in a 4-4-2 would leave us horribly exposed, like De Laet and Schlupp last season.

[Babylon]

9 minutes ago, foxes21 said:

over lapping full backs in a 4-4-2 would leave us horribly exposed, like De Laet and Schlupp last season.

I'm aware of that, as I said I'm aware of why we do it especially with Morgan and Huth at CB. That's why it feels like hard to solve these issues playing 442 all the time, but we seem reluctant to change that.

[Innovindil]

9 minutes ago, foxes21 said:

over lapping full backs in a 4-4-2 would leave us horribly exposed, like De Laet and Schlupp last season.

Hence why we shouldn't play 4-4-2.

 

If we had 2 cbs faster than snails we could play 4-3-3 and have amartey drop back to a 3 man defense when full backs pushed forward. And then we wouldn't be forced to play 2 cut off wingers every game. 

 

People really are stuck on this 4-4-2 simply because we won the league. Yes we did, but people won't fall for the same trick twice and last season the majority of our games were closely fought with us edging them because of form. 

[foxes21]

Whatever the formation, whatever the system.. We are lacking the energy levels to work our socks off which assisted us greatly last season. Every team we faced, we out worked them, out pressed them, won every second ball, etc.

Due to our congested fixture list and lack of quality in the squad to rotate, we can't do that every game. Hence the drop in performance Vs Bournemouth.

 

I'd stick with 4-4-2, hopefully we can get some of them energy levels back now there's no CL games.

[ZeGuy]

1 hour ago, foxes21 said:

over lapping full backs in a 4-4-2 would leave us horribly exposed, like De Laet and Schlupp last season.

So no midfield support and no overlapping. How are we supposed to score then? We can't just hoof the ball forward to the strikers and expect them to... oh, wait.

[foxes21]

10 minutes ago, ZeGuy said:

So no midfield support and no overlapping. How are we supposed to score then? We can't just hoof the ball forward to the strikers and expect them to... oh, wait.

see my post above.

[ZeGuy]

1 hour ago, foxes21 said:

Whatever the formation, whatever the system.. We are lacking the energy levels to work our socks off which assisted us greatly last season. Every team we faced, we out worked them, out pressed them, won every second ball, etc.

Due to our congested fixture list and lack of quality in the squad to rotate, we can't do that every game. Hence the drop in performance Vs Bournemouth.

 

I'd stick with 4-4-2, hopefully we can get some of them energy levels back now there's no CL games.

 

You're letting yourself get blinded by the win against Manchester City. 

 

You can't play the way you were playing last year. You just can't. It's not a matter of energy level.

 

First you don't have the adequate midfield to do it. It was possible last year because of Kanté who was everywhere and working for two and everyone underestimated us. 

 

But most importantly, any of the 19 other teams (bar the genius last weekend) won't allow it anymore. Last year already, as soon as the other teams started to lie deep it became difficult and the wins were mostly scrap. You have to adapt to the new situation exactly like the others did. Manchester City got punished exactly like we're punished almost every week. How's that so difficult to understand?

[HighPeakFox]

7 minutes ago, ZeGuy said:

 

You're letting yourself get blinded by the win against Manchester City. 

 

You can't play the way you were playing last year. You just can't. It's not a matter of energy level.

 

First you don't have the adequate midfield to do it. It was possible last year because of Kanté who was everywhere and working for two and everyone underestimated us. 

 

But most importantly, any of the 19 other teams (bar the genius last weekend) won't allow it anymore. Last year already, as soon as the other teams started to lie deep it became difficult and the wins were mostly scrap. You have to adapt to the new situation exactly like the others did. Manchester City got punished exactly like we're punished almost every week. How's that so difficult to understand?

Reluctantly I have to agree. 

[truebluethroughandthrough]

1 hour ago, ZeGuy said:

 

You're letting yourself get blinded by the win against Manchester City. 

 

You can't play the way you were playing last year. You just can't. It's not a matter of energy level.

 

First you don't have the adequate midfield to do it. It was possible last year because of Kanté who was everywhere and working for two and everyone underestimated us. 

 

But most importantly, any of the 19 other teams (bar the genius last weekend) won't allow it anymore. Last year already, as soon as the other teams started to lie deep it became difficult and the wins were mostly scrap. You have to adapt to the new situation exactly like the others did. Manchester City got punished exactly like we're punished almost every week. How's that so difficult to understand?

I agree to a point but then I remember wenger, pochettino whoever manages Southampton, pardew and the dyche as well as pep, everyone of them knows how we play and yet none of them could beat us.

 

so it's not quite as simple as you suggest

[ZeGuy]

23 minutes ago, truebluethroughandthrough said:

I agree to a point but then I remember wenger, pochettino whoever manages Southampton, pardew and the dyche as well as pep, everyone of them knows how we play and yet none of them could beat us.

 

so it's not quite as simple as you suggest

Oh, for god's sake! Numbers speak for themselves. We're being mullered away (1 out of 24 possible points, torn apart by Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea). We lost at home against WBA. We lost against Sunderland actually at the table's bottom.

 

Palace (Pardew is getting the sack at some point) are utter crap this year as well as Swansea and Hull. Burnley are still one point above us, Arsenal got a point away, Boro got a point away, Southampton got a point away.

 

So yes it's that's simple, but keep telling yourself that 4-4-2 is the solution and it's only a matter of pressing and energy level.

[Manwell Pablo]

13 minutes ago, ZeGuy said:

Oh, for god's sake! Numbers speak for themselves. We're being mullered away (1 out of 24 possible points, torn apart by Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea). We lost at home against WBA. We lost against Sunderland actually at the table's bottom.

 

Palace (Pardew is getting the sack at some point) are utter crap this year as well as Swansea and Hull. Burnley are still one point above us, Arsenal got a point away, Boro got a point away, Southampton got a point away.

 

So yes it's that's simple, but keep telling yourself that 4-4-2 is the solution and it's only a matter of pressing and energy level.

 

It'll get us points at home. We've had good wins and still only lost one game, a home draw against Arsenal is a good result and Southampton is acceptab-ish.

 

It's quite clear on the road we've got to do something in terms of tactics formation or personnel though, what we are trying at the moment is not working. 

 

What team has ever had drastically different setups for home and away games though that's the problem, teams like to play a certain brand of football regardless of surroundings. 

[ZeGuy]

1 hour ago, Manwell Pablo said:

 

It'll get us points at home. We've had good wins and still only lost one game, a home draw against Arsenal is a good result and Southampton is acceptab-ish.

 

It's quite clear on the road we've got to do something in terms of tactics formation or personnel though, what we are trying at the moment is not working. 

 

What team has ever had drastically different setups for home and away games though that's the problem, teams like to play a certain brand of football regardless of surroundings. 

I don't feel comfortable with us constantly flirting with the relegation zone. Not as defending champions, with this Team and the money spent

 

Any team should be able to cope with more than one formation. Especially at this level. Teams play according to the opponent, unless they have the means to dictate their play. Which isn't exactly our case. 

 

[Manwell Pablo]

2 minutes ago, ZeGuy said:

I don't feel comfortable with us constantly flirting with the relegation zone. Not as defending champions, with this Team and the money spent

 

Any team should be able to cope with more than one formation. Especially at this level. Teams play according to the opponent, unless they have the means to dictate their play. Which isn't exactly our case. 

 

 

I'd agree, the 4-4-2 still has a role to play for me but something does need to alter in perhaps trying to think about different approaches to different games 

[truebluethroughandthrough]

5 hours ago, ZeGuy said:

Oh, for god's sake! Numbers speak for themselves. We're being mullered away (1 out of 24 possible points, torn apart by Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea). We lost at home against WBA. We lost against Sunderland actually at the table's bottom.

 

Palace (Pardew is getting the sack at some point) are utter crap this year as well as Swansea and Hull. Burnley are still one point above us, Arsenal got a point away, Boro got a point away, Southampton got a point away.

 

So yes it's that's simple, but keep telling yourself that 4-4-2 is the solution and it's only a matter of pressing and energy level.

I'm not telling myself anything of the sort so pipe down with the attitude.

 

I said I agree to a point, or did that just fly over your righteous head?

 

We have players that lack the ability and/or confidence to play the 352 or 433, and this seems to be coming from the players themselves.

 

So maybe try offering a solution rather than stating the obvious, we can't just transform into a possession based tika taka team.

 

Theres lots of reasons we've struggled not JUST the 442, which is what I meant when I said the solution isn't a simple one.

 

You seem to be saying any other formation than the 442 will automatically work and we'll be winning comfortably, but unlike Claudio, you don't see them in training every day and are far less qualified to assess their ability to play such formations, so offer some constructive criticism with your footballing knowledge, rather than just stating every lame game so far  and at the same time ignoring and dismissing our decent results.

 

say what you feel not just assume sh1t about people though, never ends well.

 

As no matter what others may of seen against Bournemouth I seen a team frustrated and committed , when our backs our against the wall this team comes  out fighting so for ffs back them, sing for them. 

 

Its blatantly  obvious to anybody who has seen this team regularly over the past two years that we have several players badly out of form, what is your answer? To play an untested 433 with players that hate playing that same system?

 

some on here genuinely believe that managing a premier league team and the millions of components on and off the field is as easy as Claudio made it look last year.

 

Well it Isn't and I for one thought the players had earned their right for this chance to prove the 442 could work again , Kante-less. 

And as far as I am concerned they've had their chance and blew it so yes, Claudio needs to step and change it up but don't start slating him or anyone else for the giving the players a chance, because they deserved it.

 

just out of interest 

 

exactly  12 months 3 weeks ago  today and I  'carried on dreaming ' when my bookie said something similar as to what you just said. 

 

That earnred me thousands of pounds and I put the bet on in November.

 

so my question to you is when did you believe we would do the impossible last year ? And how much were your winnings? 

 

or are you only good at seeing obvious problems whilst offering no solutions,