It's Official now - we're in a relegation battlle

[midland_red]

CR quoted in the Daily Mail http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3974056/Leicester-2-2-Middlesbrough-Riyad-Mahrez-Islam-Slimani-penalties-rescue-draw-champions-Alvaro-Negredo-ends-barren-spell-brace.html

 

‘When a team like Leicester plays in Europe for the first time they always lose something in their league, But for us now it is important to think we are in a relegation battle and then every point is OK. Of course we always want to win but when it’s not possible, one point is OK.

‘I’m not worried. But I am a very pragmatic man. Now we are [down] there, last season we were very, very far ahead, but I was always looking behind me.

‘We must be patient, see what happens, stay together and let’s pass that moment because sooner or later we will go back.’

 

That's a start, I guess, to accept the reality before it's too late and hopefully work out what needs to be done

 

The Mail's man on the spot said it was "another performance to suggest a battle against relegation beckons."

[tyfox]

I am glad he realises that the situation is far from ideal and I'm looking forward to him fixing it (if he can)

[Countryfox]

We're all going on a European tour, a European tour  !!     .......          and we'll stay up.

 

Another great season for the boys in blue !

 

I love this team ...    and always will.

[midland_red]

1 minute ago, tyfox said:

I am glad he realises that the situation is far from ideal and I'm looking forward to him fixing it (if he can)

agreed - the admission is really important - denial of reality would be the very worst thing we could do.

[Tuna]

Ranieri is enabling these poor performances in the league by continually pointing to the Champions League as an excuse for laboured, uncommitted and generally poor performances. He should be livid with them rather than trying to explain it because I don't buy it as an excuse for a second. He's soft with them and they are taking advantage of him.

[Countryfox]

Just now, Tuna said:

Ranieri is enabling these poor performances in the league by continually pointing to the Champions League as an excuse for laboured, uncommitted and generally poor performances. He should be livid with them rather than trying to explain it because I don't buy it as an excuse for a second. He's soft with them and they are taking advantage of him.

 

He defends them and encourages them in public but we have no idea what goes on behind closed doors ...   CR is a VERY passionate man and I think he will be roasting their bollocks with a blow torch ...

[midland_red]

1 minute ago, Countryfox said:

 

He defends them and encourages them in public but we have no idea what goes on behind closed doors ...   CR is a VERY passionate man and I think he will be roasting their bollocks with a blow torch ...

I think this is possible - CR would never be so unprofessional as to do a Mourinho and slag off his team on TV

[lgfualol]

I wonder how the players feel about a relegation battle. I remember a video in the Summer with Fuchs, Albrighton and Simpson looking majorly pissed off when odds for relegation were so low, and yet here we are. 

 

Worried that they don't have the fight anymore, not with their wage and contracts. What's encouraging Vardy, premier league winner, who will be paid 5.5m a year for the next 3.5 years to bother? 

 

Let's hope they have some relegation clauses in their new contracts.. 

[harpendenfox]

1 minute ago, lgfualol said:

I wonder how the players feel about a relegation battle. I remember a video in the Summer with Fuchs, Albrighton and Simpson looking majorly pissed off when odds for relegation were so low, and yet here we are. 

 

Worried that they don't have the fight anymore, not with their wage and contracts. What's encouraging Vardy, premier league winner, who will be paid 5.5m a year for the next 3.5 years to bother? 

 

Let's hope they have some relegation clauses in their new contracts.. 

Their pride. They are professional sportsman. I simply do not accept that they are not bothered

[Countryfox]

1 minute ago, lgfualol said:

I wonder how the players feel about a relegation battle. I remember a video in the Summer with Fuchs, Albrighton and Simpson looking majorly pissed off when odds for relegation were so low, and yet here we are. 

 

Worried that they don't have the fight anymore, not with their wage and contracts. What's encouraging Vardy, premier league winner, who will be paid 5.5m a year for the next 3.5 years to bother? 

 

Let's hope they have some relegation clauses in their new contracts.. 

 

I can understand people being a bit cheesed off with this season but do you really think that the contracts and wages have a lot to do with it ?...    do you think Vardy doesn't want to play for England anymore ? ..   and that all that pride and passion from last year has deserted the rest of them ??   I personally think they are all bolloxed as they have had a monster year and been paraded all over the world ...   not an ideal build up to the season ...   and our squad is not quite big enough (with enough quality) to cope and we also have a few injuries etc etc ....    

[Guest Sharpe's Fox]

Thing is we're in this position because of a lack of effort unlike the season before last when it was inexperience and genuine bad luck.

[midland_red]

4 minutes ago, harpendenfox said:

Their pride. They are professional sportsman. I simply do not accept that they are not bothered

So hope you're right - but Newcastle's team  clearly weren't bothered last year so it can happen. A lot could depend on CR's motivational and inspirational skills

[AyewJoking]

he accepts that we need points but does he accept his current selections and formation are not capable of getting those points?

[cruzFOX]

I watched a special interview on NBCSN here in the USA and he joyfully said he loves a good joke & a laugh with the lads in training but he lets them know once they cross the line in no uncertain terms.  He has a very serious Italian side to him.

if there is a crisis of confidence affecting the team than bollocking can only do so much.  Sometimes the guys have to come together and figure it out themselves holding each other accountable like they did last season then we'll see an upturn.

[Corky]

The one "positive" (and I use that loosely) is that these players do have experience of this type of situation so it's not completely alien to them. But everyone needs to buck their ideas up and avoid getting dragged right into it.

[Chester Dontlie]

I just hope that last minute goal with Boro was a catalyst for change in some players' minds (and in CR's mind)... I know I'm clutching at straws here. I wish there was a winter break. Fingers crossed for good transfer window and for much needed change in the centre of midfield. I must say although I'm obviously a huge fan of Claudio and don't want to see him go, there rarely comes a week when I'm not disappointed with his tactics and team selection.

[Ric Flair]

Rather than accept it, have a look at why we might be in this situation this season and do something about it. Instead of playing 4-4-2 with ill equipped midfielders and then saying it's inevitable to be happening. Prat.

[foxfanazer]

I have to say I'm relieved he's come out and said this. I was starting to get worried hearing him say he's satisfied with our performances and making excuses regarding the CL. Now it's time to find the answers Claudio. No more loyalties to players for past achievements else we'll be down. Oh and ditch the 4-4-2

[China Black]

For me a team which blew it greatest ever chance of winning the title with 3 games to go last season, and is still suffering from the psychological after-effects  of that lost opportunity, would find themselves in a relegation battle. 

 

A team that has won the Premier League last season should not be in that position where the threat of relegation is a possibility.

 

As soon as the season finished in May, LCFC should have set out and bought top quality reinforcements all over the team (GK, Defence, Midfield and Attack), knowing full well the demands playing both in Europe and the Premier League.

 

The summer was really a missed opportunity. LCFC missed a trick.

 

Having said that, I hope they get over the poor form, go on a winning run, and climb up the PL table.

[jayfox26]

We definitely will be in a relegation battle if we don't strengthen in January. We need 2 top centre mids at the very least. Lots of players have been slated this season like Huth, Morgan, vardy and Mahrez to name a few of the high profile ones, and rightly so as their performances have been well below standard. I personally believe that all of the above are struggling because we have absolutely nothing in centre mid (especially when drinky isn't available). There is a lack of protection for the defence and a lack of creativity for the attackers. Kante helped out with both of these things last season and now we are left with Amartey who is too young and inexperienced to play regularly in centre mid and king who is a decent back up but is not good enough to be a regular starter. We were unlucky with Mendy getting injured but it still baffles me how CR didn't sign more/better midfielders in the summer. I know we got knocked back with our attempts to sign Silva and probably a few others  but they knew Kante was leaving early in the summer and yet still couldn't get any kind of replacement. We need a good transfer window in January or we are well and truly fcked. 

[foxfanazer]

Just now, jayfox26 said:

We definitely will be in a relegation battle if we don't strengthen in January. We need 2 top centre mids at the very least. Lots of players have been slated this season like Huth, Morgan, vardy and Mahrez to name a few of the high profile ones, and rightly so as their performances have been well below standard. I personally believe that all of the above are struggling because we have absolutely nothing in centre mid (especially when drinky isn't available). There is a lack of protection for the defence and a lack of creativity for the attackers. Kante helped out with both of these things last season and now we are left with Amartey who is too young and inexperienced to play regularly in centre mid and king who is a decent back up but is not good enough to be a regular starter. We were unlucky with Mendy getting injured but it still baffles me how CR didn't sign more/better midfielders in the summer. I know we got knocked back with our attempts to sign Silva and probably a few others  but they knew Kante was leaving early in the summer and yet still couldn't get any kind of replacement. We need a good transfer window in January or we are well and truly fcked. 

I'm not sure we're an attractive proposition for potential signings now, not quality players anyway. The summer window was our chance and imo we've wasted it 

[Max Wall]

1 minute ago, foxfanazer said:

I'm not sure we're an attractive proposition for potential signings now, not quality players anyway. The summer window was our chance and imo we've wasted it 

We may not be as attractive but the wages in this league dictates that it will always be possible to attract quality players. Messi, no. Quality players, yes.

The recruitment (obviously) has to be better this time and specific positions targeted more aggressively.

[Buzzell]

[GloverFox]

... not quite in a relegation battle just yet! ... we're just gently slipping down into the 'oh shit ... how did we get here' zone!!!! Never a dull moment at Leicester City FC!!!

[Guest Col city fan]

I've watched a lot of football this weekend and think the only teams to look worse than us at present were Burnley (playing Man City), Sunderland (playing Liverpool away),  and Watford (God knows how we lost to that lot).

Worrying.