Are we the only team that doesn't use fullbacks in the league?

[Guest Col city fan]

4 hours ago, hornyhollthefox123 said:

We won the league with a solid back 4 without attacking full backs. We didnt need them to attack last year and we don't now. 

 

Great for people to say about how this season is different and teams sit back against us etc. But they did that last year too from pretty much December onwards. 

 

Why the hell would we allow our full backs to attack when only Drinkwater can pass the ball or retain possession. 

 

If you think we're conceding lots at the moment then Do you have any idea how idea how bad it would be if we had a right back and left back in the final third of the pitch without Kante to cover and with Huth trying to pass out from the back! 

 

Point being we have no players other than Drinks and Riyad who have any composure or ability to pass between the lines or retain possession. The positioning of full backs is the last thing we need to change for now. 

 

Find a midfielder alongside Drinks who asks for the ball and can play a bit and then we can look at the idea of possession based football and attacking full backs but it'd be suicide to do it now 

Hallelujah....

[Ashley]

19 hours ago, Gerard said:

I went Tottenham away last season for both cup and league matches and I think they utilise their full backs perfectly and if I was the manager of Leicester City it's what I would try and emulate.

 

Both full backs pushed on like wingers when they had possession and Dier would play a defensive midfield role to make a back three when needed. They really seemed to be playing with an extra man against us and I was very impressed with their style of play.

 

I've tried to analyse why we're so poor at keeping possession and the obvious answers are we play two No9's but it's also because Albrighton and Amartey aren't comfortable with the ball at their feet, only Drinkwater and Mahrez think of the ball as their friend. It's also because our centre halves and far more importantly our full backs aren't overly comfortable on the ball. Simpson has been one of the successes of this season but he's an out and out defensive full back. Fuchs is better on the ball but he'll never bomb forward and try and beat a man as that's not in his locker but he's happy to defend and whip in a cross when need be.

 

For me our whole defence needs replacing ASAP. 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 with Ndidi playing the holding midfield role and Drinkwater and AN Other (Silva would have been ideal) in the centre. Mahrez on the right and an offensive player on the left (possibly Vardy or Musa) with either Slimani or Vardy up top. Full backs who can offer something defensively and offensively and push into midfield when we have the ball. People keep telling me we don't need possession to win football matches but they're wrong despite what we did last year. Turning yourselves into a virtual one trick pony is not sustainable for successful teams.

 

You've touched on it here but the way Spurs set up when they're attacking then become a 3-1-3-3 more or less in a very attacking diamond both wingers pull inside so it leaves the full backs to push on it also helps they have a lot of players who are comfortable on the ball and when they do lose the ball they win it back high up the pitch taking a lot of pressure of their defence.

 

I would love us to be able to overload teams like they do. 

 

We've got a few players who are comfortable on the ball. Not many though. Ifora might help us as a future right back of we could get him from Wolves.

[HighPeakFox]

Col and Holly are right - it's all about the midfield.

[ozleicester]

The easy answer to this is..as always... we won the league with this setup.

 

I think that CR nad the club are planning and building a youth team that will be something in a couple of years, but at the moment our squad does not suit the overlapping FB's

[Guest Lako42]

21 hours ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Is it just me that has absolutely no interest in analysing everything to the nth degree? Firstly, there's a reason we aren't professional footballers, coaches or analysts. Secondly, it's fvcking boring. 

Everyone is an expert these days.

 

The thought of leaving Morgan and Huth without cover is hilarious.

 

The thought of romanticising over Sunderland's approach is insanity.

 

A good Laugh though

[ZeGuy]

I thought the way we're playing right now is hilarious.

[Guest Lako42]

Just now, ZeGuy said:

I thought the way we're playing right now is hilarious.

Far from it. 

 

Still, the table suggests that wanting to use Sunderland as a yardstick to approach is a bit daft.

 

Besides, when we win a game everyones opinion will change to the other extreme.

[ZeGuy]

4 minutes ago, Lako42 said:

Far from it. 

 

Still, the table suggests that wanting to use Sunderland as a yardstick to approach is a bit daft.

 

Besides, when we win a game everyones opinion will change to the other extreme.

I'd never take Sunderland as yardstick but we actually are producing one of the worst football displays in the PL. In both results and way of playing. With or without Drinkwater.

[NotTheMarketLeader]

21 hours ago, the fox said:

Just watched the highlights for the spurs-hull city game. And I will be honest, I was jealous. Hull have ahmed elmohamady, he is a great crosser with great defensive and offensive work rate. And spurs, let's just say that rose assisted the first 

"Oh look, a proper pass from a CB. Is this even allowed"

 

. And walker assisted the second.  

we have fullbacks that can't help offensive (I guess Fuchs is doing some work.but, apart from his crosses, he is not that good). And before people say "we can't get good fullbacks(offensively), let me just tell you, van aanholt (Sunderland) destroyed us, hull's fullbacks, the same. Watford's fullbacks, the same. Southampton, the same. palace, the same. West brom, the same. Boro, the same. I don't care if we are lacking in the CM department. I don't care if we have two CBs that can't play the ball. Because we can work around that. But the fullback situation for me is just unacceptable (and before people say "but we got the league with our fullbacks" let me just tell you, last year was last year. Teams didn't park the buss against us, but we suffered the second half of last season because teams started to do that). The modern football does not allow for teams to play without modern fullbacks. We are playing the most unattractive football in the league(and we are not even winning). Hell, even pulis's side is more fun to watch. I have nothing against our fullbacks (I guess fuchs can still play).but. it is time to move on.

I'll begin with this statement.

 

I know we are shit at the moment. 

 

However you cannot have it both ways. Early last season people were clammering to ditch the wingbacks in Schlupp and De Laet as we were conceding too many goals. CR made the changes,and we were a very solid back four who spent as little time on the ball as possible due to their lack of technique.

 

The point being these marauding 'wing backs' can provide more going forward, but in doing so many cause as many problems defensively as they solve offensively. 

 

Our problem this season is terrible recruitment which has increased the numbers of players in the squad with virtually no technical ability, so that when we try to play a different style to last season, we simply don't have the 'tools' - I could call the players that with a different inference! - for the job.

 

Thus rendering us....in the shit.

 

 

[Innovindil]

19 minutes ago, Lako42 said:

Everyone is an expert these days.

 

The thought of leaving Morgan and Huth without cover is hilarious.

 

The thought of romanticising over Sunderland's approach is insanity.

 

A good Laugh though

No one is talking of leaving Morgan and Huth exposed. 

 

In fact, everyone is saying the reason we can't switch formations is because they are snails. 

 

It's easy to say "lol we won the league like this" 

 

So did Chelsea 2 years ago. What happened to them last season after they got sussed out? How many players did they change this season to get back on top? 

 

[lcfcben76]

This is why I think we could go for a 3-5-2, we would have a lot more threat from the wide, would give Fuchs (LWB) and Albrighton (RWB) to bomb forward and put in crosses without us getting particularly exposed at the back

[the fox]

4 hours ago, NotTheMarketLeader said:

I'll begin with this statement.

 

I know we are shit at the moment. 

 

However you cannot have it both ways. Early last season people were clammering to ditch the wingbacks in Schlupp and De Laet as we were conceding too many goals. CR made the changes,and we were a very solid back four who spent as little time on the ball as possible due to their lack of technique.

 

The point being these marauding 'wing backs' can provide more going forward, but in doing so many cause as many problems defensively as they solve offensively. 

 

Our problem this season is terrible recruitment which has increased the numbers of players in the squad with virtually no technical ability, so that when we try to play a different style to last season, we simply don't have the 'tools' - I could call the players that with a different inference! - for the job.

 

Thus rendering us....in the shit.

 

 

I think you PTSD because of those 2. You don't seem to believe that fullbacks can attack and defend in the same time. Just look at walker. He is as good as Simpson defensively and better then a lot of PL wingers offensively. Granted. Players like hI'm can't grow on trees. But, there are a lot of good fullbacks like him in other leagues. All you need is a CM that can cover the defense and you will be attacking with 7 players instead of 5. 

[NotTheMarketLeader]

20 hours ago, the fox said:

I think you PTSD because of those 2. You don't seem to believe that fullbacks can attack and defend in the same time. Just look at walker. He is as good as Simpson defensively and better then a lot of PL wingers offensively. Granted. Players like hI'm can't grow on trees. But, there are a lot of good fullbacks like him in other leagues. All you need is a CM that can cover the defense and you will be attacking with 7 players instead of 5. 

 

I believe they can work well. 

 

They would be a disaster for us at present with the personnel we have at  our disposal. It's not only the wingbacks we have to consider, but also the rest of the defence and midfield needed to suit that style of play. 

 

This change involves a major overhaul of midfield and defence to work SUCCESSFULLY. 

 

 

[HighPeakFox]

Please don't misunderstand this post, but we need a formation that allows us to operate without Mahrez - I think that would qualify as a proper Plan B.

[Guest CityFan 06]

It's a difficult one because Simpson defensively is consistently superb, and for me he is very important to our system. Fuchs on the other side likewise is defensively sound, and does get forward well with the crosses he puts in etc. 

 

However, something I would be looking at is lessening Mahrez's defensive responsibility at RM, because that would allow him to have more freedom and creativity going forward. I'm not sure how we can change that though. 

[the fox]

1 hour ago, HighPeakFox said:

Please don't misunderstand this post, but we need a formation that allows us to operate without Mahrez - I think that would qualify as a proper Plan B.

We need it right now!! he will be gone for a month (afcon) and probably in the Summer he will leave. So yeah. That plane B gonna be plane A eventually

[the fox]

The thing is, why mahrez is helping so much on defense. It is not like Simpson is helping him offensively or any thing to justify him (Simpson) being exhausted. I would understand if he is helping mahrez offensively. It is a give and take relationship."scratch my back i'll scratch yours". I can totally imagine mahrez talking to him self like "what about me!!!. Do they think I have two hearts. I am human too!". I think he is getting the short end of the stick

[ajthefox]

People wanting us to play like Spurs. Jesus fvcking wept.

[China Black]

A man who is not comfortable when having the ball, should not be playing professional football.