What is wrong?

[Old Fox]

Kitch and others have said so much that is spot on.....everything feels wrong currently and it needs a major shake up to get the reaction we need.

 

I cannot believe I am even thinking it but CR to me is not reacting and showing the pain or anger that would be justified.....I know he was subtle and very calculated last season in keeping everyone happy but this is completely different. I never believed that in Jan 2017 after last season that we would not have won an away league game, have no pattern, no team spirit or desire.......truly truly shocking....

 

Either the Manager has to act or the owners do because no matter what signings we make this team is going down based upon the evidence so far.

 

Last season we undoubtedly had players who peaked and maybe now are on the wain but the passion is completely lacking.....so CR either start ruffling a few feathers or Chairman act because we should NOT be in the poor state we are.....

 

No way would Conte, Ferguson, Klopp, Wenger not be shaking their team by the boots if they were under performing so badly....we may not be a Top 6 side but neither should be one of the worst based upon last season and the investment made. 

[Cadno'r Cymoedd]

2 minutes ago, BigMicky said:

Stop putting "words into my mouth". You have assumed that all title winners are the same, they clearly are not. A discussion about my thoughts on defending it with pride are irrelevant.

Your words not mine. Read your post. "you have assumed that because you are champions you have to defend it with pride. That's correct of teams that win it year in year out, not us." 

[BigMicky]

5 minutes ago, HankMarvin said:

Agreed

Every game should be viewed as must win, not well we must achieve my pre season goal of 40 points.

He should be sacked just for having that sort of low expectation, teams that come up from the championship have higher expectations.

On a side note i don't think the crowd help singing champions of England you're never sing that, maybe its creating that untouchable ego for these players.

So you think his media persona and the comments he makes to journalists are exactly the same as what he says to the players?? Do you think the players go home and watch his interviews??

[BigMicky]

2 minutes ago, Cadno'r Cymoedd said:

Your words not mine. Read your post. "you have assumed that because you are champions you have to defend it with pride. That's correct of teams that win it year in year out, not us." 

Eh? I'm stating a fact. It's not what my personal view is. Try again.

[HankMarvin]

Just now, BigMicky said:

So you think his media persona and the comments he makes to journalists are exactly the same as what he says to the players?? Do you think the players go home and watch his interviews??

Or maybe its what his says to the players, do we know any different?

No we only have his interviews to go by

[jamesmilner]

Straight after winning the premier league , they were whisked off Thailand and elsewhere , showing off the trophy on a wave of emotion . Agents saw an opportunity to make ££ on the back of champs league and prem title, this  must have affected the players minds too .That with the pre-season ( travelling the globe ),  there was no time to come down and take a deep breath and rest and have decent time to reflect on a great season .It was full on from the end of season to the start of the new . I honestly believe that's the reason of the performances this season . I don't think it can be put right , that pre-season happened and took its toll and can't be taken away . Hopefully they can stay in the prem and recharge the batteries and their minds be right for next season . I might be way off but i believe pre-season has a massive bearing on your whole season .

[BigMicky]

2 minutes ago, HankMarvin said:

Or maybe its what his says to the players, do we know any different?

No we only have his interviews to go by

You don't believe that. He spends hours training them every week and you think all he comes out with is we only need 40 points. He plays the media game so well it's blatantly obvious that there is a bit more to him than that.

[Cadno'r Cymoedd]

2 minutes ago, BigMicky said:

Eh? I'm stating a fact. It's not what my personal view is. Try again.

Sorry but you've lost me now. So other sides can defend it with pride but not us is a fact not your personal view? Anyway, whatever, I've got no axe to grind with you personally since I am convinced like me you are concerned with the position we're in. As I said in other posts, I just want to see some fight and desire, pride if you wish. A bare minimum we should expect.

 

[Guest Col city fan]

I'll post the theory in here too: this is what I think has gone wrong:

 

I wonder whether Ranieri is Sven 2?

Comes in, like a breath of fresh air. Supportive, positive, says all the right things...and gets success INITIALLY.

Then, as the players start to see they are pretty much soft as shite, they start to take the piss, to rule the roost and to stop trying so hard. Added to this, the amazing success of last season, it's probably not surprising that the players just can't get up for it again. It can't get any better, domestically.

If you look at Sven's and Claudio's careers, there seem to be clear parallels. Initial success, happy players, followed by demise.

It seems to be happening again with us at the moment.

Footballers win football matches, not formations.

And it looks like your 'Heroes' aren't even trying.

Quite simply, these players were given cars, lucrative salaries, contract extensions, praise, adoration etc etc. AND VERY FEW ARGUED WITH ANY OF THIS. 

Now, I fear, the chickens have come home to roost. What these players need now is a kick up the arris. A proper look at themselves. And I don't think they are getting it. They are having it far too easy.

At least, I suspect so.

Edited 2 hours ago by Col city fan

 

[ceebeefox]

What's gone wrong? We have no footballers in the side other than Mahrez , which is fine as it was last year providing the side continues to play a high octane fearless 4-4-2 game, we have not done this, Kante is a massive loss as he used to win the ball but then quickly scurry 20 yards before passing a ten yard ball wide or through, now nobody does this and a ten yard ball is a 20 yard hoof. We were so proud watching a 70's/ 80's Liverpool style win an unlikely title, yet we now look like England in a tournament drained of pace and confidence. Confidence comes of course with momentum and this was robbed from us with the fixture list giving us tough away games early season. We do not play anything like a passing game but didn't last year either.

Transfer policy is poor too, stats on a player playing in Denmark or France mean zip. Let's get back to what we are about and buy and promote the cream of the Championship players. For instance would a Tom Ince for example be any worse ( but a lot cheaper) than Musa ? He would certainly be more up to the pace and rigours of English football. But we don't seem happy unless we are spending 10 million plus on players. Not one signing has impressed me since the summer. Mendy? What is he? Does he win it? No can he pass? No, can he run, shoot? Not yet no. Musa? Is he a winger ? Striker? We don't know yet. Slimani is 6'2" and jumps 5'6". N'didi and Amarty stomp around but haven't done much else other than upset the rhythm from last year. Kingy is looking a better player the longer he sits on the bench!

 

[maddog]

The players talked in interviews last season about how prepared Ranieri was for each opponent, Vardy spoke of Claudio being up all night watching videos of the opposition to ensure our players were ready.

 

The players spoke of the amazing spirit and camaraderie within the squad and how great it was to gather in the pool/tv room at the ground before home games and socialise and eat lunch together.

 

Is that man cave now gathering dust? Has Claudio stopped watching videos all night to tactically prepare us? Do the players now dislike each other? 

 

I'm sure Claudio is still doing the same things as last season. The players are mentally on holiday after winning the league and need to look at themselves in the mirror.

 

 

 

 

[Leamington Fox]

I don't think we should be blaming the owners for being generous to the players last season.  They (the owners) have been phenomenal and will continue to be so for us.  Perhaps it was a mistake to hand out so many big contracts and give them cars (which they could pretty much all afford with a few weeks' earnings anyway), but everyone connected with the club was in a total spin and we were desperate to hang on to what we had last season.  Blame the players if a few extra quid in the bank and another car on the forecourt takes their commitment from their game.  Question the manager for not getting more from them.  I would not sack him yet, not least as I do not see any obvious replacement.

 

We will probably still survive.  We have some fantastic young players in the squad.  If we do not go down, I think next season is the real test of whether we have ceased to be a yo-yo team.

 

I'm trying to be cheerful and also trying to persuade my lad to come to Swansea in a few weeks.

[Leamington Fox]

Do you think today's match will feature in "Jamie Vardy: the Movie"?

[Bayfox]

1 hour ago, Leamington Fox said:

I think the original post on this thread was spot on and I do not think any of us know what is going on.  Our squad is pretty good, albeit the defence needs revamping.  I cannot understand the apathy and lack of commitment.  There must be discontent in the dressing room.

 

I've read some interesting books about last season, but Volume II (season 2016-17) will be just as fascinating.  What the heck has gone wrong?

 

I'm just back from Southampton and at no stage did the lads look like they thought they'd get anything out of the game.  Even at 1-0 down, it just went flat and quiet.  No positive reaction at all

Your last sentence is everything  that's wrong.

 

Last year we did believe last year there was a positive reaction. 

 

Stoke. Villa. Southampton etc. Hate the ****ing motto but foxes never did quit. This year they now **** off and have their 100k chicken dinner.

[HybridFox]

35 minutes ago, Col city fan said:

I'll post the theory in here too: this is what I think has gone wrong:

 

I wonder whether Ranieri is Sven 2?

Comes in, like a breath of fresh air. Supportive, positive, says all the right things...and gets success INITIALLY.

Then, as the players start to see they are pretty much soft as shite, they start to take the piss, to rule the roost and to stop trying so hard. Added to this, the amazing success of last season, it's probably not surprising that the players just can't get up for it again. It can't get any better, domestically.

If you look at Sven's and Claudio's careers, there seem to be clear parallels. Initial success, happy players, followed by demise.

It seems to be happening again with us at the moment.

Footballers win football matches, not formations.

And it looks like your 'Heroes' aren't even trying.

Quite simply, these players were given cars, lucrative salaries, contract extensions, praise, adoration etc etc. AND VERY FEW ARGUED WITH ANY OF THIS. 

Now, I fear, the chickens have come home to roost. What these players need now is a kick up the arris. A proper look at themselves. And I don't think they are getting it. They are having it far too easy.

At least, I suspect so.

Edited 2 hours ago by Col city fan

 

That's a very good analogy. I always felt Sven was unlucky to have lost the job.

When Pearson came in, look at the clear out he made of Sven's signings. Only kept the best of the bunch - Kapser, Nugent, Konchesky etc

Much like what could happen with a new face

[crazyleicester]

There are so many things and i have mentioned some over the weeks and months.

 

- Terrible pre-season flying around the world

- Sold a key player who is impossible to replace

- Some players had their bite taken away with new contracts

- The new BMWs softened them up again

- Some players who played above their ability are now playing about at their level. Some have aged like Weso and Huth who seem like they are struggling with the new rule changes.

- New players needing to be bloodied in to such a tight group

- More injuries in about six weeks than we got all of last season

- Players were hungry playing to avoid relegation last season and now maybe a bit of pressure has hit now they won the title and have expectation

- The season after syndrome. Many smaller clubs who had big seasons in the prem suffer the following season with the after the lord mayors show ways!!

- AFCON - Im not saying that this is a big reason but it would have been great if Amartey, Slim and Mahrez where here to play with new boy Ndidi and the returning Drinkwater

- Loss of focus by some like Vards. The lad had a wedding, chats about a bloody movie and had a book out. This season he doesnt want to run. Get back to doing what got you the success! The same goes for some of the others.

- They now have a target on their head as everyone wants to beat the Champs

- Some players are here and they didnt want to be. Maybe Mahrez as the example who doesnt seem to be playing like someone who is giving his all. Schlupp was another. I cant criticise Ulloa though who always seems to try

- Feel good factor gone, even in the stands. The fans were so noisy last season, even when we went a goal down. This season we have been up for it at times but at home when we have gone behind we havent been as encouraging as before.

- Claudio mastered the media last season with his press conferences and took a lot of pressure away from the lads superbly. This time around he is doing his best but it seems a difficult task when his players dont perform. He still comes across as he believes in them but we are down on confidence. Maybe another trip to grab some pizza may be the way forward  

 

Honestly I can go on all day. I am so certain that if we pull our fingers out and stay up we will be so much better for it. We need this season to get out of the way, hopefully we somehow stumble across the line against Sevilla but with so much shite in the Prem at the moment we wont go down. I just hope its not by default and by the players that so many prem clubs would want in their squads namely Vardy, Mahrez, Slimani, Drinkwater and even Gray. Time to up your game lads.

[lgfualol]

47 minutes ago, Col city fan said:

I'll post the theory in here too: this is what I think has gone wrong:

 

I wonder whether Ranieri is Sven 2?

Comes in, like a breath of fresh air. Supportive, positive, says all the right things...and gets success INITIALLY.

Then, as the players start to see they are pretty much soft as shite, they start to take the piss, to rule the roost and to stop trying so hard. Added to this, the amazing success of last season, it's probably not surprising that the players just can't get up for it again. It can't get any better, domestically.

If you look at Sven's and Claudio's careers, there seem to be clear parallels. Initial success, happy players, followed by demise.

It seems to be happening again with us at the moment.

Footballers win football matches, not formations.

And it looks like your 'Heroes' aren't even trying.

Quite simply, these players were given cars, lucrative salaries, contract extensions, praise, adoration etc etc. AND VERY FEW ARGUED WITH ANY OF THIS. 

Now, I fear, the chickens have come home to roost. What these players need now is a kick up the arris. A proper look at themselves. And I don't think they are getting it. They are having it far too easy.

At least, I suspect so.

Edited 2 hours ago by Col city fan

 

Hard to doubt something like this is going on. I think some of the players feel like they're more important. 

 

I feel performances will improve when relegation becomes more of a reality and they panic about their wages.

[CKB]

The list of problems gets bigger and bigger each passing week. Until our mega superstars realise they actually aren't that and start trying again then I'm afraid it's Brentford under the lights next season!

 

Yes Claudio has made mistakes but this all started when the board panicked in the summer and gave undeserving, stupid contracts to more or less everyone. Shocking player recruitment also another issue

 

Coupled that with Ranieri's mistakes, CL prioritising, we are in a right fvckin mess! 

 

Saving grace is we can still have a happy ending but fvck me do certain players need to buck their ideas up and CR needs to cut out the strange decisions

[lgfualol]

6 minutes ago, crazyleicester said:

 

*

 

Agree with this. Pre-season was naive and shit. I know a few players didn't even play 90 minutes! ****ing awful decision making by the club. This summer I want a lot of local games again. 

[Izzy]

The best way I can describe what's wrong is a 'lack of consequence' for the players and CR.

 

In any normal job, if you underperform you ultimately get the sack. If these players continually underperform- so what?

 

They get dropped - big deal, sit on the bench and still earn £100k a week for the duration of their long contracts.

 

They get sold - big deal, they've won the PL and that will always be on the CV. And they're pretty much financially secure for life now anyway (and some close to retirement)

 

They get relegated - big deal, they've won the PL and achieved their lifelong ambition in football.

 

So not only is there no real additional incentive for them to perform, there's also little consequence if they don't.

 

I don't know how much 'professional pride' also comes into it, but it bloody well should. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Leamington Fox]

I usually back Simpson, but he was dreadful today.  Our worst player, I thought.

[sdb]

Glad this topic has been started as I'm ggenuinely unsure now. It seems to be everything. Poor tactics, lazy, unfit players, bad recruitment. 

 

Last time I went to soton away we lost 1-0 and dropped down to our lowest ever ebb a few weeks later. We were pathetic that day yet today was worryingly similar. 

 

Pretty sure we'll go down now. You know when a side is in terminal decline and that's what I feel I've been seeing over recent months. 

[Kitchandro]

5 hours ago, yorkie1999 said:

If you climbed Mount Everest would you want to do it again?

I can't believe how many likes this stupid post has.

 

To me, that says there are an awful lot of people willing to excuse the players not putting effort in. I can't get my head around that.

[Bayfox]

3 minutes ago, Kitchandro said:

I can't believe how many likes this stupid post has.

 

To me, that says there are an awful lot of people willing to excuse the players not putting effort in. I can't get my head around that.

 Agreed .If I was being paid 5 million a year and knew I could do it. Yes I'd ****ing try again.

 

Most irrelevant post made ever. And that's some going from foxes talk.

 

I assume these people all have made it to the top of their profession and called it a day as that's as good as it gets. Ffs.

[Guest Col city fan]

10 minutes ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

The best way I can describe what's wrong is a 'lack of consequence' for the players and CR.

 

In any normal job, if you underperform you ultimately get the sack. If these players continually underperform- so what?

 

They get dropped - big deal, sit on the bench and still earn £100k a week for the duration of their long contracts.

 

They get sold - big deal, they've won the PL and that will always be on the CV. And they're pretty much financially secure for life now anyway (and some close to retirement)

 

They get relegated - big deal, they've won the PL and achieved their lifelong ambition in football.

 

So not only is there no real additional incentive for them to perform, there's also little consequence if they don't.

 

I don't know how much 'professional pride' also comes into it, but it bloody well should. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was thinking this myself and it is so, so true.

If you play for one of the 'big boys', and underperform one season (like Chelsea) you know you will have to improve radically the next season, or you're out.

Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal etc...can only have an 'off season' once. Then, improvements are expected, and quick. Or the players are moved on.

With Leicester, its almost been expected that we would crash this season. It shouldn't have been expected, as we could have done MUCH better than this, but because it's us, the feeling is 'well who cares, last season was a fluke anyway'.

As you say, there is no consequence for our players. There are so few implications for us playing fookin terribly.