Claudio Ranieri’s persistence fails to recognise Leicester system failure

[dannythefox]

Personally I think playing 4-4-2 nearly every game under Pearson and last season worked for us and everyone understood how to play the system. This season they've been asked to play different in a few games and from the games I've seen some don't know what's going on, Drinkwater in the last 3 games has at times been down the wing I can't even remember that happing once last season? He needs to be central end of. The other thing is Vardy can't play alone up top so why bother. Recruitment has shafted us well and truly this time every team below us are stronger than they were at the start of the window and we're not. 

[Rigga]

4-4-2....3-5-2.....4-4-1-1.....4-3-3....Non of them matter if we cant pass a ball 10 yards to another Leicester player

[Guest Danny Clender]

4 hours ago, Thracian said:

 

 

 

I'm increasingly despondent about our chances of avoiding relegation and even more so if we keep leaving King out. He's the only link we've got between defence and attack and the sooner the manager recognises that the better.

 

N'Didi's doing fine as the defensive midfielder he's supposed to be but we need to build from there and have no chance right now.

I still don't think King will be enough to swing it. But it will be a start. 

 

I'd put Chilwell in as a left wing-back to provide another passer and get as much threat and passing as we can in other positions.

 

Something like:

 

Kasper;

 

Albrighton, Morgan,  Huth, Chilwell;

 

       Ni'Didi, King, Amartey; 

                                                

       Mahrez,  Slimani, Musa.                                

 

I don't pretend that's perfect either. There's little to chose between Musa, Ulloa, Shinji or Grey. All have strengths and weaknesses.

 

But Ulloa won't be fully fit,  Shinji spends all his time on the floor and can't pass while Grey runs out of gas too soon.

 

The system should be far more fluid in terms of passing,  off-the-ball movement and also includes a few more potential scorers than usual and the ability to move forward and  backwards as one.

 

Above all it has threat that needs to be countered, goals potential and some hope that we can play the ball on the floor.  

 

It's there as a basis and a more forward-looking blueprint for the future.              . 

 

 

I really do like your philosophy, it works.

Not just the players you've left out, but the way you've thought about players and the positions they can understand, equally the type of players that won't say the equivalent of "computer says no, I don't do that position" yeah, we know who they are right now.

 

I just keep looking at Albrighton's inclusion at RB. Is he really the player to pick up that James Milner type of switch, Milner's an angry sod, really strong bugger, Albrighton does not match him for me in that position (left or right, don't matter) 

Are you fed up of Simpson? If so, we could try and hatch in there Benny or Wague. But if you reckon Albrighton can perform there then do it. 

Also, King. That position for me is where we need a feckin' warrior. Theoretically, he's got a lovely cultured footballing brain, but just not enough pit bull scariness for me. Nobody else does that, but I think if we can work on Drinkwater he can become country-class again and take this role with a bit bit bite and intimidation. For now though, definitely give him a sick note until he's better.  

Now, last bit, with Amartey and his AFCON CB experience does seem to add up to replace Wes or Huth, for now. 

 

It's so easy doing it on here.

[Thracian]

4 hours ago, HankMarvin said:

they have run 30 miles less than this time last year

If that's a verifiable statistic it's a condemnation of both the players for letting their feelings affect their professionalism and the manager for not doing anything about it. 

 

In over 60 years now of watching Leicester I can't ever remember thinking they weren't trying - until this season when the Porto game was a prime example and just as inexcusable as the others in relation to "attitude towards fans and the opportunity being presented to fringe players if, of course, they ever saw it as that.  

[Thracian]

10 minutes ago, Danny Clender said:

I really do like your philosophy, it works.

Not just the players you've left out, but the way you've thought about players and the positions they can understand, equally the type of players that won't say the equivalent of "computer says no, I don't do that position" yeah, we know who they are right now.

 

I just keep looking at Albrighton's inclusion at RB. Is he really the player to pick up that James Milner type of switch, Milner's an angry sod, really strong bugger, Albrighton does not match him for me in that position (left or right, don't matter) 

Are you fed up of Simpson? If so, we could try and hatch in there Benny or Wague. But if you reckon Albrighton can perform there then do it. 

Also, King. That position for me is where we need a feckin' warrior. Theoretically, he's got a lovely cultured footballing brain, but just not enough pit bull scariness for me. Nobody else does that, but I think if we can work on Drinkwater he can become country-class again and take this role with a bit bit bite and intimidation. For now though, definitely give him a sick note until he's better.  

Now, last bit, with Amartey and his AFCON CB experience does seem to add up to replace Wes or Huth, for now. 

 

It's so easy doing it on here.

 

I could explain all my reasoning but let me take just one point. 

Do you really think I'd wouldn't want "a pit bull" in Kingy's place who could pass, tackle, run for ever, thread sublime passes and score a few goals?

I'd even say it's a crime, given our status and our wealth, that we haven't got one. 

But trawl through our team squad and we haven't got one.

We haven't got a lot of things.

 

 

.   

[Guest Danny Clender]

No worries, you explained it all. 

Yeah an angry leader in the centre of the park with all of the skills you said, would be nice all round, I know its not easy. 

I just think it's sad that if you think King is the closest to this person, then why has nobody else thought this and cultured it yet. 

Surely King could prove this on the pitch, I don't think he's done this. 

He's the longest server, surely he can take this role on for himself if he wanted to?

I still think our best chance for this is DD, if he can't be bothered, then we have to wait until summer. 

[NotTheMarketLeader]

4 minutes ago, Danny Clender said:

No worries, you explained it all. 

Yeah an angry leader in the centre of the park with all of the skills you said, would be nice all round, I know its not easy. 

I just think it's sad that if you think King is the closest to this person, then why has nobody else thought this and cultured it yet. 

Surely King could prove this on the pitch, I don't think he's done this. 

He's the longest server, surely he can take this role on for himself if he wanted to?

I still think our best chance for this is DD, if he can't be bothered, then we have to wait until summer. 

The reason King is out of the team is that HE TOO has been found wanting. 

 

Its not impossible in that with two defensive midfielders behind him that he could be the link with the strikers, as Thracian suggests but over the years he's never consistantly looked good enough to be a PL starter. 

 

 

[Guest Danny Clender]

3 minutes ago, NotTheMarketLeader said:

The reason King is out of the team is that HE TOO has been found wanting. 

 

Its not impossible in that with two defensive midfielders behind him that he could be the link with the strikers, as Thracian suggests but over the years he's never consistantly looked good enough to be a PL starter. 

 

 

Kingy should have the chance then

He certainly did it around the time he was 19, 20 and 21 and looked like he would be that player, but then he dipped. 

He's had chances since, but this is now simply repeating the same opinions we've all had about him for the last 5 or so years.

 

Give him his chance and let him do it or not. 

Would you take the chance right now?

 

I still agree with the people backing him for a future manager i.e quite an under the radar player, great speaker, intelligent lad.

I'll watch this one.

[Stadt]

5 hours ago, Thracian said:

 

 

 

I'm increasingly despondent about our chances of avoiding relegation and even more so if we keep leaving King out. He's the only link we've got between defence and attack and the sooner the manager recognises that the better.

 

N'Didi's doing fine as the defensive midfielder he's supposed to be but we need to build from there and have no chance right now.

I still don't think King will be enough to swing it. But it will be a start. 

 

I'd put Chilwell in as a left wing-back to provide another passer and get as much threat and passing as we can in other positions.

 

Something like:

 

Kasper;

 

Albrighton, Morgan,  Huth, Chilwell;

 

       Ni'Didi, King, Amartey; 

                                                

       Mahrez,  Slimani, Musa.                                

 

I don't pretend that's perfect either. There's little to chose between Musa, Ulloa, Shinji or Grey. All have strengths and weaknesses.

 

But Ulloa won't be fully fit,  Shinji spends all his time on the floor and can't pass while Grey runs out of gas too soon.

 

The system should be far more fluid in terms of passing,  off-the-ball movement and also includes a few more potential scorers than usual and the ability to move forward and  backwards as one.

 

Above all it has threat that needs to be countered, goals potential and some hope that we can play the ball on the floor.  

 

It's there as a basis and a more forward-looking blueprint for the future.              . 

 

 

That midfield is too workman-like, Drinkwater needs to play otherwise there'd be too little creativity and too little forward passing, I think having N'Didi and Amartey together is overkill.

[ROB-THE-BLUE]

1 hour ago, dannythefox said:

Recruitment has shafted us well and truly this time every team below us are stronger than they were at the start of the window and we're not. 

Hull are definitely not stronger without Snodgrass and Livermore.

[USFox]

I'm starting to think it's less the system and more the players. We have a lot of holes in key areas that we need to fix (LB, RB, CB's, CDM's, LM) before this team can compete at a Premier League level week in and week out. That's why I don't understand why we stayed pat during the offseason and didn't really go after fixing all of our issues. Maybe the coach thought that once Mahrez, Slimani, and Amartey come back from Afcon they'd make the team that much better? Who knows.

[dayday]

3 hours ago, Col city fan said:

Feels like everyone is missing the point.

Formations are important, but they don't win football matches. Players do.

And this lot simply do not look like they want to play for the manager or look particularly bothered at all.

Why do you think Hull have improved? Swansea? It won't be about 44 bloody 2. It'll be because the players feel refreshed working for a new boss they respect.

I haven't got a clue what our game plan is anymore.

 

Last season we played a simple system, sit back, win possession back and turn defence into all out attack.

 

Made me laugh when people said we had been found out, we hadn't and we proved it all last season, Ranieri shouldn't of changed it, yes Kante went but he knew this well in advance, ideal replacement Ayew we didn't even bother with even though Walsh recommended him.

 

From the start of the season Ranieri hinted we couldn't play that way anymore, that was the beginning of the end, and now his bloody tinkering week in week out has made the players unsure of there roles anymore.

 

He needs to do something quick because time is running out, we need 6 wins from somewhere and with the players body language as it is i just can't see that happening.

 

 

[HankMarvin]

1 hour ago, Thracian said:

If that's a verifiable statistic it's a condemnation of both the players for letting their feelings affect their professionalism and the manager for not doing anything about it. 

 

In over 60 years now of watching Leicester I can't ever remember thinking they weren't trying - until this season when the Porto game was a prime example and just as inexcusable as the others in relation to "attitude towards fans and the opportunity being presented to fringe players if, of course, they ever saw it as that.  

After 23 Prem fixtures in 2015-16, the Foxes squad had run 1,582 miles in total.

 

They have clocked 1,552 in the same period this season — a drop of 30 miles. That means the Foxes are, on average,  running more than a mile less per game compared to when they won the title by ten points. Not only that, they have netted 18 fewer goals  at this stage, too.

 

 

 

you would actually expect an increase this year given the lack of possession and losing games.

[easilee]

Interesting read in the Sun today for once.

He has a point.

 

FROM champions to chumps in just nine months.

Leicester have fallen faster down the Premier League table than Jamie Vardy does in the opposition’s penalty box.

And the main reason for their remarkable slump into relegation candidates is…TIREDNESS.

 

Claudio Ranieri’s squad have failed to deal with the increased workload that comes with  being in the Champions League for the first time.

As a result, they find themselves a staggering 26 points worse off at this stage of the season than during their miraculous Prem-winning campaign.

Quite frankly, the Foxes are knackered as four high-octane seasons through the divisions have finally caught up with them — as our statistics show.

Last term, Ranieri’s players averaged one game every seven days. This season, it is one game every five.

After 23 Prem fixtures in 2015-16, the Foxes squad had run 1,582 miles in total.

They have clocked 1,552 in the same period this season — a drop of 30 miles. That means the Foxes are, on average,  running more than a mile less per game compared to when they won the title by ten points. Not only that, they have netted 18 fewer goals  at this stage, too.

If they do not quickly address their form — especially after a run of two wins in ten games —  then Fifa’s World Coach of the Year   will preside over an embarrassing relegation to the Championship.

They have clocked 1,552 in the same period this season — a drop of 30 miles. That means the Foxes are, on average,  running more than a mile less per game compared to when they won the title by ten points. Not only that, they have netted 18 fewer goals  at this stage, too.

If they do not quickly address their form — especially after a run of two wins in ten games —  then Fifa’s World Coach of the Year   will preside over an embarrassing relegation to the Championship.

Last season, Rangers manager Mark Warburton spoke about how Ranieri had managed Leicester’s workload to perfection.He said: “If you look at the way Leicester play, they have a really high energy, they press hard, the team run hard. To do that you must be in good physical shape. Your recovery programmes must be very, very high and they’ve got that right.

They get the right amount of days off, they get the right loading in training, which is reflected in the energy they have on matchdays.

The fact Leicester aren’t involved in Europe helps.”

Now, with the Champions League set to resume against Sevilla later this month and an FA Cup replay with Derby next week, the fixture list will certainly not get any easier for the Foxes.

And their cause has not been helped by the sale of workhorse N’Golo Kante to Chelsea last summer. His absence has affected their form more than they would have known.

Against Liverpool on Tuesday, Kante made a season-high 14 successful tackles.

His ability to seize possession back and turn defence into attack was the springboard for  Vardy and Riyad Mahrez to enjoy the season of their lives. Now Leicester do not get the ball forward as quickly — and that hurts Vardy.

Leicester are officially the worst defending champions after 23 games, eclipsing Ipswich’s sorry  1962-63.

If they are not careful, they could become the first English champs to be relegated since Manchester City 79 years ago.

[harpendenfox]

lots of informed posts in this thread. Back in the successful promotion from the Championship season I first noticed that when Vardy chased a lost cause in the first minute or two it ignited the crowd and the team, regardless of whether he won the ball. It's critical to our momentum, and it's not happening any more. And as others have written, Drinky is a pale shadow of what we know he is capable of. It's those two who are critical, because if they are back on song, it will take some of the pressure off are creaking defence. The opposition will go back to worrying about us rather than just executing their own game plan.

 

Of course there is little we can do, but I reckon Vardy used to love the 'party' song, it perked him up, made him feel loved. So we should sing it with the intensity of a year ago. Sure it might make no difference at all, but let's try something from the terraces. Similarly, lots of noise for Drinky. We need him to ping passes again, and if he tries one and it goes horribly wrong, sing his song rather than groaning.

 

I know I am scraping the barrel, but if these two get their mojo back it could be transformational. I'm as stunned and anxious as anyone, but we need to try and create a top top atmosphere on Sunday, we really do

[HankMarvin]

Tiredness my Arse 

 

6 extra games.

 

Offset by one less in the league cup that went into extra time.

 

they been shit since the beginning of the season and pre season

 

[HankMarvin]

Maybe this is wearing them out

 

 

 

[Thracian]

1 hour ago, Danny Clender said:

No worries, you explained it all. 

Yeah an angry leader in the centre of the park with all of the skills you said, would be nice all round, I know its not easy. 

I just think it's sad that if you think King is the closest to this person, then why has nobody else thought this and cultured it yet. 

Surely King could prove this on the pitch, I don't think he's done this. 

He's the longest server, surely he can take this role on for himself if he wanted to?

I still think our best chance for this is DD, if he can't be bothered, then we have to wait until summer. 

 

They have thought of it and King's results record in a Leicester shirt has been excellent.

 

I've even seen him play well alongside Drinkwater, who always seems like the more dominant individual.

 

His great strengths have been his demanding of the ball, his constant involvement. Gradually he added physical strength too so he's not easily shrugged off the ball. And, yes, he sometimes picked a decent over-the-top ball. 

 

What he's never been is a genuine match-by-match creative player, a goal threat or a master-craftsman when it comes to short, sharp give and goes..

 

And unfortunately, for whatever reasons, his form has been dreadful for weeks. He's looking laboured. His passing is unreliable and his confidence has hit it's lowest ebb since he's been here. 

 

So, as I said, without King in the team we have no-one to play what I call the conjunction passes. One and two touch passes that bring others into play quickly and enable us to go forward with minimum risk.

 

Instead we're just humping the ball hopefully forward or passing it back to Kasper who has little choice but to hoof.   

 

 

        

[Thracian]

43 minutes ago, HankMarvin said:

After 23 Prem fixtures in 2015-16, the Foxes squad had run 1,582 miles in total.

 

They have clocked 1,552 in the same period this season — a drop of 30 miles. That means the Foxes are, on average,  running more than a mile less per game compared to when they won the title by ten points. Not only that, they have netted 18 fewer goals  at this stage, too.

 

 

 

you would actually expect an increase this year given the lack of possession and losing games.

Thanks Hank. I'd like to hear Ranieri's explanation. 

[Thracian]

1 hour ago, Wookie said:

That midfield is too workman-like, Drinkwater needs to play otherwise there'd be too little creativity and too little forward passing, I think having N'Didi and Amartey together is overkill.

 

I debated retaining Drinkwater but a) thought he needed a (genuine) rest anyway, b) That the three chosen would give us lots of help winning aerial battles in midfield, and  also in defending set pieces and c) That it would give N'Didi and Amartey more time to develop their understanding and establish their presence in the team.   

 

[funkyrobot]

The lack of press this year by Vardy is really frustrating and confusing. It's one of the factors that has caused a malaise within the team. The lack of his front line pressing. It was one of his standout attributes alongside his pace and his finishing and yet this year it has all but disappeared. Him chasing down created uncertainty and resulted in us winning the ball back higher up the pitch and I'm sure it helped Mahrez too as he then could exploit the space that Vardy's pressing created. Surely it's the one attribute that isn't reliant on form and yet he seems to have given this up. I just don't get it. I'd be saying to Vardy 'just chase everything, run yourself into the ground, create uncertainty and get the crowd going.' Instead he's become a half hearted jockyer, giving up responsibility to the rest of the team. 

[Jimmy]

Vardy doesn't press because a one man press, and that's all it was at the start of the season, is pointless, our midfield is 20-30 yards too deep to press effectively 

[Jimmy]

21 minutes ago, Thracian said:

 

I debated retaining Drinkwater but a) thought he needed a (genuine) rest anyway, b) That the three chosen would give us lots of help winning aerial battles in midfield, and  also in defending set pieces and c) That it would give N'Didi and Amartey more time to develop their understanding and establish their presence in the team.   

 

NDidi doesn't have the apostrophe in his name Thracian

NDidi and Mendy need to play with King in a 3 or just them as a 2 as soon as he is back Amartey needs to be installed at CB, big, strong, good in the air and has some pace about him, exactly what we are missing there

[Thracian]

2 minutes ago, Jimmy said:

Vardy doesn't press because a one man press, and that's all it was at the start of the season, is pointless, our midfield is 20-30 yards too deep to press effectively 

 

Again it points to the slowness of our central defence. We've been woefully exposed by even a single pass after our opponents' defensive clearance and this has only further discouraged our back four from pressing forward in support of the midfield, 

 

With faster defenders or a midfield anchorman this really shouldn't be a problem      

[funkyrobot]

4 minutes ago, Jimmy said:

Vardy doesn't press because a one man press, and that's all it was at the start of the season, is pointless, our midfield is 20-30 yards too deep to press effectively 

A one man press or chasing a percentage ball on his own was one of the things that made Vardy stand out last year. Chasing these lost causes created uncertainty and made his marker lose confidence. It was a unique attribute within the premier league last year (because it does often look like a lost cause that most others couldn't be arsed to chase) and it helped get him in the England set up. He's a senior pro on probably the highest wage in the team and as such he should be leading by example. For whatever reason we've suddenly got a Vardy-Lite edition. Even if he's lost a yard of pace and lost his finishing touch, the one thing he was always great at last year was chasing lost causes, running around like a blue arsed fly and generally being a pest. This year he's a defenders dream.