So, what would you do?

[FLAN]

1 hour ago, walkerleeds said:

 

Did you miss the Derby game? Alright quality-wise no one was special other than Gray but he showed 10 times more fight than i've seen from Drinkwater or Mendy (although obviously he's had minimal game time) this season.

 

In a time where we need characters and players who actually care about the club, Andy King should absolutely be considered alongside Ndidi in the midfield.

You've seen how he cowers in 50/50 scenarios and always pushes responsibility to others? Senior pro with no leadership quality at all

[Thracian]

5 hours ago, FLAN said:

You've seen how he cowers in 50/50 scenarios and always pushes responsibility to others? Senior pro with no leadership quality at all

Quite insulting that for a guy with so many appearances, so many honours and lots more goals than any of our other midfielders.

King has actually improved his tackling and tracking.

That doesn't make him a Danny Tiatto or any other kind of scrapper but retaining the ball and passing it quickly in tight situations isn't abdicating responsibility, quite the opposite.

And I wish we had others to do it because we give the ball away like an unwanted leaflet.

Some consider people like Shinji to be a scrapper but it's illusion. He's a hustler but never stays on his feet long enough to be a scrapper and on the rare occasions he gets the ball under any kind of control his passing is totally unreliable.

Mahrez has hardly won the ball back all season, Gray's willing enough but hardly tenacious and even Albrighton's fairly lightweight, busy as he is and none of those players are anywhere near as good as King in terms of reading the game.

In the centre of midfield Mendy's been a part-timer who's never yet dominated, Ndid's promising and a decent ball winner but not noticeably creative and Drinkwater's strong and tenacious but disappointing now as a passer and has never been a goal threat.

Overall, in terms of this season's performances I'd say of all the players mentioned, King's been by far the most consistently reliable and constructive

That, in itself, doesn't say a great deal and only emphasises why so many on here fail to understand why we've not improved the situation.              

[Thracian]

On 15/02/2017 at 18:12, FLAN said:

I can't take any suggestion including King seriously. There isn't a less suitable player for a big fight. 

King played lots during our "great escape". As he has done in all our successes.  

[lcfcsnow]

I have always been of the opinion shirts with collars are annoying to play in, even at 5 a side. Further evidence below.

 

2013/14 - no collar.

2014/15 - collar.

2015-16 - no collar.

2016/17 - collar.

 

Even that last game in the 2014/15 season against QPR in our new collarless kit was a massive difference. So I would cut the collar off each matchday shirt before games.

[Guest Mickyblueeyes]

11 minutes ago, Thracian said:

King played lots during our "great escape". As he has done in all our successes.  

I'll say one thing for Kingy. His best season for us in terms of production was when he played as an attacking midfielder. I think he scored something like 15 goals that season. He looked, that season that he could not only make the step up but demand a starting position. I don't think the closing down and/or tackling are the strongest part of his game but he does it. Systems and the success of other midfielders meant he had to fill in for the "box to box" midfielder rather than an attacking midfielder who did the dirty work. It would've been good to see how far he would've progressed had he actually played that role. 

[FLAN]

14 hours ago, Thracian said:

King played lots during our "great escape". As he has done in all our successes.  

Played at the start but did he start  many in the great escape run at the end?

cambiasso and James until injury wasn't it? 

Serious question I can't find stats to show how many he played in that we won. Certainly got the goal v west ham

 

doesnt change my opinion that he isn't what we need now 

[Thracian]

1 hour ago, FLAN said:

Played at the start but did he start  many in the great escape run at the end?

cambiasso and James until injury wasn't it? 

Serious question I can't find stats to show how many he played in that we won. Certainly got the goal v west ham

 

doesnt change my opinion that he isn't what we need now 

The point is that we've got no better alternatives in central midfield who can retain possession, bring people like Mahrez and Gray into play and score the odd goal.

Yes, I rate the guy more than his more blinkered critics but it's a misconception that I think he's God's gift to creative midfield play. Check the Foxestalk record by all means but I've actually said he should move on more than a couple of times. He'd get more games and we could evolve with a supercharged alternative.    

Again, I'm surprised and disapppointed that we haven't developed our own but who have we developed? We can't even come up with a right back or centre-back who's Premiership standard nor a single centre-forward or goalkeeper despite having a specialist goalkeeper coach.

Tom Lawrence seems one of the few to be even nearing the required standard.

I'd like Drinkwater to be able to do the job and when I first saw him play in a Championship victory at Southampton I had high hopes. When I last saw him in an abject Premiership defeat he looked a shadow of his best and, sadly, that best has been busy and combative rather than creative and deadly in front of goal.

Ndidi shows promise - mostly defensively so far but perhaps his influence will widen with confidence and the establishment of his presence while Mendy's been largely anonymous. even accepting his stuttering start due to injury.  

[Bryn]

We need to start using the ball more sensibly. All 11 players need to be able to pose a threat in possession. At the moment teams only need to mark one or two players because they know everyone else will just put the ball out of play.

 

Schmeichel

 

Amartey Ndidi Benalouane Chilwell

 

Drinkwater Mendy

 

Mahrez King Gray

 

Vardy

[NotTheMarketLeader]

23 hours ago, mick47 said:

So no ones got a scooby then.

Until the " behind the scenes stuff " is sorted we're royally f****d.

If there is any resentment,conflict or general dislike between players, manager or backroom staff then any change in tactical strategy, formation or player substitution will be like p*****g in the wind. You'd only be papering over the cracks, and  we are way too far into the season to sort the real problems at the club. I sincerely hope I'm wrong but I fear if we do manage to avoid relegation  it will be down to luck rather than team selection or tactical strategy.

If we stay up by luck...I'd take that. 

[Thracian]

1 hour ago, NotTheMarketLeader said:

If we stay up by luck...I'd take that. 

That's a lot of luck you'e banking on over 13 games. Especially as we're running out of centre-forwards, we've not got an attacking midfield player in the club, our defence is leaking like a multi-punctured dam and the "Fearless" rallying cry would be more appropriately read as an NHS adaption seeing as we're looking so sick ... "Nil By Football".

 

   

[NotTheMarketLeader]

1 hour ago, Thracian said:

That's a lot of luck you'e banking on over 13 games. Especially as we're running out of centre-forwards, we've not got an attacking midfield player in the club, our defence is leaking like a multi-punctured dam and the "Fearless" rallying cry would be more appropriately read as an NHS adaption seeing as we're looking so sick ... "Nil By Football".

 

   

Yes it's a truly sorry state of affairs.

 

I never actually thought for a second that we could survive by luck alone btw.