Stoke post match 2-0.

[Jattdogg]

What a story these last 4 seasons  have been.

 

-Get promoted

-miracle escape

-win the league against all odds 

-embarassing form,  champs league and reinvigorated.

 

Never dull being a city fan but wouldnt trade it for anything.

 

Love how this team has found the passion from last season again. 

 

Champions  always!

[UPinCarolina]

We looked every bit like champions first half today, and for extended stretches each of the past 5 matches. 

 

Speaking only for myself, that has been a relief - in darker moments, I started to wonder if last season really was just some odd planetary alignment, a glitch in the Matrix, etc. 

[Danny Clender]

9 hours ago, st albans fox said:

You thought he was quiet?

 

pushing up to play the Okazaki role when slim came on doesn't suit him and was noticeable how our midfield wilted last 10 once he played further up. I thought he and wilf did ok together. 

Yes, quiet and certainly in comparison to his previous 4 games.

I'm not saying he didn't play well, because he did. He certainly controlled Joe Allen, so that's a good thing.

Its a sign of how much the team has come on when Drinky can be not as visible in the game and still come out well on top. 

[Danny Clender]

11 hours ago, Thracian said:

Winning always earns a bit of slack. But we shouldn't kid ourselves or start assuming things. Our first team might be back but I'm not sure where our reserves have gone. It still surprises me that King and Ulloa are never used but can only guess it's about Shaky looking to the future. Whatever, our subs made minimal impact today and that's a concern to me even though our relegation situation improved a little more.       

If we consider Gray as a sub, he would have been on the bench, then he's the most obvious example. After yesterday I think it will be safe to say, we'll see Albrighton on the bench for tuesday's game. 

Amartey didn't really need to make an impact and I'm happier for him gaining experience this way rather than what he was doing at the start of the season. 

Chilwell? not much time for him and not that much to do.

Slimani?, well, not really his game, Ulloa would have been a much better option here. 

I think, or at least I hope, for the Everton game we'll see the true test of our bench and depth. 

Oh and Benny, not bad.

 

 

[Lestagirl]

5 hours ago, mozartfox said:

I suspect Vaz stayed until the end.... Great to see him behind the Birch in the Directors' Box. Great man we are lucky to have him.

Ba$tard!  Sorry  but it really gets to me... cant stand that man ... Vaz of course not out lovely Birch!

[Sir Shep]

Having watched the highlights on MOTD I have to say some our play was pure filth, just so impressed how good we look now. I really do hope we can keep hold of the likes of a Kasper, Mahrez, Gray and Nidi because if we can I think we can push on again and whilst not quite winning the league perhaps pushing for the top 7. 

[Beachyboy]

8 hours ago, The Doctor said:

To be fair, people wanted a clear out because players looked past it (Wes, huth and Fuchs looked like they'd all aged a decade over the summer), or because their body language made them look like they didn't want to be there (drinkwater in particular), the body language is much improved and, particularly in the case of Fuchs, they look like they've found their legs again

Hey I love this team, also thought a clear out may have been needed 2 months ago, an am as glad as anyone that fortunes have changed, all I was saying is I think it's a bit much to expect this team to finish in the top 6 next season as it is. I personally would be happy with top 10 this season an next an then looking at trying to push on from there.

 

Set the target at 50 points next season an go from there, this season has shown how quickly it can change.

[st albans fox]

15 minutes ago, Sir Shep said:

Having watched the highlights on MOTD I have to say some our play was pure filth, just so impressed how good we look now. I really do hope we can keep hold of the likes of a Kasper, Mahrez, Gray and Nidi because if we can I think we can push on again and whilst not quite winning the league perhaps pushing for the top 7. 

No chance of catching Everton in seventh.

 

given our CL involvement, you can expect squad rotation which hasn't ended so well thus far this season. been a tough season for the fellas and once safe, wonder if we will see a strong end to the campaign. 

[HighPeakFox]

8 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

No chance of catching Everton in seventh.

 

given our CL involvement, you can expect squad rotation which hasn't ended so well thus far this season. been a tough season for the fellas and once safe, wonder if we will see a strong end to the campaign. 

Methinks he meant NEXT season...

[st albans fox]

2 minutes ago, HighPeakFox said:

Methinks he meant NEXT season...

Oh yeah - apologies shep! doing two things at the same time!

[Livid]

Honestly, back in August, not  knowing how things would go if I had been offered sitting 13th and in a CL quarter final on 1st April I would have took it.

 

It's the journey we've had to get here and knowing we could have done so much better that irks me.

[NotTheMarketLeader]

14 hours ago, StriderHiryu said:

Seems a bit harsh to me! He could easily have come off the pitch having scored or assisted 3 today. Demari Grey was just as wasteful for me if you look at the match as a whole.

 

I agree that overall you would have to rate him as below-par, but that's because we know what he can do. If he made the correct decisions in those situations he'd be back to being at the Player of the Year level he was last season.

 

He's still getting into dangerous positions and making things happen... it's not like he has given up on us. He's always got that languid / can't seem arsed look to him but if you look at his running stats, they are actually as good as if not slightly better than most other players in the team. His style looks deceptive!

Ifs and buts. 

 

The fact is he's was awful again today; losing the ball constantly whether with passes or unsuccessful dribbles and then making terrible decisions.

 

He had one decent effort in the first half but infuriating to watch. 

 

Now our worst player in every game since Shakey took over - way off his capabilities.

 

 

[Xen]

5 hours ago, Jattdogg said:

What a story these last 4 seasons  have been.

 

-Get promoted

-miracle escape

-win the league against all odds 

-embarassing form,  champs league and reinvigorated.

 

Never dull being a city fan but wouldnt trade it for anything.

 

Love how this team has found the passion from last season again. 

 

Champions  always!

Even the 5th season back was full of drama! Qualify for the playoffs by the skin of our teeth with a last minute goal against our local rivals, denying them the spot in the process. Then *that* penalty against Watford in the second leg and what happened after. 

 

There aren't many clubs who can claim they've had as much excitement in recent years as we have, and we're only just getting started...

[sylofox]

37 minutes ago, Xen said:

Even the 5th season back was full of drama! Qualify for the playoffs by the skin of our teeth with a last minute goal against our local rivals, denying them the spot in the process. Then *that* penalty against Watford in the second leg and what happened after. 

 

There aren't many clubs who can claim they've had as much excitement in recent years as we have, and we're only just getting started...

That Watford game and the antics they come out with makes the winning all the sweeter.

[fuchsntf]

These last 4 PL games....doesnt half beat the meltdowns and dribbling candle wax, we seen in the 1st 2 thirds

of the season, on the forum.  Though we do see the odd spoiler posts who do their upmost to ruin others weekend.

 

If Claudio had seen his team beat Millwall and Swansea.....now then!!!!   

[The Doctor]

9 hours ago, Carl the Llama said:

Or more likely he's learned what makes the team tick from his time working as the assistant manager to God and subsequently Claudio.  The rest I agree with.

Think Claudio was before Allardyce tbf 

 

1 hour ago, Beachyboy said:

Hey I love this team, also thought a clear out may have been needed 2 months ago, an am as glad as anyone that fortunes have changed, all I was saying is I think it's a bit much to expect this team to finish in the top 6 next season as it is. I personally would be happy with top 10 this season an next an then looking at trying to push on from there.

 

Set the target at 50 points next season an go from there, this season has shown how quickly it can change.

Not arguing with that, and frankly we still do need a refresh in the summer - even with the emergence of benny we've still got 4 centre backs with an average age of nearly 33, that's not sustainable.

[StriderHiryu]

1 hour ago, NotTheMarketLeader said:

Ifs and buts. 

 

The fact is he's was awful again today; losing the ball constantly whether with passes or unsuccessful dribbles and then making terrible decisions.

 

He had one decent effort in the first half but infuriating to watch. 

 

Now our worst player in every game since Shakey took over - way off his capabilities.

 

 

I've got to disagree with you there. He was one of our most dangerous players throughout the game and many papers have given him a strong rating for the match. 

 

Anyway everyone is entitled to their opinion and asking more from Mahrez is fair given that in his day he is capable of the world class. Personally I think he's close to turning it on again. I think he needs that one game where he is MOTM and runs the opposition ragged. Am hoping that Sunderland is that game!

[Max Wall]

15 hours ago, Sharpe's Fox said:

Looked great today. Had a great view of Wilfs goal was an absolute corker. Jamie's goal wasn't bad either.

 

How bollocks are Stoke, though? Berahino looks a stone overweight and their midfield is devoid of any quality whatsoever. If i were them I'd say get rid of Sparkey cus he's doing nothing with them.

A fair achievement to be a stone overweight given his (alleged) penchant for Peruvian marching pills.

[NeilLCFC]

17 hours ago, Donut said:

FFS Give the Ranieri thing a rest. 

It's clear had we got rid of him summer we would be competing to finish in the top 4. It's been great to see us playing the way we are now, but I can't help but feel a sense of missed opportunity and like we've wasted a season so it's hard not to feel frustrated. 

 

Surely now even you can see I was right when I expressed my concern about CR very early on in the season, and questioned how much of our success was down to him. 

 

Anyway donut, at least we can relax knowing we're in much better hands under Shakey, and we're still in the CL.

[ARTY_FOX]

11 hours ago, Hack said:

So has N'didi now fully replaced Kante?  Who is looking likely to be Player of the yer at Chelsea.  Is it N'didi's form that has really been the turning point for this resurgence for us?

 

I wouldn't put it down to Ndidi no but he's been a great replacement. Kate without the ball is on his own level but with the ball at his feet Ndidi is far better. 

 

The up turn in form is going back to what we're best at. Football on the front foot! High pressing quick counter attacking football and we attack in numbers again. 

 

While this is going to be a hugely controversial statement I think Ndidi will be in an improvement on Kante. He isn't as good at getting the ball back (nobody is) although hes very very good at it, but the rest of his game is already far superior. He'll be the next player social media fawn over as the 'best in the world' as soon as he plays for a traditional top club. 

[ajthefox]

10 hours ago, STUHILL said:

I love this comment. The amount of pundits declaring how average and poor our players were, was quite astonishing. Jamie Carragher and Michael Owen get a special mention who again and again, said that "they just aren't very good players" and last year was "a fluke" and "a lot of these players are not much better than your average championship ones". Also, basically suggesting that Claudio had single handedly turned us into Premier League winners and without him, we were nothing. Well.. I would like to hear what they have to say now, as we are making very decent teams and players look incredibly average when we outplay them like today. Hopefully when we finish as high as 10th, Michael Owen can also stop patting himself on the back for declaring that we would get relegated at the start of the season. Something he was very smug about when we were in our slump. 

 

Not that I'm bitter or anything.. 

I agree with what you've said but there was a significant amount of people on this board saying some of our players were better suited to the championship and suggesting we need a complete squad overhaul in the summer just a few weeks back.

 

I'm sure I read a post suggesting 6-10 of our current squad should be shipped out and all be replaced only a couple of days ago. It's not just the pundits who are fickle.

[bart]

Has any referee ever followed the change to the rules regarding going off after treatment. Once again it was forgotten about when Gray was fouled. 

 

Laws of the game - 

If a player is fouled and hurt by an opponent who subsequently receives a yellow or red card for the challenge, the injured player may be quickly treated on the pitch without the need to leave the field of play.

 

 

[NotTheMarketLeader]

1 hour ago, StriderHiryu said:

I've got to disagree with you there. He was one of our most dangerous players throughout the game and many papers have given him a strong rating for the match. 

 

Anyway everyone is entitled to their opinion and asking more from Mahrez is fair given that in his day he is capable of the world class. Personally I think he's close to turning it on again. I think he needs that one game where he is MOTM and runs the opposition ragged. Am hoping that Sunderland is that game!

Let's be clear I hope you are correct. However I just did not see much other than flimflam yesterday - again. He had opportunities to cause some damage and didn't deliver.

 

While we keep winning he will retain his place I suspect, but based on his performances before and since the managerial change there is no way he should be a starter. Continuing to play  him has cost Gray multiple starts which I really don't see as having been fair; born out by the latters display yesterday.

 

Mahrez has been given eight months to play himself into form and that hasn't happened. He should by now have at least become acquainted with the bench; his shot in the second half which he dragged wide of the near post when the return pass to JV would have given him a tap in, is indicative of a player who can't help himself from making the wrong decisions. 

 

 

[st albans fox]

23 minutes ago, bart said:

Has any referee ever followed the change to the rules regarding going off after treatment. Once again it was forgotten about when Gray was fouled. 

 

Laws of the game - 

If a player is fouled and hurt by an opponent who subsequently receives a yellow or red card for the challenge, the injured player may be quickly treated on the pitch without the need to leave the field of play.

 

 

Infuriates me but to be fair to the referee it seems the physios are too keen to take the players from the field of play once treatment is over. Also, note the phrase 'quickly'. It may have been decided that gray would be best served by not being involved in the next phase of play.

 

by the way - on a different note, how many others thought at the point that Simpson was delivering the cross - what are you doing? Mahrez and gray are both to your right!!

[David Hankey]

Superb performance, magnificent win and well taken goals, what more could you ask for?

 

And how Shawcross never got sent off I will never know. The tackle on Gray was worthy of a red card and I am sure the ref on reflection will agree. Deplorable tackle, nowhere near the ball and lunged purely to take the player out.