Next up.. Sunderland. Home.

[stripeyfox]

It's about time they got relegated. They're like a turd that won't flush!

 

[st albans fox]

2 hours ago, WigstonWanderer said:

No but we'd have to be really shit to go down now. We only need 6 points from 9 matches, possibly less. That itself is relegation form only.

 

Time to prioritise the CL again. Play the first team here, the reserves against Everton and back to the first team vs Atletico. Of course I'd like to see us finish in the top half as well but the two objectives are not incompatible. If we're completely out of it after the first leg, go back to prioritising the league.

And your point is perfectly made 

 

'time to prioritise the CL again'

 

we lose our next three (which is feasible given sunderlands annual ability to find a win from nowhere approaching this part of the season ) and we could easily find ourselves hanging around 17/18th again. Then we have arsenal and West Brom (both away). You are basically bringing the season down to winning against Bournemouth and Watford) 

 

this thread is far too assumptive that tomorrow, a win is a given. look at the slip ups we had last season when we won the thing!! home draws against bmouth and the hammers, away at villa and there were probably more. 

 

I hope shakey and the boys are fully on it. At this level, if we aren't we won't get the win - and we need the win to enable us to rotate at goodison and Selhurst

 

[Livid]

I don't think there will be too many widespread changes or rotation from now until the end of the season.

 

Stop Defoe and we should be OK.

 

[weller54]

12 minutes ago, Livid said:

I don't think there will be too many widespread changes or rotation from now until the end of the season.

 

Stop Defoe and we should be OK.

 

Defoe maybe a doubt for them... Took a couple of heavy knocks on Saturday against Watford... 

[Devonfox1884]

Against Sunderland:

 

Schmeichel

 

Simpson

Benny

Huth

Fuchs

 

Mahrez

Drinky

Ndidi

Albrighton

 

Okazaki

 

Vardy

 

Against Everton:

 

Schmeichel

 

Simpson

Benny

Wasyl

Chilwell

 

Amartey

King

Mendy

 

Gray

Slimani

Musa

[Guest MattP]

10 minutes ago, Devonfox1884 said:

Against Sunderland:

 

Schmeichel

 

Simpson

Benny

Huth

Fuchs

 

Mahrez

Drinky

Ndidi

Albrighton

 

Okazaki

 

Vardy

 

Against Everton:

 

Schmeichel

 

Simpson

Benny

Wasyl

Chilwell

 

Amartey

King

Mendy

 

Gray

Slimani

Musa

I think that is spot on.

[Nick]

19 minutes ago, MattP said:

I think that is spot on.

Me too.

 

Im also thinking that we need three more wins to seal staying up - it has been around the 38/39 point mark for a few years but 42 is where it's at for me right now as if 18th place puts a couple of early wins together - with nine games to go in a league where anybody can beat anybody.... there's another 8 teams potentially still in the hunt for  17th place!

[Bossman Blessed It]

If we win it would take an absolutely absurd change in form (one that our players are clearly capable of) for us to end up in the bottom 3. Completely agree with the other posts in here that Everton will require a number of rested players if we're to play with the intensity we'll need against Atleti. 

[les-tah]

Same Team. Its the everton game that will need the rested players.

[Brooksy]

4-0 win.

[Wymsey]

Win this and get some reserves out at Everton to stake a claim.

To rest the senior players for next Tuesday's showdown.

[Gerard]

It's an absolutely massive game for us and we desperately need 3pts.

 

If we have 36pts we're in touching distance of safety and it means we can be more flexible in resting players before Champions League matches. I've just had a look at the weekend games we play before Champions League fixtures and it's:

 

Everton (a)

Palace (a)

West Brom (a)

Watford (h)

 

The five that we can play without Champions League matches are:

 

Sunderland (h)

Arsenal (a)

Man City (a)

Tottenham (h)

Bournemouth (h)

 

Playing a second team in the first lot of fixtures could be risky as they're easier games and we don't want to give up on points too easily. Apart from Sunderland the other games in the second group are difficult and we certainly don't want to be looking for something against Bournemouth last game of the season. So a win against Sunderland is vital as it gives us a lot of leeway to chop and change and to prioritise the Champions League and if it starts getting tight for us we will have to bite the bullet and give 100% for league matches.

[Corky]

Hate these games, all set up for us to struggle to a draw or worse. Any win will do.

[Arriba Los Zorros]

Have a strangely bad feeling about this one, the odds are stacked too much in our favour and Sunderland will probably start their own great escape around now. 1-1 for me.

[kingcarr21]

It's certainly a game we shouldn't turn our heads up at. Sunderland have got players that can score and we should be professional and take the game just as serious as any other.

 

Sunderland are in the realms where its now or never. They have produced results when its mattered over the last few seasons. On paper, Sunderland going to the home of the Premier League champions in April is the sort of match that Sunderland sneak 1-0. So even though they are bottom I certainly wont be taking this game as a given.

 

We are in great form and should get the job done. Lets see what happens

[WigstonWanderer]

3 hours ago, st albans fox said:

And your point is perfectly made 

 

'time to prioritise the CL again'

 

we lose our next three (which is feasible given sunderlands annual ability to find a win from nowhere approaching this part of the season ) and we could easily find ourselves hanging around 17/18th again. Then we have arsenal and West Brom (both away). You are basically bringing the season down to winning against Bournemouth and Watford) 

 

this thread is far too assumptive that tomorrow, a win is a given. look at the slip ups we had last season when we won the thing!! home draws against bmouth and the hammers, away at villa and there were probably more. 

 

I hope shakey and the boys are fully on it. At this level, if we aren't we won't get the win - and we need the win to enable us to rotate at goodison and Selhurst

 

I reserve the right to change my mind if we do badly vs Sunderland

[maddog]

I fear for Sunderland in this one. This has 6-0 / 6-1 to us written all over it

 

They're dire and we will beat them even if we play badly/in second gear. 

[HighPeakFox]

Should. But might not. 

[Guest Col city fan]

Cannot imagine anything other than a big home win. We are playing well, they are pretty hopeless.

1-2 The Black Cats...

 

[jammie82uk]

Stat time

 

• Leicester have never lost a Premier League home match against Sunderland, winning four and drawing two of their six meetings.
• However, Sunderland have won two of their last four visits to the King Power Stadium (D1 L1), with the victories coming in the Championship in January 2007 and November 2004.
• Jamie Vardy has scored three Premier League goals against Sunderland – only against Liverpool (5) has he scored more in the competition (also 3 vs Arsenal, Man City and Stoke).
• Vardy has scored in three of his last four Premier League games (four goals) having scored in just three of the 23 games prior to this run.
• Jermain Defoe has scored four goals in his last five Premier League appearances against Leicester.
• Defoe has scored five penalties for Sunderland in the Premier League this season, with only Kevin Phillips in 1999/2000 (6) scoring more in a single season.
• Indeed, those five penalties have accounted for 21% of Sunderland’s 24 Premier League goals - only Crystal Palace in 2004/05 had a higher share of their goals scored by penalties (27%, 11 of 41) in a season.
• Craig Shakespeare is the first English manager to win his first four Premier League games – only two managers in the competition’s history have ever won more than their opening four, with Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola both winning their opening six games.
• Leicester have scored 11 goals in their four league games under Shakespeare, as many goals as they scored in their last 14 Premier League games under Claudio Ranieri.
• The Black Cats have failed to score in their last five Premier League games, with only opponents Leicester having gone on a longer run this season (a run of six). Sunderland last went six top-flight games without scoring between September and October 1981 (a run of eight).
   

[Finnegan]

Do Sunderland still think we're some sort of rival and all their players would walk in to our team and we only do better than them because we cheat etc?

 

Love how salty their lot are.

[foxy boxing]

Obviously with our recent run and with how bad Sunderland are everyone is expecting the three points but the players need to remain professional and to keep up the good work under Shakes. Gray is really pushing for a start and with his pace he will run the Sunderland defence ragged. if Morgan still isn't 100% then Benny may start and the fans after Saturdays performance will be a lot more comfortable if he does than maybe previously!. we need to win this game and push on up the table and put to bed any fears there may be about relegation and after we can concentrate on the top ten

[FoxinNotts]

This is a 'must win' game, looking at the schedule we have coming up.

 

we need to be 36 points, come the end of Tuesday night.

 

Hope Vardy gets a hat-trick.

[themightyfin]

3 hours ago, MattP said:

I think that is spot on.

Why don't we just play against Sunderland and then assess and see who's fit for Everton would surely be the way to go?

 

People here picking 2 different teams may not have those players to choose from. 

We have just had an international break .....on a run and players in good form. You will be surprised how much extra energy it gives you when you keep winning .All of the players are going to be wanting to play every minute right now. 

4 games in 10 days or whatever it is is fine. 

 

So for me baring injuries the only choice for all 3 games will be Benny/Morgan and Albrighton/Gray. 

 

Same again please City keep the run going by keeping a settled side. Picking completely different line ups for different games is not needed and won't happen. 

Seriously who going to go upto the boss for a Champions league Quater-final and say....Erm leave me out for this one in a bit tired.

Thry are going to be pumping on adrenaline right now the run they are in. 

[Dr The Singh]

Defoe is the danger man, hope his dry run continues in the league.

 

Does anyone know the squad status ie unjuries, suspensions etc?