Drop Riyad

[Finnegan]

16 minutes ago, STUHILL said:

and you'd think he was Josh Low listening to you and some others! 

 

Uhh... no.

 

There are a lot of polarised morons on foxestalk that see our players in incredible extremes. That's one thing I'm definitely not.

 

Gray is an excellent asset to our club with, hopefully a big future. But ready to be starting over Mahrez in the second leg he probably isn't.

 

Anyone that can't appreciate the shift Mahrez put in last night or how hard his task was breaking down one of the best defences on the planet is frankly an idiot.

[STUHILL]

1 minute ago, Finnegan said:

 

Uhh... no.

 

There are a lot of polarised morons on foxestalk that see our players in incredible extremes. That's one thing I'm definitely not.

 

Gray is an excellent asset to our club with, hopefully a big future. But ready to be starting over Mahrez in the second leg he probably isn't.

 

Anyone that can't appreciate the shift Mahrez put in last night or how hard his task was breaking down one of the best defences on the planet is frankly an idiot.

I agree. I already said in this thread that I would start Mahrez 

[Merging Cultures]

He was heavily marked all night, but he needs to figure out how to deal with that and get past players. The one benefit of him being heavily marked is that it allows MA more room. IMO Gray wouldn't have fared much better, he tends to run straight players.

 

 

[erlee]

15 minutes ago, Merging Cultures said:

He was heavily marked all night, but he needs to figure out how to deal with that and get past players. The one benefit of him being heavily marked is that it allows MA more room. IMO Gray wouldn't have fared much better, he tends to run straight players.

 

 

ya mean - he run straight at them to beat them//

[Samilktray]

The second he touched the ball he'd have about 4 players close him down. They knew what he could do to them 

[Ricey]

Just now, Samilktray said:

The second he touched the ball he'd have about 4 players close him down. They knew what he could do to them 

Exactly, some fans don't see that. They see Mahrez lose the ball and assume his heart isn't in it.

 

Watch Mahrez for that last 20 minutes, he is working his arse off to get back into shape and close players down. More so than a lot of players on the pitch.

[HighPeakFox]

I'm not sure thumping him is going to help. 

[Redouane]

36 minutes ago, Samilktray said:

The second he touched the ball he'd have about 4 players close him down. They knew what he could do to them 

It's so annoying how often he gets fouled. It's a shame he's not pacey so that they can't catch up to him after he beats them. 

 

Mahrez should stay forward in my opinion, no point in him trying to counter. 

[davieG]

Part of his problem is that occasionally he can be seen ambling but that's just how he walks and it's usually after his put in a heavy shift and when the play is elsewhere on the pitch. Other players go into ambling mode but because they have a more aggressive persona it isn't noticed.

 

It's fairly well known that at times fans and people in general tend to see what they want to see they'll notice all the bad stuff on a player they're not keen on and all the good stuff on a player that they empathise with it builds up over time as well, the one can do no right and the other can do no wrong. I've done it myself but you have to try and rise above your own unconscious  prejudices and see the whole picture, I do it with Simpson and sometimes it's hard to admit they've had a good game even though you've seen and exaggerated every bad bit of play. That's not to say there aren't crap players.Apologies for the preaching

[breadandcheese]

Some of the comments on individual players is ridiculous.  We're in the quarter finals of the champions league.  This is the tournament and level that every player at the club has been dreaming about since being a little boy.  It is what they've trained for all their lives and bust a gut to get there.  They will be trying to play even if they've got one leg falling off, telling the manager that they're fit to play. 

 

So you can't criticise anyone's attitude because they all bust a gut last night and will do the same next Tuesday.  It just so happens that we are playing against the best sides in Europe of which Atletico are one.  And I'll be honest and say that I thought Atletico worked harder than I expected, pressing and swarming whenever our midfield picked up the ball.  It's no surprise that we lost the ball more times than we are used to, and it's no surprise that Mahrez was swamped when he got the ball.  They are very effective at it and even the likes of Ronaldo and Messi struggle against it. 

 

 

[Danny Clender]

No, do not drop him. 

I'd have said yes between Sep 16 and Feb 17, but now now. 

I'm not going to note all my reasons why, they are obvious. 

[Vardinio'sCat]

2 hours ago, davieG said:

Part of his problem is that occasionally he can be seen ambling but that's just how he walks and it's usually after his put in a heavy shift and when the play is elsewhere on the pitch. Other players go into ambling mode but because they have a more aggressive persona it isn't noticed.

 

It's fairly well known that at times fans and people in general tend to see what they want to see they'll notice all the bad stuff on a player they're not keen on and all the good stuff on a player that they empathise with it builds up over time as well, the one can do no right and the other can do no wrong. I've done it myself but you have to try and rise above your own unconscious  prejudices and see the whole picture, I do it with Simpson and sometimes it's hard to admit they've had a good game even though you've seen and exaggerated every bad bit of play. That's not to say there aren't crap players.Apologies for the preaching

 

Confirmation bias, it's called, and we all do it, pretty much all the time, and not just with footy. The best thing is to be aware of the this, and be a little more humble.

 

Maybe we should do a thread on all the different types of biases we have. There are loads, and they kind of explain FT's radically different opinions.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confirmation_bias

[Wymsey]

Thought he was alright yesterday, and should've had a penalty.

But made a few silly passing errors he'd kicked himself about.

However, he's certainly amongst the 'world-class' elite currently in European football imo.

[maddog]

He should definitely be benched for the second leg against Atletico, and bought on for the last half an hour if we're chasing a goal.

 

His form warrants a few games on the bench and Gray given a better run of starts. 

[fuchsntf]

I M obviously different, a good boy and see with my little eye.... alot more than all of you put together....It took me my 1st 50yrs then even god began to understand..

 

I was right about  Vardy then Albrighton,stood behind Schmeichel had a great call on Simpson 

serving us better in his across the backline defending.

called it and  supported for Benny, who  has shined through.

Now Riyad...Too many yapped on about his defences duties or poor defensive displays.

I see again from last nights display, he has improved in this area the season through.

What many miss when coach wants him to prioritise his covering duties, hes being given short hospital passes, not in opp o sitions half but deep in our own. When he receives the ball no matter where he is, he has 1st 2 players around him then a 3rd comes in to cover.At that point it becomes an enclosed area, and he has few options to lay off any decent ball due to

lack of support or movement.One sees has soon as he gets room, he and Vardy worry the opposition and it often creates chances.

Yes like all other top players, he sometimes fails to beat his opponents, no need to ball him out,

if you notice so does Messi, Griezman, Ronaldo also fail.

Not to forget those 3 mentioned just happen to be at the moment a super class above many others.Mahrez is OUR piece of that class technical dream, but hes still along way off

Messi/Ronaldo. No criticism just observation.

 

My own opinion is Mahrez is at present playing to much defensively,

I would have Okazaki probably support Simpson more defensively, Shinji has better lungs.

I would be giving Mahrez more carte blanche, for playing more forward, with occasional defensive duties, leave him free nearer the front giving him space to expoit, this like last season, would mean oppos forward driving defender or midfielder

would be more pre-occupied.

We are trying to cover and support Ndidi, and compensate for Kantes loss.

Mahrez is not playing bad just in my view spending too much time and space 10 meters

deeper than he should.

 

look at Messi last night, often caughter deeper than expected, when he was further up front he

again looked dangerous....like when he his playing on his own patch.

We have Simpson, being asked to drive more forward,

and Mahrez to hold more back......Wrong  Wrong !!

 

Just my humble opinion mind....

 

Oh...unless is deemed necessary Our little Algerian genius might be rested

but should never be dropped.

 

 

[jon1bc]

Unfortunately Gray doesn't have the creativity, awareness nor defensive ability that Mahrez has. There are other players that are of more concern in recent games, namely Drinkwater.

[Pete Campbell]

He has been very disappointing. I think he sits it out vs Palace to be fresh for 2nd leg, but I'd be tempted to flip it.

[sm1]

The problem is that after Mahrez's exploits last season, every team knows what he's going to do before he does. He's always going to cut in onto his left foot, which makes it easy to stop him. In that regard Grey for the last 10-15 mins would have been a good sub. Nobody knows him, he's the unknown quantity that Mahrez was last season. Against an exceptionally well organised team like Athletico you need unpredictability to pull players out of position. The only worrying aspect i took out of yesterday's game was how slow Mahrez looked.

[chapero82]

Can the real Riyad please stand up!

[NotTheMarketLeader]

17 hours ago, DennisNedry said:

Lets play Albrighton and Gray at the same time and drop Mahrez.

 

His form since our revival under Shakespeare has been poor, and he was again tonight.

 

Yes I know he can occasionally pull something magical out of the bag, but how many times has that happened this season? Let's give Gray a chance at being the 'luxary' player and show Mahrez that he can't just turn up and expect to play.

 

Any agreement here, or am I about to get slated?

I have been saying this for months and getting slated for it on the Mahrez thread where nationalist tendencies appear to cloud rational analysis of his displays.

 

Nothing (next to nothing if we have to be pedantic) is coming from the hours he has spent on the pitch / time he spends on the ball, and what exacerbates the matter further whilst improvement has come to ALL other outfield players since Shakey took over, it hasn't come from him.

 

In most games during this period we have effectively done it with ten men with him in the side. In fact I'll go further and say he has been our opposition's most important player with the number of times he gives the ball away whether it be a poor pass or being dispossessed dribbling. 

 

 

 

I for one, do not go to football games supporting LCFC, to see a bunch of step overs that deliver no end product. I would have thought that he would have had a bollocking about this by now, but nothing seems to change. It's as if it's in his contract he has to play regardless.

 

 

 

In summary drop him. We have a more in form player in Gray who really is a viable alternative while Mahrez has not been good enough pretty much all season; and that is a long time to be giving a player a chance to return to form.

 

 

[l444ry]

Mahrez occupies multiple defenders just be being on the pitch. OK, his performances appear to have dipped but form is temporary, class is permanent. Gray, although having bags of raw talent,  is way off Champions League standard at the moment and teams like Atletico would probably rip his naïvety apart.  

[NotTheMarketLeader]

5 hours ago, Samilktray said:

The second he touched the ball he'd have about 4 players close him down. They knew what he could do to them 

Well that's a good thing as it offers more space for our other players IF HE WOULD PASS THE BALL TO THEM.

 

He wont do this often enough which is my main gripe with him. It's a team game not the Mahrez travelling circus ffs.

[the fox]

23 minutes ago, NotTheMarketLeader said:

Well that's a good thing as it offers more space for our other players IF HE WOULD PASS THE BALL TO THEM.

 

He wont do this often enough which is my main gripe with him. It's a team game not the Mahrez travelling circus ffs.

To whom? The overlapping RB or the box to box midfield, because I didn't see any in this team.

 

If you don't like him (as a player) just come clean with it, mahrez didn't do much this season, but managed to contribute to 60℅ of our goals in the champions league.

 

[yorkie1999]

I think they will be less mindful of Mahrez in the 2nd leg as he didn't really offer anything, which could allow him a bit more freedom. In fact Atletico are probably wondering how we managed to get where we are which could be favourable to us.

[the fox]

Just a little example of mahrez being guarded by 2 players + 1 standing on the passing lane ready to jump in

The player on the left  was ready to leave Marc open so he can stop mahrez

 

 

 

As soon as he got the ball, two players went after him, and another one kept him from passing it to simo. (And if you are asking, he managed to pass it to shinji)

 

 

Those pics took me just a few minutes to grab, I could get more if I had time and was bored enough, but you get the picture (see what I did there)