The "do they mean us?" thread pt 2

[urban.spaceman]

 

[urban.spaceman]

https://www.itsroundanditswhite.co.uk/articles/what-does-the-future-hold-for-wilfred-ndidi-at-leicester-city

What does the future hold for Wilfred Ndidi at Leicester City?

By Emmanuel Odey

Monday 27th August 2018

 

 

 

 

Wilfred Ndidi's performance over the past two seasons buoyed what success Leicester City enjoyed. He's so good even a new contract doesn't guarantee he'll hold down the King Power midfield for the long-term.

Leicester City achieved the improbable, winning the Premier League in 2016. Going from relegation strugglers to champions shocked the world. Falling back to earth, not so much. Under Claude Puel, the Foxes became relevant again, last term.

Unfortunately, The club hasn't the wherewithal to compete with the topflight's high and mighty on a consistent basis. Staying in the league is not such a huge task. Keeping the players who can repeat 2015/16's heroics is another matter. The big six pick off their best players with impunity.

First in line was midfield rock, N'golo Kante. The Frenchman was an unknown quantity when he arrived from Caen in 2015. His work rate in the centre of the pack in conjunction with partner Danny Drinkwater was pivotal to the team's surprising success. Chelsea came calling and he switched the King Power Stadium for Stamford Bridge. Drinkwater joined him a year later.

Their exodus made leaving more difficult for right winger Riyad Mahrez. After a prolonged battle with the club, he procured a transfer to Manchester City this summer. Unlike Kante, who helped Chelsea to the title in his first campaign, Mahrez arrived at the Etihad with the Citizens already celebrating.

The Foxes used the money from all three stars to retool. Wilfred Ndidi was therefore brought in from Genk in January 2017. The Nigerian filled the gaping hole left by Kante. The 21-year-old was the Premier League's top tackler last season, then made the most tackles in the 2018 World Cup group stage. Named Young Player of the Year for the two seasons he's featured, Ndidi is attracting attention himself.

After fighting off advances from Manchester United for defender Harry Maguire, another World Cup star, Leicester is doing all it can to keep its core intact. Ndidi, Maguire and Jamie Vardy are critical to puel's project. He lifted the club back into the table's top half after a 12th-place finish in 2016/17. All three penned new contracts, Ndidi the last. He signed a new six-year contract intended to keep him at the club till 2024. Afterwards, he expressed his delight.

I am very happy to sign this contract with Leicester City. I have enjoyed every moment of my time withthe football club, so I'm thrilled to be here for six more years.

However, given top clubs' willingness to trigger audacious release clauses, it won't be surprising if he becomes the next sought after shiny toy. Seeking alternatives to Fernandinho, Manchester City already missed out on Fred and Jorginho, Ndidi could be their next target.

If he puts in another solid season for the Foxes, it could be his last. The same applies to Harry Maguire. Leicester lack the funding and status to buy a ready-made replacement when they lose a world-class player. As noted, Ndidi was a value buy who came good as Kante's replacement. The club purchased Algerian right wing Rachid Ghezzal for €14 million from Monaco hoping he'll prove to be the next Riyad Mahrez. If playmaker James Maddison, procured from Norwich for €25 million continues to impress, he'll become another jewel to be pilfered.

Whether they like it or not, Leicester City's best future is life as a selling club.

[Sublime_Coatsworth]

Another garbage article written by yet another football blogger who's knowledge of Leicester is based on watching MOTD from his couch while flicking through Reddit soccer.

Ill informed opinion masquerading as journalism which perfectly demonstrates the saying..."The best thing about the Internet is that it gives everyone a voice. The worst thing about the Internet is that it gives everyone a voice"

Ignore him, and deny him the oxygen of publicity he clearly craves.

[1972 Fox]

3 hours ago, Sublime_Coatsworth said:

Another garbage article written by yet another football blogger who's knowledge of Leicester is based on watching MOTD from his couch while flicking through Reddit soccer.

Ill informed opinion masquerading as journalism which perfectly demonstrates the saying..."The best thing about the Internet is that it gives everyone a voice. The worst thing about the Internet is that it gives everyone a voice"

Ignore him, and deny him the oxygen of publicity he clearly craves.

This.

I must have missed the "Maguire pens new contract" announcement. 

[CosbehFox]

That article is hilarious. It literally states fact for 80% of it and then just slides in a paragraph completely of no reasoning 

[MC Prussian]

5 hours ago, Sublime_Coatsworth said:

Another garbage article written by yet another football blogger who's knowledge of Leicester is based on watching MOTD from his couch while flicking through Reddit soccer.

Ill informed opinion masquerading as journalism which perfectly demonstrates the saying..."The best thing about the Internet is that it gives everyone a voice. The worst thing about the Internet is that it gives everyone a voice"

Ignore him, and deny him the oxygen of publicity he clearly craves.

"Journalist".

The shit these people write is incredible:

Quote

Keeping Jamie Vardy on the bench cost Claude Puel and Leicester City three points today.

Taken off his Twitter after the 2-1 loss at Old Trafford. Clueless.

[Footballwipe]

On 25/08/2018 at 14:53, urban.spaceman said:

 

Well he's not quite sussed it has he?

Relegation from the Premier League is done - 2017/18

Few years of toil in the Championship before relegation to the third tier - 2021/22

Promotion back to the second tier - 2022/23

Few years of toil and near misses before promotion to the Premier League - 2027/28

Survival in first season - 2028/29

Premier League Champions - 2029/30. Just in time for England to host the World Cup.

The most inaccurate tweets get popular don't they. If you're going to make light of your team "doing a Leicester" at least get the timeline right...

[ScouseFox]

most outrageous part of that article is saying ndidi could go to man city. couldn’t think of a player who would fit their system any less in world football. he wins the ball back and then gives it away more often than not. why would he go to a side that never need to get the ball back because they spend the whole time passing it around? mental. 

[Finnegan]

21 minutes ago, ScouseFox said:

most outrageous part of that article is saying ndidi could go to man city. couldn’t think of a player who would fit their system any less in world football. he wins the ball back and then gives it away more often than not. why would he go to a side that never need to get the ball back because they spend the whole time passing it around? mental. 

 

Unless he improves enormously in possession, way beyond what seems likely, I think he's at his level here tbh. 

It's easy to underestimate how good Kante is with the ball tbf. I mean he's not Neymar but he's good enough to be playing in midfield for the best teams in the world. 

Ndidi really isn't. He's great for us and I'm aware he's still young but I'd be amazed if he's ever a starting CM for one of the giants of the game. 

[peach0000]

https://www.football365.com/news/leicester-spend-100m-and-then-find-hero-in-a-cupboard

 

Thought this article about Mendy was interesting. 

[Stadt]

7 hours ago, peach0000 said:

https://www.football365.com/news/leicester-spend-100m-and-then-find-hero-in-a-cupboard

 

Thought this article about Mendy was interesting. 

It's a bit contrived as he's been decent in one game and average in the other (like the rest of the side though). We've got a lot of central midfielders but it's definitely our problem position nowadays as none of our options necessarily have what we need.

[urban.spaceman]

Interesting video about Man City and football ownership. We get a mention too.

 

[Webbo]

Christian Fuchs reveals how Leicester celebrated title win at Jamie Vardy's house, the story behind the triumph and why he's not surprised Ben Chilwell has been capped by England

• Christian Fuchs was part of the Leicester City side that won the title in 2015-16 
• He has spoken to Sportsmail about the unlikely triumph and the celebrations
• The Austrian was full of praise for his former manager Claudio Ranieri 

Christian Fuchs had just witnessed the most incredible outcome to a Premier League season ever. He was with all of his Leicester City team-mates at Jamie Vardy's house and video of their celebrations following their unlikely title win had just gone viral.

And with the cameras off, how, exactly, did the party continue? 'We had a barbecue,' Fuchs tells Sportsmail, laughing.

It is one of the most incredible campaigns ever fought in the English top flight. Leicester, tipped for relegation, 5000-1 shots to take the crown, ended up lifting the title after being serenaded by Andrea Bocelli.

 

That would not have been possible without an event-filled night in May. Tottenham had to beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge to keep the title race alive. They went two ahead but the Blues scored one. Heads went, a battle began, and eventually Eden Hazard popped the ball into the top corner to level the scores.

'I just wanted to kiss him,' Fuchs says. 'We were such a team together, watching the game. Everyone was hoping that this would be the final game and we would celebrate being Premier League champions.

'But let's say it was the toughest 90 minutes I've ever played.

'I was too nervous, I had too much tension. I wanted it to happen but with Tottenham being 2-0 up, it was crazy. It was insane.' For Fuchs, the moment was heightened by his own expectations. Only when that net rippled did he really think he could be finishing his first season in England with a title winners' medal.

 

It was like we were simply focused on the next game. Claudio Ranieri kept our expectations very low. He did very well in that, all credit to him. We didn't dream about anything.

'"Okay let's do a next step, let's do a next step, okay we're here, let's do the next step"'. That made me personally only believe we'd win the title when we won the title, when the video went viral, when we were at Jamie Vardy's house and the final whistle went.

'Even that evening before the game it was never on my mind. We wanted to win the title but would we really make it?' Ranieri was the unlikely hook to the dream season. He had come in at a low professional ebb, with Gary Lineker questioning the appointment. The Italian eventually rode out of town as a hero in Leicester comparable to Richard III.

Fuchs had arrived days before Nigel Pearson was dismissed and Ranieri replaced him. He took a while to work his way into the team, amid an unbeaten six game start to the season.

 

A good start, but the test was still tough. There were memorable moments - Vardy's record breaking run of goals, the victory over Chelsea at the King Power that saw Jose Mourinho dismissed and the win against Manchester City at the Etihad.

Most outside observers saw that as a real marker in Leicester's title campaign, the day they announced themselves as likely title winners. But not Fuchs. 

'Of course we were happy,' admits Fuchs when asked about the 3-1 win at City. 'There was still a long time to go until the end of the season. We kept our expectations very low. We were happy about the win, but that's all'.

The Austrian, who has invested in and will help run the UK Freestyle Football Championships at York Hall later this month, is now part of a Leicester side that provided three of Gareth Southgate's squad members against Switzerland on Tuesday.

 

Youngsters Ben Chilwell, who made his debut, and Demarai Gray were bumped up from the Under 21s. Harry Maguire is now an established part of the side.

And Fuchs believes there's a bright future ahead: 'It's a credit to Leicester to always have talent that are making the international team.

'I'm not surprised. They're doing a good job, they're playing in the Premier League. When you keep working hard, this is the result.

'We're doing well keeping all of these talents, also with the contract extension of Harry Maguire. They are building a new training facility too. A top 10 placement is realistic, but the Premier League is very competitive.' 

Competitive or not, Fuchs knows by now that it's always worth keeping a barbecue around.

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6160633/Christian-Fuchs-Leicesters-title-win-2015-16-celebrations-Vardys.html

[fuchsntf]

On 28/08/2018 at 11:46, Finnegan said:

 

Unless he improves enormously in possession, way beyond what seems likely, I think he's at his level here tbh. 

It's easy to underestimate how good Kante is with the ball tbf. I mean he's not Neymar but he's good enough to be playing in midfield for the best teams in the world. 

Ndidi really isn't. He's great for us and I'm aware he's still young but I'd be amazed if he's ever a starting CM for one of the giants of the game. 

At the moment....but players do progress..

[nwl fox]

3 hours ago, Webbo said:

Christian Fuchs reveals how Leicester celebrated title win at Jamie Vardy's house, the story behind the triumph and why he's not surprised Ben Chilwell has been capped by England

• Christian Fuchs was part of the Leicester City side that won the title in 2015-16 
• He has spoken to Sportsmail about the unlikely triumph and the celebrations
• The Austrian was full of praise for his former manager Claudio Ranieri 

Christian Fuchs had just witnessed the most incredible outcome to a Premier League season ever. He was with all of his Leicester City team-mates at Jamie Vardy's house and video of their celebrations following their unlikely title win had just gone viral.

And with the cameras off, how, exactly, did the party continue? 'We had a barbecue,' Fuchs tells Sportsmail, laughing.

It is one of the most incredible campaigns ever fought in the English top flight. Leicester, tipped for relegation, 5000-1 shots to take the crown, ended up lifting the title after being serenaded by Andrea Bocelli.

 

That would not have been possible without an event-filled night in May. Tottenham had to beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge to keep the title race alive. They went two ahead but the Blues scored one. Heads went, a battle began, and eventually Eden Hazard popped the ball into the top corner to level the scores.

'I just wanted to kiss him,' Fuchs says. 'We were such a team together, watching the game. Everyone was hoping that this would be the final game and we would celebrate being Premier League champions.

'But let's say it was the toughest 90 minutes I've ever played.

'I was too nervous, I had too much tension. I wanted it to happen but with Tottenham being 2-0 up, it was crazy. It was insane.' For Fuchs, the moment was heightened by his own expectations. Only when that net rippled did he really think he could be finishing his first season in England with a title winners' medal.

 

It was like we were simply focused on the next game. Claudio Ranieri kept our expectations very low. He did very well in that, all credit to him. We didn't dream about anything.

'"Okay let's do a next step, let's do a next step, okay we're here, let's do the next step"'. That made me personally only believe we'd win the title when we won the title, when the video went viral, when we were at Jamie Vardy's house and the final whistle went.

'Even that evening before the game it was never on my mind. We wanted to win the title but would we really make it?' Ranieri was the unlikely hook to the dream season. He had come in at a low professional ebb, with Gary Lineker questioning the appointment. The Italian eventually rode out of town as a hero in Leicester comparable to Richard III.

Fuchs had arrived days before Nigel Pearson was dismissed and Ranieri replaced him. He took a while to work his way into the team, amid an unbeaten six game start to the season.

 

A good start, but the test was still tough. There were memorable moments - Vardy's record breaking run of goals, the victory over Chelsea at the King Power that saw Jose Mourinho dismissed and the win against Manchester City at the Etihad.

Most outside observers saw that as a real marker in Leicester's title campaign, the day they announced themselves as likely title winners. But not Fuchs. 

'Of course we were happy,' admits Fuchs when asked about the 3-1 win at City. 'There was still a long time to go until the end of the season. We kept our expectations very low. We were happy about the win, but that's all'.

The Austrian, who has invested in and will help run the UK Freestyle Football Championships at York Hall later this month, is now part of a Leicester side that provided three of Gareth Southgate's squad members against Switzerland on Tuesday.

 

Youngsters Ben Chilwell, who made his debut, and Demarai Gray were bumped up from the Under 21s. Harry Maguire is now an established part of the side.

And Fuchs believes there's a bright future ahead: 'It's a credit to Leicester to always have talent that are making the international team.

'I'm not surprised. They're doing a good job, they're playing in the Premier League. When you keep working hard, this is the result.

'We're doing well keeping all of these talents, also with the contract extension of Harry Maguire. They are building a new training facility too. A top 10 placement is realistic, but the Premier League is very competitive.' 

Competitive or not, Fuchs knows by now that it's always worth keeping a barbecue around.

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6160633/Christian-Fuchs-Leicesters-title-win-2015-16-celebrations-Vardys.html

Wow thats a lazy article, Daily Mail, enough said!

[davieG]

Shots are the be all and end all of attacking football but his is poor.

 

[Ted Maul]

Depends where the shots are being taken from I suppose. We don't tend to shoot from outside the area very often.

[Stadt]

1 minute ago, Ted Maul said:

Depends where the shots are being taken from I suppose. We don't tend to shoot from outside the area very often.

The quality of chances haven’t been great, it is a bit of a concern but it’s still early yet 

[SouthStandUpperTier]

3 minutes ago, Ted Maul said:

Depends where the shots are being taken from I suppose. We don't tend to shoot from outside the area very often.

 

1 minute ago, Stadt said:

The quality of chances haven’t been great, it is a bit of a concern but it’s still early yet 

It would be interesting to see the league table based on xG differential, as Spursy as that would be.

[Ted Maul]

3 minutes ago, Stadt said:

The quality of chances haven’t been great, it is a bit of a concern but it’s still early yet 

We haven't been great in patches, but the Wolves game was an anomaly for these type of stats- we scored twice and had the game won as soon as we got out of second gear. 

[Stadt]

7 minutes ago, Ted Maul said:

We haven't been great in patches, but the Wolves game was an anomaly for these type of stats- we scored twice and had the game won as soon as we got out of second gear. 

Both goals at Southampton probably should have been saved, we didn’t have any good chances of our own making against Liverpool too. After 10 games we’ll have a better idea 

[Ted Maul]

17 minutes ago, Stadt said:

Both goals at Southampton probably should have been saved, we didn’t have any good chances of our own making against Liverpool too. After 10 games we’ll have a better idea 

We'll be much more of a handful now Vardy's back, Maddison and Ghezzal still adapting, Gray still developing too. I'm pretty confident we'll get stronger as time goes on. 

[coolhandfox]

34 minutes ago, Stadt said:

The quality of chances haven’t been great, it is a bit of a concern but it’s still early yet 

Have to agree, we don't create many clean cut chances.

[Jimmy]

On 15/09/2018 at 13:18, coolhandfox said:

Have to agree, we don't create many clean cut chances.

they are still chances I expect Vardy to take

[Fox92]

Just now, Jimmy said:

they are still chances I expect Vardy to take

ie the two on Saturday