What is it that we're missing?

[CloudFox]

Perhaps this has been done to death across threads, but I think it's a question worth asking nonetheless:

 

What are we missing to get us to finally 'click'?

Forget Puel for a minute, or really even the formation - I'm talking about the team and squad.

 

Is it a natural right back like Clyne (since we've been linked)? A 'fix' to our midfield (if so, how)? Do we need to start phasing in a Vardy replacement (I don't even want to contemplate this)?

 

We know how Puel wants us to play, there is zero chance we will change to a back three, so I'd like to hear people's thoughts on how we can sort the problems with the squad, team and players.

[MC Prussian]

Momentum.

 

Every time we seem to make progress under Puel, we then go on to make two steps backwards.

 

It's about time we strung a few wins together in a row.

[Guest MattP]

Quality right back, centre half, winger/wide behind striker type player and a creative centre midfielder who is a top class forward passer.

[mod hero]

Width

[WigstonWanderer]

500m pounds

[walkerleeds]

Patience. 

 

We're a young team in transition and things are really not that bad. People need to realise this. 

[BKLFox]

Time

[BenTheFox]

A sufficient supply of alcohol.

[shade]

obvious answer is staring us all in the face, think about it, i’m not even joking here....

 

rachel riley threads on the day of every game.

[CloudFox]

24 minutes ago, MC Prussian said:

Momentum.

 

Every time we seem to make progress under Puel, we then go on to make two steps backwards.

 

It's about time we strung a few wins together in a row.

 

13 minutes ago, walkerleeds said:

Patience. 

 

We're a young team in transition and things are really not that bad. People need to realise this. 

 

4 minutes ago, BKLFox said:

Time

I agree on all of these points. I think people underestimate how little experience we actually have as a squad - and as a unit that means we need time.

 

This is pretty much what I think - that there are lots of little elements not quite clicking at the moment, but with time and patience we will start to show our worth.

[StriderHiryu]

 

Even though Mendy and Ndidi are good players, this man is a world cup winner and one of the best midfielders in Europe. Have him in the team and we'd concede way fewer goals and be able to build even more attacks.

 

Given that Kante is a one of a kind, once in a lifetime style of player, the other answer is patience. Ben Chilwell has gone from derided on Foxes Talk every week to starting for and getting the man of the match for England against the World Cup finalists who had the current FIFA world player of the year playing for them. Given that we can't buy elite level players around Europe, the next best option is to develop them ourselves. If three of Chilwell, Nacho, Gray, Maddison, Ndidi, Soyuncu, Benkovic, Barnes could get to the Vardy / Kante / Mahrez 15/16 level we'd be back in business!

Edited 13 October 2018 by StriderHiryu

[CloudFox]

25 minutes ago, MattP said:

Quality right back, centre half, winger/wide behind striker type player and a creative centre midfielder who is a top class forward passer.

Do you feel none of that is currently here then? I do think Clyne could well be an answer the first, but are you not convinced that Evans, Benkovic or Soyuncu could solve the centre half problem?

 

As for the winger/wide/behind-the-striker player and central midfielder... I'd like to think that Maddison is the former, but my hopes that Silva would take up that forward passer role don't seem realistic anymore.

[TeePee]

16 minutes ago, walkerleeds said:

Patience. 

 

We're a young team in transition and things are really not that bad. People need to realise this. 

This x100

We're a team that's undergoing a big transition at the moment - six of our first team 'regulars' are 21 or under, but we're sat in the top half of the league. We're going to lose games we would expect to have won sometimes, because we've got a young and inexperienced squad that are learning at damn near the highest level.

It's possible to not play to our absolute best every single week without something being 'wrong'. 

[CloudFox]

Just now, StriderHiryu said:

 

Even though Mendy and Ndidi are good players, this man is a world cup winner and one of the best midfielders in Europe. Have him in the team and we'd concede way fewer goals and be able to build even more attacks.

 

Given that Kante is a one of a kind, once in a lifetime style of player, the other answer is patience. Ben Chilwell has gone from derided on Foxes Talk every week to starting for and getting the man of the match for England against the World Cup finalists who had the current FIFA world player of the year playing for them. Given that we can't but elite level players around Europe, the next best option is to develop them ourselves. If three of Chilwell, Nacho, Gray, Maddison, Ndidi, Soyuncu, Benkovic, Barnes could get to the Vardy / Kante / Mahrez 15/16 level we'd be back in business!

This is my hope for the long term: that the owners investing in the new training ground is evidence that they see it this way.

[Stadt]

I think people convincing themselves more players are the answer are on a slippery slope, we need to be more aggressive, wider and slightly more direct. We do lack a dynamic CM and maybe a winger but when signings are always the answer it masks underlying issues.

[kingfox]

A good defence

[Stevosevic]

A CB (maybe Evans is the answer), a genuine quality winger and a CM IMO.

[StriderHiryu]

1 hour ago, CloudFox said:

This is my hope for the long term: that the owners investing in the new training ground is evidence that they see it this way.

Mine too, and I think it's a good strategy. If you rely on just buying talent then even though you can compete for trophies you will spend a lot of money and be inconsistent.

 

Look at Manchester United, they've neglected their own academies and gone down the "Galactico" route that Real Madrid made famous. But now instead of having a spine of the best English players developed in Manchester that are supported by world class marquee talent, they have gone the other way and many of the players they have brought have either fizzled out or are not suited to their current style of play. And every time they change manager, they have to start again from scratch.

 

It's hard to be consistent every season but I think putting the emphasis on developing a core set of players to pull from is the long-term way to go. Choose a style of play that is taught to youth team players from an early age and focus on developing their technical skills:

https://trainingground.guru/articles/coaching-revolution-that-took-belgium-to-top-of-world

 

^ Belgium are a great example. After overhauling their entire setup they went from rank 66 in the world to joint rank 1. They developed these players over a 10 year period, having all teams at youth level play 4-3-3 and focusing on technical excellence. Clubs like Barcelona, Benfica, Monaco, Ajax, Dortmund, River Plate, Boca Juniors and Santos always seem to develop top level players over multiple decades. If you have that as a base, then adding a few marquee signings to the team is probably the most effective way to be successful outside of just spending outrageous sums every year.

 

 

^ Just to show how much development was put in, the article above was taken from 2002 (!). Look how many of these players made it to the Premier League and to 3rd place in the World Cup in 2018. That shows you that developing youth in the right way can produce meaningful results.

Edited 13 October 2018 by StriderHiryu

[Farrington fox]

Consistency, and a quality pacey centre back to partner slabhead. 

Also an instinctive intuitive striker with a lethal finish. Another Salah would be good.  

[Guest MattP]

35 minutes ago, CloudFox said:

Do you feel none of that is currently here then? I do think Clyne could well be an answer the first, but are you not convinced that Evans, Benkovic or Soyuncu could solve the centre half problem?

 

As for the winger/wide/behind-the-striker player and central midfielder... I'd like to think that Maddison is the former, but my hopes that Silva would take up that forward passer role don't seem realistic anymore.

Evans probably isn't long term give his age, I couldn't make a judgement on Soyuncu or Benkovic as I haven't seen them play - I would hope one will be the answer given the price but that's not a guarantee anymore as even players who don't make it can be extremely costly in 2018.

 

I had high hopes for Silva as well, bit it's always a risk taking a player out of a dominant team in a poor league.

[shade]

Just now, MattP said:

Evans probably isn't long term give his age, I couldn't make a judgement on Soyuncu or Benkovic as I haven't seen them play - I would hope one will be the answer given the price but that's not a guarantee anymore as even players who don't make it can be extremely costly in 2018.

 

I had high hopes for Silva as well, bit it's always a risk taking a player out of a dominant team in a poor league.

high hopes silva, ill get my coat.

[coolhandfox]

A quality cm, who runs the team, bit like Neves, a CB we pace, and a quality wide player, like Lozano! 

[Bert]

With the formation we are playing, two consistent wingers. 

[foxinsocks]

the whole thing lacks charismatic leadership - to galvanize and manage the players and to ensure we move relentlessly towards our target... whatever that is!

[mozartfox]

 A Recruitment Team that knows what they are doing. A matchday Teamsheet without Wes Morgan.  Patience for Puel and our young team.     There is not too much wrong.