Leicester v West Ham- Pre Match Thread

[Suffolk exile]

Hate to say it that I think this has all the hallmarks of a man on his way out - trying to establish some authority. Proof (if proof were needed) that there is significant player power in that changing room.....

[TheUltimateWinner]

Imagine if Ghezzal starts instead of Vardy, this place will erupt  

[Stadt]

He returned to training on Thursday, clearly not the most prepared and sharp. The frustrating thing it's not like you bank on Iheanacho playing well up top in his absence 

Edited 26 October 2018 by Stadt

[cropstonfox]

NOT TRUE!

[Dan]

1 hour ago, Babylon said:

He's only an idiot if it doesn't work. 

Even if it works tomorrow (which it could, West Ham aren't any good and have plenty missing) it signifies a wider issue for me unfortunately.

 

Our attack is weak enough with him, let alone without.

[urban.spaceman]

Maybe he just wants him nice and fresh for Tuesday and we’re really going for a cup this season?

[DerbyshireFox]

If it is true then it’s a bold move, and a big gamble. For me Vardy hasn’t looked fit or sharp since coming back from the World Cup. Anonymous Monday night, the one on one he’d normally bury against Everton. Other than the finish against Huddersfield he’s struggled to have his usual impact. Some may say it’s the tactics, but it didn’t stop him banging in 20 goals last season! Of course I’d love him to be starting and on form, but the team should come before anyone (even him). A Vardy with a point to prove might not be a bad thing - although I dread the reaction at full time if we lose tomorrow!!

[Foxxed]

We know Puel may drop Vardy.

 

And Vardy obviously wants to play.

 

And Vardy's wife liked a comment criticising Puel.

 

Now Puel is "fighting for his job"...

[Freeman's Wharfer]

20 minutes ago, Stadt said:

He returned to training on Thursday, clearly not the most prepared and sharp. The frustrating thing it's not like you bank on Iheanacho playing well up top in his absence 

They played Monday night and Wednesday is their usual day off. Imagine Tuesday would have been a light recovery session and Thursday was the first day of West Ham prep.

 

So I don't think returning to training on Thursday is an issue.

[cropstonfox]

I expect we'll be chanting Puels name again tomorrow! 

[Stadt]

13 minutes ago, Freeman's Wharfer said:

They played Monday night and Wednesday is their usual day off. Imagine Tuesday would have been a light recovery session and Thursday was the first day of West Ham prep.

 

So I don't think returning to training on Thursday is an issue.

I'd have thought things would be adjusted as a result of playing two days later

[Bert]

This is football. We win Puels a genius and rightly dropped him. We lose Puels an idiot and should’ve played Vardy. That’s the fickle nature of football. 

 

For me, if anyone needs dropping at the minute it’s N’Didi. Don’t drop the one player in your team that players fear and the one player we have that can score a goal from out of nowhere. 

 

If West Ham see the teamsheet tomorrow and Vardy’a not on there they’ll have an instant psychological boost. 

[baldeagle]

Another case of Puel being damned  if he does and damned if he don’t  . Vardy is our best  striker by a country mile  and total legend but he’s been rubbish so far this season and doesn’t look interested . You can cry tactics lack of playing  to his strengths or  Puel and so on . For me no player is above getting benched if they have been poor,  any other player and people wouldn’t blink an eyelid . So he’s been benched and you’ll get cry’s of  Puel doesn’t know what he’s doing . He plays and Puels bowed down to player power or doesn’t know what he’s doing playing a off form un interested player 

[TJB-fox]

Puel’s sacking is just so obvious and inevitable, no matter what he does or doesn’t do.

[Foxxed]

24 minutes ago, Freeman's Wharfer said:

They played Monday night and Wednesday is their usual day off. Imagine Tuesday would have been a light recovery session and Thursday was the first day of West Ham prep.

 

So I don't think returning to training on Thursday is an issue.

If he's been ill and missed a training session then it's an issue, albeit not the entire issue.

[murphy]

2 hours ago, ttfn said:

 

Vardy’s got two goals from open play this season and has offered little else. In fact he’s been really wasteful.

 

Last season’s Vardy would be a huge loss but it’s hard to see his replacement tomorrow contributing any less.

Or, put another way, 3 goals in 7 games and the Arsenal one doesn't really count as he was clearly unfit.

 

I don't know why everybody's getting wound up about it, IMO he won't play because he isn't 100%. 

 

If I've got the squits, I'll spend the day with a hot water bottle in me jim-jams watching Bargain Hunt and feeling very sorry for myself.  There's no way I could run around for 90 minutes. 

Edited 26 October 2018 by murphy

[kingfox]

I just feel the next three weeks are make or break for him.

 

West Ham today

Southampton midweek

Cardiff

Burnley

 

Lose at least two of them then that could be that.

Edited 26 October 2018 by kingfox

[hejammy]

I don't know what the big deal is, a player has not been performing well and has lost form being dropped! Oh my god its crazy! Doesn't matter who it is.... If that's the case, dropping them is the right thing to do. There are too many here with major blue specs on and think Vardy is above the club... 

 

Some of the comments.... 'Arsenal doesn't count as he was clearly unfit!' 

 

Nacho up there in Vardys position without the pressure of 'pass it to vardy' may actually do well. As he did pre-season. 

I keep saying... He may be a legend! But no one is above our club. 

[Frost]

2 hours ago, The Doctor said:

Or won 4 of the last 8 (league), or won 6 of the last 10 (all comps). But, you count from the place that best served your agenda

No agenda. I'm pretty much 50/50 whether he stays or goes. Just saying, on the back of the last few results I reckon he'll get the boot if we lose tomorrow.

[Beechey]

2 minutes ago, Frost said:

No agenda. I'm pretty much 50/50 whether he stays or goes. Just saying, on the back of the last few results I reckon he'll get the boot if we lose tomorrow.

And maybe drop to the crippling lows of... 12th? A win tomorrow might also take us to 9th, why is everyone acting like this is the real defining moment of our season already? The mid table is very tight.

Edited 26 October 2018 by Beechey

[Alf Bentley]

If this Vardy rumour is true, my money's on this scenario......

 

- Dismal, struggling performance, lucky to be 1-1 after 70 mins, thanks only to a deflected Maddison free-kick, crowd restless, Iheanacho has missed 2 sitters

- A fired-up Vardy appears from the bench

- Vardy races through to score an 85th-minute winner

- He celebrates wildly and pointedly in front of the bench, where Puel sits blinking inscrutably

- Puel gives an inscrutable, sleep-inducing post-match interview, paying tribute to Vardy's "passion" and "quality"

- Still nobody quite knows whether LCFC are sub-standard or not all that bad, or whether Puel is treading water or quietly making progress

[Dan]

2 hours ago, Bert said:

This is football. We win Puels a genius and rightly dropped him. We lose Puels an idiot and should’ve played Vardy. That’s the fickle nature of football. 

 

For me, if anyone needs dropping at the minute it’s N’Didi. Don’t drop the one player in your team that players fear and the one player we have that can score a goal from out of nowhere. 

 

If West Ham see the teamsheet tomorrow and Vardy’a not on there they’ll have an instant psychological boost. 

Pretty much this. Could you imagine how we'd have felt if we were playing Palace tomorrow and we found out they weren't playing Zaha? We'd be pissing ourselves.

 

If we had decent alternatives I'd get it, but we don't. We are already a striker light for me despite Vardy.

What will he actually do? Assume it'll be a winger to come in with Maddison back at 10 and Iheanacho up front.

[Fightforever]

I'd drop ndidi and put iborra on in his place. Ndidi can gain the ball back but half the time its due to him giving it away in the first place. If your going to drop vardy for bad form then ndidi should be dropped too. Its only fair.

In fact just drop mendy instead he's been much worse.

Edited 27 October 2018 by Fightforever

[Albert]

3 hours ago, SydenhamFox said:

I like it. The manager is in control and not afraid to make big decisions based on form. **** whoever leaked Vardy’s anger. I hate player power. Alex Ferguson would be patting Puel on the back for this. 

He’s far from being in control & is just making yet another bizarre decision that alienates himself further from both the players & fans! To drop your best player & leader of the pack just shows how deluded the guy is

 

 

[Smudge]

1 hour ago, Alf Bentley said:

If this Vardy rumour is true, my money's on this scenario......

 

- Dismal, struggling performance, lucky to be 1-1 after 70 mins, thanks only to a deflected Maddison free-kick, crowd restless, Iheanacho has missed 2 sitters

- A fired-up Vardy appears from the bench

- Vardy races through to score an 85th-minute winner

- He celebrates wildly and pointedly in front of the bench, where Puel sits blinking inscrutably

- Puel gives an inscrutable, sleep-inducing post-match interview, paying tribute to Vardy's "passion" and "quality"

- Still nobody quite knows whether LCFC are sub-standard or not all that bad, or whether Puel is treading water or quietly making progress

Sorry Alf, one too many inscrutables, otherwise spot on