Black Saturday

[Thracian]

The defence today was solid. Apart from the odd corner or decent cross the back four didn't look troubled all game. McCarthy did very well to stop their big striker from getting involved all game. Gerrbrand also looked very comfortable on the ball. The problem is the full backs, Maybury and Johansson, offered us nothing going forward until really late on when they started to push up into the Preston half. Maybury didn't look awake all game. Regularly the ball got stuck under his feet and when he did get into a crossing position the final ball was poor. Johansson was really solid in the tackle etc but he continually pumped these meaningless balls down the left flank. Without meaning to sound like Thracian, Sheehan should play at left back. I can't see us conceding many with Maybury-Gerrbrand-McCarthy-Johansson at the back but there's not enough support in attack from the full backs.

Although I didn't think much of Ryan Smith, he wasn't really involved much, I would play him against Plymouth just because he adds pace to our attacks. He turned corners for PNE into throw ins in good positions for City. Basically our passing in the final third is not fluid enough to create good goal scoring opportunities. By the time we've got the ball to our wingers they're marked. We need to be able to switch the play quickly to create space for the wingers. The central midfielders need to get in the box for attacks too. Plenty of times Sylla had the ball on the right and Gudjonsson and Kisnorbo were back on the halfway line.

Our midfield was so creative Smith didn't get a pass for 15/20 minutes. What the hell is he likely to do without the ball?

[Louise]

Cos we dropped another two points for a start. Cos we dropped em without good reason for another.

Why is it two points dropped? We're only an average team, we can't expect to win every game. Feel free to roll your eyes but a point away from home is a good result. I can understand people's frustrations at their favourite players not being played, but I can also understand why they weren't played. It is easy in hindsight to say 'oh we should have played this formation/player' but at the time Levein picked a team that he thought was capable of winning the match.

[Jonbluefox9]

Our midfield was so creative Smith didn't get a pass for 15/20 minutes. What the hell is he likely to do without the ball?

I can only judge him on what I saw. He put in a few corners, that if I didn't know he'd taken them I would've said that they were from the boot of Gareth Williams, and he made a couple of runs with the ball that won throw ins. As I said, his pace helped our attacks, his first touch looked good too but he wasn't involved enough for me to say how good or bad he is.

[Thracian]

Why is it two points dropped? We're only an average team, we can't expect to win every game. Feel free to roll your eyes but a point away from home is a good result. I can understand people's frustrations at their favourite players not being played, but I can also understand why they weren't played. It is easy in hindsight to say 'oh we should have played this formation/player' but at the time Levein picked a team that he thought was capable of winning the match.

There's a difference between favourite players and best players. This was two points lost - two of the many, many points we have lost on the pacemakers of this division in a very short time.

Some managers and some clubs have come to realise that winning is vital in three points at stake foootball. A draw will get you nowhere, especially the number of draws we get. This isn't the first time he's tried to quieten the game and pinch a win away from home.

Wolves, Cardiff, Derby were all just the same and it didn't work. Do you not think there is a reason? Do you not think there's a reason guys like Hume and Hammond are ineffective cos Hume looked pretty good on the Tranmere videos I watched?

Wigan are only an average team but Jewell just now is getting the best out of em. Can you honestly say Levein is getting the best out of our lads. I don't think so and one of the reasons is because we are too cautious, we don't attack the game from the off and we NEVER field our best team.

Craig only started really trying to win the match in the second half. What is the point in that?.

[Anish]

Why are people saying that 'Levein is happy' with this result? He clearly wasn't after the match, he took some positives out of it of course as all football managers do, but he said that players didn't play well (he named de Vries especially) and that we were very poor in the first half. I do sometimes wonder if he can ever win (with the fans, not on the pitch!). We won with the midfield today against Cov, we won with the defence today against Cardiff. There is method to his 'madness', not long ago we were despairing because we never seemed to be play with the same back four and/or midfield in any match. Now some might disagree with just keeping in players just because they won in the last game, but then equal amounts of people will say 'don't change a winning team'.

I honestly don't understand some of the depression on here today. We didn’t win, ok, but we got a point and more importantly moved up into 12th. If we win against Plymouth we could go to 10th.

Well to be fair to us that actually went to the game, we didn't have the benefit of a post-match interview to listen to what Levein actually said. And judging from our previous results away and our lineup today, it was sensible to assume that Levein would have been happy with a point. If that isn't the case then he need look no further than the mirror with his tactics.

I wasn't too unhappy about playing Kisnorbo and Joey in the middle when the teams were announced. However, after the first half it became patently clear that our midfield was not creating any chances for the strikers, nor were they supporting the forwards by getting into the box or making off the ball runs. Levein should have had this in mind and named at least Williams on the bench - i.e an attacking midfielder who would make runs into the box (if nothing else)..especially with Hughes out.

Besides, if you were at the game and spent all that time and money to get there - only to see your team play dull and defensive until the last 20 minutes, you'd be slightly pissed off too.

[Hullfox]

Sorry Thrac, but to be honest your posts are far too long that I really cannot be arsed to read through it all anymore.

Agreed

[Hullfox]

Besides, if you were at the game and spent all that time and money to get there - only to see your team play dull and defensive until the last 20 minutes, you'd be slightly pissed off too.

See that's the problem Anish.

We have no right to expect any different.

Optimism is always a bonfire that City piss on, you'll be saying the same in 10 years time.

But still we go back for more.

[Population-1]

There is a difference between Wigan Athletic and Leicester City Thrac, they are playing in a league of far higher quality, and ultimately, will raise their game to meet that standard, they have to. We have been playing in an environment that reeks of mediocrity and I think its inevitable that our game will suffer as a consequence.

I agree with Louise, today was a good away point, with the only disappointment being that it could have been more. Tell me this, would you rather be coming off the back of an away game relieved that your side have clung on to an undeserved point, or being left to rue the fact it could have been so many more?

Consecutive draws do not get you anywhere, that is true, but solid performance are a platform to build upon, and that is something we have not had the luxury of for a long time. The test for Levein is to see whether we can now take this on into our home form and tactical play.

[martyn]

Sheehan, the key to our attacking fluidity".

Honestly, this Sheehan love-in is getting a bit too much. He may be outstanding in the reserves, i don't know, but is he really that good? I went to the Sheff W match and he was a bag of nerves, especially in the 1st half, he improved 2nd half but to claim that he is the key to our attacking fluidity, give me a break.

I do think the team selecion CL seems to favour is wrong though, Kisnorbo and Joey are hardly a top 10 Championship pairing let alone play offs. And if Hamill is better than Smith then I'm the Queen Mother.

[Louise]

There's a difference between favourite players and best players.

Is there? Only in a person's own perception. Taking Sheehan as an example, you clearly think he’s one of our best players and should be playing week in week out. I’ve seen him play twice and although I think he’s a very good prospect I don’t think he’s that good yet. Levein is clearly easing him into the game, just as he did with Stearman last season.

This was two points lost - two of the many, many points we have lost on the pacemakers of this division in a very short time.

Some managers and some clubs have come to realise that winning is vital in three points at stake foootball. A draw will get you nowhere, especially the number of draws we get. This isn't the first time he's tried to quieten the game and pinch a win away from home.

Wolves, Cardiff, Derby were all just the same and it didn't work. Do you not think there is a reason? Do you not think there's a reason guys like Hume and Hammond are ineffective cos Hume looked pretty good on the Tranmere videos I watched?

I'm sure Levein realises that winning is vital. I personally don't see anything wrong with calming the game down in the first half and then turning it on in the second (away from home of course). Our problems is that when we don't really have that much to turn on. Hume was a good player for Tranmere, however he was never a really prolific goalscorer and that was in a lower division. I'm not saying he's not got the potential to be a good player in this league but very few players can make the step up from one league to another seamlessly, he's going to need a while to settle in. And he has only made five starts for us. As for Hammond, well I'm afraid there I just don't think he's a very good player, he's got the effort and the pace but I don't think he has the quality. Add to that a striker who people either love or loathe and it's not a very potent strike-force is it?

I do think Levein is getting the best out of most of our players at the moment (I'd set aside players like Johansson who he plays out of position for some reason...). Motivation-wise I think he's got them, talent-wise I think they're inconsistent as every player at this level is. Especially the young ones. I wouldn't really put that inconsistency of talent down to Levein.

It sounds a lot like I'm running the team down but I only started arguing in this thread because I'm tired of the constant complaining (not singling out any specifically). I know this is a forum, and generally you get very strong opinions but I do get tired with after every game that isn't a win (and even after some that are) of reading posts criticising Levein. I realise other people might have the opposing view and be tired of people supporting Levein after every bad result, but I just wanted to say where I'm coming from. I'm not ecstatic about today's result, and of course I'd prefer it if we played fast attacking football but we haven't ended the day in a bad place in the league, we haven't disgraced ourselves and we're still on a run of fairly good results that can only build confidence. With that confidence comes the good football and the attacking formations and the young players we all want to see, but we’re not quite there yet.

[Nationwider]

I'll keep it short and sweet...ish.

Gerrbrand was "Phil" (the brains of the operation) to Paddy's "Grant". Quite promising, though.

Johansson - makes Mike Whitlow look like Roberto Carlos.

De Vries - seemed to be towing an invisible caravan today.

We looked better with the three subs on, but if we had a plan, we left it in the changing rooms. The team doesn't seem to have a "brain" - it was only when we were playing on blind instinct in the 2nd half that we came alive.

Quote of the season....so far!...

"We'll be a force to be reckoned with. When that will be, I'm not 100% sure."

[Louise]

Besides, if you were at the game and spent all that time and money to get there - only to see your team play dull and defensive until the last 20 minutes, you'd be slightly pissed off too.

I sympathise completely. I suppose my view was coming from a less emotional standpoint. Probably because I wasn't at the game. I feel sorry for the people who spent all that time and money to see a bore draw. Sadly football, and especially following Leicester, is a gamble, one day you get a win and feel great for going all that way to support them, the next you lose and you feel like they just robbed you of £50 and a Saturday. I was only saying that in the context of the whole season a point away is not an awful result.

[Foxes_Wizard_Striker]

I'll keep it short and sweet...ish.

Gerrbrand was "Phil" (the brains of the operation) to Paddy's "Grant". Quite promising, though.

Johansson - makes Mike Whitlow look like Roberto Carlos.

De Vries - seemed to be towing an invisible caravan today.

We looked better with the three subs on, but if we had a plan, we left it in the changing rooms. The team doesn't seem to have a "brain" - it was only when we were playing on blind instinct in the 2nd half that we came alive.

Quote of the season....so far!...

[SilverFox]

What an utterly depressing result from an utterly depressing game.

Levein will doubtless point to another clean sheet, another point, another game unbeaten.

He can also point to another two points frittered away, another goalless day for his forwards, another day when two of his main strikers failed to score ...

Oh yes and he can also point to the dung heap - cos that's what his team's performance amounted to in the end.

Leicester City, yet again, contributed to a public exhibition of the sort of football which will drive even the most faithful fans from the terraces.

And I have to ask here and now... how long are the directors going to put up with this sort of thing being served up as the club's offering football wise.

Long term it surely cannot go on.

Hearts supporters said it from the start: "He'll get you results but he'll bore you to death".

Well, we're getting the boredom but the results still make for pretty grim reading.

In the past Levein has arguably lacked the players within a familiar and cohesive unit, to reasonably be expected to do the job - namely to win and to do so playing something which might properly be described as positive football.

That is no longer the case. He DOES have decent players, he does have options, he does have pace and the players are now familiar with each other.

But Cautious Craig just refuses to play his best and most complimentary side.

Apparently now, he's talking about loaning Sheehan out. Not Nils of Sylla or someone else we'd probably not miss, but Sheehan, the key to our attacking fluidity.

Truly I would rather shed the manager and his safety first tactics that produced endless draws last season and are doing exactly the same this year even with a far better side.

Hume played up front in a pair today - no real effect. Hammond played up in a pair - no real effect.

Because they are NOT< NOT< NOT< NOT natural strikers they have to play as a three with MDV.

It means shedding Sylla but so what. He doesn't attack as a flying winger anyway and he niether makes nor scores many goals.

Gold-Smith HAS to provide the width because he is far and away the most threatening player.

With Joey and Tiatto (cos of his left side strength in midfield) we would have solidarity, balance and movement.

But Sheehan remains the key because only he can produce the crossing/passing we would otherwise lack from the left in this system.

Most of the time we only need three at the back - certainly that was the case today and the best three are Stearman, McCarthy, Gerrbrand. Sheehan could then float between full back and far left midfield in a 4-3-3/3-4-3 formation that would constantly make the best of our resources.

Williams provides a first change possibility for one of the rotweilers (Joey and Tiatto). Hughes could well compete for Joey's place if fit, as could Kisnorbo.

This will work BETTER as an attacking unit with the players we've got. Why is Levein too proud to put it to the test?

I am not against 4-4-2 but ONLY when the "wingers" in 4-4-2 take men on, get behind defenders and can constantly produce dangerous crosses. Ours don't and haven't done all season. Craig likes them cos they defend quite well but we don't score enough as a result and that is WHY we draw too many games which we could and should be winning.

This is not being wise after the event. I have explained it time and time again. We HAVE to play to people's strengths.

The 4-4-2 might work fine if we had two natural strikers (but we don't) and with Gold-Smith replacing Hammill or Sylla. But NOT with what we have. So play 4-3-3 and you could then fit Chambers easily into the system as a sub cos three up front would give him that extra bit of space.

Without Sheehan in all this the left-side passing becomes too inaccurate and ineffective (without Hammill)

Using Sheehan/Tiatto they could even interchange and take time each to provide genuine width.

TRY IT CRAIG. JUST HAVE THE HUMILITY TO TRY IT BEFORE YOU SEND YOUNG SHEEHAN OUT ON LOAN AND LEAVE US SADDLED WITH A GREAT BIG WEAKNESS AT LEFT BACK THAT WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE.

There are presently two big weaknesses in the team as I see it: Nils and Sylla.

It's time they were corrected and it's time the club's directors insisted that the negative play must stop (except when there is really no sensible alternative, as at Cardiff).

Christ do you moan or what!

Are you Chandler in Disguise?

[Nationwider]

.....it's time the club's directors insisted that the negative play must stop (except when there is really no sensible alternative, as at Cardiff).

I believe Steve Gibson had words with Steve McLaren during the week about Middlesbrough's lack of goals and general defensive attitude.

Given their result this weekend, it might be worth a shot!

And if you're reading this Mr Gibson, leave the Smog and move down to the fresh air of Leicestershire, please. And bring your wallet.

And Yakubu.

[STUHILL]

WOW Louise marry me!! I have to agree with everything u say! Thracian i mean no offence by this, BUT i have spent the last few months reading your long but interesting posts and the way u go on, sounds like u would fancy yourself as a manager! The way you criticise (and occasionally praise!) and suggest what Levein should do to make it all come right and every thing be perfect and win every week etc. I really don't think u get this football lark, it is a not a football manager 2005 on the P.C, and u can not simply chop and change with a drop of a hat and all will be hunky dorey! I would take a guess at saying Craig has vast more experience than you at playing and now managing and i have every faith in him and the team and tactics he plays. For one, it is he who signed the players and he who spends most days a week working with each of them on the training pitch, and so it is ultimately he who knows the best team to pick and tactics to play against the various opposition, not someone who sits in the stands every saturday! And as for your glowing faith in Sheehan, yes i agree, i think he is a good solid player and perhaps a better alternative to playing Nils out of position but saying he is the answer to our attacking downfalls is way to ambitous.

The result yesterday was not a win, but i am happy with the point and i think the game demonstrated how are back four have become a brick wall of late (remember how bad it was, one word DABIZAS!) I have a lot of faith in Hume up front as he works his socks off and Hammond will be able to score goals in this division, how many? only time will tell.

Basically. LCFC is moving in the right direction and with the players we have got and the time the manager and new players have had together, 12th is not a terrible position to be in. People have got to start being realistic and i'm afraid especially u Thracian, i know u write like a pro and have many in depth thoughts on each game BUT until u take over as manager at Leicester, i am going to stick with craig for the time being!

[Nationwider]

WOW Louise marry me!! I have to agree with everything u say!

Listen Stu, if you're going to propose to a girl, you don't add some thing daft like

"I have to agree with everything u say!". Women REMEMBER stuff like that and then bring it back on you years later.

Careless talk costs lives, y'know.

[lush]

There is no doubting that CL is very cautious, and it somewhat expands to non entertainment, but you guys have to remember, CL does not do his job to entertain us as priority no.1, it is his job to scure success and the best way is by results.

Long gone are the days when entertaining is part of the job.

You should expect that you could well be bored shitless, if you dont, your deluded.

[Louise]

WOW Louise marry me!!

Um...

Listen Stu, if you're going to propose to a girl, you don't add some thing daft like

"I have to agree with everything u say!". Women REMEMBER stuff like that and then bring it back on you years later.

So true

[Thracian]

WOW Louise marry me!! I have to agree with everything u say! Thracian i mean no offence by this, BUT i have spent the last few months reading your long but interesting posts and the way u go on, sounds like u would fancy yourself as a manager! The way you criticise (and occasionally praise!) and suggest what Levein should do to make it all come right and every thing be perfect and win every week etc. I really don't think u get this football lark, it is a not a football manager 2005 on the P.C, and u can not simply chop and change with a drop of a hat and all will be hunky dorey! I would take a guess at saying Craig has vast more experience than you at playing and now managing and i have every faith in him and the team and tactics he plays. For one, it is he who signed the players and he who spends most days a week working with each of them on the training pitch, and so it is ultimately he who knows the best team to pick and tactics to play against the various opposition, not someone who sits in the stands every saturday! And as for your glowing faith in Sheehan, yes i agree, i think he is a good solid player and perhaps a better alternative to playing Nils out of position but saying he is the answer to our attacking downfalls is way to ambitous.

The result yesterday was not a win, but i am happy with the point and i think the game demonstrated how are back four have become a brick wall of late (remember how bad it was, one word DABIZAS!) I have a lot of faith in Hume up front as he works his socks off and Hammond will be able to score goals in this division, how many? only time will tell.

Basically. LCFC is moving in the right direction and with the players we have got and the time the manager and new players have had together, 12th is not a terrible position to be in. People have got to start being realistic and i'm afraid especially u Thracian, i know u write like a pro and have many in depth thoughts on each game BUT until u take over as manager at Leicester, i am going to stick with craig for the time being!

If all you said was true (which it actually isn't) then Levein would not have collected half the points of his main rival this season (in three months or so!) and would not be managing a team which is struggling to score, failing to entertain and languishing in mid-table mediocrity.

[Thracian]

There is no doubting that CL is very cautious, and it somewhat expands to non entertainment, but you guys have to remember, CL does not do his job to entertain us as priority no.1, it is his job to scure success and the best way is by results.

Long gone are the days when entertaining is part of the job.

You should expect that you could well be bored shitless, if you dont, your deluded.

Well, on the one hand there's you saying that "long gone are the days when entertaining is part of the (manager's) job" and at the same time the national press is saying that unless football teams entertain the game will die as a commercial proposition.

No offence but I believe the hacks for lots of reasons I won't explain because my posts are already considered too long.

[Thracian]

Sheehan, the key to our attacking fluidity".

Honestly, this Sheehan love-in is getting a bit too much. He may be outstanding in the reserves, i don't know, but is he really that good? I went to the Sheff W match and he was a bag of nerves, especially in the 1st half, he improved 2nd half but to claim that he is the key to our attacking fluidity, give me a break.

I do think the team selecion CL seems to favour is wrong though, Kisnorbo and Joey are hardly a top 10 Championship pairing let alone play offs. And if Hamill is better than Smith then I'm the Queen Mother.

You mention Sheffield Wednesday (rare two goal win and clean sheet) and, apart from his passing being a bit iffy in his nervy start which I acknowledged at the time, the rest of his game was fine, even excellent in the last hour. Wednesday had perhaps two worthwhile rightside attacks, that's all (from what I saw having also been there).

With Nils, on the other hand, two goals are conceded from his sector in recent games and almost a third at Watford, yet he gets an extended chance to play those errors away (not to mention HIS errant passes) and others like Sylla get a third of a season to do the same despite umpteen lousy performances.

It's not ME that's losing out in all this. It's you the watching public and Leicester City the team.

I actually don't give a shit who plays left back but Sheehan is the best I've seen of the City choices and I actually believe he has most potential as well. Is it so wrong therefore to want him in the side?

There seems to be an attitude on this forum that if a bloke is of mature age, has cost money and has been transferred to the club that he somehow MUST be a better playeer than the Academy lads and MUST be given more of a chance.

If you only added up how many young careers are wrecked in this country because of that attitude.

I've mentioned Sheehan's value from free-kicks (which will possibly be the kiss of death if he takes em sometime, never).

Joey crashed one into the wall and almost scored from a deflection at Preston. Has he scored from any all season? There may have been one but I can't remember it. But Sheehan doesn't just hit a fierce shot, he bends it yards and scored with TWO in succession in one match at Hinckley that are the best I've ever seen at Leicester in 40 years (one was disallowed on a technicality).

Why miss out on this sort of ability? Just explain to to me WHY Nils is better. I AM listening.

[Gené and Tonic]

Why is it two points dropped? We're only an average team, we can't expect to win every game. Feel free to roll your eyes but a point away from home is a good result. I can understand people's frustrations at their favourite players not being played, but I can also understand why they weren't played. It is easy in hindsight to say 'oh we should have played this formation/player' but at the time Levein picked a team that he thought was capable of winning the match.

I don't really like that, we shouldn't be an average team, we should be competing with very side n the division for a win. Saying we're an average team will just lower expectations and we will end up just an average championship side like Burnley.

[Thracian]

I believe Steve Gibson had words with Steve McLaren during the week about Middlesbrough's lack of goals and general defensive attitude.

Given their result this weekend, it might be worth a shot!

And if you're reading this Mr Gibson, leave the Smog and move down to the fresh air of Leicestershire, please. And bring your wallet.

And Yakubu.

That Steve Gibson's a cracker. Must be something about the name Gibson

[Cobbo]

I don't really like that, we shouldn't be an average team, we should be competing with very side n the division for a win. Saying we're an average team will just lower expectations and we will end up just an average championship side like Burnley.

Well, regardless of what you think, we are an average team.

If we weren't an average team we'd be somewhere other than in the middle of the table wouldn't we?