Black Saturday

[Thracian]

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?

I don't think LCFC 826 was denying your view that we are an average side just complaining that your accepting of Leicester as an average side is negative because we should be thinking and acting with more ambition. In other words if you think "average" then you will come to "be" average. Many fans at this club seem to have low expectations and, like LCFC 826, I find it bloody annoying.

[Royston.]

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).

I was just starting to feel more optimistic with the last few results!

If we were challenging for promotion, a point away to Preston would have been unacceptable but frustrating as it is I dont think it really matters as its clear we are not going anywhere this season or the next.

[Fez of Mahrez]

For a minute there I thought two different people were alleging that Sheehan is the "key to our attacking fluidity".

[Thracian]

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).

I was just starting to feel more optimistic with the last few results!

If we were challenging for promotion, a point away to Preston would have been unacceptable but frustrating as it is I dont think it really matters as its clear we are not going anywhere this season or the next.

Now who's being pessimistic?. Can't see us in the top two but top six is certainly not out of reach. But it will be if we keep drawing 0-0 and failing to score goals.

[lush]

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.

The professional game is already suffering, but like so many people in society now, they`ll be commercialised to return through some gimmick or other.

Lets face it (and im guilty of it) who in their right minds would pay £15 £20 to watch a football match, its FREE to play it FREE to watch local football . Of course we grew up with it, and its hard to let go.

Yes, i do think you should decrease some of your posts Thrach.

[Gené and Tonic]

I don't think Nationwide was denying your view that we are an average side just complaining that your accepting of Leicester as an average side is negative because we should be thinking and acting with more ambition. In other words if you think "average" then you will come to "be" average. Many fans at this club seem to have low expectations and, like Nationwider, I find it bloody annoying.

twas me mate

Yes, we must raise ambitions, otherwise we will get nowhere. West Ham had big ambitons to get out of this league as quick as possible, and look where they are now.

[Thracian]

twas me mate

Yes, we must raise ambitions, otherwise we will get nowhere. West Ham had big ambitons to get out of this league as quick as possible, and look where they are now.

Yeah. Good example West Ham. And some terrific young players from what I saw when their reserves were down here.

[breadandcheese]

Yeah. Good example West Ham. And some terrific young players from what I saw when their reserves were down here.

Yes, the example of West Ham is probably quite apt for us.

A large section of West Ham fans wanted rid of Pardew last season. They weren't happy with him, his signings and the way the team was playing (with its talented youngsters).

This season they are flying and the fans are demanding Pardew be offered a new contract.

[Babylon]

People repeating the same points thread, after thread, after thread, is more boring than the football.

[BenFilbert]

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 completely agree. People are being stupid on here. We are on a good run. We're not Sheffield United. We aren't going to win every game. We are in 12th place in the league! We are climbing the table but it's not going to happen over night. It's going to take many weeks. We are improving. We have a young team and they are going to grow together. That was a good result against Preston. We could easily have lost the game. We didn't. We need to stay positive and we will continue to climb the table. We've moved from 19th to 12th this month! Come on!

[Thracian]

I completely agree. People are being stupid on here. We are on a good run. We're not Sheffield United. We aren't going to win every game. We are in 12th place in the league! We are climbing the table but it's not going to happen over night. It's going to take many weeks. We are improving. We have a young team and they are going to grow together. That was a good result against Preston. We could easily have lost the game. We didn't. We need to stay positive and we will continue to climb the table. We've moved from 19th to 12th this month! Come on!

Did you used to support Rochdale or something?