My Two Penneth

[Ric Flair]

I went to the match on saturday but because I was extremely ****in leathered I don't actually remember much of the match. That might be due to the ale or it might be due to the game itself. Anyway after reading some of the threads on here i'm quite surpised!

I know a point away from home against a team that isn't any better than us isn't brilliant but from what I recall we look a very solid outfit these days. It surprises me to read some of the stuff on here about Levein considering what we had to put up with under Adams. I was under the impression that the general consensus after Adams left was to get a manager in who would come in and completely re-build the club. Sign younger players, develop the academy and piece by piece put this club back together to make it alot stronger and more secure than it has been in the early years of this milennium. Well isn't Levein doing that? All I have asked from Levein is that he improves the club as a whole, whether that is a rapid improvement straight away or a slow but positive improvement i'm not overly concerned either way at the minute.

Up until a few weeks ago i'd say we weren't really improving and it was starting to frustrate me. I even questioned whether Levein would ever manage to take us forward, but the past 5 or 6 games I have seen indications that we are on the right track. Surely wins at Watford and then back to back wins against Coventry and Cardiff is an a good improvement. From what I remember on saturday we were hesitant in the first half but as the second half opened up and the poor players were replaced (de Vries and Hamill) we actually played some decent football and were unlucky not to win the match. That could easily have been 4 wins out of 5 matches and would people be going crazy about a goal drought, etc?

The two main problems we have had this season has been our defence and the continous changes throughout the team. Well correct me if i'm wrong but Levein has took heed and rectified these problems. We are watching a much more settled side now we have almost everyone available and defensively we look cock on. Gerrbrand looked the real deal from what I remember and Paddy has upped his game no end. Left back is still a slight concern and much to Thracian's delight i'm sure if Sheehan keeps playing well for the reserves then he'll get his chance to prove his worth again. Maybury has also come back in and shown his ability and it's all looking good in that department. Dublin who has been our best defender of late hasn't been needed for the past 2 away games and that speaks volumes in terms of how Levein has sorted the defensive problems out.

I was a little upset that Smudger didn't start on saturday but as I said on friday, we have been doing well without him and the fact he can change a game in an instant meant we had a valuable option if we weren't bossing the match. Smudger came on and once he was given the ball he proved that he will turn this team in to a dangerous force going forward. I get pissed off with the fact we haven't got a 20 goal a season striker but how many clubs do have one? and how many clubs actually get their so called 20 goal a season striker to score 20+ goals in a season? We had one in Connolly and he was all over the shop for 6 months. January will give Levein an option to strenghten the attack, if we aren't scoring many more goals than at present then i'll be disappointed if he doesn't bring a striker in but at the minute i'm not overly bothered about our strikers.

As a team we are more solid, I enjoy going to watch us. I'm sure that could change within 90 minutes but at the minute i'm relatively happy with Leicester. Smudger's back, Wesolowski is only a few months away and i'm not in fear everytime the opposition get inside our own half anymore. Iain Hume will come good i'm sure of it, I still believe he can be effective as a striker. From watching his performance against Coventry he finds it just as easy to drop deep and runs at defenders as he does at staying on the shoulder of the defender until the last second and breaking free. It all comes down to the fact he is in need of a few goals to settle him down like most of the strikers we sign, I can't see where else we could play him that would benefit the team. It doesn't look like Levein would want to play a fancy formation with Hume just behind the strikers, so for me Hume has got to play upfront. Whether it's with de Vries, Dublin or Elvis i'm not sure. But aslong as the rest of the team keeps improving then i'll give them recognition for it. I think theres goals in Elvis and Hume and if Levein can work on them like he has done with his defence then we'll be flying high.

It's monday ya bastards cheer up. A nice 1800000000000 mile trip to Plymouth tomorrow for some of us.

Craig Levein's..............................

[Guest]

A nice 1800000000000 mile trip to Plymouth tomorrow for some of us.

I didn't think Plymouth was that near.

[davieG]

I went to the match on saturday but because I was extremely ****in leathered I don't actually remember much of the match. That might be due to the ale or it might be due to the game itself. Anyway after reading some of the threads on here i'm quite surpised!

I know a point away from home against a team that isn't any better than us isn't brilliant but from what I recall we look a very solid outfit these days. It surprises me to read some of the stuff on here about Levein considering what we had to put up with under Adams. I was under the impression that the general consensus after Adams left was to get a manager in who would come in and completely re-build the club. Sign younger players, develop the academy and piece by piece put this club back together to make it alot stronger and more secure than it has been in the early years of this milennium. Well isn't Levein doing that? All I have asked from Levein is that he improves the club as a whole, whether that is a rapid improvement straight away or a slow but positive improvement i'm not overly concerned either way at the minute.

Up until a few weeks ago i'd say we weren't really improving and it was starting to frustrate me. I even questioned whether Levein would ever manage to take us forward, but the past 5 or 6 games I have seen indications that we are on the right track. Surely wins at Watford and then back to back wins against Coventry and Cardiff is an a good improvement. From what I remember on saturday we were hesitant in the first half but as the second half opened up and the poor players were replaced (de Vries and Hamill) we actually played some decent football and were unlucky not to win the match. That could easily have been 4 wins out of 5 matches and would people be going crazy about a goal drought, etc?

The two main problems we have had this season has been our defence and the continous changes throughout the team. Well correct me if i'm wrong but Levein has took heed and rectified these problems. We are watching a much more settled side now we have almost everyone available and defensively we look cock on. Gerrbrand looked the real deal from what I remember and Paddy has upped his game no end. Left back is still a slight concern and much to Thracian's delight i'm sure if Sheehan keeps playing well for the reserves then he'll get his chance to prove his worth again. Maybury has also come back in and shown his ability and it's all looking good in that department. Dublin who has been our best defender of late hasn't been needed for the past 2 away games and that speaks volumes in terms of how Levein has sorted the defensive problems out.

I was a little upset that Smudger didn't start on saturday but as I said on friday, we have been doing well without him and the fact he can change a game in an instant meant we had a valuable option if we weren't bossing the match. Smudger came on and once he was given the ball he proved that he will turn this team in to a dangerous force going forward. I get pissed off with the fact we haven't got a 20 goal a season striker but how many clubs do have one? and how many clubs actually get their so called 20 goal a season striker to score 20+ goals in a season? We had one in Connolly and he was all over the shop for 6 months. January will give Levein an option to strenghten the attack, if we aren't scoring many more goals than at present then i'll be disappointed if he doesn't bring a striker in but at the minute i'm not overly bothered about our strikers.

As a team we are more solid, I enjoy going to watch us. I'm sure that could change within 90 minutes but at the minute i'm relatively happy with Leicester. Smudger's back, Wesolowski is only a few months away and i'm not in fear everytime the opposition get inside our own half anymore. Iain Hume will come good i'm sure of it, I still believe he can be effective as a striker. From watching his performance against Coventry he finds it just as easy to drop deep and runs at defenders as he does at staying on the shoulder of the defender until the last second and breaking free. It all comes down to the fact he is in need of a few goals to settle him down like most of the strikers we sign, I can't see where else we could play him that would benefit the team. It doesn't look like Levein would want to play a fancy formation with Hume just behind the strikers, so for me Hume has got to play upfront. Whether it's with de Vries, Dublin or Elvis i'm not sure. But aslong as the rest of the team keeps improving then i'll give them recognition for it. I think theres goals in Elvis and Hume and if Levein can work on them like he has done with his defence then we'll be flying high.

It's monday ya bastards cheer up. A nice 1800000000000 mile trip to Plymouth tomorrow for some of us.

Craig Levein's..............................

More like £3 quids worth

[Ric Flair]

More like £3 quids worth

Cheers, that will get me one of those horrid balti pies on saturday against Southampton.

[Louise]

Good post Ric, I agree with most of what you've said. I am pretty bemused by the attitude of some towards our manager and team today, in my mind we're so increadibly improved since Adams was here and we have got a lot to look forward to.

[Ric Flair]

Good post Ric, I agree with most of what you've said. I am pretty bemused by the attitude of some towards our manager and team today, in my mind we're so increadibly improved since Adams was here and we have got a lot to look forward to.

Exactly! I'm not saying Levein has turned us in to world beaters but after Adams left I remember I stated that I wasn't bothered what happened at this club aslong as we had someone who would come in and re-build it with younger players. Levein has done that and i'm man enough to admit that he's providing me with everything I asked of a manager a year ago.

[Head Honcho]

I'd guess that well over half the negative comments you get on here are from fan's who don't see many live games.

I say this because if you watched City regularly you'd see the difference week in week out.

You go down every now and again and see a stinker of a performance, and lets not kid ourselves there are still a few! Then that is what you are going to base your future comments on.

Now there's nothing wrong with going to the odd game but please don't judge a 0-0 away as a bad result, look at it as a well earned point.

[BenFilbert]

I'd guess that well over half the negative comments you get on here are from fan's who don't see many live games.

I say this because if you watched City regularly you'd see the difference week in week out.

You go down every now and again and see a stinker of a performance, and lets not kid ourselves there are still a few! Then that is what you are going to base your future comments on.

Now there's nothing wrong with going to the odd game but please don't judge a 0-0 away as a bad result, look at it as a well earned point.

Completely agree with everything you said. I agree with Ric too. Fans are being really harsh on the team at the moment. I really am shocked by some of the things i read. We are improving every game we play. We slip up occasionly but generally we are improving every game. The Preston game was not a slip up, it was a good result against a team that last season and even earlier this season would probably have beaten us. We've got Plymouth tomorrow and for the first time in ages i actually feel as if we are the favourites to win the match!

[Fox in a Box]

I didn't think Plymouth was that near.

try www.multimap.co.uk/

[Nationwider]

From what I remember on saturday we were hesitant in the first half but as the second half opened up and the poor players were replaced (de Vries and Hamill) we actually played some decent football and were unlucky not to win the match.......defensively we look cock on. Gerrbrand looked the real deal from what I remember and Paddy has upped his game no end. Left back is still a slight concern......Maybury has also come back in and shown his ability and it's all looking good in that department.

That's exactly what I saw too.

I was disappointed not to get a win, but came away feeling that we are on the right track, if a little lacking creatively.

I nearly wished that Willams was on during the second half......only nearly though.

[cisono]

I agree with you guys... It feels as if Leic have improved and are still improving

[TAFKA Castroneves]

I think the thing we really need right now is an overall of our coaches, Levein is much better at working things out defensivly, if he could have someone who could work on the attack alongside him and aid that compromise that is needed then we'd over time turn into a much more rounded team.

[Collymore]

More like £3 quids worth

I think its best to read 1st and last paragraph with large posts! you sort of get the picture

[shen]

Wigan are current proof that it pays off to have a very strong defense and win at the same time. We didn't get many big victories during our last promotion season either. If we can keep in touch with the play-off contenders for the rest of the season, then I think Levein has achieved his objectives resultwise for this season...

[Michael Doyle]

I agree Ric Flair

I would also say that the mess T@#$&r (His name does not deserve to be associated with English football) and then Bassett left for Adams also contributed to the eventual decline. Adams was kicked in the teeth by his team members at La Magna and had to go. At least he fell on his own sword.

CL now has his own squad and is rebuilding something that I think is good for the club. Yes, they started poorly. But looking at their most recent results suggests to me that they are on the improve. Look at Cardiff when we lost. A couple of weeks later we went back after learning our lesson and won. We have also beaten Watford away from home and stopped the rot at home by beating Coventry. This after slipping up against QPR and Burnley. It indicates that the squad is reacting to these hic ups.

All of the supporters that follow the City up and down the country will at times get frustrated, but if they show signs of improvement then our future looks good. Lets face it after less than 20 games playing together I feel we have a bright future and whilst it may take some time I still believe the future is ours.

COME ON

MadMick

[Manwell Pablo]

Well yeah I dont understand why people are getting on his back as well I like I said losing to cov was unexceptable. We didnt lose, we went ninan park and we won. And a point a deepdale is fine by me went up a place and in to the top half of the championship, Plymouth away tonight, 3 points there and ur suddenly looking at a very exciting game an Saturday that could make us play off runners if won.

At the end of the day I think the team are jelling more. and I would take 12th place at the end of the season its a marked improvement and in the right half.

Its nice to see he we are now "hard to beat" somewhat and we dont need to play 4-5-1 in order to achieve that status.

I do understand what Ric means about being afraid when the oppostion is in our half. Luton and even against Stoke every time they looked to attack us i felt nervous (3-2 v Stoke Espically) However against Watford we looked good. Clean sheets away at Cardiff (say what u want about em they have good players) and Preston, and hopefully another one tonight will probabley be our best defensive form since we were last in this division beating everyone.

Strikers still worry me though IMO any club should have a choice of 4 even if one isnt very good, just offer somthing differnt. The Fact the Hume is still finding his feet Elvis Blatently can't finish (the coaches should really be addressing this more) and when De Vries plays poorly, he looks slow clumsly poor in the air and a waste of space, shows we need a 4th option.

I think Levien should actually spend a decent amount of money in January, lets face, Wigan are gonna have to pay us the extra mill for connolly, there second with a game in hand over 3rd, not gonna stay there but there gonna stay up.

If the cup run continues that should generate a little bit of money even if its not that much.

one last note, we have no 20 goal a season striker? I think De Vires will prolly Brace his way to 20! he gets 2 more before chirstmas hes looking good for it.

[Michael Doyle]

Well put Manwell

Shame the game was abandoned last night but there you go. Well done to all the fans that went to the game as well. True City fans.

MadMick