Why do we always struggle in the big games?

[Ian Nacho]

We never seem to turn up in the big games. Liverpool (h), Man Utd, Chelsea (cup), Villa (cup, both legs), and now today, just to name a few. I know there's some quality sides in there but we always never seem to perform as we can in these games.  

[Blue-fox]

Because they can’t handle pressure. Simple as that really. Poor mentality. 

[foxfanazer]

Lack of leaders, lack of direction, poor substitutions, poor tactics, acceptance of being little old Leicester 

[Foxaholic ME]

29 minutes ago, Ian Nacho said:

We never seem to turn up in the big games. Liverpool (h), Man Utd, Chelsea (cup), Villa (cup, both legs), and now today, just to name a few. I know there's some quality sides in there but we always never seem to perform as we can in these games.  

Agreed  we have not won  any game when we not favourites  . I cant agree we never turn up for the  big games Leicester  in 9 seasons out of 10 beat the best and lose to the worst. One exception when we beat the worst as well was we won the league but even then we only drew with Villa arguablly the second worst side the premier has had in it. 

[TeamRocket]

think it maybe due there age or manager not inspiring them to do summit or we just better when not cares about us

[HybridFox]

ironically under Puel we were complete opposite. The big games were the ones we'd turn up for

[shailen]

I don't think we have an issue as such. In our recent history, we've won a Premier league and got to the champions league QF. We've had a rough time this season, as I think we aren't tactically as well drilled as other big teams and we rely on morale and momentum. I wouldn't put BR in those managers you would call a tactical genius, but a manager who keeps morale high and looks to unite the squad to try and get results through the "there is no I in team" manner. 

[That_Dude]

We struggled a lot with Rodgers not quite so under other the other managers. 

[Guest ttfn]

1 minute ago, That_Dude said:

We struggled a lot with Rodgers not quite so under other the other managers. 

Just think how often we turned up for big games under Pearson for example

 

Obviously the League 1 season - beat Posh 4-0 but not a lot of “big” games.

2010 - Play-off semi second leg plus some big wins in the run-in, e.g the 3-0 against Forest

2013 - had that ridiculous collapse and then beat decent Bolton and Forest sides and drew with Palace in the run-in. Even in the semi-final that Watford side were much better but we nearly pinched it.

2014 - Won every big game

2015 - Delivered when it mattered

2016 - Won most big games

2017 - Made the Champions League quarters

Under Puel - won at Stamford Bridge, drew at Anfield, beat Man City...

Under Rodgers - nothing. Not one “statement” result in 50-odd games.

[Wymsey]

Lack of leadership within the team.

[That_Dude]

1 minute ago, ttfn said:

Just think how often we turned up for big games under Pearson for example

 

Obviously the League 1 season - beat Posh 4-0 but not a lot of “big” games.

2010 - Play-off semi second leg plus some big wins in the run-in, e.g the 3-0 against Forest

2013 - had that ridiculous collapse and then beat decent Bolton and Forest sides and drew with Palace in the run-in. Even in the semi-final that Watford side were much better but we nearly pinched it.

2014 - Won every big game

2015 - Delivered when it mattered

2016 - Won most big games

2017 - Made the Champions League quarters

Under Puel - won at Stamford Bridge, drew at Anfield, beat Man City...

Under Rodgers - nothing. Not one “statement” result in 50-odd games.

Didn't we beat Arsenal and Spurs this season ?

[Guest ttfn]

1 minute ago, That_Dude said:

Didn't we beat Arsenal and Spurs this season ?

We beat Arsenal and Spurs under Puel, nobody thought it was the sign of a great coach then, and that was at a time they were 2 of the best 6 sides in the country rather than scrapping for a top half finish.

Edited 12 July 2020 by ttfn

[Hales]

This team need sessions with a sports psychologist asap!

[Blue-fox]

1 minute ago, That_Dude said:

Didn't we beat Arsenal and Spurs this season ?

They’re both poor sides in comparison to the sides of previous years. 

[Ross 'LCFC' Turner]

Because we’re not as good as we think we are. 

[The Horse's Mouth]

It is a Rodgers problem tbf, Puel was really good against top 6 opposition 

[shailen]

4 minutes ago, ttfn said:

Just think how often we turned up for big games under Pearson for example

 

Obviously the League 1 season - beat Posh 4-0 but not a lot of “big” games.

2010 - Play-off semi second leg plus some big wins in the run-in, e.g the 3-0 against Forest

2013 - had that ridiculous collapse and then beat decent Bolton and Forest sides and drew with Palace in the run-in. Even in the semi-final that Watford side were much better but we nearly pinched it.

2014 - Won every big game

2015 - Delivered when it mattered

2016 - Won most big games

2017 - Made the Champions League quarters

Under Puel - won at Stamford Bridge, drew at Anfield, beat Man City...

Under Rodgers - nothing. Not one “statement” result in 50-odd games.

If you're talking about big games this season fair enough, but statement results we've had a few - none more than Southampton away. 

[That_Dude]

Just now, ttfn said:

We beat Arsenal and Spurs under Puel, nobody thought it was the sign of a great coach then.

Puel's downfall was that he wasn't able to break down the bottom teams, but against the big ones he almost always got a (decent) result. And he lacked the personnel.

 

I do think that the team's mentality has to be instilled by the coach. The senior players are there to help but it shouldn't fall only on them, on and off the pitch. After a magnificent first half of the season, the fall seems bottomless. Yes we are still fourth, for how long god knows, but the way we squandered our 14 points is what really worries me for the next season. 

[Guest ttfn]

Just now, shailen said:

If you're talking about big games this season fair enough, but statement results we've had a few - none more than Southampton away. 

I was talking about big games but I understand your point about Southampton. But really, what statement did that make? We can batter a demoralised side with 10 men? 

 

Every time we’ve been properly tested we’ve been found wanting. It’s July and we’re still suffering the same issues we had in January. In fact it’s the same issues we had in September when we rolled over at Old Trafford.

 

Rodgers is just as conservative a manager as Puel was, and like Puel now the good start has worn off he doesn’t know how to turn it around. 20-odd games of under-performance is long enough to say there’s a problem.

[shailen]

Just now, ttfn said:

I was talking about big games but I understand your point about Southampton. But really, what statement did that make? We can batter a demoralised side with 10 men? 

 

Every time we’ve been properly tested we’ve been found wanting. It’s July and we’re still suffering the same issues we had in January. In fact it’s the same issues we had in September when we rolled over at Old Trafford.

 

Rodgers is just as conservative a manager as Puel was, and like Puel now the good start has worn off he doesn’t know how to turn it around. 20-odd games of under-performance is long enough to say there’s a problem.

I think regardless of 10 men or not that performance against Southampton was special. Teams go down to ten men all the time but there aren't many results like that. 

 

I do agree with us having a mentality issue this season. We do a lot of hard work to get into great positions and then when it's crunch time we struggle to get over the line. I don't think we are at Puel levels yet, not far from it, but we are still creating some chances which was non existent towards the end of his reign. 

[Guest ttfn]

1 minute ago, shailen said:

I think regardless of 10 men or not that performance against Southampton was special. Teams go down to ten men all the time but there aren't many results like that. 

 

I do agree with us having a mentality issue this season. We do a lot of hard work to get into great positions and then when it's crunch time we struggle to get over the line. I don't think we are at Puel levels yet, not far from it, but we are still creating some chances which was non existent towards the end of his reign. 

You see I just don’t think that’s a fair reflection of where we were under Puel vs now.

 

We battered Spurs in Puel’s penultimate game in a performance better than anything we’ve put together in the last 6 months under Rodgers.

 

Rodgers has a big summer coming up. I’m really ****ing concerned that he had a 3 month mid-season break and failed to address any of our issues in that time. Other managers (Potter, Dyche amongst others) managed to get a hold of far inferior squads in that time and push them towards far less appealing goals than a Champions League campaign.

[Hoopla10]

7 minutes ago, ttfn said:

I was talking about big games but I understand your point about Southampton. But really, what statement did that make? We can batter a demoralised side with 10 men? 

That game would have ended like most where the winning side has hit 5 goals and we'd have slowed right down and played the game out if Evans (I think) hadn't refocused the team on the record. The sad thing as a statement it was seemingly more influential on Southampton's season who've only got better from that point.  

[Leicester_Loyal]

Poor mentality, both from the manager and the players.

 

Remember when people weren't arsed that Maddision and Chilwell were laughing and joking prior to being spanked by Villa? Then the same when we got beat a few weeks ago. There's not enough winners in this team.

[Chrysalis]

This is a Rodgers thing in my opinion, Puel, Ranieri, Pearson and even Shakespeare got some handy scalps.

Edited 12 July 2020 by Chrysalis

[HighPeakFox]

I just want to know what the heck went on at half-time.