'We're all in'

[goose2010]

14 minutes ago, lcfc cowboys said:

I live in a fantasy world where we all stand still and let other teams over take us have our main assets leave manager goes and we go into a backwards spiral and we know where that could end I really don't care what you say and others that agree I want lcfc to be the a top 4 to 6 club but others seem content.

we are a top 4 to 6 club without panic buying and paying 5mill+ on a loan signing for 6 months. 

 

We have lost 1 match ffs and now you think we are standing still and everyone is leaving us? 

 

Odd... 

[daddylonglegs]

2 hours ago, Bert said:

The thing that’s annoyed me most is that we’ve played 8 extra games for little reason. Which has and will continue to have an impact. Don’t get me wrong - we all wanted it and it was good being in Europe. But looking back, now it’s leaving that extra bitter taste. 

I think if we'd all had trips to Prague & sunny Portugal we'd feel a bit different about it. As you say, at this stage it feels like a waste of time. 

 

 

[Dan]

This season is the most demanding schedule I have ever seen. It's why I've been a bit more forgiving of last night  and I'm totally braced for a possible tail off in the league as well.

 

I'm probably a little more forgiving because not being able to go has made the whole thing a pretty dull experience. I've kind of taken the attitude that this was a taste of European football for these players - get used to the rigours, because you'll be doing this again next season.

 

But if you think about it, just think about the moans the Europa League and its schedule has drawn from managers in previous years. Now think that we've had that schedule in a season that has had a month taken off it to fit the whole thing in. Think that it's been done on the back of an already condensed season with only a few weeks rest.

 

You will never see a schedule like it. We look absolutely bollocksed already to be honest. We were obviously never going all the way, was very clear after last weeks game.

[Wasyls Pec Deck]

Feeling better about it today for the reasons stated by people on this thread. I do think, however, that we had enough quality on the field to win. But it was such a poor performance when both legs aren’t taken into consideration.

 

We do look knackered, but so do everyone else. Hopefully for that reason we won’t tail off like last season. Praet, Fofana et al can’t come back soon enough. 

[Dan]

To be fair, in the group stages we got a very easy group and we were always going to go through. Slavia were always a banana skin. They're better than Braga. They have the track record in recent years to back it up. The circumstances around the tie were never going to help us - as abject as the performances were.

[turtmcfly]

5 hours ago, Dan LCFC said:

To be fair, in the group stages we got a very easy group and we were always going to go through. Slavia were always a banana skin. They're better than Braga. They have the track record in recent years to back it up. The circumstances around the tie were never going to help us - as abject as the performances were.

 

All of this, plus the fact that back when the group stages were being held 'a why not go for it' attitude made sense. Who knew where we'd be in the league and what the injury situation would look like by the knock out stages.

 

Whereas by last night there was a clear potential downside of really going for it, both in terms of further injuries on the night and knackered key players for Sunday, but also in terms of future game pile-up, and a rinse-repeat cycle. There must have been a nagging thought that it might be a bad call.

 

 

Edited 26 February 2021 by turtmcfly

[reynard]

5 hours ago, lcfc cowboys said:

We should have invested in January where most fans could see we needed a new striker because of vardy injuries  and other injuries to players but again the club dragged its heels again and bought no one.if we want to be one of the big 6 we have got to be ambitious and for godsake I don't want to hear about covid 

I hear this a lot and yes it is true but in reality who was there that we could have got?  It isn't like there were loads of players being transfered. You may not want to hear about Covid but we've yet to hear what impact it has had on our finances. Whatever the amount is won't have had a positive effect.

[Leicester_Loyal]

1 hour ago, reynard said:

I hear this a lot and yes it is true but in reality who was there that we could have got?  It isn't like there were loads of players being transfered. You may not want to hear about Covid but we've yet to hear what impact it has had on our finances. Whatever the amount is won't have had a positive effect.

There were players available tbf, but the club obviously felt they were too expensive in terms of wages or the loan fee.

 

I thought they were going to recall KDH, was surprised when they didn't, but the club know much more about the situation than me and I trust them 100%.

 

I do feel that we should have got an extra attacking body in, we're so low on numbers it's silly. However, hopefully we can get through the next week without anymore injuries, and by then, Perez and Fofana will be back (or very close), and Castagne and Ricardo will be much more match fit. Plus now we're gonna get a weeks rest at points, rather than 3 or 4 days between every game.

[boots60]

The injuries are unfortunate but to start a must win game with Barnes & Ricardo on the bench is questionable.

[SecretPro]

At the end of the day if we were skint in Janurary then we will be skint in the summer. If anybody is expecting a big haul of signings then they are probably going to be dissapointed.

[fuchsntf]

15 hours ago, Fox92 said:

My point about not bringing in top quality is because when we don't then how are we gonna sustain it next season? Say we finish top 4 this season then next season we're gonna be in the CL obviously. CL football, PL football and two domestic trophies... squad rotation is bound to happen again. Games might not be crammed in as much but we'd still be playing Tuesday/Saturday and against better oppostion too.

 

I get that it's a "long term project" which is why I made the point about Spurs. Poch got them top 4 every season and they've been top 6 regulars but what have they won in that time?

I  get that it's a "long term project" which is why I made the point about Spurs. Poch got them top 4 every season and they've been top 6 regulars but what have they won in that time?...

 

This is where I might differ from 90% of many fans....

Spurs a traditional Top 8-2 club...More Financial Clout & a better larger Quality Cache of potential Quality Players than Leicester., But like Leicester,they themselves are still far Off clubs like Liverpool,Man.city,Chelsea,Manutd & maybe Arsenal.  their Achievements & winning Ethos since the PL, is now like Leicester...having hights & troughs,....but still  being able to compete & have that hope that they/we might have a Chance of a trophy.

Well we are New to this, we are the insurgents if you like....W.Ham,Everton, even A.Villa have had a few Swipes at tredding those paths....

 

Its Not about the end result of guarranteeing holding a trophy aloft....but to find , build up , create a period & a generational ethos for their fans.

If we can Nip in & Grab hold aloft some silvetware..all The better,  the ambition & Dreams  must obviously accompany that drive...

But Firstly....Its trying to manouvre the club into a position where they can at least compete .

This where we can compliment the owners & their Choice of trying to find a Route to managers that will create phases to push us up that ladder, then

hold onto those jumps & surges of realising those higher positions....

Within 7 years, we have become a Top 10 club..then only these last 3 seasons 'competed' for top 6...

One of those years realised football-hisory ,we dared to win the title, with an older generation of well travelled  mongrels

& the odd gem of a find...

Knowing we had to hold that Vision & rebuild on that experience, we lost our way somewhat....

We re- gathered ourselves and set our rebuild and development lines out once again...

 

Chasing that Top 6 we even had the Cheek as upstarts & nobodies to push ourselves in these last 2 seasons into the Top 4...!!!

All fans could see we started with young untried players & Mixed it some known Quality who would need time to bed in, plus we

had a mixture of fringe players, that rekindled their careers, still yet to prove if they could confirm if they were equal to Our ambitions...

 

Then Covid hit....!!!  That brought its own complications ,some fans still dont get it..!!

we are still Discovering every week covid-bubble-stress problems.

We have a nonsensical compressed fixtur list, causing chaos with all squads ,

compounded with Chronic injuries to the  squads 'major-players'

Leicesters Drop-off last season (  but not taken serious) & now endangering any  successful drive this season,

and we have been worse hit, with our own Chronic-injury problems.

Our Bbone ripped  out, then either our top cover, Or our little found gems,

who Made themselves into 1st Choice , lost to long-term injury...

Then returning players from season begin, having to be nursed, then again being injured....A couple needing 2nd surgery-intervention.

We Simply haven't got quality or decent cover for every position....& In Covid period many fans should Bang their Heads  on the floor,

it was never  going to be that simple or easy to find Quality Incoming transfers....

Just look at Silva,Slimani,Musa,Diabete,Gezzy, Bennet, & that was before any Covid or Brexit thought process  needing to click in..!! Buying 'Any' players or just for the sake of it , has left us with too many empty promises.

Before January..We needed to be prudent  & follow Basic Covid-bubble seperation,

so Finding Young players from within, brought its own complications...

 

 

We have in quality a small squad...and our injuries have prevented us finding & keeping any long time-consistent high performance rythme....

This same problem might again prevent us holding onto that covetted Top 4...

Yes I would find it disapointing & if no Top 4 , nor a trophy ,in normal circumstances I would see as some sort of failure,

but we have to face the honest  facts, plus those mitigating circumstances, that have plagued us through the season..

I believe Rodgers is doing  his best in a very awkward situation...& His calls has allowed us in These last 2 seasons

to Rally around that Magic word to "Compete". ...

and our Leicester is doing at the highest level, we are fighting/competing for those covetted Top 4 places...

 

For one & I Shout it out loud, Rodgers has protected his squad & Not moaned or whined over the continual Knock downs on injuries to our major-team-players.

How do you find Rythme & continuity, if your players are regularly taken away...

Rodgers gambled last night, and with his own words, he tried to find a balance in selection & protecting returning players,

it didnt work out, we had no intensity.

Its Damn unfortunate, but our squad is depleted & any returnees, now present or in the future are missing & that time needed

to get into  any grove & really Match fit, to give top performances week in week out....

 

So to me..Yes I would Love silverware....but like Spurs One Achieves & wins , by growing ,developing to a Level that allows

you to 'compete' consistently at an high-level & occasionally upset those Big 5, Whos finances ensure, they can Balance out any

failing Quality in their squads....After 1-2 Avg seasons they can bounce back...

We can upset the odds occasionally & Ambition with wise investment opens the door ,but you still have to find the right Carpet to

Compete......!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 27 February 2021 by fuchsntf

[turkish14]

7 minutes ago, boots60 said:

The injuries are unfortunate but to start a must win game with Barnes & Ricardo on the bench is questionable.

Not when you have an improving Arsenal visiting us in less then 72 hours. it was right to not pick our more attack minded players, when those on the pitch (I agree with Rodgers) was enough to beat Prague.
 

I am aware of course that Arsenal also played on Thursday night, so hopefully we may have a slight advantage having used our players less then they did.

[boots60]

7 minutes ago, turkish14 said:

Not when you have an improving Arsenal visiting us in less then 72 hours. it was right to not pick our more attack minded players, when those on the pitch (I agree with Rodgers) was enough to beat Prague.
 

I am aware of course that Arsenal also played on Thursday night, so hopefully we may have a slight advantage having used our players less then they did.

No point entering European competition then if we don't at least try to progress.

[Wolfox]

The players didn’t want to lose…. 
 

I sort of liked Soyuncu losing his temper and Barnes losing his cool…

 

They wanted to win…. They just didn’t have it in them to fine a way…. It’s the way it goes sometimes 

 

im still fuming that we lost having said all of that !!! 

[Twitcher]

6 hours ago, Fox92 said:

Sorry but the team yesterday still should have been goood enough to beat Slavia Prague. Vardy, Tielemans, Ndidi, Evans, Soyunchu all started.

 

I don't buy it's a blessing in disguise as it was a shot at winning a trophy (although I never thought we would win it). What's the point in qualiyfing for it and playing group games if it's a blessing in disguise we're out.

 

People need a reality check if we make the top 4 because if we can't perform over two legs against Slavia Prague then we ain't gonna do it against better teams in the CL. We're not gonna make the top 4 and then suddenly bring in 3 or 4 top quality World Class players. We're still Leicester City and it'd still be one season in the top 4. People bang on about how it would make us great and rich, so why didn't it for Spurs? They finished there consistently under Poch but still won nothing.

Plus all the other sides that compete in CL regularly across Europe and don't become big clubs. There's a list as long as your arm that will mean they'll always be a Shakhtar Donetsk and never a Barcelona regardless of how often they qualify.

This notion that we'll become giants by sacrificing the Europa League and FA Cup by getting in the CL; not for me.

Enjoy some trophies if you can.

The wealth of your owners together with the sheer size of the club; gates, merchandise etc. will determine that. CL will help but it isn't the golden ticket.

[Gerard]

6 hours ago, murphy said:

If we want to be one of the big six we need to find a way of doubling our turnover (Arsenal) or even tripling it (United).  We really need to get our heads around the fact that we are not one of the big six, it's pie in the sky.

 

 

 

Exactly, we're a fantastically well run club currently competing against the odds with much bigger revenue clubs.

 

It's far more likely that our mid to long term future will be as a mid table club rather than one that seriously competes for trophies and top four.

 

It all comes down to money and these other clubs are getting about a £300m per season advantage on us.

[Gerard]

6 hours ago, Fox92 said:

Sorry but the team yesterday still should have been goood enough to beat Slavia Prague. Vardy, Tielemans, Ndidi, Evans, Soyunchu all started.

 

I don't buy it's a blessing in disguise as it was a shot at winning a trophy (although I never thought we would win it). What's the point in qualiyfing for it and playing group games if it's a blessing in disguise we're out.

 

People need a reality check if we make the top 4 because if we can't perform over two legs against Slavia Prague then we ain't gonna do it against better teams in the CL. We're not gonna make the top 4 and then suddenly bring in 3 or 4 top quality World Class players. We're still Leicester City and it'd still be one season in the top 4. People bang on about how it would make us great and rich, so why didn't it for Spurs? They finished there consistently under Poch but still won nothing.

 

I've not seen anyone say "blessing in disguise", more along the lines of "silver lining" that it could give us a much better chance in the FA Cup and top four. 

 

Obviously I wanted us to qualify last night but it's probably more beneficial to go out in the R32 than the SF considering how massive CL qualification is important to the continual improvement of the club. It will probably keep all our top players here in the summer, a bigger transfer budget and maybe the difference between signing a certain player or not.

[boots60]

8 minutes ago, Gerard said:

 

Exactly, we're a fantastically well run club currently competing against the odds with much bigger revenue clubs.

 

It's far more likely that our mid to long term future will be as a mid table club rather than one that seriously competes for trophies and top four.

 

It all comes down to money and these other clubs are getting about a £300m per season advantage on us.

Slavia Prague don't.

That's why last night was so disappointing.

[Fox92]

3 minutes ago, Gerard said:

 

I've not seen anyone say "blessing in disguise", more along the lines of "silver lining" that it could give us a much better chance in the FA Cup and top four. 

 

Obviously I wanted us to qualify last night but it's probably more beneficial to go out in the R32 than the SF considering how massive CL qualification is important to the continual improvement of the club. It will probably keep all our top players here in the summer, a bigger transfer budget and maybe the difference between signing a certain player or not.

"Blessing in disguise" was on the first or second page, which is why I used it.

 

Being in the top 4 doesn't guarantee anything. We literally won the league, the greatest thing we can do, but did it keep Kante here? If players want to leave for a bigger club then they will leave. I'll refer back to Spurs again, Walker was there finishing in the top 4 with them but when Man City came sniffing he was off. Players want to win trophies.

 

In the FA Cup threads, I've been mentioning how important it is to win a trophy yet got told by several people that we drop it in favour of the Europa League. But now we're out of the Europa League, I see people say it's fine because we priortiise the FA Cup? I mean make your minds up. We do not have the squad to prioritise, we should go for everything we compete in to our best ability. We haven't got a squad like Man City or Liverpool.

[Fox92]

5 hours ago, filbertway said:

 

Villa left massive gaps between their defence and midfield for the first 25-30 minutes, which gave Barnes, Ricardo, Castagne, Tielemans and Maddison a ricidiculous amount of time on the ball. 

 

Okay let me flip it, in the team that started yesterday, what did you expect in terms of attacking play from us that the players on the pitch didn't manage?

 

Obviously we see the game quite differently, so I'm interested to see what you think.

Creating chances?

 

We both had 3 shots on target each which isn't good enough. I cannot recall a clear cut chance for us.

 

I do credit them, of course. They were better than us and deserved to beat us. They got it spot on but we just looked like we couldn't be bothered, dare I say we looked like we just thought we'd turn up and win. I knew once they scored we wouldn't get back.

[Spudulike]

6 hours ago, Bert said:

The thing that’s annoyed me most is that we’ve played 8 extra games for little reason. Which has and will continue to have an impact. Don’t get me wrong - we all wanted it and it was good being in Europe. But looking back, now it’s leaving that extra bitter taste. 

Did the club actually make any money out of this after expenses? 

 

What effect has this had on our coefficient? 

[turkish14]

1 hour ago, boots60 said:

No point entering European competition then if we don't at least try to progress.

Of course we wanted to progress. Just in hind site  it didn’t work out as we’d like and I guess as Brendon thought it would.

[oldbluefox]

48 minutes ago, Fox92 said:

Creating chances?

 

We both had 3 shots on target each which isn't good enough. I cannot recall a clear cut chance for us.

 

I do credit them, of course. They were better than us and deserved to beat us. They got it spot on but we just looked like we couldn't be bothered, dare I say we looked like we just thought we'd turn up and win. I knew once they scored we wouldn't get back.

Disappointed that we lost but it was the manner in which we lost taken over the two legs. In the end the better team won and all credit to them.

[Dan]

5 hours ago, boots60 said:

The injuries are unfortunate but to start a must win game with Barnes & Ricardo on the bench is questionable.

To me that was the giveaway that they didn't treat it as such. I can totally sympathise with any unhappy with that but these circumstances to me change things a bit.

[CosbehFox]

Someone got it spot on when they said it hurts most that Justin and Praet are out. They can play multiple positions. Perez the same to a lesser extent