Leicester City v Manchester City pre-match

[fox_up_north]

Yeah, I can't really fault him. Compared to some of the other "top" managers about. Pep just seems to get his head down, shut up and do things.

 

Say all you like about spending - at least he can make his teams look like they cost a billion.

[Spudulike]

15 hours ago, glebe_sydneyfox said:

Excited for this.

Hope the boys show them what they're made of but still think it's going to be a Citeh win

I agree. 2-0 Citeh. Vardy with a brace 

[KingsX]

Posts on Blue Moon about dropping points.  And now this from skysports.com  …

 

After this trip to the King Power, Pep Guardiola's side face Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their Champions quarter-final on Tuesday. It's a relatively tight turnaround and this fixture will surely play second fiddle to the Dortmund game when it comes so soon after an international break. Ilkay Gundogan, Ruben Dias, Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden, Joao Cancelo, Bernardo Silva and Oleksandr Zinchenko all played in three games in six days for their countries while on duty. Surely Guardiola will rotate accordingly?

Of course, City's squad is built robustly and is fully capable of beating a full-strength Leicester side but the freshness within Brendan Rodgers' team makes them a dangerous opponent. Jamie Vardy and fit again James Maddison both will be raring to go.

Leicester are at their best when able to relinquish possession and hit on the counter. A scenario you can guarantee will play out here. The same scenario that occurred when Leicester stormed the Etihad Stadium earlier this year to win 5-2.

Should a team with such a hefty previous win over their opponent be such a big price to run out victorious again? The answer is no. Home win.

JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 2-1

 

suddenly ...

 

[StriderHiryu]

How do you think we’ll lineup against them? We beat them convincingly by countering them at the Etihad, but with the form we are in and Nacho being in the form of his life, I feel like we will use the same system as against Man United, including the high press given many players have had a rest and Man City play Dortmund on Tuesday. 
 

Only concern is our international players will have returned late, but that applies to them too. 

[FoyleFox]

1 hour ago, KingsX said:

Posts on Blue Moon about dropping points.  And now this from skysports.com  …

 

 

After this trip to the King Power, Pep Guardiola's side face Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their Champions quarter-final on Tuesday. It's a relatively tight turnaround and this fixture will surely play second fiddle to the Dortmund game when it comes so soon after an international break. Ilkay Gundogan, Ruben Dias, Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden, Joao Cancelo, Bernardo Silva and Oleksandr Zinchenko all played in three games in six days for their countries while on duty. Surely Guardiola will rotate accordingly?

Of course, City's squad is built robustly and is fully capable of beating a full-strength Leicester side but the freshness within Brendan Rodgers' team makes them a dangerous opponent. Jamie Vardy and fit again James Maddison both will be raring to go.

Leicester are at their best when able to relinquish possession and hit on the counter. A scenario you can guarantee will play out here. The same scenario that occurred when Leicester stormed the Etihad Stadium earlier this year to win 5-2.

Should a team with such a hefty previous win over their opponent be such a big price to run out victorious again? The answer is no. Home win.

JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 2-1

 

suddenly ...

 

 

Oh dear....I don't like it when we are predicted to win against anyone, this is terrible.

 

It's a massive bloody compliment to our progress though.

[dynamark]

Football on a saturday? whatever next .Against who? are they any good cant wait.Is that Jamie whatsit still playing for us?

[turlo]

saw these stats posted on blue moon about minutes played over the international break.

Minutes played by Leictser players in internationals
Timothy Castagne – Belgium – 6 + 90 + 0 = 96
Jonny Evans – Northern Ireland – 90 + 0 + 90 = 180
Wesley Fofana – France under-21s – 90 + 0 + 0 = 90
Kelechi Iheanacho – Nigeria – 71 + 87 = 158
Nampalys Mendy – Senegal – 78 + 90 = 168
Wilfred Ndidi – Nigeria – 90 + 90 = 180
Dennis Praet – Belgium – 0+ 0 + 71 = 71
Kasper Schmeichel – Denmark – 90 + 90 + 90 = 270
Youri Tielemans – Belgium – 90 + 90 + 19 = 199
Caglar Soyuncu – Turkey – 90 + 90 + 90 = 270
Danny Ward – Wales – 90 + 0 + 90 = 180

Minutes played by City Players:
Kevin De Bruyne – Belgium – 90 + 90 + 0 = 180
João Cancelo – Portugal – 90 + 72 + 90 = 252
Rúben Dias – Portugal – 90 + 90 + 90 = 270
Phil Foden – England – 45 + 81 + 86 = 212
Eric Garcia – Spain – 90 + 90 + 86 = 266
Ilkay Gundogan – Germany – 90 + 90 + 90 = 270
Riyad Mahrez – Algeria – 90
Rodri – Spain – 90 + 0 + 8 = 98
Bernardo Silva – Portugal – 88 + 90 + 68 = 246
Zach Steffen – USA – 90 + 90 = 180
Raheem Sterling – England – 45 + 90 + 90 = 225
John Stones – England – 45 + 90 + 90 = 225
Ferran Torres – Spain – 72 + 90 + 90 = 252
Kyle Walker – England – 0 + 90 + 90 = 180
Oleksandr Zinchenko – Ukraine – 90 + 90 + 90 = 270

[st albans fox]

Need the ever obliging thread bumping ....apparently aguero has never scored at the KP .........

[SheppyFox]

Not worried, we’re their bogey team even when we’re crap, which currently we aren’t.

[majaco]

1 hour ago, turlo said:

saw these stats posted on blue moon about minutes played over the international break.

Minutes played by Leictser players in internationals
Timothy Castagne – Belgium – 6 + 90 + 0 = 96
Jonny Evans – Northern Ireland – 90 + 0 + 90 = 180
Wesley Fofana – France under-21s – 90 + 0 + 0 = 90
Kelechi Iheanacho – Nigeria – 71 + 87 = 158
Nampalys Mendy – Senegal – 78 + 90 = 168
Wilfred Ndidi – Nigeria – 90 + 90 = 180
Dennis Praet – Belgium – 0+ 0 + 71 = 71
Kasper Schmeichel – Denmark – 90 + 90 + 90 = 270
Youri Tielemans – Belgium – 90 + 90 + 19 = 199
Caglar Soyuncu – Turkey – 90 + 90 + 90 = 270
Danny Ward – Wales – 90 + 0 + 90 = 180

Minutes played by City Players:
Kevin De Bruyne – Belgium – 90 + 90 + 0 = 180
João Cancelo – Portugal – 90 + 72 + 90 = 252
Rúben Dias – Portugal – 90 + 90 + 90 = 270
Phil Foden – England – 45 + 81 + 86 = 212
Eric Garcia – Spain – 90 + 90 + 86 = 266
Ilkay Gundogan – Germany – 90 + 90 + 90 = 270
Riyad Mahrez – Algeria – 90
Rodri – Spain – 90 + 0 + 8 = 98
Bernardo Silva – Portugal – 88 + 90 + 68 = 246
Zach Steffen – USA – 90 + 90 = 180
Raheem Sterling – England – 45 + 90 + 90 = 225
John Stones – England – 45 + 90 + 90 = 225
Ferran Torres – Spain – 72 + 90 + 90 = 252
Kyle Walker – England – 0 + 90 + 90 = 180
Oleksandr Zinchenko – Ukraine – 90 + 90 + 90 = 270

Oil money spent on players...

[majaco]

Following being humiliated by us earlier in the season, the mind-set of Moon City will be interesting.  

 

They will try to second guess our formation, our line-up.

 

They start favourites, marvellous form, they will want revenge.  But we're f'ing Leicester.  Come on City.  Do the bluemoonsters.

[sdb]

Great chance for them to screw over Utd, Chelsea et.al, and cemet their place as England's top side. You know it makes sense Pep...

[HereBeFoxes]

4 hours ago, KingsX said:

Leicester are at their best when able to relinquish possession and hit on the counter.

Do these people even watch us play?  How many passes to youri’s supergoal in the last match?

[The_77]

27 minutes ago, HereBeFoxes said:

Do these people even watch us play?  How many passes to youri’s supergoal in the last match?

That’s exactly what we did against Man City when we put five past them. 

[WigstonWanderer]

Need John Stones to do one of his specials with Vardy ready to pounce

[Ric Flair]

23 minutes ago, WigstonWanderer said:

Need John Stones to do one of his specials with Vardy ready to pounce

And Ederson to finally get penalised for taking out one of our players

[Steve_Guppy_Left_Foot]

Regardless of the outcome the bookies do have this one wrong. There is no way on God's green earth we are 11/2 shots in this. I have filled my boots and even if we lose 6 0 I'll be happy with my decision it just doesn't make sense. 

[StanSP]

7 hours ago, StriderHiryu said:

 

Yeah rare of him to say so, here's some quotes:

 

Ndidi ability

"He is. You see all the players. Justin now is injured now unfortunately, for him especially I am so sorry, but all of them have an amount of quality. Ndidi is doing really well. Tielemans is a top, top class player. I remember when I arrive my first season and Vincent Kompany started speaking about him when he was in the national team for Belgium how good he was in that period. Vincent as always he was right. Top, top club, players are quality. They can play when you defend deep they have the quality to find the sources and when the space to move in behind, especially Vardy and Kelechi right now.

Top class team. We have eight games left, for them nine, and they are third in the Premier League so it means they have done incredibly well, incredible. But not just this season last season as well. In the previous ones they were champions with Ranieri time ago and since then they have always been there. They lose players but they rebuild the team. They continue to be so solid, so competitive, they have my admiration for all the club. It's not just for a half season, one season, it's for a long time really well."

Leicester tactics

"Leicester can play in different ways. They play with four in the back, they can play five, they can play two strikers, they can play one striker. They can play incredible, they can play up because of this goalkeeper he has, the ability to find Vardy. The wing-backs especially, the people in between like Tieleman or Ayoze or Maddison, they have the quality to do this. They can play in different ways.

What I'm thinking I don't know. I'm just going to say the teams or my players to prepare for anything that can happen. They can high press like United, they can sit back like they did here, I don't know. So Brendan knows the team and the mood, the momentum that they have, to decide what they are going to do. It is in our hands to adjust, adapt and impose what we want to do."

Iheanacho improvement

"Incredible. The quality was there, he was a young player here and I believe in that moment with Gabriel and Sergio we didn't have much space. He is a fantastic person, we had a good relationship, and I'm delighted it's going well lately. He's playing for the injured Maddison and he links really well with the midfield and he's good in the behind, he's fast and in the final third he has the right tempo, he is so clear in front of the goal.

On Leicester

"The same I think over the last five, six years.So I have to admit since Brendan Rodgers took over the team it's been incredible. I remember perfectly clearly he took over the team and after one week, 10 days, the team made me go 'wow.' The change was completely different to the previous manager and they are doing really well. Last season maybe because of the lock down they had an incredible chance to qualify for the Champions League but in the end they could not do it. They are in an incredible position again this season. So that means that it's not for one year. The last five years they are working really well. In the scouting department. It's a serious team already. It's a contender every season. Top manager, top players, a big, big challenge for us tomorrow."

Significance of 5-2 defeat

"No. Leicester game to West Brom there are many, many games in a few months. They were incredibly well organised and we struggled to attack them. We concede three penalties against that team it's almost impossible. I know they can beat us. Maybe not in that way but Leicester are a top class team. You see the players they have, even the depth of the squad. I am impressed. We can be beaten. We were beaten and I congratulate them but it was a long time ago. It was a long Many things happen. We have to see today how the players have come back. Because every day is a new situation to adjust. I think everybody is fit, no injuries which is so important, the tests are negative is so important too. Tomorrow we prepare for the game because now the last two months every game is a final because we are close to winning the Premier League and the three other competitions we have, every game will be a final. I think the team will feel that and we're ready to try."

Did anyone else read this in Pep's voice ?

[Koke]

1 hour ago, StanSP said:

Did anyone else read this in Pep's voice ?

 

He says "incredible" a lot.

[Koke]

Pep has a 74% win rate at Man City. I appreciate the money argument but to have a 74% win rate over a 5 year period in the Premier League is amazing. Huge sample size. His win rate at Bayern was 75% and at Barcelona was 73%. Truly spectacular manager.

[Finnegan]

6 hours ago, StriderHiryu said:

How do you think we’ll lineup against them? We beat them convincingly by countering them at the Etihad, but with the form we are in and Nacho being in the form of his life, I feel like we will use the same system as against Man United, including the high press given many players have had a rest and Man City play Dortmund on Tuesday. 
 

Only concern is our international players will have returned late, but that applies to them too. 

 

Unchanged from Man United unless Ricardo and Madders are in. 

[Deeg67]

1 hour ago, Koke said:

Pep has a 74% win rate at Man City. I appreciate the money argument but to have a 74% win rate over a 5 year period in the Premier League is amazing. Huge sample size. His win rate at Bayern was 75% and at Barcelona was 73%. Truly spectacular manager.

Yup, hands down the best in the world over the past two decades.

[Sly]

8 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

And Ederson to finally get penalised for taking out one of our players

VAR would be all over that now. 
 

It’s interesting, as I think the big game for them is Dortmund. In theory, this is the best time to play them. 

[Ric Flair]

1 hour ago, Sly said:

VAR would be all over that now. 
 

It’s interesting, as I think the big game for them is Dortmund. In theory, this is the best time to play them. 

It wasn't last season when he did it home and away on Barnes and Iheanacho!

[majaco]

15 hours ago, KingsX said:

Posts on Blue Moon about dropping points.  And now this from skysports.com  …

 

 

After this trip to the King Power, Pep Guardiola's side face Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their Champions quarter-final on Tuesday. It's a relatively tight turnaround and this fixture will surely play second fiddle to the Dortmund game when it comes so soon after an international break. Ilkay Gundogan, Ruben Dias, Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden, Joao Cancelo, Bernardo Silva and Oleksandr Zinchenko all played in three games in six days for their countries while on duty. Surely Guardiola will rotate accordingly?

Of course, City's squad is built robustly and is fully capable of beating a full-strength Leicester side but the freshness within Brendan Rodgers' team makes them a dangerous opponent. Jamie Vardy and fit again James Maddison both will be raring to go.

Leicester are at their best when able to relinquish possession and hit on the counter. A scenario you can guarantee will play out here. The same scenario that occurred when Leicester stormed the Etihad Stadium earlier this year to win 5-2.

Should a team with such a hefty previous win over their opponent be such a big price to run out victorious again? The answer is no. Home win.

JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 2-1

 

suddenly ...

 

How can City beat Leicester?  We are not playing ourselves.