Back to their best?

[SuperMike]

Can't believe how many injuries the last 12 months have put our way. The worrying thing is: Are these players ever going to be 'back to their best'?? Maddison has had his share of injuries but has shown, in the last couple of games, that he is back flying - but what about all the others?

Barnes - not there

Soyuncu - not solid as before

Ricardo - was best fullback in league

Castagne - not right

Ndidi - going backwards

Evans - not there yet

Others - ?

 

That's a heck of a lot of players not playing to their full potential and gives concerns over the imminent return of 3 more top, top players - Tielemans, JJ and Fofana.

 

Am I right? or just expecting too much?

 

 

[Lineker's Lugs]

Tielemans has only been out for a couple of games so no real concerns there.  JJ and Wes will take a while and probably have setbacks along the way.  Keep short term expectations in check, they'll all be ok in the end.

[phoneticerror]

Youri is expected to be back for Napoli.

[adejo92]

I don't think its too much of a worry.

 

Barnes - not there - He's always been great in some games and completely absent in others. If anything, his finishing has improved a lot.

Soyuncu - not solid as before - I think he's always been a bit clumsy, just stands out more now when our whole back line is useless.

Ricardo - was best fullback in league - He's good, but never best in the league.

Castagne - not right - Agreed.

Ndidi - going backwards - I think he's just in a poor run of form, it happens.

Evans - not there yet - Agreed, i think hes nearing the end of his career, probably at the end of this season if niggles persist.

 

[phoneticerror]

2 minutes ago, adejo92 said:

I don't think its too much of a worry.

 

Evans - not there yet - Agreed, i think hes nearing the end of his career, probably at the end of this season if niggles persist.

 

I can’t believe he’s only 33! Looks more like 43.

[Guest Manini]

I don’t want to continually shit on him because he’s took all sorts of pelters on here over the last 18 months, and he does look good at the minute, but I’m still keeping my feelings towards Maddison in check. We’ve seen him go through form like this inconsistently since he arrived, 10 games of dominance, can’t keep him away from the interviews, he comes across well, acts like he’s focussed, then something will happen and bang it’s back to square one and he’s absolutely horrendous again and there’s loads of speculation about him on here (I know, Injury etc).
 

There’s no in between with Maddison, he’s either brilliant or terrible, I’m begrudged to say he’s back flying again, he looks a lot, lot better, but it needs to be consistent. I was impressed with his tracking back last night though. 

Edited 2 December 2021 by Manini

[phoneticerror]

2 minutes ago, Manini said:

I don’t want to continually shit on him because he’s took all sorts of pelters on here over the last 18 months, and he does look good at the minute, but I’m still keeping my feelings towards Maddison in check. We’ve seen him go through form like this inconsistently since he arrived, 10 games of dominance, can’t keep him away from the interviews, he comes across well, acts like he’s focussed, then something will happen and bang it’s back to square one and he’s absolutely horrendous again (I know, Injury etc).
 

There’s no in between with Maddison, he’s either brilliant or terrible, I’m begrudged to say he’s back flying again, he looks a lot, lot better, but it needs to be consistent. I was impressed with his tracking back last night though. 

He had Covid during the pre-season which won’t have helped much

[Guest Manini]

11 minutes ago, phoneticerror said:

He had Covid during the pre-season which won’t have helped much

I also think he was still injured - but that doesn’t explain before the start of this season, his poor form stems a fair way back. He blows hot and cold. I think he’s a good player FWIW but I just want him to show it on a more consistent basis. 

[Finnegan]

27 minutes ago, adejo92 said:

Ricardo - was best fullback in league - He's good, but never best in the league.

 

Bar the Liverpool two, there wasn't a more effective full back in the league before his injury, he was sensational. 

[Pliskin]

2 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

Bar the Liverpool two, there wasn't a more effective full back in the league before his injury, he was sensational. 

I fear Riccy is done. I think he will be gone in the summer…. He has fallen off a cliff since his injury….

[Guest ttfn]

Ricardo was 100% one of the best fullbacks, if not the best fullback, in the league before his injury.

 

The Liverpool two are both great going forward but never get tested defensively. Ricardo is one of the best attacking players for one of the best teams in the league AND had some of the best tackling stats.

 

Apart from Kante and maybe Banks I’m not sure we’ve ever had a player as good in their position relative to the competition as peak Ricardo. 

[Guest ttfn]

5 minutes ago, Pliskin said:

I fear Riccy is done. I think he will be gone in the summer…. He has fallen off a cliff since his injury….

And yet in the first 2-3 games he set up two goals and looked electric. Perhaps - like Maddison - he just needs a run of games. Of course just like Maddison the question is whether he will get that run of games given injury problems.

Edited 2 December 2021 by ttfn

[don_danbury]

it's weird what's happened to ndidi, he's been awful all season. 

[Pliskin]

5 minutes ago, ttfn said:

And yet in the first 2-3 games he set up two goals and looked electric. Perhaps - like Maddison - he just needs a run of games. Of course just like Maddison the question is whether he will get that run of games given injury problems.

I agree, but he just can’t seem to stay fit to get those run of games. I really hope he can, because he’s a genuine difference maker, but we’ve seen this injury end so many careers early that I worry we will ever see him again at his best!

[Lambert09]

1 hour ago, adejo92 said:

I don't think its too much of a worry.

 

Barnes - not there - He's always been great in some games and completely absent in others. If anything, his finishing has improved a lot.

Soyuncu - not solid as before - I think he's always been a bit clumsy, just stands out more now when our whole back line is useless.

Ricardo - was best fullback in league - He's good, but never best in the league.

Castagne - not right - Agreed.

Ndidi - going backwards - I think he's just in a poor run of form, it happens.

Evans - not there yet - Agreed, i think hes nearing the end of his career, probably at the end of this season if niggles persist.

 

You know, of all of our defenders... he’s probably the one that disappoints me the most. 
 

I just expect a little more from him. Overall he’s just been quite average in my opinion. I know he can do better but for whatever reason it’s not clicked. 
 

however, he doesn’t belong in this list. His injury was very different to the others and not one you’d expect to effect his game much. 

Edited 2 December 2021 by Lambert09

[Dan]

Virtually nobody is playing at their best.

[Webbo]

I know making predictions is a mugs game but I just have the feeling after yesterday's second half that we're on the verge of a good run. 

[adejo92]

16 minutes ago, Webbo said:

I know making predictions is a mugs game but I just have the feeling after yesterday's second half that we're on the verge of a good run. 

Clawing a point against Southampton....I hope your right but I've seen nothing to suggest we are anywhere near a good run.

 

Defending was as bad as ever and that's what's going to keep us back.

[OhYesNdidi]

1 hour ago, adejo92 said:

I don't think its too much of a worry.

 

Barnes - not there - He's always been great in some games and completely absent in others. If anything, his finishing has improved a lot.

Soyuncu - not solid as before - I think he's always been a bit clumsy, just stands out more now when our whole back line is useless.

Ricardo - was best fullback in league - He's good, but never best in the league.

Castagne - not right - Agreed.

Ndidi - going backwards - I think he's just in a poor run of form, it happens.

Evans - not there yet - Agreed, i think hes nearing the end of his career, probably at the end of this season if niggles persist.

 

January 2020 Ricardo was the best in the league 

[The Year Of The Fox]

Bring back Dave Rennie

[Guest Col city fan]

1 hour ago, Finnegan said:

 

Bar the Liverpool two, there wasn't a more effective full back in the league before his injury, he was sensational. 

This

His injury looks like he’ll probably never be the same again I’m afraid 

Hopefully he can get back to full fitness and prove doubters (including me) wrong 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

It's just bad luck, there's nothing we can do about it etc etc.

[irishfoxkev]

3 hours ago, Manini said:

I also think he was still injured - but that doesn’t explain before the start of this season, his poor form stems a fair way back. He blows hot and cold. I think he’s a good player FWIW but I just want him to show it on a more consistent basis. 

Pretty sure I read somewhere  after the 2nd operation on his hip (in a relatively short space of time) that his specialist said there was nothing more they could do and it would be a case of him managing the problem and pain it causes him....He’s been really good last couple of weeks but fear he may have  exacerbated the problem last night as he fell w

awkwardly twice on his right side and stayed down both times for treatment....for me he is one who will never be back to been able to produce his best form every game..

[shailen]

We concede too many soft goals, especially from set pieces. I don't think we've played as bad as some people think but we've defended awfully at times which we've been punished for. 

[fazzyfox]

It feels a long time ago now but Ricardo's assists for Vardys goals this season v Wolves and Norwich suggested he was a lot sharper than last season, just watched them back and his contribution is top drawer and also thought he looked very good vs Man Utd, maybe needing resting 1 in 3 games for a while but well on his way back but since then it's been patchy with strains and precautionary withdrawals from squads etc. Remember saying after the Utd game that we'd so rarely had Castagne and Ricardo in the side at the same time and here we are weeks later and it's fizzled out again.