So … do we have bottle?

[filbertway]

18 minutes ago, erlee said:

I haven't been watching too much Leicester games this yr.. can someone enlighten me  how Vestergaard (is that correct spelling?) is now a main stay in the CB position - he couldn't buy 10 min of games time when we were in EPL. . . .

Found his level.

[Steve_Guppy_Left_Foot]

Honestly I think there’s still a massive question mark over the teams and the clubs mentality. The people above are all still there. We have shown a combination of class, bottle and luck. I am far from convinced we are a strong mental unit though. I think the fact we’re basically the Harlem globetrotters of the championship is what’s seen us over the line more than anything else.

[Jobyfox]

I always think that you can expect odd results in the run in (last ten games). Everyone is playing for something without compromise. Especially in the Championship where the gap in ability across the division isn’t as great as the Premier League. 
 

We entered this period in poor form and got caught up in the madness. I think we saw then that we might need some flexibility in our approach. We didn’t see it (innovative subs, different formations, last ditch changes etc.) when we needed to rescue games. I think it’s this, more than “bottle” that was our shortcoming during this period. 

[Hammo]

We screwed up a huge lead and lost our way big time with those three successive away defeats. We were definitely bottlers then. But we aren’t now because we have won promotion  after Leeds and Ipswich both decided to give us a helping hand and we took advantage with two massive home wins.

 

We will need more steely leadership and dogged resistance such as Hamza and Jamie have shown of late when we get to the Premier League. In the cold light of day after the euphoria of last night I still think we are too much of a soft touch.

[sylofox]

13 minutes ago, filbertway said:

Found his level.

Not sure you can say that. Pace is his problem yes. But Enzo's system suits him. He never got a proper chance under Rodgers. So for me he deserves to be given a chance in the prem.

[Rossiter]

I think the term bottle is daft anyway and over used. Some who use the term frequently seem to forget that opposition teams contain professional footballers. On the Leeds forum lots of posts about bottling it. Maybe QPR just played better and took their chances. The opposition are allowed to.

[surrifox]

38 minutes ago, Scanchez said:

We had bottle but then we lost bottle.

Then we found bottle, which is lucky because we really needed bottle.

Now we can all celebrate with a nice bottle.

Although if we miss out on 1st place, we will have lost bottle again.

Got to try and not lose the bottle because bottle is so precious.
 

But is it as precious as mettle ?

[Clever Fox]

Sometimes you look back on a season and you can pick out the game or games that made a real difference.

For me the West Brom game and the Southampton games stand out.

it wasn't always pretty in the West Brom game but our dogged determination won out with a big thank you to Hamza who really showed how much it meant to him by putting his body on the line.

In the Southampton game it all came together beautifully with our commitment and tenacity which just blew them away and of course our five wonderful goals.

 

Sadly we'll lose a few players from the squad for next season but that's football.

 

We move forward and upwards again, it seems like we've been here before.

[Lionator]

1 hour ago, Nolucklcfc said:

That meeting Vardy called seems a bit turning point 

And Coady locking them in the changing room. 

[String fellow]

Sometimes we have bottle and sometimes we bottle it! 

[winteriscoming]

It does help when our nearest rivals also bottle it. 

[HighPeakFox]

2 hours ago, sylofox said:

It was never a case of bottle for me.

 

It's all been down to our stubborn manager playing the same system once we was sussed out. Also a boring paint dry system.

 

But I expect him to revert back now we are up. 

 

Be great after two games to see how long it takes those that think he's a god again take to turn.

If you really think that, then I'm afraid you're taking a very narrow view of the numerous factors at play. 

[FrankieADZ]

1 minute ago, HighPeakFox said:

If you really think that, then I'm afraid you're taking a very narrow view of the numerous factors at play. 

well have you seen the forum at times?

 

a good number thought Leeds would cake walk the league, but i think theyve only got 8 points since the last international break, thinking theyve been playing "well" when theyve been awful for a while

 

we do have bottle,look at that performance against WBA etc, shows we do

[Mike Oxlong]

Yes, but we need it to flourish and grow 

 

[cityfanlee23]

I’ve heard about the “Player only meeting” called by Vardy, but I’ve not listened to the interview yet, was it sanctioned by Enzo or just Vardy just take it upon himself? I wonder if anything was discussed beyond what Albrighton said. I would maybe doubt there was anything malicious towards Enzo as the players seem to like him. I just really don’t think it’s a good thing that they needed a player only meeting to discuss what it means to the club etc etc. 

[Ted Maul]

3 hours ago, Chelmofox said:

WBA game and in particular Hamza's performance were key. Showed a tonne of bottle that day.

That win felt massive at the time. And so it proved to be. 

 

Ultimately we haven't stumbled over the line- we won ugly vs WBA and stepped up against Southampton. Considering the pressure we put ourselves under, you've got to say that they handled it admirably in the end.

 

Don't think you can understate the influence Coady had on that and the 'honest conversation' between the players that he spoke of.

[Dan LCFC]

3 hours ago, BrummieFOX said:

Think you answered it yourself, there is a fragility at the Club and I genuinely think it stems from complacency, most likely coming from the very top. So whenever we're in a tough situation or off an unexpected loss, our approach is, "We'll be fine, just win next week". 

 

But the manager and players definitely deserve credit for turning round that run of bad form. Lots has been said about that player meeting that Vardy called and it would be nice to think that did have an impact.

Pretty much my exact thought.

[sylofox]

5 hours ago, HighPeakFox said:

If you really think that, then I'm afraid you're taking a very narrow view of the numerous factors at play. 

Really? Care to point out the factors you are talking about.

 

Please don't say injuries or afcon. Yes they have played an effect on us. But really if you don't see Enzo's tactics and stubbornness have been a problem look at yourself first. He's changed tactics the last two games and what a difference.

 

He will revert back to paint dry tactics and off we go shite results again.

[Dahnsouff]

1 minute ago, sylofox said:

Really? Care to point out the factors you are talking about.

 

Please don't say injuries or afcon. Yes they have played an effect on us. But really if you don't see Enzo's tactics and stubbornness have been a problem look at yourself first. He's changed tactics the last two games and what a difference.

  

He will revert back to paint dry tactics and off we go shite results again.

You surely see context regarding those two games??? The why is obvious.

[Chelmofox]

9 minutes ago, sylofox said:

He's changed tactics the last two games and what a difference.

 

He will revert back to paint dry tactics and off we go shite results again.

You really believe thats the case, or are will to look at things and accept that maybe sometimes approach playing us differently which in term meant the game panned out differently?

[Golden Fox]

Genuine question - what date did we have a 17 point lead?

 

In my head, I don't remember being that far clear, so I've been looking through historic tables to find that mythical figure that keeps being quoted.

I've found on 15th Feb, we were 12 points clear of Leeds. (14 clear of Ipswich with a game in hand), but I can't find more than that! If we were 17 points clear, how many games more had we played? 

 

It feels like 2015/16 again & the fact that bookmakers weren't really offering odds as generous as 5000/1 - but that may have been offered by one at one point in time, and its now gospel that they were the odds! I'm just intrigued to actually see that table, as it keeps on being trotted out! 

[Nolucklcfc]

3 minutes ago, Golden Fox said:

Genuine question - what date did we have a 17 point lead?

 

In my head, I don't remember being that far clear, so I've been looking through historic tables to find that mythical figure that keeps being quoted.

I've found on 15th Feb, we were 12 points clear of Leeds. (14 clear of Ipswich with a game in hand), but I can't find more than that! If we were 17 points clear, how many games more had we played? 

 

It feels like 2015/16 again & the fact that bookmakers weren't really offering odds as generous as 5000/1 - but that may have been offered by one at one point in time, and its now gospel that they were the odds! I'm just intrigued to actually see that table, as it keeps on being trotted out! 

I think the 17 points was after Cardiff away

[Golden Fox]

5 minutes ago, Nolucklcfc said:

I think the 17 points was after Cardiff away

Cardiff away was 29th Dec... Only an 8 point gap to Ipswich.

Not as easy as it looks! 

[southfox66]

Given that we only side promoted and looks likely Southampton and Leeds will both end up in the playoffs seems a daft question to ask.

 

The brief of Enzo was to get us back to the premier, so job done and next season is a new challenge.

 

We have put the championship to bed move on

[fazzyfox]

I woke up on the sofa this morning hugging one . Apparently it was a decent white wine but I’d guzzled it like lemonade whilst  filling the rest of my mouth with Twiglets, a typically classy celebration ritual of mine!