State of the squad and rest of the season, an opinion.

[HankMarvin]

Soumare like playing with 10 men.

Winks pony, found his level in the champ.

Skipp pony 

[SkidsFox]

11 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

I'm definitely someone that sees the positives in our players more than the negatives, I think, whilst others tend to get stuck seeing our players only as 'shit.' I don't mean this in any happy-clappy, get-behind-the-lads, not-allowed-to-criticise them sense. It's just my bias, if you play for Leicester than I usually tend to look upon you more favourably than if you didn't (unless you're Jordan Ayew.)

 

So I accept that I might be a little bit naive and occasionally slightly delusional but I don't think our squad is beyond hope and I think there's a lot to work with there for the right coach.

 

We've all seen Jamie Vardy, James Justin, Wilfred Ndidi and Ricardo Pereira win the FA cup and muster back-to-back 5th place finishes. We know they have the potential to play at that level.

 

Caleb Okali looks quite a bright prospect as do both Facundo and Bilal, Harry Winks is an exceptional footballer that would have been right at home in a top-six challenging Rodgers side and Mads Hermansen is destined for much bigger things than Leicester City.

 

Even looking at the likes of Faes, Vestergaard, Daka, Coady, Kristiansen, Mavididi and Skipp you've got players here who have played in and won plenty of games in the Premier League or Europe's top 5 equivelants, in UEFA continental competitions and, in some cases, playing for their country.

 

I think the squad lacks depths in some key areas but even with the injuries I think we're able to put out an 11 that I'd be confident would be beating any side currently in the bottom half if Enzo was still here.

 

But almost every player on the planet is going to look shit if the team around him isn't a team. We are an abject mess, there's no plan, there's no structure, there's no tactics. A guy with next to no management experience just threw a change of formation together today and sent a bunch of demoralised and despirited young men out on to a football pitch with minimal instructions to play one of THE most settled and well coached teams in the league. What did anyone think was going to happen?

 

Individuals look like better players when the team around them is playing, at very least, as the sum of its parts if not more so. Midfielders look shit when the passing options aren't there, forwards look shit when nobody creates chances for them, defenders look shit when they're alone and isolated with no support and a chaotic mess of a defensive shape and EVERYONE makes more brain-fart mistakes when they're scared, under pressure and lacking confidence.

 

I don't feel like we can particularly write off most of the players in the squad right now when a lot of this team has only played together in the Premier League under Cooper. Anyone suggesting that last year we looked poor is a moron, we absolutely smashed the league despite almost every team parking the bus and making life hard. We won probably the most competitive Championship season is recent memory and we did it with an absurd amount of points and goals.

 

There's loads of potential in this side to come together, put in a good run and stay up. How many people were on here in 14/15 when we were rock bottom saying things like "I'm sorry, the players just aren't good enough" and suggesting the likes of Danny Simpson, Marc Albrighton and even Wes Morgan weren't cut out for the Premier League? I doubt any of you moaning bastards lurking are honest enough to put your hands up and admit that was you.

 

Yeah, sure, we could probably use with an injection of quality in January if we want to give ourselves a better chance but the biggest thing the squad needs right now is just an injection of spirit and self belief because it'd have an enormous impact on how they played, individually and collectively.

 

Thank Phuck you made this post. I was starting to wonder if the new Govt assisted dying scheme was introduced purely for us lot.

[StevieH]

We needed to strengthen in the summer with quality signings especially in central defence, midfield and up front. We bought very average players and lost KDH. Just don't have the quality. 

[StevieH]

34 minutes ago, shailen said:

Look we have some quality in the squad to stay up. But the issue is we look like we have no game plan in games we've played this season. There's no patterns of play and we've won games on the back of individual brilliance largely. 

 

It's going to take a lot of coaching to get us going but we need to be more solid as a team if we're gonna win any games at this level. 

We don't have any quality. Name one player apart from Mads that has performed well?

[Dan]

48 minutes ago, Guest said:

I'm not convinced of that just yet. Everton managed 40 points last year after having 8 deducted with a group of players that I don't think is noticeably better than ours, though admittedly Branthwaite and Tarkowski are a level above any centre back we can call on. Ruud has a job on his hands for sure and it's not a good squad by any means but it shouldn't need to be to finish above three of Ipswich, Southampton, Everton, Wolves and Palace.

Everton's squad is better than ours unfortunately. Embarrassing thing to have to admit but it is.

Some of ours are embarrassingly bad. Probably owe Maresca an apology or two for him getting that many points with that defence.

 

To think we've spent £20mil on Skipp and £20mil on El Khannouss who've started about 6 games between them by December while our defence is this bad. We were given a huge reprieve a few months ago and we've gone and made another pigs ear of it. I think anybody who doesn't think this club is badly run just has to be a WUM at this point.

[Spudulike]

12 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

I'm definitely someone that sees the positives in our players more than the negatives, I think, whilst others tend to get stuck seeing our players only as 'shit.' I don't mean this in any happy-clappy, get-behind-the-lads, not-allowed-to-criticise them sense. It's just my bias, if you play for Leicester than I usually tend to look upon you more favourably than if you didn't (unless you're Jordan Ayew.)

 

So I accept that I might be a little bit naive and occasionally slightly delusional but I don't think our squad is beyond hope and I think there's a lot to work with there for the right coach.

 

We've all seen Jamie Vardy, James Justin, Wilfred Ndidi and Ricardo Pereira win the FA cup and muster back-to-back 5th place finishes. We know they have the potential to play at that level.

 

Caleb Okali looks quite a bright prospect as do both Facundo and Bilal, Harry Winks is an exceptional footballer that would have been right at home in a top-six challenging Rodgers side and Mads Hermansen is destined for much bigger things than Leicester City.

 

Even looking at the likes of Faes, Vestergaard, Daka, Coady, Kristiansen, Mavididi and Skipp you've got players here who have played in and won plenty of games in the Premier League or Europe's top 5 equivelants, in UEFA continental competitions and, in some cases, playing for their country.

 

I think the squad lacks depths in some key areas but even with the injuries I think we're able to put out an 11 that I'd be confident would be beating any side currently in the bottom half if Enzo was still here.

 

But almost every player on the planet is going to look shit if the team around him isn't a team. We are an abject mess, there's no plan, there's no structure, there's no tactics. A guy with next to no management experience just threw a change of formation together today and sent a bunch of demoralised and despirited young men out on to a football pitch with minimal instructions to play one of THE most settled and well coached teams in the league. What did anyone think was going to happen?

 

Individuals look like better players when the team around them is playing, at very least, as the sum of its parts if not more so. Midfielders look shit when the passing options aren't there, forwards look shit when nobody creates chances for them, defenders look shit when they're alone and isolated with no support and a chaotic mess of a defensive shape and EVERYONE makes more brain-fart mistakes when they're scared, under pressure and lacking confidence.

 

I don't feel like we can particularly write off most of the players in the squad right now when a lot of this team has only played together in the Premier League under Cooper. Anyone suggesting that last year we looked poor is a moron, we absolutely smashed the league despite almost every team parking the bus and making life hard. We won probably the most competitive Championship season is recent memory and we did it with an absurd amount of points and goals.

 

There's loads of potential in this side to come together, put in a good run and stay up. How many people were on here in 14/15 when we were rock bottom saying things like "I'm sorry, the players just aren't good enough" and suggesting the likes of Danny Simpson, Marc Albrighton and even Wes Morgan weren't cut out for the Premier League? I doubt any of you moaning bastards lurking are honest enough to put your hands up and admit that was you.

 

Yeah, sure, we could probably use with an injection of quality in January if we want to give ourselves a better chance but the biggest thing the squad needs right now is just an injection of spirit and self belief because it'd have an enormous impact on how they played, individually and collectively.

 

Just a couple of points....

 

'We've all seen Jamie Vardy, James Justin, Wilfred Ndidi and Ricardo Pereira win the FA cup and muster back-to-back 5th place finishes. We know they have the potential to play at that level.'

 

They did have but injuries and age have caught up with them. Sadly I don't think they will ever be good enough again at this level.

 

'Anyone suggesting that last year we looked poor is a moron, we absolutely smashed the league despite almost every team parking the bus and making life hard.' 

 

We did look poor for certain periods last season. We gave away a 17 point lead and anyone that watched the Plymouth, Millwall, Bristol City sequence will not have forgotten. We only smashed it by a point in the end.

 

I agree with the rest, though.

 

 

[Mark]

31 minutes ago, dannythefox said:

First thing I’d do is get Cannon back and play him in a two with Vardy 

Vardy has never worked in a two. If you mean like Ulloa, Okazaki and Nugent, they all played a very withdrawn role and were more of a attacking midfield link player.

Remember when we signed Slimani and played them together? Two number 9's is simply not going to work.

[splinterdream]

at 3 -1 coming out after half time, dawson should have been giving a test to a midfield of facundo, bilal and skipp, to see if.it'd work, try BDCR as striker, give Ruud something to look at, because the game was done. The performance of Dawson reminds me when Sadler took charge and doubled down on brendan ball against villa, when we obviously needed to attack them 

 

[BenTheFox]

I don't think we're completely beyond hope yet. However, we really need to improve the squad in January. If we can't bring in 3 or 4 players that improve the squad then I think we're down. We have to stay in the fight until then though. 

[dannythefox]

7 minutes ago, Mark said:

Vardy has never worked in a two. If you mean like Ulloa, Okazaki and Nugent, they all played a very withdrawn role and were more of a attacking midfield link player.

Remember when we signed Slimani and played them together? Two number 9's is simply not going to work.

He can play that role. We need him back the squad all of a sudden is on it arse. I’d also bring Harry back and play him, something my shed Utd mates can’t understand why he couldn’t get a kick, cooper strikes again.

[EastAnglianFox]

1 minute ago, BenTheFox said:

I don't think we're completely beyond hope yet. However, we really need to improve the squad in January. If we can't bring in 3 or 4 players that improve the squad then I think we're down. We have to stay in the fight until then though. 

We need at least 4 that will fit straight into the first 11 if we are to have chance imo

[BenTheFox]

Just now, EastAnglianFox said:

We need at least 4 that will fit straight into the first 11 if we are to have chance imo

That's what I meant really. 3 or 4 players can transform a team. 

[accessory]

4 minutes ago, dannythefox said:

He can play that role. We need him back the squad all of a sudden is on it arse. I’d also bring Harry back and play him, something my shed Utd mates can’t understand why he couldn’t get a kick, cooper strikes again.

Isn't Souttar even slower than Coady, Faes or Vestergaard?  There is a reason why neither Maresca nor Cooper trusted him.

 

His red card last night did not suggest he'll be the answer to our many defensive woes.

[Blue-fox]

I think this is the worse Leicester defence I have seen. And I’ve seen Patrik Gerrbrand. 

[Dan]

1 hour ago, Parafox said:

 

Then we need to look at the interim manager and his decisions to field the team and formation that he did. 

 

I just got the impression that he really couldn't be arsed.

One of those handled so badly that it makes me think I could still make it in the sport. I genuinely don't think I could've managed that game today any worse than that.

 

We even get the ****ing caretakers wrong. It's pathetic.

[Dahnsouff]

Large group of extremely talented individuals or very good coaching, our problem is we have neither currently.

 

Over to you Ruud.

[honeybradger]

2 hours ago, Parafox said:

Unfortunately, finances comes into any decision the board makes.

 

If you're "well off" you shop at Waitrose or M&S and get better quality and choice.

 

If you're a bit strapped, you go to The Company Shop where you have to accept whatever is available, because that's all you can afford. 

 

 

We spent £15million pounds on Faes, £11 mil on Okoli, £8mil on Coady, £20mil on Soumare, £20mil on Skipp. 

 

There are many clubs that are competitive in Europe whose record signing is £20mil or lower ie. PSV, Sporting. These teams are not spending more than we are.

 

We dont have a budget issue, we outspend most clubs in Europe. We just spend our money poorly, our issue is that we need to change our transfer strategy. Look at the best teams in Europe that are not in the PL and see what works for them and what £20mil gets them. 

[shailen]

1 hour ago, StevieH said:

We don't have any quality. Name one player apart from Mads that has performed well?

I mean that's the point. They haven't performed this season and they are well below par and I think the issue is more that they haven't had a clear identity and look lost on the pitch.

 

Don't get me wrong. Our squad is nowhere near the level of two years ago, but we're decent enough to be competitive in every game. We haven't been that but think it's the way we're set up more than anything.

[CrazyKopCorner]

4 hours ago, KFS said:

Things that need to stop immediately:

 

- Trying to attack down the right

- Wout Faes anywhere near the squad

- Treating Ayew like anything other than a super sub

- Ndidi passing the ball further than 5 yards

- Mavididi and Facu running into people constantly

- Benching Vestergaard

- The Soumare ‘experiment’

 

Stop ****ing about and making the same mistakes we did last time we were up here. Get tactics and an identity back that stops all of the above. We’ve wasted four months because Rudkin wanted a yes man 

 

Spot on - I’d cull Faes, James, Wilf and Ayew from the starting 11 - Ayew only to be used off of the bench 

 

[tickler28]

We all want to believe that Ruud can work a miracle but deep down we know we're just not good enough 1-11 sadly

[tickler28]

2 minutes ago, CrazyKopCorner said:

Spot on - I’d cull Faes, James, Wilf and Ayew from the starting 11 - Ayew only to be used off of the bench 

 

And replace with who? Who replaces them that realistically represents a better option?

[dannythefox]

1 hour ago, accessory said:

Isn't Souttar even slower than Coady, Faes or Vestergaard?  There is a reason why neither Maresca nor Cooper trusted him.

 

His red card last night did not suggest he'll be the answer to our many defensive woes.

What two yellow cards? 😂 I’m just telling you how good he’s been for them, they love him. Trust is a strong word, I’d trust Ricardo 10times over Justin and look what’s happening there…..

Edited 30 November 2024 by dannythefox

[funkyrobot]

2 hours ago, Parafox said:

 

Then we need to look at the interim manager and his decisions to field the team and formation that he did. 

 

I just got the impression that he really couldn't be arsed.

Asking a Cooper ally coach to take charge of the team before more than likely losing his job wasn’t a good idea. Particularly when that coach decides to try and make a name for himself by taking on an excellently coached team with a brainless selection and set up. Dawson completely Dawson’d up his big day. What a fkin Dawson. 

[CrazyKopCorner]

That is the problem but we’ll need to bring in Hamza, El Khannousse and Mavi - perm 2 from 3 centre backs but drop Faes. Also Soumare has to go 

[Miella27]

Our squad is as weak as it has been for 10+ years, however there's enough there to make it competitive. We've just got to be better than the teams around us, who are all equally rubbish - Soton, Ipswich, Palace, wolves, Everton

 

I think these players would play a significant part in the squad of 10-12 prem teams - 

 

Mads, Okoli, Buonanotte, Fatawu

 

These players would be in and around the matchday team/squad of the bottom six sides - 

Vardy, Ricardo, Vestergaard, Coady, Winks, Skipp, Ndidi, Mavididi, 

 

That's enough to make a go of it, we just need someone to give them a bit of structure, confidence and hope.