Two Relegation Players

[JimJams]

Players that can (largely) only win the ball though are a throw back. You're the target of the press and often become the weak link because of it.

[Winchesterfox]

17 hours ago, Will1981 said:

Loads slate Hamza on here but he has never been relegated with us.

Only because he isn’t good enough so gets loaned out

[Chelmofox]

21 minutes ago, HarryTheGenie said:

For me the 'much changed role' is what satarted the issues with him. Enzo clearly told him he could actually play ball when he really can't. He gets further up the pitch but his output further up the pitch is appalling. Playing alongside that fridge every week also can't help. He needs to be a ball winner alongside someone with a brain and desire. He simply doesn't have that with us.

He got found out in our first relegation season. Enzo adapted him in the championship and it worked for the first half of the season. Ndidi was pretty poor after he came back from injury. 
 

Since his return from injury this season he’s been largely found out again. I just don’t think there is much of a place for Ndidi in the PL anymore. 

[orangecity23]

2 hours ago, gerblod said:

What the hell kind of statistic is that? Does it reflect on him in any way? He was an FA Cup winning player as well. It's not an achievement - takes a poor squad, poor manager and  poor club management to "achieve" that. He was screwed over by Rodgers' temperamental fall-out with the club and the club's failure to act. 

Of course, Luke became the personal scapegoat for a number of posters on here, but Madders, Evans, KDH, Vardy (even) Ward, Faes, Vestergaard, Castagne, Daka, Winks and uncle Tom Cobley have all been labelled as 'unwanted' on here by someone or other. The squad needs a total overhaul and Thomas is one of the lads to keep.

Thanks for the giant over reaction. I made a simple post, as DavieG's opening post mentioned Luke and was talking about 2 relegation players, and brought up that for him it was 3 because of that loan to Sheffield United. No blame assigned, no scapegoating, no demanding he be sold. Just pointed out a weird, meaningless stat.

[Lesterlad]

2 hours ago, gerblod said:

What the hell kind of statistic is that? Does it reflect on him in any way? He was an FA Cup winning player as well. It's not an achievement - takes a poor squad, poor manager and  poor club management to "achieve" that. He was screwed over by Rodgers' temperamental fall-out with the club and the club's failure to act. 

Of course, Luke became the personal scapegoat for a number of posters on here, but Madders, Evans, KDH, Vardy (even) Ward, Faes, Vestergaard, Castagne, Daka, Winks and uncle Tom Cobley have all been labelled as 'unwanted' on here by someone or other. The squad needs a total overhaul and Thomas is one of the lads to keep.

You missed one thing out he is utter shite and league one at best. Why would anyone want to keep him 

[Corbee]

22 hours ago, orangecity23 said:

Luke Thomas is now a 3 relegation player in consecutive seasons thanks to his loan to Sheffield United. Can't be that many players who've managed to achieve that.

Aaron Ramsdale 🧤 

[James_lcfc]

1 hour ago, HarryTheGenie said:

For me the 'much changed role' is what satarted the issues with him. Enzo clearly told him he could actually play ball when he really can't. He gets further up the pitch but his output further up the pitch is appalling. Playing alongside that fridge every week also can't help. He needs to be a ball winner alongside someone with a brain and desire. He simply doesn't have that with us.

The issues started with Ndidi last year? He did pretty well last year.

 

He was absolutely awful during the first relegation. Hilariously bad. Hasn't been much better this year.

 

We need to keep him now, as despite the injuries he is capable in the Championship. 

 

He wouldn't get in a single PL team now...and nobody in any of the top leagues is going to pay money for him. He's nowhere near good enough.

[davieG]

22 hours ago, Finnegan said:

 

I partly think the opposite, I don't think enough of our fanbase truly appreciate just how important good man-management is and how devastating bad man-management can be. 

 

It's not entirely an excuse but I do think dismissing all those players as lazy or not caring is over the top. 

 

I can well see JJ, Soumaré, Daka and Faes in particular going to other clubs and having careers that will frustrate Leicester fans. Think Tielemans is another good example of this, he's thriving at Villa under proper leadership. Rodgers just did so much damage to the psyche of this squad and a lot of them never properly got much self belief back. You could see it in Daka last year, first bad game and he fell straight back off a cliff. 

 

That said, there's also a point to be made here about the mental fortitude it takes to be an elite athlete and why Rodgers' philosophy of signing "broken players" was completely daft. Pearson would never have allowed us to build a squad of such delicate wall flowers without any real leadership. 

 

 

2 hours ago, gerblod said:

This is one of the most perceptive an accurate posts that's been made - especially appropriate to one of the major fvck-ups in allowing Rodgers to hang on way past his manage-by date. This idea of 'bad players' at Prem level is laughable. To get anywhere near this level requires almost superhuman skill, strength, determination and persistence - especially when injury intervenes.

 

Lack of self-belief and confidence in fellow players and a succession of ineffective managers has led to this shambles. The squad and club needs a complete makeover.

 

When I started this thread I wasn't refering to ability but to being mentally exhausted from two relegations, yes they probably will go on and have decent careers but I believe they need a new environment, a new start in a well run club away from our financial and moral bankrupt of a club.

[murphy]

22 hours ago, Finnegan said:

 

I partly think the opposite, I don't think enough of our fanbase truly appreciate just how important good man-management is and how devastating bad man-management can be. 

 

It's not entirely an excuse but I do think dismissing all those players as lazy or not caring is over the top. 

 

I can well see JJ, Soumaré, Daka and Faes in particular going to other clubs and having careers that will frustrate Leicester fans. Think Tielemans is another good example of this, he's thriving at Villa under proper leadership. Rodgers just did so much damage to the psyche of this squad and a lot of them never properly got much self belief back. You could see it in Daka last year, first bad game and he fell straight back off a cliff. 

 

That said, there's also a point to be made here about the mental fortitude it takes to be an elite athlete and why Rodgers' philosophy of signing "broken players" was completely daft. Pearson would never have allowed us to build a squad of such delicate wall flowers without any real leadership. 

 

Just to play devil's advocate here, Rodgers' 'silver medallist' approach to transfers was the idea that we could take players that were a tier above those that a club like ours might otherwise be able to attract.  Attainable because they had failed elsewhere. 

 

It does happen. Players fail at one club but thrive elsewhere. 

 

That said, it didn't work for us and it's testament to the ocean-going ego of Brendan Rodgers that he believed he could succeed where other managers had failed.   We also had a very successful transfer strategy pre Rodgers/Congerton that we should have continued with. 

[Finnegan]

2 minutes ago, murphy said:

Rodgers' 'silver medallist' approach to transfers was the idea that we could take players that were a tier above those that a club like ours might otherwise be able to attract

 

A tier above technically. Not mentally. This is the problem, Rodgers loaded up all of his prioritisation in to players perceived as technicians with no care for what their other flaws were. 

 

It's also not a good approach when you're signing an entire squad this way. 

 

Using Tielemans as an example again, I think he's a little bit soft. I think he's a hard worker, I think he's extremely professional and a grounded guy. There's a lot to like about Youri as a sportsman and a human being. But he's got a bit of a soft streak to him, his head drops too easily, he's not a fighter, he'll roll over when it gets difficult. 

 

You can carry a player like that when he's surrounded by a squad with good leadership, good culture, good management. Villa haven't filled their squad with the same personality over and over and Emery is a phenomenal leader. 

 

Rodgers had the hubris to think he's God's gift to leadership and coaching and that he could fill up his squad full of these personalities and "fix them". But this is the same man that then started crying about a lack of leadership and fight whenever they lost a game. 

 

He's ****ing useless, he's not the coach he thinks he is and it cost us enormously because every player we signed had the same soul. 

 

Kristiansen might be the only player we ever signed in the Rodgers years that is a true scrapper and ironically he's technically useless haha. 

 

As with all things in life, it takes balance. We've got none. 

 

[JimJams]

In fairness, Youri came to us under Puel. Rodgers can't really be credited with him despite YT only becoming permanent during his tenure.

[gerblod]

On 29/04/2025 at 08:48, Lesterlad said:

You missed one thing out he is utter shite and league one at best. Why would anyone want to keep him 

You've completely ignored the fact that he played well enough to get in the team that won two honours. You're just scapegoating one player whom you feel you have a reason to pick out. If you can't reply to a reasonably thought out post without resorting to guff then you're wasting your time. Some will agree with you no doubt - but I can't respect your thinking. Sorry.

 

[gerblod]

On 29/04/2025 at 08:40, orangecity23 said:

Thanks for the giant over reaction. I made a simple post, as DavieG's opening post mentioned Luke and was talking about 2 relegation players, and brought up that for him it was 3 because of that loan to Sheffield United. No blame assigned, no scapegoating, no demanding he be sold. Just pointed out a weird, meaningless stat.

Thanks for your honesty.

[Lesterlad]

On 30/04/2025 at 09:45, gerblod said:

You've completely ignored the fact that he played well enough to get in the team that won two honours. You're just scapegoating one player whom you feel you have a reason to pick out. If you can't reply to a reasonably thought out post without resorting to guff then you're wasting your time. Some will agree with you no doubt - but I can't respect your thinking. Sorry.

 

I never expected or wanted you to respect my thinking. I do not rate Luke Thomas in the slightest. I do not care that he is a local lad he isant good enough for what we need. He is too lightweight and does not see danger quick enough. 
 

I dont care if he is local lad. I care about what is right for our team. I agree he was part of the team that won 2 honours. But he was also part of 3 teams that got relegated. 
 

I would have hoped as a player he would have progressed by now but he hasn’t and never will in my opinion. 
 

 

Edited 21 hours ago by Lesterlad

[Claridge]

On 28/04/2025 at 12:43, Skidmark said:

I think Kristiansen's fate is the funniest.

 

He has the best season of his career, smashing it in Italy sandwiched between two relegations.

says it all about our squad

[davieG]

7 minutes ago, Claridge said:

says it all about our squad

...and a lot about the club and how the football side of things are managed

[volpeazzurro]

On 28/04/2025 at 10:35, davieG said:

They must be totally devoid of any confidence  - Must be sold or given away

 

Daka

Faes

Justin

Kristiansen

Ndidi

Soumare

Vestergaard (only played once in 2022/23)

 

 

Maybe keep

2022/23 appearances

Pereira 6

McAteer 1

Thomas 17

 

I'd add Mcateer to the bin list, not even good enough for the Championship albeit seems to have a decent attitude. 

I'd also bin:

Ward

Coady 

Winks (attitude)

Reid

 

Not many left tbh now but sooner that and struggle with kids or new free/cheap incomers wanting to impress than continue with these lot. Forget the holy grail of the Premiership because we've seen it's just not worth it with this lot. There needs to be a root and branch cull of playing, training and boardroom level staff. Unfortunately we've got a weak inept simpleton in charge. Vichai must be rolling in his grave. Just as well Top isn't in charge of the family business too or the family empire would have been down the Swanee by now!

[gerblod]

6 hours ago, Lesterlad said:

I never expected or wanted you to respect my thinking. I do not rate Luke Thomas in the slightest. I do not care that he is a local lad he isant good enough for what we need. He is too lightweight and does not see danger quick enough. 
 

I dont care if he is local lad. I care about what is right for our team. I agree he was part of the team that won 2 honours. But he was also part of 3 teams that got relegated. 
 

I would have hoped as a player he would have progressed by now but he hasn’t and never will in my opinion. 
 

 

This isn't then a discussion with any viable result. Thomas isn't Ashley Cole and you can't deal with that. So, even though, for a significant period, he was an automatic selection in a team far more effective than this current one, he's the one you single out for opprobium.

You're not alone. It's a pattern that individuals get singled out when the team isn't working. Chilwell got the 'treatment' as has Kristiansen. But 70% of any sports performance is confidence. The élan of that Cup winning side was superb until Rodgers gradually stifled it.

There's no such thing as a bad player at Premiership level - there's much more telling factors at work.

Anyway, you don't care what I think or believe. Fair enough.

[Realist Guy In The Room]

Our squad is so fvcking awful

[Guy]

On 28/04/2025 at 11:49, SouthStandUpperTier said:

Aaron Ramsdale has just secured his 3rd relegation too. So I guess even players that are perceived to be Premier League standard aren't immune.

Thought that was a really strange move for him to Southampton after already suffering relegations with Bournemouth and Sheffield United before starring at Arsenal for a season until he was tossed out by Arteta effectively once D.Raya arrived.

,

[Lesterlad]

1 hour ago, gerblod said:

This isn't then a discussion with any viable result. Thomas isn't Ashley Cole and you can't deal with that. So, even though, for a significant period, he was an automatic selection in a team far more effective than this current one, he's the one you single out for opprobium.

You're not alone. It's a pattern that individuals get singled out when the team isn't working. Chilwell got the 'treatment' as has Kristiansen. But 70% of any sports performance is confidence. The élan of that Cup winning side was superb until Rodgers gradually stifled it.

There's no such thing as a bad player at Premiership level - there's much more telling factors at work.

Anyway, you don't care what I think or believe. Fair enough.

I never singled him out at all. I would say like the bass majority of that starting 11 I would not want him any where near the team next season. The only 2 players that started at Wolves on Saturday that I want here next season. Are BEK and Ricardo. The rest for me are not  what I think we need at this club. 
 

You may like Thomas as a player I don’t. I want him to go somewhere and develop as a player he won’t do that here. I want defenders who can defend he is too lightweight and has very little awareness of what’s going on around him.

 

I am more concerned about the now then the cup winning team 

[smudgerfox]

It’s going to be less about whether we get rid of these players than about how.

Who will bid for this band of lily-livered failures?
Winks can have a whole Aperol Spritz  year in North London on decent wages and leave for nothing next summer,,,

And I fully expect that’s what he’ll do,,,