Are We Looking At The Wrong Problem

[Globalfox]

I have wondered for a long time why we seem to be so uncompetitive and unfit. I believe we need to be clearing out the deep fitness and sports science staff. Matt Reeves and his team are one lot that needs replacing. Loughborough Uni wannabes and Tigers rejects with very little experience other than Leicester. People blame Seagrave but fixed equipment does not set direction these people do. As a new owner this is where they have to start to remove the stench and lack of competitiveness I believe starts here. It needs to be eradicated and removed with new focus on fitness, intensity, hard work and discipline. The word is they all like  Russel Martin and I suspect it’s because it suits their weak ideology. 

[Muzzy_no7]

I’ve called this out since Enzo’s fitness staff went with him.

 

We haven’t looked fit enough or well conditioned since and our injury record is appalling. 

[TeamRocket]

I think it was when  BR got rid off all the hard work done by NP personally  head staffs where going left right and centre be BR sold a unrealistic dream to Top and Dung

[Tiny earl]

It is a huge problem, which was obvious in the last 20minutes against Plymouth when they 

were all blowing like old carthorses! They are clearly not in the right condition.

Unfortunately it’s not the main problem.

[I am an Ostrich]

i thought that if we have the ball all the time its the other team that should be knacked 🤦‍♀️

[old koppite]

14 minutes ago, Tiny earl said:

It is a huge problem, which was obvious in the last 20minutes against Plymouth when they 

were all blowing like old carthorses! They are clearly not in the right condition.

Unfortunately it’s not the main problem.

 

27 minutes ago, Globalfox said:

I have wondered for a long time why we seem to be so uncompetitive and unfit. I believe we need to be clearing out the deep fitness and sports science staff. Matt Reeves and his team are one lot that needs replacing. Loughborough Uni wannabes and Tigers rejects with very little experience other than Leicester. People blame Seagrave but fixed equipment does not set direction these people do. As a new owner this is where they have to start to remove the stench and lack of competitiveness I believe starts here. It needs to be eradicated and removed with new focus on fitness, intensity, hard work and discipline. The word is they all like  Russel Martin and I suspect it’s because it suits their weak ideology. 

I agree, but pre season we were happy with how much fitter we looked in the friendlies, so what’s gone wrong? 
 

[HankMarvin]

No just a shit manager 

Burton 2 early goals 

[Donwebbio]

There is a real lack of athleticism in the squad and that has been the case for a good while. I thought the blame for that should be squared at the recruitment department but you could be right with the fitness team. 

[sdb]

I think it is just one of dozens of problems at the club. Scouting, recruitment, finances, coaching, conditioning, tactics, inconsistent hiring and then overdue firing, long and short term vision, naivety in the extreme with regards to opposition planning, contracts, any semblance of joined up thinking.

 

There is barely anything about this club that isn't unfit for purpose.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again... you could not deteriorate a football club this quickly and this badly if you tried. Every single individual in this thread would do a better job than Top or Rudkin. And that's not some silly angry football fan hyperbole.

[Collymore]

1 minute ago, sdb said:

I think it is just one of dozens of problems at the club. Scouting, recruitment, finances, coaching, conditioning, tactics, inconsistent hiring and then overdue firing, long and short term vision, naivety in the extreme with regards to opposition planning, contracts, any semblance of joined up thinking.

 

There is barely anything about this club that isn't unfit for purpose.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again... you could not deteriorate a football club this quickly and this badly if you tried. Every single individual in this thread would do a better job than Top or Rudkin. And that's not some silly angry football fan hyperbole.

Yeah it can only happen to this level if there's no one holding you to account. 

 

That's why the fans are the last hope if they can muster enough push to flush them out for good. 

[sdb]

Just now, Collymore said:

Yeah it can only happen to this level if there's no one holding you to account. 

 

That's why the fans are the last hope if they can muster enough push to flush them out for good. 

Exactly that. If EVERYTHING turns to shit in an organisation, what's the common denominator? A scarecrow running the club over the last 5 years would've at least done no harm. 

[southfox66]

i think the biggest problem is there no heart or soul in this club anymore, to alot of player with it history Leicester must still seem like a great club to come and play for, when they make initial connect with the club that dream is sold to them, they probably arrive excited, but after few weeks they realise the club is a mere shadow of what it was and the place in a state of decay  ☹️

[Globalfox]

23 minutes ago, old koppite said:

 

I agree, but pre season we were happy with how much fitter we looked in the friendlies, so what’s gone wrong? 
 

I am not sure we were happy, Burton away none of the oldies so probably did not show up. As soon as the lazy ones returned it returned. Against Plymouth even the youngsters looked blown out at 75 minutes. Compare that to Oxford yesterday who were still chasing us down for more goals at 75+ minutes. attitude counts a lot and I believe although it is only one of our problems the weakness in conditioning and poor sports science at Leicester is a large contributor. Look at all the opinions about we are weak in the challenge, we got bullied that’s where we lose regularly. Try talking to out team and you get oh the game has changed, physicality has gone, it’s rubbish.

[Wasyls Pec Deck]

Many aspects of the backroom operation are stale, including fitness. Total refresh is needed that leaves no stone uncovered.

[Danizen]

36 minutes ago, I am an Ostrich said:

i thought that if we have the ball all the time its the other team that should be knacked 🤦‍♀️

And I thought if you plan on playing a possession based game, you should be capable of stringing 4 or 5 passes together but it looks like we're both wrong. 

[st albans fox]

It’s one of our main problems and has been for years

 

players told they don’t need to be as fit as the opponent because they’re better footballers so don’t need to run around as much 

 

no intensity 

 

Brendan worked it by keeping the ball and passing around teams until they got tired. Doesn’t work any more. Teams are tactically more astute and fitter.  
 

it’s the most basic requirement for a professional athlete - it can be highlighted when our players have moved elsewhere and are rarely ready to compete. 

[Richmondfox]

36 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

It’s one of our main problems and has been for years

 

players told they don’t need to be as fit as the opponent because they’re better footballers so don’t need to run around as much 

 

no intensity 

 

Brendan worked it by keeping the ball and passing around teams until they got tired. Doesn’t work any more. Teams are tactically more astute and fitter.  
 

it’s the most basic requirement for a professional athlete - it can be highlighted when our players have moved elsewhere and are rarely ready to compete. 

The irony being that they have to sprint back when they get countered.  All teams need to do is sit back and stay in position, then press until you hit the man and be ready to counter.

[weusedtobegood]

The players are doing what they have been trained to do and its rubbish football,  its not their fault as a team needs to work as a team not individuals.

We have players waving their arms about to receive the ball while the player in possession ignores them and gives away the ball because he confused what to do thanks to the coaching. 

[SafewayFox]

Matt Reeves and his team surviving back to back relegations when we’ve looked so unfit, is another huge stain against Top/Rudkin.

 

An insane thought process, we were better conditioned 18 years ago under Pearson (he was a pioneer for sports science) yet with medical advances, we’ve somehow managed to go backwards.

 

Madness and one of many reasons to at I actually hate everything about us right now!

[VLC86]

At the start of the season, we heard repeated claims that players were fitter than they’d ever been. 

[HarryTheGenie]

Solving this issue is the easiest way to improve results short term. It has been a problem for years. Since Brendan was manager. The only one who tried to address it was Steve Cooper, shock the players didn't like him and turned on him. They were clearly scared of hard work.

 

The Seagrave 5 star wellness retreat shouldn't be an issue, it should be an asset. However with weak minded players and poor instruction it makes the issue even bigger than it is. 

 

I thought Martin was sorting this issue, in pre-season they looked more 'at it' but in every competitive game we have been absolutely miles off the levels required.

 

Any team that turns up semi-organised, prepared to run and with a single ounce of desire will beat us currently. 

 

Get them running hard, instill desire and hard work as the bare minimum and drop anyone who isn't there. At this point a team of under 15s prepared to run and graft would be better than watching this bunch of overpaid prima donna's loaf around for a single game.

 

Take Oxford's 2nd yesterday. The captain is in a poor starting position, jogs back and gives up long before the ball is in the net. The left back also jogs back and provides no assistance to the only one grafting, who was Luke Thomas. For all his faults, he is the only one who has any desire to try and win a ball and actually defend.

 

If we can improve fitness levels to be on a par with competitors then the ability wins the day and we will win more than we lose.

 

Simple adage. Hard work beats ability when ability doesn't work hard.

[Globalfox]

3 minutes ago, VLC86 said:

At the start of the season, we heard repeated claims that players were fitter than they’d ever been. 

Possibly but obviously still not up to the standard of our competition. Maybe we just started from a very very low level. Physical is part of the equation so is mentality and as we saw yesterday the mental approach of too many players is weak.

[Raspeir]

2 hours ago, Globalfox said:

I have wondered for a long time why we seem to be so uncompetitive and unfit. I believe we need to be clearing out the deep fitness and sports science staff. Matt Reeves and his team are one lot that needs replacing. Loughborough Uni wannabes and Tigers rejects with very little experience other than Leicester. People blame Seagrave but fixed equipment does not set direction these people do. As a new owner this is where they have to start to remove the stench and lack of competitiveness I believe starts here. It needs to be eradicated and removed with new focus on fitness, intensity, hard work and discipline. The word is they all like  Russel Martin and I suspect it’s because it suits their weak ideology. 

Spot on. Fitness, strength and athleticism are everything. Not only from a physical point of view, but a psychological one too.

 

If you know you have the strength, pace, energy and power to outperform your opponents, then it's a massive boost mentally as you feel you can bully them in the game. If you know they'll shirk a challenge, you'll go in harder. If you know they'll get knocked off the ball, you'll be more direct in a challenge.

 

That's what's happening to us every single game. It was something that Pearson and co were acutely aware of, and built a mentality around. We've developed a soft underbelly and shirk away from things rather than stepping up and getting aggressive. Footballers play so much better if they have a bit of bite in their game, but without the strength and power there can be none of that - we've developed a culture of softly softly that simply doesn't work in L1. We need an O'Neill or a Pearson to really start making demands and pushing the boundaries of what the players believe they are capable of physically.

 

There have to be higher standards. 

[CosbehFox]

20 minutes ago, SafewayFox said:

Matt Reeves and his team surviving back to back relegations when we’ve looked so unfit, is another huge stain against Top/Rudkin.

 

An insane thought process, we were better conditioned 18 years ago under Pearson (he was a pioneer for sports science) yet with medical advances, we’ve somehow managed to go backwards.

 

Madness and one of many reasons to at I actually hate everything about us right now!

Pearson brought Reeves and his team in. 

[Globalfox]

6 minutes ago, Raspeir said:

Spot on. Fitness, strength and athleticism are everything. Not only from a physical point of view, but a psychological one too.

 

If you know you have the strength, pace, energy and power to outperform your opponents, then it's a massive boost mentally as you feel you can bully them in the game. If you know they'll shirk a challenge, you'll go in harder. If you know they'll get knocked off the ball, you'll be more direct in a challenge.

 

That's what's happening to us every single game. It was something that Pearson and co were acutely aware of, and built a mentality around. We've developed a soft underbelly and shirk away from things rather than stepping up and getting aggressive. Footballers play so much better if they have a bit of bite in their game, but without the strength and power there can be none of that - we've developed a culture of softly softly that simply doesn't work in L1. We need an O'Neill or a Pearson to really start making demands and pushing the boundaries of what the players believe they are capable of physically.

 

There have to be higher standards. 

And that translates in the game to getting the fans up for it which supports the players it’s a winning cycle mentality. We need to rebuild a ‘bury’ them philosophy.