Final Home Reserves Game Tonight

[davieG]

<h3 class="headline" id="headline">Stars On Show </h3> City's reserves play their final home game of the season this evening (Monday) and will field an experienced line-up.

Leicester take on Southampton at Hinckley United's Marston's Stadium (kick-off 7pm) with a number of famous faces set to start.

'Keeper Rab Douglas continues his comeback from injury along with club captain Danny Tiatto (pictured above right) and Lee Morris, who'll be hoping for another full 90 minutes to add his Westerby Cup semi-final appearance last week.

Momo Sylla, Rufus Brevett and Elvis Hammond also take their place for the FA Premier Reserve League South clash.

CITY: Rab Douglas, Joe Magunda, Rufus Brevett, Levi Porter, Scott Lycett, Liam Norvall, Momo Sylla, Danny Tiatto, Elvis Hammond, Lee Morris, Joe Hamill

Subs: Louis Dodds, Conrad Logan, Adam Wykes, Max Gradel, Jay Smedley

[Manwell Pablo]

<h3 class="headline" id="headline">Stars On Show </h3> City's reserves play their final home game of the season this evening (Monday) and will field an experienced line-up.

Leicester take on Southampton at Hinckley United's Marston's Stadium (kick-off 7pm) with a number of famous faces set to start.

'Keeper Rab Douglas continues his comeback from injury along with club captain Danny Tiatto (pictured above right) and Lee Morris, who'll be hoping for another full 90 minutes to add his Westerby Cup semi-final appearance last week.

Momo Sylla, Rufus Brevett and Elvis Hammond also take their place for the FA Premier Reserve League South clash.

CITY: Rab Douglas, Joe Magunda, Rufus Brevett, Levi Porter, Scott Lycett, Liam Norvall, Momo Sylla, Danny Tiatto, Elvis Hammond, Lee Morris, Joe Hamill

Subs: Louis Dodds, Conrad Logan, Adam Wykes, Max Gradel, Jay Smedley

shhhh, if your quiet you can just about hear Thrac sharpening his knife.

[Parsons]

i hope they give morris at least one game for the 1st team this season, as it proberly will be his last

[spirefox]

It says on Sky sports that he's injured .........

[Jonbluefox9]

Morris didn't start tonight or play any part in the game. Dodds started in his place and scored our only goal in a 3-1 defeat. Blackstock netting two for Southampton.

Sylla didn't really look bothered (replaced by Gradel fairly late on, second half), Tiatto was subbed at half time after having a few shots and giving the ball away easily (replaced by Wykes), Douglas conceded a really soft third goal although all three were pretty sloppy goals (He let the third through his legs, so it seemed), Brevett (replaced by Mattock late on) wasn't too bad tried to get forward and support Hamill who looked ok on the ball but no real killer ball, Elvis showed some good running with the ball and holding up of the ball but missed a good chance one-on-one with the keeper second half (his shooting was wayward most of the time). Dodds did well though and Porter tried his best although he did struggle in the air as youi'd expect.

[Mark]

We lost 3-1 then - http://www.lcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/...~811313,00.html

Dodds on the scoresheet again. Its about time he got a couple of chances in the first team, before we release end up releasing him. Which is a shame considering we've not even sent him out on loan to see how he faired in a division or two lower first. He should get a chance ahead of Hammond (who never even scores for the Reserves). Dodds is nearing 20 now, has scored regularly for the past 4 years at academy and reserve team level but still yet to make a single first team appearance.

[Ric Flair]

We lost 3-1 then - http://www.lcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/...~811313,00.html

Dodds on the scoresheet again. Its about time he got a couple of chances in the first team, before we release end up releasing him. Which is a shame considering we've not even sent him out on loan to see how he faired in a division or two lower first. He should get a chance ahead of Hammond (who never even scores for the Reserves). Dodds is nearing 20 now, has scored regularly for the past 4 years at academy and reserve team level but still yet to make a single first team appearance.

He does deserve a chance, the problem is he's going to find it very hard to get one here as Kelly hasn't been changing the team and there are other players who are classed as first team players that have no doubt been promised a few games before the end of the season. Dodds has probably scored more goals than any other player at Leicester for the past 4 or 5 years at various levels but hasn't been anywhere near the first team other than nearly getting in the squad against Blackpool only for him to get injured.

From what i've seen of him over the years he's a natural finisher yet not an out and out striker, the sort of player who's different to any other we have even Hume. O'Grady has stepped up and looked decent, I have always thought Dodds was better aswell. Definately deserves a chance.

[Katy]

How come we lost that? It looks a reasonable side on paper.

[XFS]

Thats 5 in the last 3 games for Doddsy.

Total is about 18 since his return at Christmas must put him the clubs highest scorer in all competitions and he has only played a few months! Ok its not at first team level but finishing is finishing!

[Ric Flair]

Thats 5 in the last 3 games for Doddsy.

Total is about 18 since his return at Christmas must put him the clubs highest scorer in all competitions and he has only played a few months! Ok its not at first team level but finishing is finishing!

Plus he's a class act both dropping in behind the strikers and also on the wing if needed, not a proper winger but provides width and his final ball is better than i've seen Hughes or Maybury produce.

[Thracian]

He does deserve a chance, the problem is he's going to find it very hard to get one here as Kelly hasn't been changing the team and there are other players who are classed as first team players that have no doubt been promised a few games before the end of the season. Dodds has probably scored more goals than any other player at Leicester for the past 4 or 5 years at various levels but hasn't been anywhere near the first team other than nearly getting in the squad against Blackpool only for him to get injured.

From what i've seen of him over the years he's a natural finisher yet not an out and out striker, the sort of player who's different to any other we have even Hume. O'Grady has stepped up and looked decent, I have always thought Dodds was better aswell. Definately deserves a chance.

I very much doubt he'll get one.

[Ric Flair]

I very much doubt he'll get one.

Well if he doesn't then I hope he's loaned out next season. Kelly has spent many years training up youngsters at Wolves and Blackburn and he's fully aware of when to blood youngsters in to the team, I hope that he'll do this at Leicester. He's had no reason to so far at Leicester and other than Dodds there isn't another youngster obvious for first team selection. Porter is doing very well and if he keeps it up i'd hope he'll get first team football sooner rather than later, but we're lacking in numbers of players coming through. We've had 4 this year (Stearman, Sheehan, O'Grady & Wesolowski) that is brilliant, I just hope in the future we can do that every season.

Dodds

Chambers

Porter

Mattock

Gradel

They are the next batch who are probably our best academy players, but it's hard to tell whether they'll be good enough. I think 2 of them will be, the rest will have to work as hard as O'Grady.

[Thracian]

Well if he doesn't then I hope he's loaned out next season. Kelly has spent many years training up youngsters at Wolves and Blackburn and he's fully aware of when to blood youngsters in to the team, I hope that he'll do this at Leicester. He's had no reason to so far at Leicester and other than Dodds there isn't another youngster obvious for first team selection. Porter is doing very well and if he keeps it up i'd hope he'll get first team football sooner rather than later, but we're lacking in numbers of players coming through. We've had 4 this year (Stearman, Sheehan, O'Grady & Wesolowski) that is brilliant, I just hope in the future we can do that every season.

Dodds

Chambers

Porter

Mattock

Gradel

They are the next batch who are probably our best academy players, but it's hard to tell whether they'll be good enough. I think 2 of them will be, the rest will have to work as hard as O'Grady.

I wish I shared your optimism.

Oh yes I believe and have said so loudly, that Kelly has earned his chance of a long term management contract. That is fair.

He has also deservedly acquired legendary status just for his achievement of saving our status.

But, try as I might, I cannot subscribe to the near-hero worship of the guy.

There are lots of things about his management that make me concerned for the future.

I backed my opinion with cash last Saturday on the basis that it would hurt if I was wrong. I wasn't. The outcome was painfully predictable.

Even in the reserves Monday it was two ex-Academy regulars who scored and made City's goal. The gaggle of first teamers - Douglas, Brevett, Hamill, Sylla, Hammond (always a trier), and Tiatto - huffed, puffed and escorted us to one of our worst results this season, same as last week really, except it was trialists and first teamers that ruined the balance and cohesion of the side, wasting the whole exercise.

But will Porter and Dodds, regular achievers for the Reserves, be on the bench Friday?. No.

It will be the usual suspects who have contributed so much or so little to our woeful season.

So, bearing that in mind I don't think Porter will get any more of a chance than Dodds will or Sheehan has.

Kelly's mentioned Sheehan again but he mentioned him before he was injured yet never played him so I'll believe it when I see it which probably won't be this season.

It has been a singularly wasted year for the post-Academy prospects.

Apart from Stearman, not a single attack-minded player has come through this season (full-back, midfielder, winger or striker). Wesolowski got injured and O'Grady doesn't count. He made his giant strides at Rushden.

But, a lot of first team bench places have been wasted on people with no hope and no future here.

And please don't anyone mention how big the gulf is between first team and reserves. The bench warmers I'm thinking of have been no good this season at either level.

[Ric Flair]

I wish I shared your optimism.

Oh yes I believe and have said so loudly, that Kelly has earned his chance of a long term management contract. That is fair.

He has also deservedly acquired legendary status just for his achievement of saving our status.

But, try as I might, I cannot subscribe to the near-hero worship of the guy.

There are lots of things about his management that make me concerned for the future.

I backed my opinion with cash last Saturday on the basis that it would hurt if I was wrong. I wasn't. The outcome was painfully predictable.

Even in the reserves Monday it was two ex-Academy regulars who scored and made City's goal. The gaggle of first teamers - Douglas, Brevett, Hamill, Sylla, Hammond (always a trier), and Tiatto - huffed, puffed and escorted us to one of our worst results this season, same as last week really, except it was trialists and first teamers that ruined the balance and cohesion of the side, wasting the whole exercise.

But will Porter and Dodds, regular achievers for the Reserves, be on the bench Friday?. No.

It will be the usual suspects who have contributed so much or so little to our woeful season.

So, bearing that in mind I don't think Porter will get any more of a chance than Dodds will or Sheehan has.

Kelly's mentioned Sheehan again but he mentioned him before he was injured yet never played him so I'll believe it when I see it which probably won't be this season.

It has been a singularly wasted year for the post-Academy prospects.

Apart from Stearman, not a single attack-minded player has come through this season (full-back, midfielder, winger or striker). Wesolowski got injured and O'Grady doesn't count. He made his giant strides at Rushden.

But, a lot of first team bench places have been wasted on people with no hope and no future here.

And please don't anyone mention how big the gulf is between first team and reserves. The bench warmers I'm thinking of have been no good this season at either level.

All of that would be true if Kelly had proved to have done what you say he has.

He's been here for less than 3 months as manager and for the most of that we've been unbeaten. He's adopted an approach where he wanted to install some stability and that led to not changing a winning team (other than to bring McCarthy back in after suspension).

Sheehan wasn't part of the first team fold when Kelly first took over and didn't have a chance to work his way in because he got injured. Even had he been fit it would have taken alot for him to break in to the team and the reason being because we've been on the best run of results for over 3 years! Had we not been winning and Sheehan wasn't anywhere near the team then i'd harbour some of your concerns like the case under Levein but that's irrelevant as it's a different era.

It's surely impossible to predict what Kelly will and won't do as regard to the youngsters basing your opinion on what he's done in the 3 months he's been here. Even the bench in each of the games he's managed has been made up of players that do deserve to be there with the exception of Sylla on the odd occasion, even Brevett has been on the bench because our other defenders out of the first team are either injured or suspended.

Alot of your concerns are based on what happened under Levein, you might well be right and Kelly might prove to be unwilling to give youngsters a chance but until that becomes evident it's absolute folly to think it true. O'Grady has been given a chance under Kelly. The only obvious other academy player is Sheehan who's been injured for 2 months and Dodds who's always going to find it hard when he has 4 strikers ahead of him in a winning team. Porter and Dodds have done well in the past month, but it takes more than that to get first team recognition you have to prove your good enough for longer than a month and to take your chance if you get it.

We've been very lucky with injuries and suspensions under Kelly so that has also led to changes being rare, had we suffered lots of injuries and suspensions like alot of teams suffer then I could also understand your point.

Where have these concerns stemmed from? I don't class Kelly as a legend, the jury is still out on him from myself mainly because i've been fooled by many managers in the past before. But it's unfair to form opinions on him about not playing youngsters when there's no reason to change a winning team when it's been winning us matches? Why does that offend you?

[Thracian]

First it is convenient to forget that Kelly was part of what happened previously when we had such a lousy run of results and, while City remain at the bottom end of the table and Kelly continues to be so Leveinist in much of his approach, I will remain concerned and suspicious...nothing more for now.

While everyone talks about our unchangeable winning team we have taken one point from the last six because of our tactics/limitations and have actually won seven of our matches under Kelly and failed to win five...good in the context of what happened before, exception in terms of what was needed but nothing special when you consider our aspirations as a club.

Let's consider the bench. Porter - consistently effective and creative this season or Sylla (what has he done?).

Hammond (I actually like the bloke's commitment and potential but he has never been effective as a centre-forward) or Dodds/Chambers who score/create goals almost every week they are involved?.

O'Grady has not been a marksman either, for that matter, he is just stronger than Dodds and Chambers and has a role to play as a ball holder. But he's never shown himself to be a consistent goalscorer and I'd never choose him as such.

What I am trying to get across is that there is no apparent incentive for fringe people (no fringe players will be included in the run-in, said Kelly) and there seems no way the team is picked on merit from a level playing field, nor has it been all season.

O'Grady (one goal in eight), Hammond and Sylla are examples. Hammond has scored four goals in 36 games plus five cup games where he has been involved this season and Sylla has never scored at all (32 League and Cup appearances in team/bench). How can they be preferred to the likes of Dodds, Porter and Chambers?.

The only argument is they are really included as defenders, people who put pressure on the first line of attack. Why? Because the midfield/defence isn't good enough to do its job and forever needs reinforcing.

Even under Kelly we actually play nine predominently defensive players each match and only 3.5 predominently attacking players (subs included), these being Hume, Fryatt, Williams Welsh (half). No wonder we've lost 11 League games by the odd goal and drawn 13. The balance is shocking and our chance of not scoring sufficient goals far too high.

As an out-of-town commentator said recently. Stop the front two and you stop Leicester. That is what worries me, considering we always concede (1.5 goals per game). We don't have goals potential in enough places.

And the players that can score/create something we leave them out completely. So when, as at Norwich, we find ourselves behind, we don't have scorers on the bench to bale us out...only essentially defensive front men.

[Ric Flair]

First it is convenient to forget that Kelly was part of what happened previously when we had such a lousy run of results and, while City remain at the bottom end of the table and Kelly continues to be so Leveinist in much of his approach, I will remain concerned and suspicious...nothing more for now.

While everyone talks about our unchangeable winning team we have taken one point from the last six because of our tactics/limitations and have actually won seven of our matches under Kelly and failed to win five...good in the context of what happened before, exception in terms of what was needed but nothing special when you consider our aspirations as a club.

Let's consider the bench. Porter - consistently effective and creative this season or Sylla (what has he done?).

Hammond (I actually like the bloke's commitment and potential but he has never been effective as a centre-forward) or Dodds/Chambers who score/create goals almost every week they are involved?.

O'Grady has not been a marksman either, for that matter, he is just stronger than Dodds and Chambers and has a role to play as a ball holder. But he's never shown himself to be a consistent goalscorer and I'd never choose him as such.

What I am trying to get across is that there is no apparent incentive for fringe people (no fringe players will be included in the run-in, said Kelly) and there seems no way the team is picked on merit from a level playing field, nor has it been all season.

O'Grady (one goal in eight), Hammond and Sylla are examples. Hammond has scored four goals in 36 games plus five cup games where he has been involved this season and Sylla has never scored at all (32 League and Cup appearances in team/bench). How can they be preferred to the likes of Dodds, Porter and Chambers?.

The only argument is they are really included as defenders, people who put pressure on the first line of attack. Why? Because the midfield/defence isn't good enough to do its job and forever needs reinforcing.

Even under Kelly we actually play nine predominently defensive players each match and only 3.5 predominently attacking players (subs included), these being Hume, Fryatt, Williams Welsh (half). No wonder we've lost 11 League games by the odd goal and drawn 13. The balance is shocking and our chance of not scoring sufficient goals far too high.

As an out-of-town commentator said recently. Stop the front two and you stop Leicester. That is what worries me, considering we always concede (1.5 goals per game). We don't have goals potential in enough places.

And the players that can score/create something we leave them out completely. So when, as at Norwich, we find ourselves behind, we don't have scorers on the bench to bale us out...only essentially defensive front men.

Some good points but i've had to highlight one in particular. I find that astounding, i'm sorry but I do. Forget our league position for the moment, if this club tally's up the amount of points they have done over the past 11 games next season for the whole season then they'll end up with nearly 90 points. Aspirations? That would far succeed our realistic aspirations given that we haven't been anywhere near the top half of the table for 2 seasons. It might not be your cup of tea, 90 points perhaps 130 should be more achievable in your world but if we did that next season then this club would be back on track.

Kelly cannot be at fault for what team Levein picked, if assistant managers picked teams then why would you have a manager in the first place? Surely there's proof in what Kelly has done to the team since Levein has gone that suggests Kelly didn't agree with what Levein was doing. Yes, there are still similiraties with the way Levein set out his team, that was always going to be the case to start off with as we haven't got endless resources or the time to change things.

I can see what you are getting at. You are disgusted with the way the team has played this season. The manager has gone and has been replaced by somebody who has given the existing players belief, which was all that was needed. But because you were so against what was happening before hand means that this hasn't made you happy. To a certain extent I agree, staying up in this league isn't an achievement it's the bare necessity almost unthinkable for a team our size. But even so, Kelly was given a horrible task to stop a team who thought they were too big to go down from going down when it was in free-fall. He's done that and that's all he's done. There are no alterior motives, he's shown no signs of any other aspect of his managerial capablities because they haven't been needed.

He hasn't had to blood any youngsters in, he hasn't had to drop under-performing players. All because he's been given the task of saving us from the unthinkable, he's done it and part of the reason he's done it is because he's kept the same team and let them bond together to form a bond. This has had a positive effect on the fans which has resulted in them building a rapport with alot of the players. That might not interest you, it might have no relevance to attacking flair but it's all part of making things work for a club.

I haven't given a moments thought to next season, i'm still unsure on whether Kelly has either mainly because he hasn't needed to or been told to. I might be under-estimating Kelly but I just hope he knows what he's got to do next season to get us challenging for promotion, if it means he doesn't change a winning team again then so be it. Atleast we'll be winning and that will result in a higher placed finish than this season and surely that's what matters? Youngsters are given the chance when the first team suffers injuries, suspension, loss of form, etc. It might sound unfair but youngsters have to ply their trade until they prove they are good enough, that's the way it works. If current first team players are bombed out because they have bad matches and replaced by youngsters constantly then when does a player ever prove their worth? But I do agree that players should be picked on merit, this wasn't done under Levein. Unanswerable under Kelly because he's only used about 14 players since he's been here and although some of them might of had bad games and might have been played out of position we've still collected more points than any other team in this league recently.

All this bollocks about Sylla and Hammond is ridiculous, THEY HAVEN'T BEEN PLAYING. Kelly hasn't been playing them because they aren't good enough, what point are you trying to make? You moan because their crap and shouldn't be playing, which I agree with but they aren't playing so why are you moaning?

As for the flannel about having 9 defensive players each game. Please tell me given the squad of player we currently have what you'd do differently that would make us better? I agree that Welsh deserves a start (and now we haven't won for 2 games I think Kelly should change things).

I also haven't heard Kelly say he won't change things before the end of the season. What he said was he wanted to win as many games as possible and if we don't then i'm sure he'll change the team to try and achieve this (that could and should include some players that hevn't been playing if we start to lose/draw more games).

I'm confused Thracian.

[Thracian]

Some good points too, I always enjoy constructive argument/partial disagreement. I'd be happy to settle for the 90-plus points you mentioned but believe we've got no chance with the way the team is set up because once the other teams latch onto the way to combat Kelly's approach, and there's signs already, life will be become harder and we will have to increase the attacking capability of our squad dramatically.

As far as selection is concerned I would simply have played Welsh and tried to include two of Dodds, Chambers and Porter on the bench (I'm sure Chambers could be inspired to work hard enough at his studies without denying him the chance to play first team) to give us more strike power/creativity if we're losing.

Anyway, good to chuck ideas about with you, as always. I'm not going to respond further cos we've both given it a good airing so we can only now see how it all plays out.

[Ric Flair]

Some good points too, I always enjoy constructive argument/partial disagreement. I'd be happy to settle for the 90-plus points you mentioned but believe we've got no chance with the way the team is set up because once the other teams latch onto the way to combat Kelly's approach, and there's signs already, life will be become harder and we will have to increase the attacking capability of our squad dramatically.

As far as selection is concerned I would simply have played Welsh and tried to include two of Dodds, Chambers and Porter on the bench (I'm sure Chambers could be inspired to work hard enough at his studies without denying him the chance to play first team) to give us more strike power/creativity if we losing.

Anyway, good to chuck ideas about with you, as always. I'm not going to respond further cos we've both given it a good airing so we can only now see how it all plays out.

Just one more point which I agree entirely with you on. I think this could well be the case next season and if so then Kelly will have to change it and if he doesn't then we know he won't be the right man for the job. But he deserves the chance to succeed with us because after all he's got this club winning games again and if you have the knack of getting players to win matches for you then anything can happen. But I will be disgruntled if Kelly continues to pack the midfield with the sort of players he has been doing if we start to go off form, it's all about realising where our weaknesses are and improving them. He hasn't had to yet really, so it will be interesting to see how he fares when that occurs if it ever does!