Ultra Posted 4 August 2006 Share Posted 4 August 2006 Sometimes when I read this forum I have the distinct impression of stepping into a parallel universe. In this universe, our beloved club has a universal reputation for producing sparkling, entertaining football at a level even envied by Barcelona and Brazil. This barnstorming tradition has been apparently been usurped by the ignorant apostate of a manager, who has apparently decreed that he'd like to see - shock, horror - more clean sheets in away games. But on Planet Earth, in the year 2006, the reality is rather different. I've witnessed SIX different Leicester sides win promotion during my lifetime. All of them, to a greater or lesser degree, possessed the ability to grind out results and prevent technically superior opposition from overpowering us. A solid defence formed an integral part of those sides. This strategy has not of course been unique to us, but has been employed by the great majority of promotion-winning teams over the last few decades. Subscribers include the likes of Bill Shankly, Brian Clough, and Don Revie, so it's not exactly an obscure leftfield path. It's monstrously unfair to castigate Rob Kelly for alleged excess negativity before a ball has even been kicked in anger. His critics clearly fail to understand the physical and mental demands that the squad will face over a season of 46 matches. While the nucleus of young players may provide the hunger, this must be balanced with the know-how and expertise of more experienced colleagues. In a league likely to be more competitive than ever before, due to the further displacement of bigger clubs from the Premiership, preparation must be thorough from the word go. If Kelly makes the FOXES a more difficult side to beat than we have been in recent seasons, good on him. He should not allow short-term expediency to distract him from his long-term aim of building a side capable of not only reaching the top flight, but staying there. It may be a bumpy road ahead this season. But as FOXES we should be well used to travelling such terrain by now, and mature enough to accept that following a club of our size includes downs as well as ups. Patience, not petulance, should be the watchword this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Libertine Posted 4 August 2006 Share Posted 4 August 2006 We just need and all-blue kit and we'll be sorted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monk Posted 4 August 2006 Share Posted 4 August 2006 I agree. It is an incredibley physical league and hence the 6 defenders. Our first objective in any game has to be to not lose - especially after previous seasons. Then we rely on the rest of the team to get the goals... which is the big question!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fez of Mahrez Posted 4 August 2006 Share Posted 4 August 2006 I agree. It is an incredibley physical league and hence the 6 defenders. Our first objective in any game has to be to not lose - especially after previous seasons. Then we rely on the rest of the team to get the goals... which is the big question!! To make it worth having six defenders we're going to have to be hellishly tight at the back, difficult when your goalkeepers are both a bit dodgy and you can't defend set pieces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nationwider Posted 4 August 2006 Share Posted 4 August 2006 But on Planet Earth, in the year 2006, the reality is rather different. I've witnessed SIX different Leicester sides win promotion during my lifetime. All of them, to a greater or lesser degree, possessed the ability to grind out results and prevent technically superior opposition from overpowering us. A solid defence formed an integral part of those sides. I've only witnessed three promotions. Of those, 93-94 stood out as the one that defied the odds. We were embarrassed by Portsmouth and then (horribly) by Notts County. It was through sheer stubbornness that we defended and bludgeoned our way to glory by somehow refusing to lose the next 12 matches. I think every team we played was better than us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fez of Mahrez Posted 4 August 2006 Share Posted 4 August 2006 I've only witnessed three promotions. Of those, 93-94 stood out as the one that defied the odds. We were embarrassed by Portsmouth and then (horribly) by Notts County. It was through sheer stubbornness that we defended and bludgeoned our way to glory by somehow refusing to lose the next 12 matches. I think every team we played was better than us! I remember listening to West Brom at home the year O'Neill got us promoted when one of their centre-backs (Raven, I think he was called) scored the winner with a header and the commentators were virtually slitting their wrists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nationwider Posted 4 August 2006 Share Posted 4 August 2006 I remember listening to West Brom at home the year O'Neill got us promoted when one of their centre-backs (Raven, I think he was called) scored the winner with a header and the commentators were virtually slitting their wrists. "What Martin Did Next...." As Ultra said earlier in another thread, we shouldn't be wallowing in the last century. Ooh. It's 5 August! All of a sudden I feel quite chipper about things. Happy New Season everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fez of Mahrez Posted 4 August 2006 Share Posted 4 August 2006 "What Martin Did Next...." As Ultra said earlier in another thread, we shouldn't be wallowing in the last century. Ooh. It's 5 August! All of a sudden I feel quite chipper about things. Happy New Season everyone! I guess Auld Lang Syne is out of the question? I hope we win today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 4 August 2006 Share Posted 4 August 2006 We will do it. Don't ask why I've posted this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SydneyFC Posted 5 August 2006 Share Posted 5 August 2006 Yeah, I have a feeling we're in this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teblin Posted 5 August 2006 Share Posted 5 August 2006 I'm happy with 1-0 to the city every week! 2 points a game people 2 points a game! sounds easy doesn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ultra Posted 5 August 2006 Author Share Posted 5 August 2006 I agree. It is an incredibley physical league and hence the 6 defenders. Our first objective in any game has to be to not lose - especially after previous seasons. Then we rely on the rest of the team to get the goals... which is the big question!! But MON and Brian Little often played 6 defenders, so it's not something that Rob Kelly has just invented.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thracian Posted 5 August 2006 Share Posted 5 August 2006 Sometimes when I read this forum I have the distinct impression of stepping into a parallel universe. In this universe, our beloved club has a universal reputation for producing sparkling, entertaining football at a level even envied by Barcelona and Brazil. This barnstorming tradition has been apparently been usurped by the ignorant apostate of a manager, who has apparently decreed that he'd like to see - shock, horror - more clean sheets in away games. But on Planet Earth, in the year 2006, the reality is rather different. I've witnessed SIX different Leicester sides win promotion during my lifetime. All of them, to a greater or lesser degree, possessed the ability to grind out results and prevent technically superior opposition from overpowering us. A solid defence formed an integral part of those sides. This strategy has not of course been unique to us, but has been employed by the great majority of promotion-winning teams over the last few decades. Subscribers include the likes of Bill Shankly, Brian Clough, and Don Revie, so it's not exactly an obscure leftfield path. It's monstrously unfair to castigate Rob Kelly for alleged excess negativity before a ball has even been kicked in anger. His critics clearly fail to understand the physical and mental demands that the squad will face over a season of 46 matches. While the nucleus of young players may provide the hunger, this must be balanced with the know-how and expertise of more experienced colleagues. In a league likely to be more competitive than ever before, due to the further displacement of bigger clubs from the Premiership, preparation must be thorough from the word go. If Kelly makes the FOXES a more difficult side to beat than we have been in recent seasons, good on him. He should not allow short-term expediency to distract him from his long-term aim of building a side capable of not only reaching the top flight, but staying there. It may be a bumpy road ahead this season. But as FOXES we should be well used to travelling such terrain by now, and mature enough to accept that following a club of our size includes downs as well as ups. Patience, not petulance, should be the watchword this season. You obviously never watched the teams of Shankly, Revie and Clough. They may have ground out results - but not all the time. For the most part they were above all things superbly balanced sides which had players of contrasting skills which often combined to often breathtaking effect. Indeed all three sides could be superbly entertaining. They had proper dangerous wingers, rather than converted defenders, proper creative midfield players who could score and defenders who could pass and support the attackers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BartonFox Posted 5 August 2006 Share Posted 5 August 2006 While I admire the optimsim (I really do) at least Little and O'Neill's midfields had a bit of creativity and could punch their way out a paper bag. The players also played for their manager and 99% of the time you got an improved second half performance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thracian Posted 5 August 2006 Share Posted 5 August 2006 I agree. It is an incredibley physical league and hence the 6 defenders. Our first objective in any game has to be to not lose - especially after previous seasons. Then we rely on the rest of the team to get the goals... which is the big question!! Not much use if we fall at the first fence by conceding two is it? And it should be our first objective as Sven should have learned recently. Our first objective should be to win the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ultra Posted 6 August 2006 Author Share Posted 6 August 2006 You obviously never watched the teams of Shankly, Revie and Clough. They may have ground out results - but not all the time. For the most part they were above all things superbly balanced sides which had players of contrasting skills which often combined to often breathtaking effect. Indeed all three sides could be superbly entertaining. They had proper dangerous wingers, rather than converted defenders, proper creative midfield players who could score and defenders who could pass and support the attackers. All these managers had to start somewhere. They had to produce teams which could fight their way out of the lower leagues. If they were around now and faced the same circumstances that Kelly does, I doubt they'd do much different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thracian Posted 6 August 2006 Share Posted 6 August 2006 I never met Revie but to imagine Shankly or Clough would have done anything the same way as Kelly is impossible. Both were unyielding individuals who played by their own rules. MON is one of the few managers in English football I would liken to either of those two. It was one of the great joys in my life to talk at length with Bill Shankly and it was an experience never to be forgotten. Passion? It oozed out of him visibly whatever day of the week or time of the day. He was one of the great orators when it came to his football team. Every sentence he uttered was full of colour, of anecdote and of the absolutely certain belief in his team. He'd speak for an hour without being asked a question and ever quote was to be savoured for its humour and insight. "Aye," he'd say, "I'll talk aboot Liverpool cos those other teams, they'll fade like snow when the rain comes. "Injuries? Aye we might have a few but don't you worry, even the way the players breaks their legs at Liverpool is special." Shankly doing the same as Kelly? RK might be a likeable and even admirable man in many ways but in my long and colourful life I only met one Bill Shankly. He didn't do anything like anyone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 6 August 2006 Share Posted 6 August 2006 You obviously never watched the teams of Shankly, Revie and Clough.It's 2006 now. Football sold it's soul to the gravy train, I'm afraid. Results are what matter, not the entertainment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanfox12 Posted 6 August 2006 Share Posted 6 August 2006 I never met Revie but to imagine Shankly or Clough would have done anything the same way as Kelly is impossible. Both were unyielding individuals who played by their own rules. MON is one of the few managers in English football I would liken to either of those two. It was one of the great joys in my life to talk at length with Bill Shankly and it was an experience never to be forgotten. Passion? It oozed out of him visibly whatever day of the week or time of the day. He was one of the great orators when it came to his football team. Every sentence he uttered was full of colour, of anecdote and of the absolutely certain belief in his team. He'd speak for an hour without being asked a question and ever quote was to be savoured for its humour and insight. "Aye," he'd say, "I'll talk aboot Liverpool cos those other teams, they'll fade like snow when the rain comes. "Injuries? Aye we might have a few but don't you worry, even the way the players breaks their legs at Liverpool is special." Shankly doing the same as Kelly? RK might be a likeable and even admirable man in many ways but in my long and colourful life I only met one Bill Shankly. He didn't do anything like anyone else. Thats the problem when you compare other people - There's only one Bill Shankley and there's only one Martin O'Neil. Personally i don't think any other Leicester Manager will achieve what O'Neil achieved and it's Unfair on Rob Kelly to compare him with such greats. If things don't go well this season you will get your wish and Rob Kelly will be gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thracian Posted 6 August 2006 Share Posted 6 August 2006 I don't wish Kelly gone. I wish he would abandon his obsession with defence, balance the team and present us with some proper football.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Head Honcho Posted 6 August 2006 Share Posted 6 August 2006 Thats the problem when you compare other people - There's only one Bill Shankley and there's only one Martin O'Neil. Personally i don't think any other Leicester Manager will achieve what O'Neil achieved and it's Unfair on Rob Kelly to compare him with such greats. If things don't go well this season you will get your wish and Rob Kelly will be gone. As long as we are not struggling like last year RK will last the season. only top half of the table will keep him here next season methinks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 7 August 2006 Share Posted 7 August 2006 I would rather work on a solid defence and become difficult to beat than a gung-ho attitude that will leak goals, and not guarantee you the points in any case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thracian Posted 7 August 2006 Share Posted 7 August 2006 I know that and there's lots like you. Including Kelly. That's the problem. All those defenders and we still conceded two goals so in what way have the leaks been plugged anyway. It was our second successive 2-0 League defeat with the same approach so don't say it was one off. It doesn't work. We had just nine clean sheets last season and four of those were bore draws. It's a recipe for disaster. The safest defence is being at the other end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ric Flair Posted 7 August 2006 Share Posted 7 August 2006 I would rather work on a solid defence and become difficult to beat than a gung-ho attitude that will leak goals, and not guarantee you the points in any case. Levein and Kelly have been trying to work on our defence being solid for nearly 2 years and they've failed miserably, there's been no improvement in our defending since under Adams and we've had new sets of defenders and all sorts. Perhaps it's time to change this mind set and work on something else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master Fox Posted 7 August 2006 Share Posted 7 August 2006 "What Martin Did Next...." As Ultra said earlier in another thread, we shouldn't be wallowing in the last century. Ooh. It's 5 August! All of a sudden I feel quite chipper about things. Happy New Season everyone! Yeah great thanks, wow what a treat it's going to be! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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