We need a change of attitude and belief

[davieG]

As far as I can recall the last games we won away were when we were in danger of dropping down to Division 3. I put this down to the fact that the management and players knew they were must win games thus this ended when we knew were safe.

This seems to indicate to me that the problem is in the minds of managment and players and is affecting our approach to away games, we seem to have a belief and it's reflected on here that the most we can expect is a draw, we then end up losing.

This perceived negativity will drive us into the relgation zone, I frimly believe we have as much chance of getting a draw away from home if we go with the sole intention of winnng, in fact shock horror we might even win one or two. This is what happened in our most direst of needs last year. At the moment our approach seems to be we're not good enough to compete so let's settle for a draw.

This was certainly evident on Saturday despite an initial positive team selection, the way Henderson was taking goal kicks as early as the 10th minute demonstrated quite clearly he was in no hurry to play, the way that both Low and in particular Porter were squeezed in to narrow the play and the later substitutions only reinforced wat I was already feeling.

At half time I really felt that if we upped the tempo a bit and showed some belief we could have won that game. Reading a few posts on other forums, from Baggies fans they felt the same. Yet we totally capitulated and in effect handed them the game on a plate.

Come on Leicester City, I as a paying customer feel I deserve more than that, I believe that we have the players to get wins away from home, what they lack is belief and a positive approach. This has got to come from the Management, so Rob show us you believe in your players send them out to win, Ok if we lose and score a few goals, even 4-2 so what I'll take that over 2-0 defeats anyday of the week.

[Fez of Mahrez]

Team selection isn't any different from home games. It's not like he plays 4-5-1 like Levein did. I think the majority of the responsibility lies with the players. It's easy to perform in front of a half-full stadium of your own fans, devoid of atmosphere but when we go to Sunderland next Saturday they will have to stand up and be counted. That midfield has to take the game by the scruff of the neck. No-one accuses Kelly of sending the team out to draw at home and yet the team selection is the same. He's not telling them to surrender possession and sit back. They just don't care/aren't good enough as what we're used to.

[davieG]

Team selection isn't any different from home games. It's not like he plays 4-5-1 like Levein did. I think the majority of the responsibility lies with the players. It's easy to perform in front of a half-full stadium of your own fans, devoid of atmosphere but when we go to Sunderland next Saturday they will have to stand up and be counted. That midfield has to take the game by the scruff of the neck. No-one accuses Kelly of sending the team out to draw at home and yet the team selection is the same. He's not telling them to surrender possession and sit back. They just don't care/aren't good enough as what we're used to.

That maybe true although I'm not convinced that they aren't being instructed to play with a more defensive approach, it really doesn't matter anyway because the net result is the same, either way it needs management to either instruct them to play positively or to give them some self-belief so that they do play positively.

As for saturday how do you explan the negative substitutions, even if it wasn't intended - although I can't think of another reason - sent out the message let's defend for the rest of the game. I also didn't see Kelly instructing them from the dug out to play further up the field.

All post match talk is of how we nearly managed to squeeze a point out of the game from our stout defending.

[Dr The Singh]

As far as I can recall the last games we won away were when we were in danger of dropping down to Division 3. I put this down to the fact that the management and players knew they were must win games thus this ended when we knew were safe.

This seems to indicate to me that the problem is in the minds of managment and players and is affecting our approach to away games, we seem to have a belief and it's reflected on here that the most we can expect is a draw, we then end up losing.

This perceived negativity will drive us into the relgation zone, I frimly believe we have as much chance of getting a draw away from home if we go with the sole intention of winnng, in fact shock horror we might even win one or two. This is what happened in our most direst of needs last year. At the moment our approach seems to be we're not good enough to compete so let's settle for a draw.

This was certainly evident on Saturday despite an initial positive team selection, the way Henderson was taking goal kicks as early as the 10th minute demonstrated quite clearly he was in no hurry to play, the way that both Low and in particular Porter were squeezed in to narrow the play and the later substitutions only reinforced wat I was already feeling.

At half time I really felt that if we upped the tempo a bit and showed some belief we could have won that game. Reading a few posts on other forums, from Baggies fans they felt the same. Yet we totally capitulated and in effect handed them the game on a plate.

Come on Leicester City, I as a paying customer feel I deserve more than that, I believe that we have the players to get wins away from home, what they lack is belief and a positive approach. This has got to come from the Management, so Rob show us you believe in your players send them out to win, Ok if we lose and score a few goals, even 4-2 so what I'll take that over 2-0 defeats anyday of the week.

Agreed!!! As mentioned on many post, I believe RK, away from home plays for the 'smash and grab' and defensively. The side is not good enough to get many wins playing in this manner!!!

[Fez of Mahrez]

That maybe true although I'm not convinced that they aren't being instructed to play with a more defensive approach, it really doesn't matter anyway because the net result is the same, either way it needs management to either instruct them to play positively or to give them some self-belief so that they do play positively.

As for saturday how do you explan the negative substitutions, even if it wasn't intended - although I can't think of another reason - sent out the message let's defend for the rest of the game. I also didn't see Kelly instructing them from the dug out to play further up the field.

All post match talk is of how we nearly managed to squeeze a point out of the game from our stout defending.

Saturday in particular, they have some very good individual players. I think the vast majority of Leicester fans would have said a point would be a great result at The Hawthorns. I know what you're going to say though, West Brom aren't or weren't that great and we should expect wins. But we are fairly awful these days. I've only seen one decent team performance from us in the past two years (Sheffield United at home last season) where we've actually played at a good standard for 90 minutes. The rest of the time, the standard is pretty dire. I think some people have to realise that players like Low, O'Grady, McCarthy and Johnson to just pick out a few of my personal favourites are never going to live up to previous players' achievements.

I'm not arguing with the anti-defensive argument, or at least I don't want to. It's just that our players are so limited that eventually we run out of ideas and wilt. Personally I would love to see players like Porter and Hume given the freedom to attack etc but our central midfielders are so dire that we will always get overrun away from home. Josh Low doesn't offer enough. Williams won't help away from home. Johnson is too slow. Wesolowski will have the weight of the world on his shoulders when he comes back. And when we go to Sunderland and we have Kavanagh bossing things, Liam Miller and Ross Wallace running at our defence like they ran at Derbys and Connolly up front making McCarthy look like a tool, who's going to save us?

[davieG]

Saturday in particular, they have some very good individual players. I think the vast majority of Leicester fans would have said a point would be a great result at The Hawthorns. I know what you're going to say though, West Brom aren't or weren't that great and we should expect wins. But we are fairly awful these days. I've only seen one decent team performance from us in the past two years (Sheffield United at home last season) where we've actually played at a good standard for 90 minutes. The rest of the time, the standard is pretty dire. I think some people have to realise that players like Low, O'Grady, McCarthy and Johnson to just pick out a few of my personal favourites are never going to live up to previous players' achievements.

I'm not arguing with the anti-defensive argument, or at least I don't want to. It's just that our players are so limited that eventually we run out of ideas and wilt. Personally I would love to see players like Porter and Hume given the freedom to attack etc but our central midfielders are so dire that we will always get overrun away from home. Josh Low doesn't offer enough. Williams won't help away from home. Johnson is too slow. Wesolowski will have the weight of the world on his shoulders when he comes back. And when we go to Sunderland and we have Kavanagh bossing things, Liam Miller and Ross Wallace running at our defence like they ran at Derbys and Connolly up front making McCarthy look like a tool, who's going to save us?

But we were pretty much their equals until halftime. Based on your summary we might just as well post the 3 points to every away game opponent, all these teams are beatable if we adopt the right attitude, we may not, will not win every game but we sure as hell can't be any worse off.

That's not to say I disagree with your analysis of the players but the sum of parts of the team gives you the added strength and we're not using that. They way you approach the game mentally can give you an edge, we are denying ourselves that edge.

[Jonbluefox9]

Saturday in particular, they have some very good individual players. I think the vast majority of Leicester fans would have said a point would be a great result at The Hawthorns. I know what you're going to say though, West Brom aren't or weren't that great and we should expect wins. But we are fairly awful these days. I've only seen one decent team performance from us in the past two years (Sheffield United at home last season) where we've actually played at a good standard for 90 minutes. The rest of the time, the standard is pretty dire. I think some people have to realise that players like Low, O'Grady, McCarthy and Johnson to just pick out a few of my personal favourites are never going to live up to previous players' achievements.

I'm not arguing with the anti-defensive argument, or at least I don't want to. It's just that our players are so limited that eventually we run out of ideas and wilt. Personally I would love to see players like Porter and Hume given the freedom to attack etc but our central midfielders are so dire that we will always get overrun away from home. Josh Low doesn't offer enough. Williams won't help away from home. Johnson is too slow. Wesolowski will have the weight of the world on his shoulders when he comes back. And when we go to Sunderland and we have Kavanagh bossing things, Liam Miller and Ross Wallace running at our defence like they ran at Derbys and Connolly up front making McCarthy look like a tool, who's going to save us?

You're spot on there. I don't think we have either a ball winner or a ball carrier at present in the middle of the park. That means when we have the ball in midfield, we lose it in dangerous positions and then struggle to win it back again. Having said that, I thought Quashie looked a good player on Saturday, Premiership standard at times but we will face similar quality midfielders at Sunderland next week as you said. That is down to the buying power of clubs like West Brom and Sunderland. We could only afford to bring Andy Johnson in and he is below average compared to players like Quashie etc. Sad but true. Wesolowski would improve things imo but he still needs a partner?!

[Fez of Mahrez]

You're spot on there. I don't think we have either a ball winner or a ball carrier at present in the middle of the park. That means when we have the ball in midfield, we lose it in dangerous positions and then struggle to win it back again. Having said that, I thought Quashie looked a good player on Saturday, Premiership standard at times but we will face similar quality midfielders at Sunderland next week as you said. That is down to the buying power of clubs like West Brom and Sunderland. We could only afford to bring Andy Johnson in and he is below average compared to players like Quashie etc. Sad but true. Wesolowski would improve things imo but he still needs a partner?!

That's why when people ask me what team I want to see for each game, I keep resorting to putting Hume in central midfield. At least he's got a bit of energy, aggression, enthusiasm, pace, invention. Let's put that where we need it most. Him and Weso might solve it. They might not but they can't be much worse than watching two and a half years of Hughes/Williams/Johnson type players fart around for 90 minutes every Saturday without offering enough defensively or attacking-wise.

[Jonbluefox9]

That's why when people ask me what team I want to see for each game, I keep resorting to putting Hume in central midfield. At least he's got a bit of energy, aggression, enthusiasm, pace, invention. Let's put that where we need it most. Him and Weso might solve it. They might not but they can't be much worse than watching two and a half years of Hughes/Williams/Johnson type players fart around for 90 minutes every Saturday without offering enough defensively or attacking-wise.

I actually liked Hughes when he first came down and gave him the benefit of the doubt going into this season but he's no better in the middle than he was out wide or any better injury-free than he was when injured. He's not made for this division and this kind of a football. Johnson may have been a decent player a couple of years ago but he has very little now. He's off the pace and doesn't get stuck in at all. You'd think he'd be up for playing against his former club but he didn't show it really. Other options in the middle include Williams but he's as much of a fairy as the other two when it comes to winning the ball back and doesn't offer enough going forward to warrant playing. Porter can play there but not sure how effective him and Weso in the middle would be. Tiatto would be an option further down the list of possibilities but I can't imagine him keeping his position and temper long enough to win the ball and he's not very effective when in possession. Hume would seem like a great option seeing as his talent is being wasted on the bench at the moment.

[The People's Hero]

It's an appealing image, but I think Hume is just a bit too bustly and energetic without ever really making much of a meaningful impact. This is just my opinion on having seen him 4 or 5 times. As you say, the rest of the midfielders haven't done a very good job....

[Jonbluefox9]

It's an appealing image, but I think Hume is just a bit too bustly and energetic without ever really making much of a meaningful impact. This is just my opinion on having seen him 4 or 5 times. As you say, the rest of the midfielders haven't done a very good job....

Well, what I would say is when Hume has played in the past, he has played as a striker and when he's dropped deep and picked the ball up he's usually had only his strike partner ahead of him to link up with. If he played behind a front two as an attacking midfielder it would give him more options when in possession to pass the ball to. As neither of the current central midfielders are supporting the front two Hume's work in deep positions comes to nothing in the end. I think Gudjonsson brought the team much more than I realised at the time. I don't mean his goals just the way he played the game. I think he enabled Fryatt and Hume to do their work higher up the pitch but that's a totally different subject.

[Manwell Pablo]

You're spot on there. I don't think we have either a ball winner or a ball carrier at present in the middle of the park. That means when we have the ball in midfield, we lose it in dangerous positions and then struggle to win it back again. Having said that, I thought Quashie looked a good player on Saturday, Premiership standard at times but we will face similar quality midfielders at Sunderland next week as you said. That is down to the buying power of clubs like West Brom and Sunderland. We could only afford to bring Andy Johnson in and he is below average compared to players like Quashie etc. Sad but true. Wesolowski would improve things imo but he still needs a partner?!

From what I hear Quashie was rrraabbiisshh for the most of the game, giving the ball away quite a bit and the home crowd were starting to get on his back, but later he came to life, he started to control the game and his presence lifted the whole team. Thats when they started to pressurise us none stop.

Thats what Johnson should be doing for us

[Jonbluefox9]

From what I hear Quashie was rrraabbiisshh for the most of the game, giving the ball away quite a bit and the home crowd were starting to get on his back, but later he came to life, he started to control the game and his presence lifted the whole team. Thats when they started to pressurise us none stop.

Thats what Johnson should be doing for us

Quashie was turning both Johnson and Hughes inside out at times. On a couple occasions he just stopped, turned on the ball and was away from both of them. As I said, he made the pair look well below average The home supporters were getting on Greening's back everytime he got the ball and ironically cheered when he was brought off. I didn't think he did a lot wrong myself.

[l444ry]

I think the simple fact is that City are just not good enough. If they played West Bromwich away 10 times they might win once or twice. Saturday was one of the other eight. That goes for any combination of players you all seem to like putting together. That goes for any system of play we all might favour. Just because the team beat a couple of the sides they are on a par with didn't mean Rob Kelly had just taken us to the Promised Land.

[bigneville]

I think the simple fact is that City are just not good enough. If they played West Bromwich away 10 times they might win once or twice. Saturday was one of the other eight. That goes for any combination of players you all seem to like putting together. That goes for any system of play we all might favour. Just because the team beat a couple of the sides they are on a par with didn't mean Rob Kelly had just taken us to the Promised Land.

I tend to disagree. I think we matched them for parts of the game. If we hadnt have settled for the point after 70 mins or so. We would have got the point by attacking at them, instead of sitting back and trying to defend the point.

I think it was a managerial error to make the subsitution of Low for Stearman.

I think the players in general played well.

[Babylon]

Thats what Johnson should be doing for us

Johnson is a 32 year old free transfer... Quashie is worth a few million quid.

To expect them to be doing the same job or as good as each other is asking a bit much is it not????

[Babylon]

I think the simple fact is that City are just not good enough.

It's amazing how many people on here think otherwise.

[bigneville]

It's amazing how many people on here think otherwise.

Its purely down to everyone's expectations..

A lot of people pre-season where dreaming of promotion and play-offs...

The realistic fact is we are better than last year. And may sneak into the top 12 with some good home form.

So i think the side is good enough, if you look at realistic expectation.

If people think the side is not good enough, they must think we have a devine right for promotion.

But at the minute. We are a mid-table championship side and until we do anything to prove otherwise. People need to get real.

[Babylon]

A lot of people pre-season where dreaming of promotion and play-offs...

They all need locking up in the nut farm then

[filbertway]

We might be able to match other teams but we havent got the quality to beat them.

Theres no point trying to defend against teams because we won't get any shots and we will concede.

Why not jsut attack and try and outscore the oposition?

[Manwell Pablo]

Johnson is a 32 year old free transfer... Quashie is worth a few million quid.

To expect them to be doing the same job or as good as each other is asking a bit much is it not????

Not really, espically when have a young player who can do it.

[Foxhateram]

As far as I can recall the last games we won away were when we were in danger of dropping down to Division 3. I put this down to the fact that the management and players knew they were must win games thus this ended when we knew were safe.

This seems to indicate to me that the problem is in the minds of managment and players and is affecting our approach to away games, we seem to have a belief and it's reflected on here that the most we can expect is a draw, we then end up losing.

This perceived negativity will drive us into the relgation zone, I frimly believe we have as much chance of getting a draw away from home if we go with the sole intention of winnng, in fact shock horror we might even win one or two. This is what happened in our most direst of needs last year. At the moment our approach seems to be we're not good enough to compete so let's settle for a draw.

This was certainly evident on Saturday despite an initial positive team selection, the way Henderson was taking goal kicks as early as the 10th minute demonstrated quite clearly he was in no hurry to play, the way that both Low and in particular Porter were squeezed in to narrow the play and the later substitutions only reinforced wat I was already feeling.

At half time I really felt that if we upped the tempo a bit and showed some belief we could have won that game. Reading a few posts on other forums, from Baggies fans they felt the same. Yet we totally capitulated and in effect handed them the game on a plate.

Come on Leicester City, I as a paying customer feel I deserve more than that, I believe that we have the players to get wins away from home, what they lack is belief and a positive approach. This has got to come from the Management, so Rob show us you believe in your players send them out to win, Ok if we lose and score a few goals, even 4-2 so what I'll take that over 2-0 defeats anyday of the week.

Spot on!!! everything i wanted to say but couldnt put it down . And yes although the line-up doesnt neccarsarily change home or away, there is deffinitly a difference in the performances, this i feel is like u say due to a lack of beleif and to much negative attitude, That was CL's downfall and i thought after seeing RK last year we had got rid of that, we need to get the ambition to win and the beleif to win back from the end of last season. please RK sort it out!!

[davieG]

Good enough or not the belief and approach is still negative and that is making a major difference on our points collection, when we first got promoted with MON we were 'not good enough' to finish in the top ten but we did, the difference between then and now is belief, attitude and approach to games.

Many teams in this league appear better than us on paper it doesn't autaomatically make them better than us as a team. All this talk of having Premiership players is bollocks for tha last few seasons these so called teams have fared no better than others, in fact many have floundered including us.

Get the team working hard for each other, keeping it simple, pressing up the field continually, playing to win and believing in yourselves as a team will get you in the top 10 at least.

[l444ry]

I tend to disagree. I think we matched them for parts of the game. If we hadnt have settled for the point after 70 mins or so. We would have got the point by attacking at them, instead of sitting back and trying to defend the point.

I think it was a managerial error to make the subsitution of Low for Stearman.

I think the players in general played well.

But that's what happens in that sort of game. You try to match the opposition for as long as you can and even hope to score first. They did match Albion for one half of the game but failed to score first, and because West Bromwich had better players on the pitch (and then from the bench) they went on to win. That scenario would happen 8 times out of ten. Rob Kelly just hasn't got the tools to beat the better sides in this division.

[davieG]

Johnson is a 32 year old free transfer... Quashie is worth a few million quid.

To expect them to be doing the same job or as good as each other is asking a bit much is it not????

I don't agree with the sentiments, ok your example appears to justify your statement when in fact all it's says for sure is that in general Squashie is a better player.

Lots of players have big prices on their heads, and lots are free transfer but it's not simple equation.