Tactical ineptitute

[Thracian]

I have drawn attention to our tactical shambles on Saturday and think it worth giving a few examples of what I mean...

1) Playing Hughes right midfield.He was out of position, simple as.

2) Lack of response to COG's marker. It was clear early on that COG wouldn't win his aerial battle against the Colchester centre-back and it is a mistake anyway to consider that, because O'Grady is our bestholding player, we should feed him high balls. Kelly should have made him widen the angle of his runs and the direction then demanded that the ball be fed to feet whenever possible in an attempt to get behind and through slowish defenders.

3) Porter created most of our limited chances - that is a fact- but he faced a competent full-back who could match himfor speed, didn't commit himself and invariably got himself close enough to block crosses. Colchester had clearly done their homework but Kelly hadn't worked out a response. He should have made sure Porter always had a passing option 10 yards inside or even on the overlap. That way, the full-back would have faced more problems and Colchester would have had their doubtful mobility questioned.

I could continue but the above serves to highlight my point that RK just doesn't help himself at times.

[BartonFox]

I have drawn attention to our tactical shambles on Saturday and think it worth giving a few examples of what I mean...

1) Playing Hughes right midfield.He was out of position, simple as.

2) Lack of response to COG's marker. It was clear early on that COG wouldn't win his aerial battle against the Colchester centre-back and it is a mistake anyway to consider that, because O'Grady is our bestholding player, we should feed him high balls. Kelly should have made him widen the angle of his runs and the direction then demanded that the ball be fed to feet whenever possible in an attempt to get behind and through slowish defenders.

3) Porter created most of our limited chances - that is a fact- but he faced a competent full-back who could match himfor speed, didn't commit himself and invariably got himself close enough to block crosses. Colchester had clearly done their homework but Kelly hadn't worked out a response. He should have made sure Porter always had a passing option 10 yards inside or even on the overlap. That way, the full-back would have faced more problems and Colchester would have had their doubtful mobility questioned.

I could continue but the above serves to highlight my point that RK just doesn't help himself at times.

Point 1 - true.

Point 2 - If O'Grady can't work out how to get the better of his man marker without guidance from the touchline then he has no business at Leicester or any professional Club. If we are going to blame Kelly, blame him for picking someone not up to it.

Point 3 - Again the lad just isn't up to it, if he can't compete against a 'competant' full back from Colchester what chance do we have.

While you are correct to highlight the dreadful flaws in our intrepid manager, the players must also shoulder some of the blame. They have played football all their lives so should have the ability to think in footballing terms. You are highlighting both O'Grady and Porter as severely lacking in that department.

[Thracian]

Point 1 - true.

Point 2 - If O'Grady can't work out how to get the better of his man marker without guidance from the touchline then he has no business at Leicester or any professional Club. If we are going to blame Kelly, blame him for picking someone not up to it.

Point 3 - Again the lad just isn't up to it, if he can't compete against a 'competant' full back from Colchester what chance do we have.

While you are correct to highlight the dreadful flaws in our intrepid manager, the players must also shoulder some of the blame. They have played football all their lives so should have the ability to think in footballing terms. You are highlighting both O'Grady and Porter as severely lacking in that department.

Players always need guidance - especially young ones. And more particularly if they are under instructions which they feel obliged to carry out because it is not generally a good idea for novice first teamers to either run off at a tangent to the managerial instructions or to go around lambasting senior colleagues for giving them no-hope passes. Kelly's the conductor and he should his team plays the right tune for the occasion.

[BartonFox]

Players always need guidance - especially young ones. And more particularly if they are under instructions which they feel obliged to carry out because it is not generally a good idea for novice first teamers to either run off at a tangent to the managerial instructions or to go around lambasting senior colleagues for giving them no-hope passes. Kelly's the conductor and he should his team plays the right tune for the occasion.

Nigel Reo-Coker did it and ended up captain at Wimbledon and West Ham.

They are not robots and if O'Grady hasn't the nouse to take on a lumbering central defender or try to without his Heskeyesque tumbling then he needs offloading to Kettering Town and fast.

[Thracian]

Nigel Reo-Coker did it and ended up captain at Wimbledon and West Ham.

They are not robots and if O'Grady hasn't the nouse to take on a lumbering central defender or try to without his Heskeyesque tumbling then he needs offloading to Kettering Town and fast.

Kelly has already clamped down on COG being reactionary once....and COG wasn't the only one. And now you now why my attitude is much more supportive of individuality. It can be used to encourage responsibility but that will never happen in an atmosphere of fear and that is how our team appears to play - as if it is bogged down by fear.

[Milky]

kelly has been in football for years, i think he knows a bit more about tactics than you pair. football isn't a game of chess you know, he can't physically move players around the pitch himself

kelly isn't stupid, he'll work and work to try and sort this mess out.

it's easy to run a football team from your armchair.

[Thracian]

kelly has been in football for years, i think he knows a bit more about tactics than you pair. football isn't a game of chess you know, he can't physically move players around the pitch himself

kelly isn't stupid, he'll work and work to try and sort this mess out.

it's easy to run a football team from your armchair.

You really shouldn't make assumptions about people.

And the fact kelly's been in football for years means there is even less excuse for the shambles he presided over yesterday.

[bigneville]

kelly has been in football for years, i think he knows a bit more about tactics than you pair. football isn't a game of chess you know, he can't physically move players around the pitch himself

kelly isn't stupid, he'll work and work to try and sort this mess out.

it's easy to run a football team from your armchair.

I personally think Thracian may know more about tactics that RK, and I firmly believe that RK is and always will be a coach, and never a manager.

[Mark]

Until we are out of the shit can I suggest...

4-4-2

GOALKEEPER

We play a goalkeeper who saves shots, doesn't hoof the ball to the oppositions goalkeeper, and distributes the ball sensibly.

DEFENCE

The right back plays right back

The left back plays left back

The central defenders play central defence

MIDFIELD

We play a right winger who runs forward, beats their left back and crosses the ball into the box

We play a left winger who runs forward, beats their right back and crosses the ball into the box

We play a ballwinner in midfield who tackles, gets the ball and plays it to the playmaking central midfielder

We play a playmaking central midfielder who gets the ball and sprays it to the left or right wing or plays a through ball for the attackers to run onto

STRIKERS

We play 2 strikers up front who can get forward for crosses, head the ball, hold the ball up for the playmaking midfielder to come forward onto or who can score a goal

The whole team plays at full pace for 90 minutes - going forward at every opportunity and tackling back when we lose possession.

Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should strikers be running into the wings to cross the ball in or chase the ball down.

Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should the players hoof the ball forward.

[TrickyTrev]

I have drawn attention to our tactical shambles on Saturday and think it worth giving a few examples of what I mean...

1) Playing Hughes right midfield.He was out of position, simple as.

2) Lack of response to COG's marker. It was clear early on that COG wouldn't win his aerial battle against the Colchester centre-back and it is a mistake anyway to consider that, because O'Grady is our bestholding player, we should feed him high balls. Kelly should have made him widen the angle of his runs and the direction then demanded that the ball be fed to feet whenever possible in an attempt to get behind and through slowish defenders.

3) Porter created most of our limited chances - that is a fact- but he faced a competent full-back who could match himfor speed, didn't commit himself and invariably got himself close enough to block crosses. Colchester had clearly done their homework but Kelly hadn't worked out a response. He should have made sure Porter always had a passing option 10 yards inside or even on the overlap. That way, the full-back would have faced more problems and Colchester would have had their doubtful mobility questioned.

I could continue but the above serves to highlight my point that RK just doesn't help himself at times.

1) I think Hughes has played some of hsi best football fromt he wing, he offers movement and a willingness ot recieve the ball. Unlike many of our players. Not every wide player has to be a "winger." Arsenal have been on eof the best attackign teams in Europe with wide players that are central midfielders. Gerrard is currently doing that job at Liverpool, Ronalindinho at Barcelona. I am not saying Hughes is in that class, just that creativ eplayers often get the most otu fo their game coming off a wide position, this is especially true in a division like The Championship where the middle of the park is nothign short of a a warzone at times.

2) If Chris O'Grady isn't an effective target man there is ZERO point in him being in the team. You'd have to be mental to think he is a better ball player than Hume. I do however thinkt hat we should NOT be attampting to play the long ball game, we are not a big side and most Championship defenders can head high balls all day long.

3) Kelly can't physically move players ten yards away from the left winger at all times, he'd literally be God if he could. A full back that is actually a full back might help get some support (Not Sheehan ffs) to the left winger as would soem midfielders that actually move as oppossed to a half fit teenager and journeryman who has lost his legs. Having said that, Porter had neither the skill nor the pace to beat what is at the end of the daya competent full back making his living at Colchester. He aint the next Aaron Lennon you know?

[Vo Rogue]

kelly has been in football for years, i think he knows a bit more about tactics than you pair. football isn't a game of chess you know, he can't physically move players around the pitch himself

kelly isn't stupid, he'll work and work to try and sort this mess out.

it's easy to run a football team from your armchair.

Kelly isnt stupid. See if he is smart enough to remove at least Johnson from our team at the least. Then I'll believe he's fiing the mess.

[Bert]

He should've took Fryatt off yesterday instead of O'Grady IMO.

[Thracian]

1) I think Hughes has played some of hsi best football fromt he wing, he offers movement and a willingness ot recieve the ball. Unlike many of our players. Not every wide player has to be a "winger." Arsenal have been on eof the best attackign teams in Europe with wide players that are central midfielders. Gerrard is currently doing that job at Liverpool, Ronalindinho at Barcelona. I am not saying Hughes is in that class, just that creativ eplayers often get the most otu fo their game coming off a wide position, this is especially true in a division like The Championship where the middle of the park is nothign short of a a warzone at times.

2) If Chris O'Grady isn't an effective target man there is ZERO point in him being in the team. You'd have to be mental to think he is a better ball player than Hume. I do however thinkt hat we should NOT be attampting to play the long ball game, we are not a big side and most Championship defenders can head high balls all day long.

3) Kelly can't physically move players ten yards away from the left winger at all times, he'd literally be God if he could. A full back that is actually a full back might help get some support (Not Sheehan ffs) to the left winger as would soem midfielders that actually move as oppossed to a half fit teenager and journeryman who has lost his legs. Having said that, Porter had neither the skill nor the pace to beat what is at the end of the daya competent full back making his living at Colchester. He aint the next Aaron Lennon you know?

You contradict yourself when you justify Hughes by saying not every wide player has to be a winger and then say that Porter has neither the skill nor pace to beat his man.

I've always said loud and clear that Porter is a passer of the ball and lacks the pace to be a traditional winger. But he can fill the role perfectly competently because what you said on Hughes behalf is correct - but not in relation to Hughes because he doesn''t offer movement. He ambles and goes nowhere positive at all.

You forever write off our young players but just as an example Levi's record is nine appearances, four wins, three draws and two defeats.

And I'd back our young players against the likes of Hughes and Johnson anytime and every time.

We've got ten now:

Logan, Stearman, McCarthy, Kisnorbo, Hammond (cos he's got the energy of someone young) Weso, Hume (ditto Hammond), Porter, Fryatt and O'Grady. Two more and we'll have the basis of a decent team. Sheehan /King/Gradel/Odihambo/Dodds are there and waiting.

There are older players I can cope with - the ones like Henderson, Kenton, Nils and Tiatto who give 100%.

But otherwise, let's hurry up, complete the transformation and let's see them grow in confidence by playing together as they should be doing.

PS:

On O'Grady....he does hold the ball up in the manner of a target man but there's not a striker born who doesn't have difficulty with some opponents in the air and COG found one on Saturday. Kelly should have adjusted things because O'Grady is perfectly competent on the deck or running wide.

And who the f..k suggested O'Grady was a better ball player than Hume?. Not me. I've wanted both in the team and Fryatt as well. In fact having seen Hume and COG linking up against Macclesfield I've no idea why Kelly would want to change that.