Porter Signs Contract

[Dazed and Confused]

He's playing well at the moment, and he has really good touch and is a goos passer. But he's too small to play centre mid and not quick enough to play on the wing. I hope he can kick on, but I think he's just an average player in a bad team.

Cue backlash

[Geordie]

I thought this Club was skint and now we are dishing out 3.5 year deals.

Good luck to the lad.

[Thracian]

He's playing well at the moment, and he has really good touch and is a goos passer. But he's too small to play centre mid and not quick enough to play on the wing. I hope he can kick on, but I think he's just an average player in a bad team.

Cue backlash

Alan Ball was a World Cup winner and Billy Bremner at Leeds was one of the best midfielders I ever saw - and both were small. Juninho was tiny and lightweight.

I'd sooner have a team full of people with Levi's skills than some of the clod's we've had wearing the blue and white of Leicester these recent years.

You say he's playing well "at the moment" as if you expect it to end sometime soon. Well I've watched the guy for three seasons and he's been consistency personified.

Oh yes and plenty of footballers have been decent wingers without being quick - Alan Hinton even helped Forest win a European Cup.

Barring injury Levi's skills will last for years. Not only is his close control so reliable and his passing so accurate but he has an instinctive and analytical football brain. And that, my friend, is pure gold to a manager.

Look at Paul Scholes. Smallish, lousy tackler, not especially quick. But still in a class of his own in attacking midfield because he sees the pictures.

[Dazed and Confused]

Alan Ball was a World Cup winner and Billy Bremner at Leeds was one of the best midfielders I ever saw - and both were small. Juninho was tiny and lightweight.

I'd sooner have a team full of people with Levi's skills than some of the clod's we've had wearing the blue and white of Leicester these recent years.

You say he's playing well "at the moment" as if you expect it to end sometime soon. Well I've watched the guy for three seasons and he's been consistency personified.

Oh yes and plenty of footballers have been decent wingers without being quick - Alan Hinton even helped Forest win a European Cup.

Barring injury Levi's skills will last for years. Not only is his close control so reliable and his passing so accurate but he has an instinctive and analytical football brain. And that, my friend, is pure gold to a manager.

Look at Paul Scholes. Smallish, lousy tackler, not especially quick. But still in a class of his own in attacking midfield because he sees the pictures.

Are you suggesting that Levi has the same skill level as Juninho? the same ability as Scholes (who incidentaly as an early 20 year old was lightning quick)? I do expect him to go out of form, yes as I don't think he has the ability to cope with a long run in the team. I saw him against Cardiff most recently and in the first half he was excellent, (he did the simple things well), then in the second half when I wanted him to get at people and create chances. He didn't create one, he had many chances to run at people and didn't have the confidence too, and considering he is 19 and he doesn't have the confidence to run at people (most young players who come in doin't lack it) I don't think this is a good sign. He was also knocked off the ball on one or two occasions. I am being very critical at this point, and he certainly was far better than Low and Elvis. You mention players 20 years ago not being quick b ut being effective, how many top wingers now can get away with not being quick. I'll name you 5 top wingers- Ronaldo (lightning), Lennon (lightning), Messi (lightning), Robben (lightning) and Simao (lightning), get the idea. The only winger in the Premiership I can think of who is not quick is Reid and he has really struggled, his best games at Forest were at centre mid and he has now moved there for Coventry. The game has changed at such a rate in the past ten years that I don't think you can get away with being on the wing and not being quick as you are not effective. Beckham is the best example of this as the longer his career has gone on the slower he has got and consequently the less effective he has been and now he is only effective from set pieces even when he has such great technical ability. Seeing the picture as you put it would mean him playing centre mid as that is where he can be creative, but as I stated he is too light weight to succeed in that position. as for your point regarding watching him for three years, I don't really regard reserve team football and youth team football sufficient to judge him, your vision has been clouded by this, some many good youngsters fail to make it, as they lack the mental cpapcity to cope with the game or the physical capacity, so you can only judge him on his time in the first team.

[lookwhaticando]

I thought this Club was skint and now we are dishing out 3.5 year deals.

Good luck to the lad.

Contracts and wages are part of the club's regular operating expenses - they're budgeted for, they have to be.

The club simply has to give contracts out where they're warranted. If we could only hand out short-term deals, all we'd get are ageing, overweight, failed, drug-addicted strikers. Think Nathan Blake.

Then where would we be?

[Hullfox]

Are you suggesting that Levi has the same skill level as Juninho? the same ability as Scholes (who incidentaly as an early 20 year old was lightning quick)? I do expect him to go out of form, yes as I don't think he has the ability to cope with a long run in the team. I saw him against Cardiff most recently and in the first half he was excellent, (he did the simple things well), then in the second half when I wanted him to get at people and create chances. He didn't create one, he had many chances to run at people and didn't have the confidence too, and considering he is 19 and he doesn't have the confidence to run at people (most young players who come in doin't lack it) I don't think this is a good sign. He was also knocked off the ball on one or two occasions. I am being very critical at this point, and he certainly was far better than Low and Elvis. You mention players 20 years ago not being quick b ut being effective, how many top wingers now can get away with not being quick. I'll name you 5 top wingers- Ronaldo (lightning), Lennon (lightning), Messi (lightning), Robben (lightning) and Simao (lightning), get the idea. The only winger in the Premiership I can think of who is not quick is Reid and he has really struggled, his best games at Forest were at centre mid and he has now moved there for Coventry. The game has changed at such a rate in the past ten years that I don't think you can get away with being on the wing and not being quick as you are not effective. Beckham is the best example of this as the longer his career has gone on the slower he has got and consequently the less effective he has been and now he is only effective from set pieces even when he has such great technical ability. Seeing the picture as you put it would mean him playing centre mid as that is where he can be creative, but as I stated he is too light weight to succeed in that position. as for your point regarding watching him for three years, I don't really regard reserve team football and youth team football sufficient to judge him, your vision has been clouded by this, some many good youngsters fail to make it, as they lack the mental cpapcity to cope with the game or the physical capacity, so you can only judge him on his time in the first team.

Dazed, I admire your resilience.

I gave up trying to put an alternative view to Thrach a long time ago. It's impossible to get through to someone who believes that Elvis is behind our change in fortunes over the last 4 games.

Not that I know anything of course, why I'm just Lisa's bezzy mate.

[Thracian]

Are you suggesting that Levi has the same skill level as Juninho? the same ability as Scholes (who incidentaly as an early 20 year old was lightning quick)? I do expect him to go out of form, yes as I don't think he has the ability to cope with a long run in the team. I saw him against Cardiff most recently and in the first half he was excellent, (he did the simple things well), then in the second half when I wanted him to get at people and create chances. He didn't create one, he had many chances to run at people and didn't have the confidence too, and considering he is 19 and he doesn't have the confidence to run at people (most young players who come in doin't lack it) I don't think this is a good sign. He was also knocked off the ball on one or two occasions. I am being very critical at this point, and he certainly was far better than Low and Elvis. You mention players 20 years ago not being quick b ut being effective, how many top wingers now can get away with not being quick. I'll name you 5 top wingers- Ronaldo (lightning), Lennon (lightning), Messi (lightning), Robben (lightning) and Simao (lightning), get the idea. The only winger in the Premiership I can think of who is not quick is Reid and he has really struggled, his best games at Forest were at centre mid and he has now moved there for Coventry. The game has changed at such a rate in the past ten years that I don't think you can get away with being on the wing and not being quick as you are not effective. Beckham is the best example of this as the longer his career has gone on the slower he has got and consequently the less effective he has been and now he is only effective from set pieces even when he has such great technical ability. Seeing the picture as you put it would mean him playing centre mid as that is where he can be creative, but as I stated he is too light weight to succeed in that position. as for your point regarding watching him for three years, I don't really regard reserve team football and youth team football sufficient to judge him, your vision has been clouded by this, some many good youngsters fail to make it, as they lack the mental cpapcity to cope with the game or the physical capacity, so you can only judge him on his time in the first team.

I don't know where anything I said suggested Porter has the same skill level as Juninho or the same ability as Scholes but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised at someone else seeking to turn something I say into something completely different.

However in making your point about wingers Beckham was a good example of a player whose passing ability served for all that he was on the wing - he was never especially pacey, although he did have stamina.

I believe Porter can be perfectly effective on the wing because of his ability to deliver a variety of passes but have said many times that he will never use speed to beat people - he doesn't have raw speed - and is probably most suited to central midfield which is where he finished up playing in the reserves before his promotion to the first team.

He coped with big opponents then - all opponents are big to him - and I have no doubt he will do the same at a higher level as have any number of small footballers.

How much the game has changed in 10 years is a subject of its own.

There have always been quick wingers but Hinton was an example of a player who simply took a touch and passed the ball with breathtaking accuracy.

But one thing I would say about the modern game and with the pace and that is that possession is vital. And of all the Leicester players I would say Porter is best suited to retaining possession. Which is why, I believe, Kelly likes him so much.

[Dazed and Confused]

[

quote name='Thracian' date='Dec 29 2006, 03:42 PM' post='487922]

I don't know where anything I said suggested Porter has the same skill level as Juninho or the same ability as Scholes but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised at someone else seeking to turn something I say into something completely different.

in your last comment you suggested this.

However in making your point about wingers Beckham was a good example of a player whose passing ability served for all that he was on the wing - he was never especially pacey, although he did have stamina.

He was never lightning quick but he did used to be able to get round people and create space, Porter doesn't have the pace to create space for himself.

I believe Porter can be perfectly effective on the wing because of his ability to deliver a variety of passes but have said many times that he will never use speed to beat people - he doesn't have raw speed - and is probably most suited to central midfield which is where he finished up playing in the reserves before his promotion to the first team.

His passing isn't that good. You seem to think it's on a par with Beckham.

He coped with big opponents then - all opponents are big to him - and I have no doubt he will do the same at a higher level as have any number of small footballers.

not what I saw on saturday.

How much the game has changed in 10 years is a subject of its own.

There have always been quick wingers but Hinton was an example of a player who simply took a touch and passed the ball with breathtaking accuracy.

It's a different topic yes, but you can't argue against it.

But one thing I would say about the modern game and with the pace and that is that possession is vital. And of all the Leicester players I would say Porter is best suited to retaining possession. Which is why, I believe, Kelly likes him so much.

Williams is the best at retaining possesion and has beent he reason we have won 3 out of 4, as is shown by the fact that out of the last 6 games he has started we have won 5.

Funny how you failure to acknowledge the point about the quick wingers.

[Jonbluefox9]

Levi was given a contract extension at the beginning of 2006. I don't know how long his contract was before but he was given an extra year which seems like a year to prove that he's good enough for the first team. To have been offered another new contract within the space of a year would suggest that he's impressed the backroom staff enough for them to feel that he has the quality to perform at senior level. This is a message to anyone who thinks Kelly has something against picking young players. If they're good enough they will get a chance, and if they take their chance they get rewarded. Kelly's even given chances to young players in the hope that they may be good enough but they've come up short. Our financial position dictates that if we have a young player that's good enough they will get chances.

[Hullfox]

Levi was given a contract extension at the beginning of 2006. I don't know how long his contract was before but he was given an extra year which seems like a year to prove that he's good enough for the first team. To have been offered another new contract within the space of a year would suggest that he's impressed the backroom staff enough for them to feel that he has the quality to perform at senior level. This is a message to anyone who thinks Kelly has something against picking young players. If they're good enough they will get a chance, and if they take their chance they get rewarded. Kelly's even given chances to young players in the hope that they may be good enough but they've come up short. Our financial position dictates that if we have a young player that's good enough they will get chances.

Good post JBF

I just hope that it remains the same if and when our financial position improves.

[davieG]

Are you suggesting that Levi has the same skill level as Juninho? the same ability as Scholes (who incidentaly as an early 20 year old was lightning quick)? I do expect him to go out of form, yes as I don't think he has the ability to cope with a long run in the team. I saw him against Cardiff most recently and in the first half he was excellent, (he did the simple things well), then in the second half when I wanted him to get at people and create chances. He didn't create one, he had many chances to run at people and didn't have the confidence too, and considering he is 19 and he doesn't have the confidence to run at people (most young players who come in doin't lack it) I don't think this is a good sign. He was also knocked off the ball on one or two occasions. I am being very critical at this point, and he certainly was far better than Low and Elvis. You mention players 20 years ago not being quick b ut being effective, how many top wingers now can get away with not being quick. I'll name you 5 top wingers- Ronaldo (lightning), Lennon (lightning), Messi (lightning), Robben (lightning) and Simao (lightning), get the idea. The only winger in the Premiership I can think of who is not quick is Reid and he has really struggled, his best games at Forest were at centre mid and he has now moved there for Coventry. The game has changed at such a rate in the past ten years that I don't think you can get away with being on the wing and not being quick as you are not effective. Beckham is the best example of this as the longer his career has gone on the slower he has got and consequently the less effective he has been and now he is only effective from set pieces even when he has such great technical ability. Seeing the picture as you put it would mean him playing centre mid as that is where he can be creative, but as I stated he is too light weight to succeed in that position. as for your point regarding watching him for three years, I don't really regard reserve team football and youth team football sufficient to judge him, your vision has been clouded by this, some many good youngsters fail to make it, as they lack the mental cpapcity to cope with the game or the physical capacity, so you can only judge him on his time in the first team.

What a strange reply - you appear to derisively question the comparison of Porter to the likes of Juninho & Scholes - which was done purely to demonstrate that height need not be an affliction and then laughingly to prove Porter's not up to speed compare him with some of the worlds fastest wingers (Ronaldo (lightning), Lennon (lightning), Messi (lightning), Robben (lightning) and Simao (lightning).

Are there no other wingers with less speed that have been/are successful - like somewhere between mid-table Championship and bottom half Premiership, because I doubt we're going any higher than that in the next 31/2 years.

[Dazed and Confused]

What a strange reply - you appear to derisively question the comparison of Porter to the likes of Juninho & Scholes - which was done purely to demonstrate that height need not be an affliction and then laughingly to prove Porter's not up to speed compare him with some of the worlds fastest wingers (Ronaldo (lightning), Lennon (lightning), Messi (lightning), Robben (lightning) and Simao (lightning).

Are there no other wingers with less speed that have been/are successful - like somewhere between mid-table Championship and bottom half Premiership, because I doubt we're going any higher than that in the next 31/2 years.

The best wingers in this division are quick. Kabba and Ifill showed that last year, that guy at Gillingham is really quick, etc...

my point re- height was that small players have to be exceptionally skillful or quick to progress. Levi it seems to me has decent touch and is a competent passer of the ball.

[lookwhaticando]

The best wingers in this division are quick. Kabba and Ifill showed that last year, that guy at Gillingham is really quick, etc...

my point re- height was that small players have to be exceptionally skillful or quick to progress. Levi it seems to me has decent touch and is a competent passer of the ball.

Gillingham aint in our division.

[Thracian]

[

in your last comment you suggested this.

He was never lightning quick but he did used to be able to get round people and create space, Porter doesn't have the pace to create space for himself.

His passing isn't that good. You seem to think it's on a par with Beckham.

not what I saw on saturday.

It's a different topic yes, but you can't argue against it.

Williams is the best at retaining possesion and has beent he reason we have won 3 out of 4, as is shown by the fact that out of the last 6 games he has started we have won 5.

Funny how you failure to acknowledge the point about the quick wingers.

a) I didn't suggest anything of the kind.

b) Porter creates space in tighter situations than anyone else at the club.

c) I'm a Williams fan but I think he misses too many matches and his record last season was inconclusive. In 30 League starts we won 10, lost 10 and drew 10. He didn't figure at all in 15 League games last season and has missed the same number this season so far..

d) As for wingers there are many different types. Some are fast, some are good at beating people, some are brilliant passers and others a combination of all three. There is nothing to acknowledge.

[Geordie]

Has any player split the fan base so much in recent times? There are those that think he is a world beater, those that don't but he is alright and those that think he is poor.....

He's okay but nothing speacial, which makes him stand out at present.

[Thracian]

Levi was given a contract extension at the beginning of 2006. I don't know how long his contract was before but he was given an extra year which seems like a year to prove that he's good enough for the first team. To have been offered another new contract within the space of a year would suggest that he's impressed the backroom staff enough for them to feel that he has the quality to perform at senior level. This is a message to anyone who thinks Kelly has something against picking young players. If they're good enough they will get a chance, and if they take their chance they get rewarded. Kelly's even given chances to young players in the hope that they may be good enough but they've come up short. Our financial position dictates that if we have a young player that's good enough they will get chances.

Which leads me to ask your opinion then as to why Dodds and King have had no opportunity to prove their abilities at first team level yet proven failures like Low. Sylla, Welsh have had many chances and now, I imagine, Cadamarteri, will get his?

[lookwhaticando]

Has any player split the fan base so much in recent times? There are those that think he is a world beater, those that don't but he is alright and those that think he is poor.....

He's okay but nothing speacial, which makes him stand out at present.

Hammond does a good job at splitting the fan base.

[Geordie]

Hammond does a good job at splitting the fan base.

The vast majority think he is poor though, even his recent 2 goal salvo hasn't converted that many people, has it?

[filbertway]

Great news

Porter is one of our best players already and he can only improve, well done on getting him a contract LCFC

[lookwhaticando]

The vast majority think he is poor though, even his recent 2 goal salvo hasn't converted that many people, has it?

He has a few fans. Two goals in two games did swing a few people.

You'd be surprised.

[JoeyB]

everyone loves levi

he's a product of our youth academy(home grown)

talented

And one of the only football players that you have to crouch down to have a picture taken with him

[EmLeee]

[Mad Dog]

Shows how low we've sunk that some of you think so highly of him! Average is being very, very kind to the lad. Fair enough he's home grown or whatever, but please, don't make him out to be something he's not.

[lildave3]

Shows how low we've sunk that some of you think so highly of him! Average is being very, very kind to the lad. Fair enough he's home grown or whatever, but please, don't make him out to be something he's not.

He's a very talented lad, more talentef than COG or Sheehan and i think he can go on to become a good player for us. His height has nothing to do with how good he is.

[Hullfox]

because I doubt we're going any higher than that in the next 31/2 years.

Do you mean 31 to 32 davie?