Why are we incapable of winning at the Walkers?

[ozleicester]

Ive been to one home game in the last 10 years and am commenting form 12000 miles away, but for what its worth..perhaps the players are scared, the home crowd pressure is too much.

We need a manager who will bring in some flair, some confidence, we need a crowd to applaud a player who tries something exciting or a little different even if he loses the ball or gets caught out of position.

Im sure that by taking and rewarding risks ..yes we will lose games we should win..we will also win games we should lose and id rather watch a team that is exciting, skilled..confident, that wins 10 games for the season, than watch scared..soft, boring team that wins 10 games.

heheh as long as we dont go down and get promotion in the next 2 years ..damn that buggers the whole plan.

[mancunianfox]

I hope this doesn't end up like a Thracian rant but here goes...

I disagree with the consensus that is forming that the team isn't good enough. The problem that we have (and had last season) is not the amount of games we have lost but the amount of games that we have failed to win.

I refuse to accept that Bristol City and Ipswich are in playoff positions because they have better squads than us because in my opinion they don't. The difference is in the way that they play, the effort that they put in and the belief that runs through all the top sides in the division. We do have players who are proven in this division....Fulop, Kisnorbo, N'Gotty, Clemence, Chambers, Hume, Campbell have all proved themselves more than capable of playing in this division.

However despite this nobody in the Leicester team really seems to want the ball. When we are in posession our players look to get rid of the ball asap but there is no movement off the ball so they end up either going nowhere with it or hoofing the ball upfield. This works away from home because there is more space because the home team is expected to attack us but when teams come to the Walkers they put eleven players behind the ball, wait for us to lose posession and hit our slow defense on the break. Every visiting team plays like this because they know thats how they can get a result. We only beat teams at home if the visitors look to attack us. Thats why we have beaten decent teams like Watford and Southampton at home and lost to far poorer sides.

When you watch a great team like Manchester United or Arsenal play against sides who do this they have the confidence and patience to break them down. The better teams in our division have that too. Watford can do it and so can West Brom. We do not have that and that is why we can't win at home. We do not have the self belief in the side required to break teams down.

[davieG]

I hope this doesn't end up like a Thracian rant but here goes...

I disagree with the consensus that is forming that the team isn't good enough. The problem that we have (and had last season) is not the amount of games we have lost but the amount of games that we have failed to win.

I refuse to accept that Bristol City and Ipswich are in playoff positions because they have better squads than us because in my opinion they don't. The difference is in the way that they play, the effort that they put in and the belief that runs through all the top sides in the division. We do have players who are proven in this division....Fulop, Kisnorbo, N'Gotty, Clemence, Chambers, Hume, Campbell have all proved themselves more than capable of playing in this division.

However despite this nobody in the Leicester team really seems to want the ball. When we are in posession our players look to get rid of the ball asap but there is no movement off the ball so they end up either going nowhere with it or hoofing the ball upfield. This works away from home because there is more space because the home team is expected to attack us but when teams come to the Walkers they put eleven players behind the ball, wait for us to lose posession and hit our slow defense on the break. Every visiting team plays like this because they know thats how they can get a result. We only beat teams at home if the visitors look to attack us. Thats why we have beaten decent teams like Watford and Southampton at home and lost to far poorer sides.

When you watch a great team like Manchester United or Arsenal play against sides who do this they have the confidence and patience to break them down. The better teams in our division have that too. Watford can do it and so can West Brom. We do not have that and that is why we can't win at home. We do not have the self belief in the side required to break teams down.

I've said that, and so have others on more than one occasion, the real problem is - why can't the respective managements see this? The only one to come anywhere near is Allen and I guess that's why his departure annoyed so many people.

[mancunianfox]

I've said that, and so have others on more than one occasion, the real problem is - why can't the respective managements see this? The only one to come anywhere near is Allen and I guess that's why his departure annoyed so many people.

I think in a way its a shame that Allen only had two home games in charge because the two he had fit this pattern very well. Blackpool sat deep, frustrated us and won while Watford attacked us and lost. I don't think that suggests that he had done anything to change this.

I think we need a manager who is going to take the players to the side, give each of them encouragement and assurance that they are good enough. We have had a succession of negative managers (maybe with the exception of Allen). Kelly, Megson, Worthington are all too scared of losing. I think success will start from the top down and we need a manager with killer instinct to mould the team in their image.

[davieG]

I think in a way its a shame that Allen only had two home games in charge because the two he had fit this pattern very well. Blackpool sat deep, frustrated us and won while Watford attacked us and lost. I don't think that suggests that he had done anything to change this.

I think we need a manager who is going to take the players to the side, give each of them encouragement and assurance that they are good enough. We have had a succession of negative managers (maybe with the exception of Allen). Kelly, Megson, Worthington are all too scared of losing. I think success will start from the top down and we need a manager with killer instinct to mould the team in their image.

On the contrary in both games we attacked despite the tactics of the opposition against Watford we had 15 shots to their 10 against Blackpool we had 21 shots to their 14, you could argue we were unlucky but that will happen against teams that defend in numbers, also bear in mind that was the first time Allen had put out an LCFC team whereas Blackpool had a tried and settled/organised side.

If we'd have played like this against other teams at home we would, I believe have won more but lost more but would probably have accrued more points.

This is not a band wagon to get Allen back but to say we need a manager with the balls to attack at home.

[mancunianfox]

On the contrary in both games we attacked despite the tactics of the opposition against Watford we had 15 shots to their 10 against Blackpool we had 21 shots to their 14, you could argue we were unlucky but that will happen against teams that defend in numbers, also bear in mind that was the first time Allen had put out an LCFC team whereas Blackpool had a tried and settled/organised side.

If we'd have played like this against other teams at home we would, I believe have won more but lost more but would probably have accrued more points.

This is not a band wagon to get Allen back but to say we need a manager with the balls to attack at home.

That Blackpool statistic is suprising. There wasn't many good oppurtunities apart from a few that fell to Campbell which their keeper did well with. Their defense looked pretty comfortable. Maybe thats why I didn't remember that we had 21 shots during that game.

At the time I did give Allen the benefit of the doubt over that result as I didn't expect us to be doing really well with such a new squad right off the bat. Allen's tenure will always be an interesting 'what if?' though. He did some good things and some bad. At least he was very positive about the club and said all the right things unlike Megson who ran down the club and the squad at every oppurtunity.

[davieG]

That Blackpool statistic is suprising. There wasn't many good oppurtunities apart from a few that fell to Campbell which their keeper did well with. Their defense looked pretty comfortable. Maybe thats why I didn't remember that we had 21 shots during that game.

At the time I did give Allen the benefit of the doubt over that result as I didn't expect us to be doing really well with such a new squad right off the bat. Allen's tenure will always be an interesting 'what if?' though. He did some good things and some bad. At least he was very positive about the club and said all the right things unlike Megson who ran down the club and the squad at every oppurtunity.

He may not have been the final solution but at least he put out a team that looked like they were trying to win and after the turgid defensive approach of Levein & Kelly and subsequently Megson and Burrows he stands out like a beacon of positivity for attacking football.

[multipack]

The reason we can't win at walkers is because its a shit lifeless stadium. The way they have built it is like most other stadiums. So when opposition players come to play us they have played in similer stadiums at other teams grounds.

our stadium is like St Mary's but with blue seats!!!

[davieG]

The reason we can't win at walkers is because its a shit lifeless stadium. The way they have built it is like most other stadiums. So when opposition players come to play us they have played in similer stadiums at other teams grounds.

our stadium is like St Mary's but with blue seats!!!

So how did we get promoted there!

[mancunianfox]

He may not have been the final solution but at least he put out a team that looked like they were trying to win and after the turgid defensive approach of Levein & Kelly and subsequently Megson and Burrows he stands out like a beacon of positivity for attacking football.

Agreed. At least he seemed to be moving the team in the right direction. Megson has taken us right back to were we were two years ago

The reason we can't win at walkers is because its a shit lifeless stadium. The way they have built it is like most other stadiums. So when opposition players come to play us they have played in similer stadiums at other teams grounds.

our stadium is like St Mary's but with blue seats!!!

I'm sorry but football is usually (the exception of Derby County 07/08 season) a close game decided by superior tactics, teamwork and/or pieces of individual skill. To blame the supporters for our lack of success both overplays our role and shows a lack of understanding of the nature of the game. When the players give the fans something to cheer about our supporters do respond and thats the way it should be. At the end of the day footballers are paid buy the supporters to entertain them.

[Fez of Mahrez]

I'm sorry but football is usually (the exception of Derby County 07/08 season) a close game decided by superior tactics, teamwork and/or pieces of individual skill. To blame the supporters for our lack of success both overplays our role and shows a lack of understanding of the nature of the game. When the players give the fans something to cheer about our supporters do respond and thats the way it should be. At the end of the day footballers are paid buy the supporters to entertain them.

Interesting stuff, nice little debate on here for once - with proper arguments and everything!

Although it's difficult to argue with the above, I still think our fans at home are far too quick to get on players backs and to boo mediocre performances rather than just bad ones.

Would also add that we had a barrel load of chances against Blackpool, I remember De Vries had two clear headers - one in the first half, one in the second.

[Thracian]

It might help if we picked a balanced team instead of one that simply suits the internal politics.

Megson, whatever else you might think of him, knew exactly what he wanted to do and picked the best available side to do that.

It's remarkable really. Four seasons and he was the ONLY manager who consistently selected our strongest team. Okay, he played ugly but no-one was in any doubt about their job and he he expected them to do it.

Saturday the team didn't look as if they had the faintest idea of what to do.

We had no forward momentum on the left. No forward momentum on the right. We had strikers in midfield and a centre-back too many in the cirumstances.

People who could have helped were not even on the bench.

No wonder we didn't win or even threaten to win.

[Fez of Mahrez]

It might help if we picked a balanced team instead of one that simply suits the internal politics.

Megson, whatever else you might think of him, knew exactly what he wanted to do and picked the best available side to do that.

It's remarkable really. Four seasons and he was the ONLY manager who consistently selected our strongest team. Okay, he played ugly but no-one was in any doubt about their job and he he expected them to do it.

Saturday the team didn't look as if they had the faintest idea of what to do.

We had no forward momentum on the left. No forward momentum on the right. We had strikers in midfield and a centre-back too many in the cirumstances.

People who could have helped were not even on the bench.

No wonder we didn't win or even threaten to win.

Is this basically just because Sheehan and King weren't playing?

[davieG]

Interesting stuff, nice little debate on here for once - with proper arguments and everything!

Although it's difficult to argue with the above, I still think our fans at home are far too quick to get on players backs and to boo mediocre performances rather than just bad ones.

Would also add that we had a barrel load of chances against Blackpool, I remember De Vries had two clear headers - one in the first half, one in the second.

With exceptions the booing is mainly the result of 4 seasons of mediocrity, what we now need is a few games on the bounce where a positive approach is clearly on the cards, I guarantee if we do that win or lose the booing will disappear and the crowd will be positive.

My feeling is that the average LCFC fan is desperate for some positivity and will absolutely lap it up like they did with Allen.

[mancunianfox]

Interesting stuff, nice little debate on here for once - with proper arguments and everything!

Although it's difficult to argue with the above, I still think our fans at home are far too quick to get on players backs and to boo mediocre performances rather than just bad ones.

Would also add that we had a barrel load of chances against Blackpool, I remember De Vries had two clear headers - one in the first half, one in the second.

Also De Vries hit the bar with that volley from outside the area didn't he? Would have been a cracker if that had have gone in.

Our fans are to quick to get on the players backs - Mattock against Blackpool is a great example of that. I think thats just the frustration of the last few years though and I think its been made worse this season by the 'dream' (yuck) that we were sold by Mandaric and Allen over the summer which unrealistically raised expectations.

With exceptions the booing is mainly the result of 4 seasons of mediocrity, what we now need is a few games on the bounce where a positive approach is clearly on the cards, I guarantee if we do that win or lose the booing will disappear and the crowd will be positive.

My feeling is that the average LCFC fan is desperate for some positivity and will absolutely lap it up like they did with Allen.

Absolutely and its upto the club to give the fans performances to feel positive about. Preferably at home in the league and not just away from home against prem teams in cup competitions.

[Fez of Mahrez]

With exceptions the booing is mainly the result of 4 seasons of mediocrity, what we now need is a few games on the bounce where a positive approach is clearly on the cards, I guarantee if we do that win or lose the booing will disappear and the crowd will be positive.

My feeling is that the average LCFC fan is desperate for some positivity and will absolutely lap it up like they did with Allen.

I don't buy it. I'd love to see us turn into this attacking wonder to behold but we played three strikers on Saturday and by the end we had our supposedly "best" midfield/forward players on display (Clemence, Wesolowski, Hume, Fryatt, John), playing 4-2-4 and still looked utterly clueless.

So to me it's not just an attacking approach, it's playing better. And every crowd wants their players to play better.

Also seems to me that before Saturday, everyone had forgotten we were three games unbeaten in the league including two tough away games and had performed incredibly well away at Chelsea too. If we'd won, people (not you or anyone specifically but the general consensus) would be wanting Burrows and Taggart in charge! Fickle doesn't even begin to describe it.

[mancunianfox]

It might help if we picked a balanced team instead of one that simply suits the internal politics.

Megson, whatever else you might think of him, knew exactly what he wanted to do and picked the best available side to do that.

It's remarkable really. Four seasons and he was the ONLY manager who consistently selected our strongest team. Okay, he played ugly but no-one was in any doubt about their job and he he expected them to do it.

Saturday the team didn't look as if they had the faintest idea of what to do.

We had no forward momentum on the left. No forward momentum on the right. We had strikers in midfield and a centre-back too many in the cirumstances.

People who could have helped were not even on the bench.

No wonder we didn't win or even threaten to win.

Megson did nothing to change our biggest problem. Megson failed to win a game at the Walkers stadium. Getting us winning at home is the new managers biggest task. If we can do that things will start to fall into place as our away form is good enough.

[mancunianfox]

Also seems to me that before Saturday, everyone had forgotten we were three games unbeaten in the league including two tough away games and had performed incredibly well away at Chelsea too. If we'd won, people (not you or anyone specifically but the general consensus) would be wanting Burrows and Taggart in charge! Fickle doesn't even begin to describe it.

We did bottle all three of those games though. We should really have won twice away from home and we lost the lead to Chelsea twice. I am a firm believer that our squad is as good as almost any in the division and we need a leader who is going to win us games. Of course if we had won three games instead of one people would have wanted them in charge. The fact is though that we have only won once with Burrows and Taggart in charge and they have done nothing to suggest that they can get us beating teams week in week out.

[Fez of Mahrez]

We did bottle all three of those games though. We should really have won twice away from home and we lost the lead to Chelsea twice. I am a firm believer that our squad is as good as almost any in the division and we need a leader who is going to win us games. Of course if we had won three games instead of one people would have wanted them in charge. The fact is though that we have only won once with Burrows and Taggart in charge and they have done nothing to suggest that they can get us beating teams week in week out.

Bit contradictory if you ask me... We battered Colchester first half and they didn't win it second half when they were on top. Preston battered us first half and we didn't win it second half when we were on top.

I'm just in an argumentative mood and it's better to argue with people who can string sentences together, even if you don't fully disagree with what they're saying.

[thybluefox]

On Saturday, I felt that the crowd did get behind the team at points, but people can't expect the crowd to stay positive when we're watching a team, who we've paid a lot of money to watch, with absolutely no passion and desire to win the ball and attack. The crowd (including me...I despise Cort and in my eyes, he can do no right) are fickle and bias, but thats fans for you. The fans aren't the reason we don't win at home.

Like Allen said at the open training sesh in September, its up to he team to work the crowd up. All they have to do is play well for 5 or 10 minutes and the crowd will be behind them, but they just can't seem to.

Basically, we need a manager that can work the players up, and get them passionate about playing for this club, and get the proud to wear the shirt, because at the minute I don't think they are.

[mancunianfox]

Bit contradictory if you ask me... We battered Colchester first half and they didn't win it second half when they were on top. Preston battered us first half and we didn't win it second half when we were on top.

I'm just in an argumentative mood and it's better to argue with people who can string sentences together, even if you don't fully disagree with what they're saying.

I don't think its contradictory at all. Our points haul has not improved so they should be ruled out the running. If it had of improved than I would be all for consideration of Burrows/Taggs team but thats a massive if isn't it? The same as what if Allen was still our manager.

I agree that its nice to have a good debate on here for a change.

[Fez of Mahrez]

I don't think its contradictory at all. Our points haul has not improved so they should be ruled out the running. If it had of improved than I would be all for consideration of Burrows/Taggs team but thats a massive if isn't it? The same as what if Allen was still our manager.

I agree that its nice to have a good debate on here for a change.

I wasn't disputing that they should be in contention but I dislike this idea that draws at places like Colchester and Preston are bad results. In the previous league game we beat Barnsley 2-0 at home, job done. Then we went away and got a couple of points in games which could have gone either way.

There seem to be lots of fans who can't see the other side of the coin at all. Colchester and Preston fans would have been more pissed off than we were that they didn't win those games.

Obviously no excuses with the Burnley game.

[mancunianfox]

I wasn't disputing that they should be in contention but I dislike this idea that draws at places like Colchester and Preston are bad results. In the previous league game we beat Barnsley 2-0 at home, job done. Then we went away and got a couple of points in games which could have gone either way.

There seem to be lots of fans who can't see the other side of the coin at all. Colchester and Preston fans would have been more pissed off than we were that they didn't win those games.

I can see the other side of the coin and I don't dispute that individually those games were not bad results. However when you add those up with all the other draws that we have had this season they are bad results. Fifteen games, eight draws.

Palace

QPR

Plymouth

Wolves

Stoke

S****horpe

Colchester

Preston

Is that 8 points gained or 16 points dropped? If your a side who should be pushing into the top six (which imo with out squad we should be) its 16 points dropped. However we still have the mentality of a relegation side so our management and players see that as eight points gained, job done. That is the attitude that we need to overcome.

[Master Fox]

I wasn't disputing that they should be in contention but I dislike this idea that draws at places like Colchester and Preston are bad results. In the previous league game we beat Barnsley 2-0 at home, job done. Then we went away and got a couple of points in games which could have gone either way.

There seem to be lots of fans who can't see the other side of the coin at all. Colchester and Preston fans would have been more pissed off than we were that they didn't win those games.

Sorry mate but I disagree. There is no other side of the coin, that performance on Saturday was an absolute disgrace! And do any of you think any of the players actually care?

To be honest we should have really gone on to win both of those games against Preston and Colchester even though we were shit.

The standard of football in the championship is as poor as it's ever been, every team in this league is woeful. It won't take much to get promoted, all it takes is a few intelligent players that have the ability to string more than two passes together. Our main fault is we're incapable of doing that, the players in this team show such little understanding of what it takes to win a football game. Passing it back to the keeper and hoofing the ball up to Carl Cort isn’t going to win you games. We also lack any width whatsoever. I can't actually remember a decent ball put into the box in whole game. Every time Clemence and Weso play in the middle together they get beaten and outplayed in pretty much every game they've played in. Hume has become a headless Chicken and disrupts what little balance there is in the team. McAuley & kisnorbo have the footballing brains of a 4 year old. Fryatt really offers sod all, Stearman and Mattock shouldn't even be near playing at this level. Have you noticed that nobody talks out on the pitch? There's no communication, no organisation, no team work, minimal amount of effort, nobody understanding the game enough to deliver instructions to other team mates. The simplest things in the game we fail at, this why we're shit.

[Thracian]

I don't buy it. I'd love to see us turn into this attacking wonder to behold but we played three strikers on Saturday and by the end we had our supposedly "best" midfield/forward players on display (Clemence, Wesolowski, Hume, Fryatt, John), playing 4-2-4 and still looked utterly clueless.

So to me it's not just an attacking approach, it's playing better. And every crowd wants their players to play better.

Also seems to me that before Saturday, everyone had forgotten we were three games unbeaten in the league including two tough away games and had performed incredibly well away at Chelsea too. If we'd won, people (not you or anyone specifically but the general consensus) would be wanting Burrows and Taggart in charge! Fickle doesn't even begin to describe it.

Apart from two of those strikers you mention being arguably out of position in midfield the point was made by another poster that you can play all the strikers you like but if you don't get the ball across from wide positions some will find it very hard to register, Cort being undoubtedly one of them.

The other thing concerns support in numbers. One of our major problems is regarded as one of our strengths and that is the defence. They simply fail to offer any real support going forward. No wonder we concede so few but it is at great cost.

Saturday was worse than usual because our supposed wing-backs didn't function as such at all.

None of our centre-backs are any good pushing forward and consequently we had three separate departments (defence/midfield/strikers) to our team and one department (attacking width) entirely missing.

Coupled with the complete lack of pace out wide and the absence of anyone who could beat people where it hurt and it all spelled predictable disaster.

As for Chelsea we didn't win. Just like we didn't win from a good position against Fulham either. Those games are different anyway. They are one-off games which are all about winning or otherwise. There is no middle ground. No thought that we're away and can settle for a draw.