Smells like team spirit

[Fez of Mahrez]

We were renowned for it in the O'Neill years and I reckon the Bloomfield squad had a bit of a laugh too from what I've read. Last season the playing squad didn't change all that much from August to May and they all seemed to get on well. I will never forget the celebrations at the end of the Barnsley game - Mattock on Newton's shoulders I think? - and the rapport the fans had at the time with Fryatt, Hume and Wesolowski to name just three. Although you could argue we didn't need those wins at Preston and Barnsley in the end, I think the team spirit we had was part of the reason we stayed up last year.

How much do you reckon there is left this year? The personnel changes almost entirely from month to month. There are still numerous players completely sidelined even with the deadwood cleared out. The Hungarians have been completely shelved, only Stearman and Mattock of the kids seem to get a look in and the fan favourites Fryatt, Hume and Wesolowski have been messed about or dropped for games on end. Of the incredibly successful Academy side who all seem to get on famously, only Mattock gets a chance and even then only when Clapham isn't fit. I wonder what it does for team spirit when practically all of the squad are publicly criticised by the manager on a regular basis? The fans are understandably angry and frustrated. Personally I think ever since Norwich away, Holloway's treatment of Hume, the closest thing we've had to a crowd favourite since Izzet, has been the main thing that he's got wrong.

Hardly anyone has come into the team that we already had last season and been more successful than what we already had, yet if you take a first XI of Alnwick, Stearman, Clapham, Kisnorbo, McAuley, Etuhu, Clemence, Oakley, Hendrie, Howard and Campbell - which I think is what Holloway would probably pick if everyone was fit (aside from the recent experimentation which won't last) - then there are only three players there from last season.

Whatever you thought of Rob Kelly and his constant "smashing bunch of lads" comments, when was the last time you heard something along those lines from the current playing staff or managerial team (or the one before that, or the one before that etc)?

I have no inside knowledge or links to playing staff whatsoever and I may be completely wide of the mark. However, they've all proven they're good enough at one point or another and we'll have to see that again because I can't see us battling out of this through teamwork and passion for the shirt like we have done in the past when we've had poorer players than this and been in a similar situation.

[Cheese Me]

2007 was a year of utter chaos - 6 managers I think (I lose count) in a calendar year, a new owner, 20+ signings, consistently poor form that we haven't been able to break out of. It's no wonder that the team spirit isn't really there.

We need to survive these next few games, get a full and proper pre season under our belt, sign a small number of additional players who genuinely improve the first team, shed the last remaining dead wood, blood our young prospects and get off to a good start in 08/09.

This team has the required quality to be pushing for top six at least on a player by player basis - they just need some stability and the pressure and fans off their backs.

As long as we stay up and Mandaric holds his nerve with Holloway we will come good.

[DanTheFoxBhoy]

We were crap last season and are still crap this season. I blame it on a lack of terracing.

[Daggers]

Smells like team spirit

[Mikey]

We were renowned for it in the O'Neill years and I reckon the Bloomfield squad had a bit of a laugh too from what I've read. Last season the playing squad didn't change all that much from August to May and they all seemed to get on well. I will never forget the celebrations at the end of the Barnsley game - Mattock on Newton's shoulders I think? - and the rapport the fans had at the time with Fryatt, Hume and Wesolowski to name just three. Although you could argue we didn't need those wins at Preston and Barnsley in the end, I think the team spirit we had was part of the reason we stayed up last year.

How much do you reckon there is left this year? The personnel changes almost entirely from month to month. There are still numerous players completely sidelined even with the deadwood cleared out. The Hungarians have been completely shelved, only Stearman and Mattock of the kids seem to get a look in and the fan favourites Fryatt, Hume and Wesolowski have been messed about or dropped for games on end. Of the incredibly successful Academy side who all seem to get on famously, only Mattock gets a chance and even then only when Clapham isn't fit. I wonder what it does for team spirit when practically all of the squad are publicly criticised by the manager on a regular basis? The fans are understandably angry and frustrated. Personally I think ever since Norwich away, Holloway's treatment of Hume, the closest thing we've had to a crowd favourite since Izzet, has been the main thing that he's got wrong.

Hardly anyone has come into the team that we already had last season and been more successful than what we already had, yet if you take a first XI of Alnwick, Stearman, Clapham, Kisnorbo, McAuley, Etuhu, Clemence, Oakley, Hendrie, Howard and Campbell - which I think is what Holloway would probably pick if everyone was fit (aside from the recent experimentation which won't last), - then there are only three players there from last season.

Whatever you thought of Rob Kelly and his constant "smashing bunch of lads" comments, when was the last time you heard something along those lines from the current playing staff or managerial team (or the one before that, or the one before that etc)?

I have no inside knowledge or links to playing staff whatsoever and I may be completely wide of the mark. However, they've all proven they're good enough at one point or another and we'll have to see that again because I can't see us battling out of this through teamwork and passion for the shirt like we have done in the past when we've had poorer players than this and been in a similar situation.

Exactly what I was thinking. Last year you could see we had fight, you could see that we wanted to stay up and were up to the challenge to scrap out a 1-0 win. This year you can't see any fight. When things aren't going our way we don't strive to get an equalizer. Last Saturday, when Henderson saved the penalty you would have expected to see some sort of fight after that bu no. We were still 2nd to every ball and couldn't string more than 3 passes together.

We have no fans favorite either as you have said, the fans favorites from last year have been played around with.

This season has just been a season of mistakes.

[ronnup]

We are going to be in league one in september, what we need to do is create a solid team of talented players that play for each other. That will include very few of our current first 11. Whether that's a good thing or not, you decide.

[ozleicester]

2007 was a year of utter chaos - 6 managers I think (I lose count) in a calendar year, a new owner, 20+ signings, consistently poor form that we haven't been able to break out of. It's no wonder that the team spirit isn't really there.

We need to survive these next few games, get a full and proper pre season under our belt, sign a small number of additional players who genuinely improve the first team, shed the last remaining dead wood, blood our young prospects and get off to a good start in 08/09.

This team has the required quality to be pushing for top six at least on a player by player basis - they just need some stability and the pressure and fans off their backs.

As long as we stay up and Mandaric holds his nerve with Holloway we will come good.

well put cheese...just survive and things will improve.

[danny.]

the frustrating thing is, we could sort all this out so easily

we just need to swap the kop and family stand

[Zingari]

Smells like team spirit

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[Master Fox]

Smells like something else to me.

And it's not pretty.

[clazkel]

We were renowned for it in the O'Neill years and I reckon the Bloomfield squad had a bit of a laugh too from what I've read. Last season the playing squad didn't change all that much from August to May and they all seemed to get on well. I will never forget the celebrations at the end of the Barnsley game - Mattock on Newton's shoulders I think? - and the rapport the fans had at the time with Fryatt, Hume and Wesolowski to name just three. Although you could argue we didn't need those wins at Preston and Barnsley in the end, I think the team spirit we had was part of the reason we stayed up last year.

How much do you reckon there is left this year? The personnel changes almost entirely from month to month. There are still numerous players completely sidelined even with the deadwood cleared out. The Hungarians have been completely shelved, only Stearman and Mattock of the kids seem to get a look in and the fan favourites Fryatt, Hume and Wesolowski have been messed about or dropped for games on end. Of the incredibly successful Academy side who all seem to get on famously, only Mattock gets a chance and even then only when Clapham isn't fit. I wonder what it does for team spirit when practically all of the squad are publicly criticised by the manager on a regular basis? The fans are understandably angry and frustrated. Personally I think ever since Norwich away, Holloway's treatment of Hume, the closest thing we've had to a crowd favourite since Izzet, has been the main thing that he's got wrong.

Hardly anyone has come into the team that we already had last season and been more successful than what we already had, yet if you take a first XI of Alnwick, Stearman, Clapham, Kisnorbo, McAuley, Etuhu, Clemence, Oakley, Hendrie, Howard and Campbell - which I think is what Holloway would probably pick if everyone was fit (aside from the recent experimentation which won't last) - then there are only three players there from last season.

Whatever you thought of Rob Kelly and his constant "smashing bunch of lads" comments, when was the last time you heard something along those lines from the current playing staff or managerial team (or the one before that, or the one before that etc)?

I have no inside knowledge or links to playing staff whatsoever and I may be completely wide of the mark. However, they've all proven they're good enough at one point or another and we'll have to see that again because I can't see us battling out of this through teamwork and passion for the shirt like we have done in the past when we've had poorer players than this and been in a similar situation.

Totally agree with everything you have said, too many player changes, players like Hume, Fryatt, Wesolowski who i believe have a passion for the club aren't getting their chance, and when they do they are played out of position. I think Ollie is ruining Hume and Fryatt by playing them on the wing, you can tell when Hume plays that something is wrong because he doesn't give the commitment that he used to, and his game is based on his energy and sometimes aggression.

Ollie made it clear when he came to Leicester that the team weren't good enough and he needed to change it. I personally think the team was good enough, they just needed motivated, maybe bring in afew players but he should've worked with the players he had rather than publicly criticising them.

[Messi]

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Craig Levein v Graeme Hogg (Hearts, 1994)

Stan Collymore v Trevor Benjamin (Leicester, 2000)

[The People's Hero]

the frustrating thing is, we could sort all this out so easily

we just need to swap the kop and family stand

I think it's fairly obvious that that's just half the solution.

We need Jason Koumas (on loan).

[mancunianfox]

Interesting post. I think any team spirit which we had has gone and in retrospect (and I thought this at the time) major surgery was not needed to last seasons team. We would have been better served by adding maybe five or six faces in the summer who fit in and had some geniune quality. Instead we have seen countless changes to the side and the players who do seem to care about the club like Wesolowski, Fryatt, Hume, and Mattock have all been completely messed about by a succession of managers.

In particular I feel that the treatment of Wesolowski has been a disgrace this season as he has been completely forgotten about since his injury. He was playing well at the start of the season and has shown that given the chance he is easily good enough to play in the championship and he is the kind of player we should be investing time into.

I think the biggest problem is the pressure associated with Mandaric owning the club. It would be very difficult for any manager to come in and build a team gradually because the pressure to get results immediately is too great. When you also consider that the money has always been available for signings and loans what do you think managers are going to do in that situation? Of course their going to try to buy a team because that is the easy way out because that way they don't have to deal with an impatient chairman and you are actively showing the restless supporters that you are trying to solve the problems. In reality we would all do the same in the situation because any manager who is in charge isn't going to be prepared to stand up to Mandaric and outline a vision for success because they would most probably be replaced very quickly.

I think the team spirit will return once we have a settled team. Rob Kelly did very well for us initially because unlike Levein he picked a team, played them every week and they started to pick up results. His downfall came once he started changing things about too much (which can be attributed to some extent to injuries) and we started playing a different midfield every week. Its hardly suprising that we have struggled under Mandaric because ever since he has arrived no one knows if they are coming or going.

[Manwell Pablo]

Call me cynical, but I don't think he actually believes all that, I think it's just an excuse to use that rather comical thread title.

[STUHILL]

Call me cynical, but I don't think he actually believes all that, I think it's just an excuse to use that rather comical thread title.

You're Cynical!

[Raj]

We were renowned for it in the O'Neill years and I reckon the Bloomfield squad had a bit of a laugh too from what I've read. Last season the playing squad didn't change all that much from August to May and they all seemed to get on well. I will never forget the celebrations at the end of the Barnsley game - Mattock on Newton's shoulders I think? - and the rapport the fans had at the time with Fryatt, Hume and Wesolowski to name just three. Although you could argue we didn't need those wins at Preston and Barnsley in the end, I think the team spirit we had was part of the reason we stayed up last year.

How much do you reckon there is left this year? The personnel changes almost entirely from month to month. There are still numerous players completely sidelined even with the deadwood cleared out. The Hungarians have been completely shelved, only Stearman and Mattock of the kids seem to get a look in and the fan favourites Fryatt, Hume and Wesolowski have been messed about or dropped for games on end. Of the incredibly successful Academy side who all seem to get on famously, only Mattock gets a chance and even then only when Clapham isn't fit. I wonder what it does for team spirit when practically all of the squad are publicly criticised by the manager on a regular basis? The fans are understandably angry and frustrated. Personally I think ever since Norwich away, Holloway's treatment of Hume, the closest thing we've had to a crowd favourite since Izzet, has been the main thing that he's got wrong.

Hardly anyone has come into the team that we already had last season and been more successful than what we already had, yet if you take a first XI of Alnwick, Stearman, Clapham, Kisnorbo, McAuley, Etuhu, Clemence, Oakley, Hendrie, Howard and Campbell - which I think is what Holloway would probably pick if everyone was fit (aside from the recent experimentation which won't last) - then there are only three players there from last season.

Whatever you thought of Rob Kelly and his constant "smashing bunch of lads" comments, when was the last time you heard something along those lines from the current playing staff or managerial team (or the one before that, or the one before that etc)?

I have no inside knowledge or links to playing staff whatsoever and I may be completely wide of the mark. However, they've all proven they're good enough at one point or another and we'll have to see that again because I can't see us battling out of this through teamwork and passion for the shirt like we have done in the past when we've had poorer players than this and been in a similar situation.

So what you saying Dave???