Weaknesses?

[Thracian]

With the season about to start I'm actually convinced we should have a team worth watching this season and that Nigel Pearson has an embarrassment of riches in some areas.

Perhaps it's worth briefly analysing the various positions to see exactly how far we are away from an excellent team.

Goalkeepers: Henderson/Logan. Provenly steady enough in the past but Pearson seems to have his doubts and has already reportedly made enquiries about a new signing. Present rating for the position 6.

Right-back: James Chambers and Gilbert. For me Chambers has the edge for his pace and ability to keep supporting attacks. Rating 7.5.

Centre-backs: Tunchev/Hobbs/Morrison/Worley. Lots of football in there but can they deliver the discipline and reliability? Rating 6.75.

Left-back: Mattock. Although James Chambers might be an option this seems a major weakness to me. Mattock is still learning. His positional sense still needs work and there is no specific cover. Rating 5.

Right Midfield: Gradel/Adams/Odhiambo. What a difference from last season. Goals/assists all but guaranteed. Rating 10.

Centre Midfield: Wesolowski/Oakley/King/Kishishev/Porter/Clemence. Plenty of options, plenty of commitment. Just the question of whether we'll make enough happen and provide sufficient support to other areas. Rating 7.

Left Midfield: Porter/Dyer/Gradel/Adams?/A.Chambers Again a vast improvement on last season with lots of credible options nd the promise of doing some real damage to defence. Rating 9.

Strikers: Campbell/Fryatt/Howard/McKay/Hayles/Odhiambo. Perhaps too much choice and variety. There should be goals aplenty from this group at this level even if one or two get transferred. However, we still lack anyone with pace and height. Rating 7.5.

Looked at that way our major problems clearly lie in the goalkeeping and left-back departments. Central midfield is a lesser concern and perhaps down to the way Pearson chooses to slant his team and the choices he makes to that end.

[Tommy G]

Keeper and left back.

[blue blood]

yes keeper, left back and plenty of gel. Did you leave Clemence off your list for any reason Thracian? also optimistic marks for Rihgt backs, right wingers and Left wingers.

[Babylon]

I've got a dodgy back.

[Sooper Steve's shin]

yes keeper, left back and plenty of gel. Did you leave Clemence off your list for any reason Thracian?

Wishful thinking...

[Thracian]

Wishful thinking...

. Completely forgot about him. It seems so long since he played.

[blue blood]

Wishful thinking...

Pearson is prob at the stage where he is fine tuning and i would defo see no cover @ left back and a keeper that does not command the defence, as weaknesses.

[Ric Flair]

Interesting you've not listed Ashley Chambers down as a first team player, you love him as well!

[He's not bald]

Pearson is prob at the stage where he is fine tuning and i would defo see no cover @ left back and a keeper that does not command the defence, as weaknesses.

Sure is a worry,bearing in mind we've been leaking goals at an alarming rate and no clean sheet thus far,should be entertaining stuff if we're banging them in at the other end!

[Thracian]

Interesting you've not listed Ashley Chambers down as a first team player, you love him as well!

Just an oversight. Pity he didn't score from his big chance against Birmingham. My feeling is that he will go out on loan this season cos I cannot see him getting enough opportunities as things are. That's no criticism of him. He's a fast and talented young forward. But he needs to be playing and building up the case for his inclusion next season.

[bigneville]

Left Back is the major area of concern for me.

Mattock has bags of potential but it seems he still lacks some key experience to play 46 games of first team football for me.

An experienced left back is required, but obviously, not one like Jamie Clapham. Maybe someone who's played a fair amount of football at this level and know's what its all about.

Goalkeeper isn't an area of concern for me.

But I certainly wouldn't turn down another keeper coming in. Logan certainly isn't up to the level, but Henderson has shown signs he is.

Henderson + another would provide suitable cover and choice for the number 1 jersey.

Centre Midfield/Centre Forward is where I certainly feel another body needs to be released from the squad. Whether it be a youngster going out on loan for the season, or one of the old guard moving onto pastures new.

But apart from that, its exciting to see such names in the wide positions, centre half and to a level up front.

Have a high level of optimism again. Whether this is a good thing or not, i'm still undecided.

[Monk]

Good post Mr Thracian.

I haven't been to any of the friendlies so it is difficult to comment. While you list weaknesses there are few but I think there are several 'risks'

- That the strikers don't have the potency they have in pre season

- That our centre backs are not up to the job when we start playing competitive football

- Mattock/Chambers get injured

- That the youth players are too lightweight for this division

- That Pearson isn't exactly as clued up as we think he is.

All of these seem unlikely at the moment, but I think it's worth noting them because friendlies are not a great way to predict a season.

I HOPE I'm wrong.

[Daggers]

I like large breasts, mature cheese & onion cobs and alcohol.

[Tilley]

We could do with a new left back, maybe a more mature older left back for Mattock to learn from, someone better than Jamie Clapham, though.

Goalkeeper position is a funny one, Henderson doesn't really bother me but I wouldn't want to see Logan between the sticks, so yeah, maybe we could do with a new keeper.

I would also like to see Clemence leave but I believe apart from that the midfield is looking very good.

I would love to see Hayles go, leaving us with DJ, Fryatt, Howard, Chambers, McKay, Odihambo.

I still believe one forward needs to be maybe be brought in.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to make any of the friendlies, but after reading what posters have said on here, I think we have a squad more than capable of doing well next season, hopefully.

[Lillehamring]

Good post Mr Thracian.

I haven't been to any of the friendlies so it is difficult to comment. While you list weaknesses there are few but I think there are several 'risks'

- That the strikers don't have the potency they have in pre season

- That our centre backs are not up to the job when we start playing competitive football

- Mattock/Chambers get injured

- That the youth players are too lightweight for this division

- That Pearson isn't exactly as clued up as we think he is.

All of these seem unlikely at the moment, but I think it's worth noting them because friendlies are not a great way to predict a season.

I HOPE I'm wrong.

all valid points. although i would suspect that finances being what they are these days, a lot of league one teams play with a sizeable number of young players, so i'm not sure we'll be so different there, i assume you are alluding to the fact that are young guys won't be so used to the rough and tumble of this level?

[Lillehamring]

We could do with a new left back, maybe a more mature older left back for Mattock to learn from, someone better than Jamie Clapham, though.

Goalkeeper position is a funny one, Henderson doesn't really bother me but I wouldn't want to see Logan between the sticks, so yeah, maybe we could do with a new keeper.

I would also like to see Clemence leave but I believe apart from that the midfield is looking very good.

I would love to see Hayles go, leaving us with DJ, Fryatt, Howard, Chambers, McKay, Odihambo.

I still believe one forward needs to be maybe be brought in.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to make any of the friendlies, but after reading what posters have said on here, I think we have a squad more than capable of doing well next season, hopefully.

wow, that's pretty damn impressive!

[J.Lisemore]

Definately need another keeper...Henderson worries me.

[Monk]

all valid points. although i would suspect that finances being what they are these days, a lot of league one teams play with a sizeable number of young players, so i'm not sure we'll be so different there, i assume you are alluding to the fact that are young guys won't be so used to the rough and tumble of this level?

Yeah I mean, historically I think probably only about 40-50% of the youth players that come through to the first team maintain their place, and of those about 50% get pushed off the ball way to easy. Mattock & Porter are prime examples of this. So was Stef Oakes to an extent. Weso, Stears and others have proved otherwise.

To be honest, I've never seen Gradel, King, Chambers, etc so I can't comment. It's just a nagging concern I have. You're right though, hopefully that means there will be lots of lightweight defenders around...

[l444ry]

1. Goalkeeper. It's no coincidence that City started leaking badly when Fulop left. It's not all about shot stopping otherwise Henderson would be fine.

2. The opposition. All judgements on the side have been made on the back of performances against teams that are clearly inferior or were playing non-competitively against us.

[consty]

I certainly wouldn't uuse the term 'embarrassament of riches' to any department in the Leicester team. Granted, Gradel may turn out to be really good but that descripton is still pushing it at this stage.

Everything is relative, and after season upon season of mediocrity & failure it is tempting to see a decent pre-season as being indicative of an exceptionally strong squad/team. Infact, it could well be mid-table standard and no better - we just do not and cannot know yet. Judged even on the evidence of pre season the squad shows a tendency to leak goals with definite & pronounced vunerability in the defensive department. I think after 4-6 games we will have a good idea of how things are looking. I'd make no predictions at all at on the basis of preseason.

A team made up of obscure uproven names, non and lower league players, plus reserves with very little experience plus 2 or 3 experienced players who performed very badly last season is to me no grounds for making any confident predictions. Don't misunderstand this for criticism or negativity. I am not knocking the team or squad - I am open-minded and hopefull that they could turn out to be really good and I really hope they are. I will be among those who after just a few games will say so if they are doing well.... even though that would be somewhat early. But preseason in the current circumstances is to me no indicator at all.

[dandannieldanok]

1. Goalkeeper. It's no coincidence that City started leaking badly when Fulop left. It's not all about shot stopping otherwise Henderson would be fine.

Wrong, we ended up with one of the best defensive records in the league. Not once throughout last season did we go through a period of leaking badly, whether it was Fulop or Henderson in goal.

[Thracian]

all valid points. although i would suspect that finances being what they are these days, a lot of league one teams play with a sizeable number of young players, so i'm not sure we'll be so different there, i assume you are alluding to the fact that are young guys won't be so used to the rough and tumble of this level?

Porter's performances in the Championship and against the likes of Chelsea didn't suggest he was too easily muscled out of things and I don't think Division One will be any worse. Furthermore Porter may have benefitted strength wise from all the rehabilitation he's gone through after his injury. He's certainly hit the ground running since his comeback.

And all these lads have come up against big strong opponents in the past, Gradel especially. Everyone tries to kick him cos it's the only hope they have. At Sunderland in the Academy play-off final they kicked him in turn and he could hardly walk by the end. But still he didn't flinch and still he got up for more and had the last laugh.

We had Hughes in our side for ages and he hardly ever fancied a tackle. And when did Gareth Williams tackle? Low was the same and Fryatt's not the toughest when it comes to shrugging people off, especially for a centre-forward. Nor DJ for that matter.

Why is it the kids have to qualify as hard cases while with the seniors it doesn't matter. Our strength now is surely in the speed we can pass and move the ball. Why are people so resistant to it?

[Monk]

Porter's performances in the Championship and against the likes of Chelsea didn't suggest he was too easily muscled out of things and I don't think Division One will be any worse. Furthermore Porter may have benefitted strength wise from all the rehabilitation he's gone through after his injury. He's certainly hit the ground running since his comeback.

And all these lads have come up against big strong opponents in the past, Gradel especially. Everyone tries to kick him cos it's the only hope they have. At Sunderland in the Academy play-off final they kicked him in turn and he could hardly walk by the end. But still he didn't flinch and still he got up for more and had the last laugh.

We had Hughes in our side for ages and he hardly ever fancied a tackle. And when did Gareth Williams tackle? Low was the same and Fryatt's not the toughest when it comes to shrugging people off, especially for a centre-forward. Nor DJ for that matter.

Why is it the kids have to qualify as hard cases while with the seniors it doesn't matter. Our strength now is surely in the speed we can pass and move the ball. Why are people so resistant to it?

I'm not resistant to it, I'm simply stating why some have failed in the past and why I'm not getting too carried away with our youngsters just yet. You're right though there are plenty of lightweight senior players about.

Wrong, we ended up with one of the best defensive records in the league. Not once throughout last season did we go through a period of leaking badly, whether it was Fulop or Henderson in goal.

Apart from a certain game at Loftus road..... thought he was going to conceed about 10 that day!

[Dr The Singh]

I certainly wouldn't uuse the term 'embarrassament of riches' to any department in the Leicester team. Granted, Gradel may turn out to be really good but that descripton is still pushing it at this stage.

Everything is relative, and after season upon season of mediocrity & failure it is tempting to see a decent pre-season as being indicative of an exceptionally strong squad/team. Infact, it could well be mid-table standard and no better - we just do not and cannot know yet. Judged even on the evidence of pre season the squad shows a tendency to leak goals with definite & pronounced vunerability in the defensive department. I think after 4-6 games we will have a good idea of how things are looking. I'd make no predictions at all at on the basis of preseason.

A team made up of obscure uproven names, non and lower league players, plus reserves with very little experience plus 2 or 3 experienced players who performed very badly last season is to me no grounds for making any confident predictions. Don't misunderstand this for criticism or negativity. I am not knocking the team or squad - I am open-minded and hopefull that they could turn out to be really good and I really hope they are. I will be among those who after just a few games will say so if they are doing well.... even though that would be somewhat early. But preseason in the current circumstances is to me no indicator at all.

Agreed consty excellant post!!!

[Houdini Logic]

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