Andy King

[The Doctor]

best to do it in a cup game then. Or against a 'lesser opposition'.

I wouldn't risk it this early in the season as our form now is important to how the rest of the season could develop. Best not to change things round just yet. We need the momentum.

blackpool or peterborough?

[StanSP]

blackpool or peterborough?

you want it to happen right away don't ya .

I'm thinking later on in the season. I wouldn't start with King or Wellens. But I'd bring King on, depending on how the match is going of course, around 65-75 mins

[The Doctor]

you want it to happen right away don't ya .

I'm thinking later on in the season. I wouldn't start with King or Wellens. But I'd bring King on, depending on how the match is going of course, around 65-75 mins

no i just think that blackpool and peterborough are small enough opposition. after all one is managed by Hollowhead and the other by an arogant, hypocritical twat (like father like son) and is filled with conference players.

[Flynny]

It's a serious problem that's not easy to solve even if you abandon 4-4-2 and try playing around with different permutations including the idea of a relatively random system.

It becomes even more serious when you consider how little our defensively sound back line contributes to our attacking impetus.

It's not a team I'd be happy with but it's the team we've got and, given what you say and the fact that the skipper won't be dropped, then where do we start.

Well, one thing we could do is play Oakley at right back. We've played him on the wing often enough but he's not explosive enough or penetrating enough for that position.

So why not use him at right back because there's nothing wrong with his closing down (he does it all the time in midfield) and he's well capable of understanding what's required in supporting those in front of him.

Result, a defender who can genuinely help going forward and a vacancy in the centre of midfield.

Next I'd seriously consider doing the same with Dyer on the left. We've not used him often in that role but he has played there and the same would apply as with Oakley.

Suddenly we could start getting forward in serious numbers and have sufficient pace at left-back at least to really hurt people and to recover. I've long believed in converting wingers to full-backs anyway.

By using attack minded players at full-back (look at Evra, Chelsea's Cole and Gary Neville of old to see how it works) that would enable players like Adams and Gradel to get involved again. Providing we're brave enough to change the resident strike partnership and introduce some pace.

Given there's no chance of using DJ instead of Fryatt the guy I'd choose is N'Guessan over Gallagher because the guy's quicker, stronger, looks like he can score and doesn't look like the greatest winger up to now.

So the team would line up:

Weale;

Oakley, Hobbs, Brown, Dyer;

Gradel, King, Wellens, Adams;

N'Guessan, Howard.

Suddenly we'd have six or seven potential scorers in the side instead of four at most and lots more pace and thrust.

Of course it's radical but radical is what we need if we're ever going to score the necessary 75 goals this season.

Defensively King can always help in front of the central defenders from set pieces and arrive late at the other end between N'Guessan and Howard to supplement attacks. We would also have genuine presence in the air from free-kicks which is simply not there at the moment.

Two genuine wingers would provide the width necessary to expose defenders and there are potential marksmen everywhere to finish moves off.

And, quickly as I could I'd start involving some of our youngsters for experience. I'm not the only supporter concerned about their lack of opportunity beyond Academy football but we've got some terrific talent coming through and they need the proper encouragement.

In fact I'm seriously pissed off when I see a Leicester team that has no-one with any connection to Leicester or its development centre at all.

It represents discouragement in capital letters.

You forgot Heskey at CB

[Thracian]

You forgot Heskey at CB

His time will come!

[Bert]

Still think it's fooking gutting we topped our group, saw off France and Romania and then still weren't seeded for the play offs. Wound up with bloody England, another group topper and even then we only went out narrowly.

Should've have been at the U21 Championships. Shambles.

Never mind

Big ask to expect him to compete with Oakley and Wellens, really. Think people need to remember he's only a lad when they're moaning about him being sub-Championship quality.

After such a good season last year, too many people over-hyped him.

The Championship is a whole different level and some people haven't realised that. Where he has many great qualities, compared to our current two central midfielders, he has less, I think. Our midfield isn't blessed with pace, but King is certainly the slowest and too one paced, and where you don't have to be fast to be a great player, it's certainly an advantage. For someone so young, he seems to tire very easy, and even though Oakley does at times, he goes missing a lot. The only advantage he currently has over Wellens is his disciplinary record.

In time King will become a great Championship player, and that'll come with experience, but after just getting re-instated to the championship, we need to be solid and have a bit of experience to hold us together. Oakley and Wellens offer more than King does here. Their records certainly show this too.

It's a shame that he's not getting a look in after a solid first full season, but as you say, he's a young lad and his time will come.

Certainly not "The Championships Lampard" just yet.

[Thracian]

Never mind

After such a good season last year, too many people over-hyped him.

The Championship is a whole different level and some people haven't realised that. Where he has many great qualities, compared to our current two central midfielders, he has less, I think. Our midfield isn't blessed with pace, but King is certainly the slowest and too one paced, and where you don't have to be fast to be a great player, it's certainly an advantage. For someone so young, he seems to tire very easy, and even though Oakley does at times, he goes missing a lot. The only advantage he currently has over Wellens is his disciplinary record.

In time King will become a great Championship player, and that'll come with experience, but after just getting re-instated to the championship, we need to be solid and have a bit of experience to hold us together. Oakley and Wellens offer more than King does here. Their records certainly show this too.

It's a shame that he's not getting a look in after a solid first full season, but as you say, he's a young lad and his time will come.

Certainly not "The Championships Lampard" just yet.

I've seen our "experience-is-best" policy at work in the Championship before. It sucked.

So far this season we've looked what we are. A passing team with no cutting edge and one that is far too predictable and respectful of others.

An honest team with good organisation but serious limitations. And a team which has no chance of success without a significant rethink about the approach necessary to achieve our ends.

As for comparative qualities I once compared King and Oakley in a list of midfield attributes just as you mentioned. It was some time ago but 'm fairly sure King came out on top.

Better header of the ball, better goalscorer, faster passer etc etc.

Not that it matters. The fact is Oakley's place has always seemed nailed on and mostly with good reason. But if he stays in central midfield we'll likely have much the same problems as before and Kingy will become nearly as peripheral as he was in our last Championship season - and how dearly that cost us.

And how ironic too considering Pearson preferred King's qualities in central midfield for much of last season. I wonder what's changed. Looking up the records of our last Championship campaign can hardly have helped so I'm at a loss.

Never mind. I suppose Kingy's had enough minutes to adjust to the pace of the Championship and should have been brilliant while he had the chance - in the negative, defensive, containing role he seemed to be given! Talk about the poisoned challice.

Funny though how fans think nothing of demanding that Neilson be given proper time to adjust to Championship football but Kingy - a guy whose goals did much to help us win promotion - is expected to be an instant hit in a few tiny cameos? One law for the experienced eh...

[Bert]

I've seen our "experience-is-best" policy at work in the Championship before. It sucked.

So far this season we've looked what we are. A passing team with no cutting edge and one that is far too predictable and respectful of others.

An honest team with good organisation but serious limitations. And a team which has no chance of success without a significant rethink about the approach necessary to achieve our ends.

As for comparative qualities I once compared King and Oakley in a list of midfield attributes just as you mentioned. It was some time ago but 'm fairly sure King came out on top.

Better header of the ball, better goalscorer, faster passer etc etc.

Not that it matters. The fact is Oakley's place has always seemed nailed on and mostly with good reason. But if he stays in central midfield we'll likely have much the same problems as before and Kingy will become nearly as peripheral as he was in our last Championship season - and how dearly that cost us.

And how ironic too considering Pearson preferred King's qualities in central midfield for much of last season. I wonder what's changed. Looking up the records of our last Championship campaign can hardly have helped so I'm at a loss.

Never mind. I suppose Kingy's had enough minutes to adjust to the pace of the Championship and should have been brilliant while he had the chance - in the negative, defensive, containing role he seemed to be given! Talk about the poisoned challice.

Funny though how fans think nothing of demanding that Neilson be given proper time to adjust to Championship football but Kingy - a guy whose goals did much to help us win promotion - is expected to be an instant hit in a few tiny cameos? One law for the experienced eh...

A lot of your points (and mine) are based on opinion though, so we'll have to agree to disagree. I don't believe for one minute though we would've stayed up if King had've played more a part. I think our cutting edge is down to a lack of not getting any crosses into the box. We've got a great target man and someone who can pick up scraps in the box, but generally the ball's getting played into their with their backs to goal.

Again, you've failed to realise the gulf of class between League One and the Championship. Players such as King, Dyer, Fryatt looked really good last season, but not yet has anyone one of them failed to replicate their form.

At the minute I'm happy with the way Oakley and Wellens are playing together. Should it need changing, I hope King can come in and do a good job.

[marbelladave]

Wow. Some seriously intense views.

I still find it difficult to understand why it appears to be the case that King has to replace Wellens or Oakley.

Why not play all three!

But no, we can"t possibly do that can we? Play something other than 4-4-2? The world will come to an end!

If that is not bad enough we may even have to break up the sainted Howard /Fryatt partnership!

I'll go and wash my mouth out!

[Joe.]

I'm pretty sure the only way King will make it into the first team this season again is if either Wellens or Oakley get injured, or, like marbelladave says, we resort to a five man midfield at some point later in the season.

Out of all our team right now I'd say Oakley and Wellens appear to be the most untouchable (in Pearson's mind anyway). Unless King puts in some serious performances in training, I really can't see much of a prominent place in the side for him this year. We'll see.

[maddog]

I'm pretty sure the only way King will make it into the first team this season again is if either Wellens or Oakley get injured, or, like marbelladave says, we resort to a five man midfield at some point later in the season.

Out of all our team right now I'd say Oakley and Wellens appear to be the most untouchable (in Pearson's mind anyway). Unless King puts in some serious performances in training, I really can't see much of a prominent place in the side for him this year. We'll see.

King has been awful so far. All he's contributed is pointless running no tackling and shit passes.

I didn't even realise he was on the pitch against Swansea until he was substituted.

We probably should have signed another CM in the window because if Wellens gets crocked and we have to play King we could be in even more trouble than not being able to score.

I think Oakley has been shit though or maybe he just had a bad game at Preston because i lost count of the awful passes he made.

[marbelladave]

I'm pretty sure the only way King will make it into the first team this season again is if either Wellens or Oakley get injured, or, like marbelladave says, we resort to a five man midfield at some point later in the season.

Out of all our team right now I'd say Oakley and Wellens appear to be the most untouchable (in Pearson's mind anyway). Unless King puts in some serious performances in training, I really can't see much of a prominent place in the side for him this year. We'll see.

Saturday 12th of September is later in the season, that will do for me!

[marbelladave]

King has been awful so far. All he's contributed is pointless running no tackling and shit passes.

I didn't even realise he was on the pitch against Swansea until he was substituted.

We probably should have signed another CM in the window because if Wellens gets crocked and we have to play King we could be in even more trouble than not being able to score.

I think Oakley has been shit though or maybe he just had a bad game at Preston because i lost count of the awful passes he made.

Unkind.

Even for you!

[Joe.]

Saturday 12th of September is later in the season, that will do for me!

Whilst I don't think it will happen, it's something that really should be taken into serious consideration. With ineffective wingers and full-backs in an attacking sense, Pearson may make changes sooner rather than later if goal-scoring becomes a major problem.

[Thracian]

A lot of your points (and mine) are based on opinion though, so we'll have to agree to disagree. I don't believe for one minute though we would've stayed up if King had've played more a part. I think our cutting edge is down to a lack of not getting any crosses into the box. We've got a great target man and someone who can pick up scraps in the box, but generally the ball's getting played into their with their backs to goal.

Again, you've failed to realise the gulf of class between League One and the Championship. Players such as King, Dyer, Fryatt looked really good last season, but not yet has anyone one of them failed to replicate their form.

At the minute I'm happy with the way Oakley and Wellens are playing together. Should it need changing, I hope King can come in and do a good job.

As you say, we'll agree to disagree. I always like reading your views, whatever.

[marbelladave]

Whilst I don't think it will happen, it's something that really should be taken into serious consideration. With ineffective wingers and full-backs in an attacking sense, Pearson may make changes sooner rather than later if goal-scoring becomes a major problem.

4-3-3 It's the future, I know I've tasted it! (Peter Kay (^TM))

Seriously;

Ipswich, Sheffield and Newcastle. We bossed the games for long periods then lost control late on. An extra man in midfield might help.

Modern wingers do not get to the by line and hit crosses, it does not happen, anywhere! Find a different way to play!

[Stueyt74]

Oh dear, I bet he`s devastated ! YOU don`t rate him, disaster, end of a promising young career.

Well if Stueyt74 doesn't rate him then I'm no longer a fan of the fucker either.

Aha. Well it's good to see that anyone with a different opinion get's slated for it. I thought the whole point in a forum was to debate and discuss topics. Pah.

[davieG]

Aha. Well it's good to see that anyone with a different opinion get's slated for it. I thought the whole point in a forum was to debate and discuss topics. Pah.

Have you tried it was friendly dig

[C-man]

Aha. Well it's good to see that anyone with a different opinion get's slated for it. I thought the whole point in a forum was to debate and discuss topics. Pah.

No point in saying that you don't rate him and then failing to give a reason why.

Why don't you rate him?

He is 20 with only one full season under his belt and although he's not a world beater by any stretch of the imagination, he's in a position to have a good career at City.

[Heart-Shaped Fox]

No point in saying that you don't rate him and then failing to give a reason why.

Why don't you rate him?

He is 20 with only one full season under his belt and although he's not a world beater by any stretch of the imagination, he's in a position to have a good career at City.

This.

He wouldnt have played in every game bar one last year if he was shite.

He is the best youngster we have produced in a while as he has always been in the team or squad rather than just playing in a few cup games here and there.

[DB11]

I saw him today at the training ground in the changing room

[Anish]

I saw him today at the training ground in the changing room

Perv.

[AjcW]

I saw him today at the training ground in the changing room

And finally:

Who's the longest in the shower??

[DB11]

He was just sitting there in his training gear, before going into the Gym.

I was getting ready to do the academy game. (U14)

[Cropwellfox]

BBC sport reporting he has pulled out of the Wales squad for this weeks' game with an injury