Yann Kermorgant

[MrSpaM]

From Leicester Mercury:-

"Yann Kermorgant has said he fears becoming the 'plague of Leicester' after his controversial play-off semi-final penalty miss.

The Frenchman, currently in his native Brittany, has broken his silence to a French newspaper after becoming alarmed at the level of damnation he has received in Leicester.

Kermorgant was widely condemned for the nonchalant way he chose to take the vital spot-kick in the penalty shoot-out at the Cardiff City Stadium last month. He has now decided to speak out, with the report stating he fears he could become the 'plague of Leicester'.

The 29-year-old striker tried an audacious chip which Cardiff keeper David Marshall comfortably saved.

Leicester missed out on a place in the Wembley final – and a chance to reach the Premier League and win the estimated £90million jackpot – when Marshall then saved Martyn Waghorn's kick to put Cardiff through.

Kermorgant has said he had not received a call from anyone at City since his miss, and fears he will be forced out of the Walkers Stadium when he returns for pre-season training on July 7 because of the reaction from supporters.

He has said he does not want to leave City and that he turned down a lucrative offer from Caen last year to join the club.

"(The reaction) has been greatly exaggerated and has taken on incredible proportions," Kermorgant told French newspaper Ouest France, which speculates that he now regrets not accepting the Caen offer.

"It is a moment that obviously is not easy to live with in a career and I am sorry I missed the penalty.

"Certain people have taken the pleasure to remonstrate that, and it has hurt me.

"I still have two years of my contract left. If it is in Leicester, then it is at Leicester, if it is elsewhere because they no longer want me, it will be elsewhere.

"I am very disappointed that they haven't given me more confidence. For an attacker that is the key."

Kermorgant, who made nine starts and scored one goal last season, has received criticism from many quarters about the way he chose to take the penalty, with some accusing the former Stade Reims striker of arrogance.

Kermorgant, who initially joined Leicester on a short-term deal before signing a two-and-a-half year contract in January, had been staying in his hometown of Vannes ever since the season finished.

He struggled to settle when he first arrived at Leicester but manager Nigel Pearson and his coaching team were impressed by his performances in training.

He was widely considered by Pearson and assistant Craig Shakespeare as one of the best finishers and headers of the ball in training.

But he struggled to transfer that form to the first team, although he did show glimpses towards the end of the campaign when he scored a fantastic goal in the 2-0 win over Middlesbrough at the Walkers Stadium at the start of May."

I for one feel pretty sorry for this guy running up to the start of the season now, anyone who says that song hasnt done any damage needs to think again, we've basically lost a striker over it now if his confidence never comes back.

Think we should get behind him when the season starts? I'll be cheering for him just like every other player in our squad.

[lcfc_jme]

From Leicester Mercury:-

"Yann Kermorgant has said he fears becoming the 'plague of Leicester' after his controversial play-off semi-final penalty miss.

The Frenchman, currently in his native Brittany, has broken his silence to a French newspaper after becoming alarmed at the level of damnation he has received in Leicester.

Kermorgant was widely condemned for the nonchalant way he chose to take the vital spot-kick in the penalty shoot-out at the Cardiff City Stadium last month. He has now decided to speak out, with the report stating he fears he could become the 'plague of Leicester'.

The 29-year-old striker tried an audacious chip which Cardiff keeper David Marshall comfortably saved.

Leicester missed out on a place in the Wembley final – and a chance to reach the Premier League and win the estimated £90million jackpot – when Marshall then saved Martyn Waghorn's kick to put Cardiff through.

Kermorgant has said he had not received a call from anyone at City since his miss, and fears he will be forced out of the Walkers Stadium when he returns for pre-season training on July 7 because of the reaction from supporters.

He has said he does not want to leave City and that he turned down a lucrative offer from Caen last year to join the club.

"(The reaction) has been greatly exaggerated and has taken on incredible proportions," Kermorgant told French newspaper Ouest France, which speculates that he now regrets not accepting the Caen offer.

"It is a moment that obviously is not easy to live with in a career and I am sorry I missed the penalty.

"Certain people have taken the pleasure to remonstrate that, and it has hurt me.

"I still have two years of my contract left. If it is in Leicester, then it is at Leicester, if it is elsewhere because they no longer want me, it will be elsewhere.

"I am very disappointed that they haven't given me more confidence. For an attacker that is the key."

Kermorgant, who made nine starts and scored one goal last season, has received criticism from many quarters about the way he chose to take the penalty, with some accusing the former Stade Reims striker of arrogance.

Kermorgant, who initially joined Leicester on a short-term deal before signing a two-and-a-half year contract in January, had been staying in his hometown of Vannes ever since the season finished.

He struggled to settle when he first arrived at Leicester but manager Nigel Pearson and his coaching team were impressed by his performances in training.

He was widely considered by Pearson and assistant Craig Shakespeare as one of the best finishers and headers of the ball in training.

But he struggled to transfer that form to the first team, although he did show glimpses towards the end of the campaign when he scored a fantastic goal in the 2-0 win over Middlesbrough at the Walkers Stadium at the start of May."

I for one feel pretty sorry for this guy running up to the start of the season now, anyone who says that song hasnt done any damage needs to think again, we've basically lost a striker over it now if his confidence never comes back.

Think we should get behind him when the season starts? I'll be cheering for him just like every other player in our squad.

He's hardly wrong; he will struggle to be forgiven by most of our supporters, more than likely booed at home games unless he scores at least once every game and probably will eventially get forced out of the place. Sure, the reaction to his miss was exaggerated - it was one of the most important moments in our clubs' recent history and his was the kind of ridiculous arrogance that will inevitably bring damnation and stinging criticism if it goes wrong. Hardly suprising, really.

I think he should be given a chance to make amends and a second bite of the cherry, so to speak. But I guess it's just unfortunate that many of our fans may not feel the same.

[Maybes]

As soon as this season starts its a clean slate for him from my perspective however him saying all this about giving him confidence - us as fans are hardly gonna brown nose him after the way he went about his business in Cardiff.

[Bettsj2]

He's hardly wrong; he will struggle to be forgiven by most of our supporters, more than likely booed at home games unless he scores at least once every game and probably will eventially get forced out of the place. Sure, the reaction to his miss was exaggerated - it was one of the most important moments in our clubs' recent history and his was the kind of ridiculous arrogance that will inevitably bring damnation and stinging criticism if it goes wrong. Hardly suprising, really.

I think he should be given a chance to make amends and a second bite of the cherry, so to speak. But I guess it's just unfortunate that many of our fans may not feel the same.

It's piss poor that nobody from the club has spoken to him since the game. It's inevitable that he's going to be boo'd and its a real shame.

He has shown glimpses of a good player and if he had more confidence then he could be a really good member of our squad. But I think it's obvious that he's not gonna get the chance and we'll find a way of disolving his contract.

Such a shame that a large section of our fans cant forgive.

[Heart-Shaped Fox]

He can bugger off far as I'm concerned. If I was in his shoes, I'd be keeping my head down and aiming to do as much possible to help banish the memory of that penalty, not giving interviews about how he feels.

[MikeyT]

What he tried to do with that penalty was stupid, but while he's a Leicester City player and wears a City shirt i will supprt him like i would any other player in our team. I hope he can move on now and regain some confidence for the start of the new season and i hope we as supporters of Leicester can get behind him too.

[Alexikokopops]

To be honest the whole thing had slipped my mind.

[Ashley]

The way I see it is yeah he is a cock for trying it but IF that penalty went in, everyone would be smashing one out over him... Every penalty he's took he has chipped it..

[DarkTranquillity]

Time to forgive and forget. He's a city player and i for one will be behind him for as long as he is one. He will have a proper pre-season and should be given every chance to make a fresh start.

Come on Yann, i believe in you!!

[ozleicester]

Waghorn missed also.

Come back Yann.. all is forgiven

[breadandcheese]

Providing he works hard on his return, I don't think he'll get too much stick. He displayed enough neat touches to show that there is a player in him, so as long as he shows willing and gives his all, he'll be fine.

WIth regards the club contacting him, that is the manager's perogative. the players had a clear the air meeting at the end of the season where Pearson said he was proud of the squad and he'd see them on their return to pre-season training.

[FoxyPV]

I think he'll do well this season if NP plays him up front. Most of the games I've seen him come on, he's been played as a midfielder and used to shore up a result.

All players make mistakes and hopefully he will bag at least 10 goals next season.

Everyone seems to forget that NP played 4-5-1 at home in the first leg and inevitably that cost us the tie.

Onwards and upwards as what happened in the past should be let go and we should focus on doing well in the coming season.

:scarf:

[Sooper Steve's shin]

I was feeling sorry for him - until this article. If he felt that bad, he should have been in the papers the next day holding his hands up and saying he'd put it right next season. He wouldn't have got half the stick and probably had the manager/team backing him. Instead, he slopes off home and whinges to the local newspaper that he won't be given a chance. He won't now. This is a blatant way of engineering a move away (or setting up an excuse if he proves as rubbish next season as he was for most of the games he's played for Leicester to date).

Au revoir, monsieur.

[martyn]

We're not in a position to be losing more players, especially a player who, in my opinion, definitely has something to offer down the line.

Yes it was a poor way to miss a penalty, but any fan booing him from the offset around me next season will be getting some abuse levelled in their direction. He made a mistake in a huge huge game, he didn't kill anyone.

[JoeyB]

At the end of they day it was a stupid thing to do, but i've got to give him credit for having the balls to take a penalty because i doubt i would have been able to do it, yeah he should have taken it properly but he tried something different and if he would have scored everyone would have praised him!

But like Maybes said come the start of the season its a clean slate for everyone, time to get behind the team and support them!

[MrSpaM]

We're not in a position to be losing more players, especially a player who, in my opinion, definitely has something to offer down the line.

These are my thoughts exactly pretty much, the way things are looking, the only striker were going to be left with is Fryatt. I'm starting to get a bit concerned as to who were going to be playing up front next season unless these two free agents were looking at are both strikers.

But wait dont we need a couple of midfield players too?

Hmmmmmmmmmmm

[MPH]

Yann is only now beginning to understand just what footy means to the average English football supporter.....

He could of course been columbian...

[Guest Mee-9]

Agree with Maybes.

My view is that, The thing i will remember about that match, isn't Kermorgants miss. It's the fact that that night, Every player, in the Leicester kit played with passion and their hearts. That's what the game should be remembered for.

[Frenzied]

Anyone that boos Kermorgant or any of our players is childish and short-sighted.

[Guest Basildon Fox]

If he goes, he goes. Nothing to do with the ridiculous penalty, more the fact he is not good enough at this level.

The thing that worries me about this is that far from saying he is going to get his head down and work hard to establish himself next season suggesting the best of him is yet to come, he is crying like a little girl to the French media suggesting that people are being horrid to him. Just seems a little childish to me. What does he expect? Perhaps the rest of the squad should get him a condolence card to make him feel better. Also I can't remember reading 1 article where his team mates have slated him, even in the heat of the moment after the game.

[Zingari]

i'm just giving him a Gallic shrug

[orangecity23]

I for one hope that Kermorgant stays, and proves his worth next season. From a technical stand point, he has the makings of a good striker, he has good ball control and technique, a vicious shot, and he's superb in the air. If there's anything that lets him down its his positioning, if he got in and around the box more often he'd pose more of a threat. Towards the end of the season he was starting to look handy, when he was playing up top in the Watford and Middlesborough games with Vaughan, the two linked up well and seemed to have a good understanding.

To be honest, I don't like the thought of any of our fans booing him when he returns. To boo a player for missing in a shoot out is daft. And why are people so angry anyway? Because of the way he missed a penalty? FFS, it doesn't matter if he chips it tamely, blasts it miles over the bar or falls on his arse as he hits it, a miss is a miss, the way its missed is inconsequential. Besides, I don't see any England fans viciously booing Lampard all over the place, and he's been missing important penalties all over the bloody shop recently, including at the last World Cup to knock us out.

Then again, after being at the Walkers and having to listen to some of the shite that comes out the mouths of some of our fans, booing will be no surprise. We have ****** who slag off Fryatt after every miss, claiming that he's 'always been shit', then switching to gushing praise when he scores moments later. ****** who slag off Howard constantly, but start screaming to get 'bloody Howard on' the moment he isn't playing, then immediately switch back to barracking him when he's on the pitch. In fact, I'm convinced there are plenty of 'fans' who only make some noise when it comes to berating our own players, and it really gets my goat. You're supposed to be supporters, hows about showing some support FFS?

Yann is a City player. He's part of our team, and just like everyone on the team he deserves some support. I'll be cheering him on next season, just like I'll be cheering for Fryatt, Howard, Hobbs, Tunchev, King, Wellens, Dyer, Weale, Berner and every other City player who appears. I'll even cheer for DJ bloody Campbell if he appears and shows a bit of bloody effort.

[Corky]

I hope he doesn't get booed, it's done now, a new season and a fresh start for everyone.

[foxoffderby]

He has apologised in that article, which is a good start in breaking fresh ground. I for one, have made that many mistakes in my life.... on reflection I'm always happy to give somebody a second chance. I hope he can turn the miss into a tool to motivate himself next season. I think he has got potential, its time to deliver next season.

[dandannieldanok]

I couldn't care less about the penalty anymore, he shouldn't be here because he did nothing over the season. This guy will not be an integral part of a promotion-winning side, he's not good enough or cut out for it.