City 0-2 Q.P.R

[Lillehamring]

Nobody was really terrible today , maybe Wellens( ish), but we never really looked like scoring. Fair play to QPR they closed us down and defended in numbers. They were happy to let us pass the ball around 37 times and finally back to the goalie after they had scored. Their cynical gamesmanship was awful to watch but it got them results.

Pretty football's all very well when both teams want to play. If the other team want to spoil then you have to have exceptional players to win. Our players aren't that special.

sounds like just about the most accurate post in this thread.

[Trav Le Bleu]

sounds like just about the most accurate post in this thread.

Indeed - and that's not Sousa's fault since he had no idea on his reasources, if any, to bring people in.

[Trav Le Bleu]

To stand a chance of promotion you have to win ugly occasionally and I would rather come away from home and win ugly than play the 'Arsenal' way and get rolled over.

I don't believe we will sustain this run for much longer, nor do I personally believe we will be top 2, but we can all wish, hope and pray; well if you are QPR of course!

Are you saying that we can't even wish, hope or pray?

We're doooooomed!

[Babylon]

We might actually score if our players made runs. How many times yesterday we had a midfielder with the ball, 4 or 5 players in front of him and not one of them made a run to create space.

[leftsideoverhere]

Strange comment.

Firstly why does it have to be a choice between the two? Pearson seemed pretty good at winning games without resorting to 1-0 hoofball.

Secondly why do you say "fans" as if they are not proper fans for wanting the team to win?

Because the people I'm thinking of spend the games sat on their arses in silence, and boo the team at the first opportunity. They don't merit the description "fans" in my book, but they buy their tickets and demand their "right to be critical" all the fooking time.

I'm sick of hearing peoples say "this pretty football is all very well, but it's results that count". I'm as partial as anyone to nicking three points away from home with a rugged performance, but the idea that we should play like that week in, week out, just saddens me. Even (most of) the QPR fans in this thread are saying that the way they played yesterday was a deliberate tactic for the circumstances and the opposition, and not their usual approach to games at Loftus Road. Thank fook for that.

And let's be honest about Pearson, who I rate highly as a manager able to get good results with a bargain basement squad - his teams often had an air of hoofball about them (Howard up top, Wayne Brown the iconic defender). And it wasn't often we won by more than the odd goal.

[Edmund]

Where are Sousa's signings? Has he realised the players he bought are inept at this level?

Waghorn wasn't really one of his signings leaving Ikeme as the only player playing yesterday brought in by Sousa albeit on a emergency loan.

People knocked some of Pearson's signings but Sousa's don't appear good enough to get in the squad.

[davieG]

Where are Sousa's signings? Has he realised the players he bought are inept at this level?

Waghorn wasn't really one of his signings leaving Ikeme as the only player playing yesterday brought in by Sousa albeit on a emergency loan.

People knocked some of Pearson's signings but Sousa's don't appear good enough to get in the squad.

Maybe he's giving them time to acclimatise which he should have done with Moreno and Lamey in the first place. Besides Vitors been injured, Abe's only just arrived Moussa's straight out of the lower Leagues. Most are on the bench and I'm sure if we could score first and get ahead in the game they would come off the bench like Abe did against Cardiff.

[Koke]

One day it will tick and we'll cruise from then on. Fryatt, Waghorn, Dyer, King, Gallagher etc. scored nearly 50 goals combined last season. They haven't become shit finishers overnight.

I still hope to see Waghorn through the middle and Gallagher as a left forward where he can track inside.

We'll be come good eventually.

[Corky]

We might actually score if our players made runs. How many times yesterday we had a midfielder with the ball, 4 or 5 players in front of him and not one of them made a run to create space.

Agree with this. Many players were stationary, close to defenders when they should've been looking for a gap. All it led to was a breakdown of a move through going backwards or a longer pass than would be needed.

[Dan]

Relatively speaking, you're absolutely right. When you look at how well Mackie works within the Rangers team and how Waghorn, played on the bloody wing, struggles from the start and that Yuki Abe, the other "high-profile" signing, isn't even in Sousa's first-team plans but rotting on the bench, you have to ask yourself what the management's goals/the overall intentions are for this season. Just another transition year? Million-pound players either played out of position or not featuring at all - that's not the future. That's suicidal.

Is Abe not match-fit, lacking the physical power to make it over here in England or is it Sousa's way of saying that he doesn't like the guy?

P.S.: I was more banging on about some QPR fans claiming that Mackie was signed for absolutely cheap. Which he was not.

Totally agreed with that, but then again I wouldn't be surprised by some of these claims that Waghorn and Abe weren't Sousa signings, I'm not being funny but isn't it ironic our first ever Japanese bloke has come in within a month of new Thai investors?

To be fair, 8 in 7 at £1mil (ish), give me that over £500k and 4 in 7.

Yes we've had a huge amount of shots, but how many of those were actual chances? Most of those shots come from unharmful positions, because we can't get into many goalscoring positions, the only decent chances I can remember yesterday were a scuffed Waghorn shot from around 6 yards, and when Kenny saved from Gallagher late on. Nearlly half of our shots yesterday must have came from Gallagher alone!!

First sentence is spot on IMO, I ain't being funny but 11 shots on target yesterday? Can't be true.

[ian_marshall]

Agree with this. Many players were stationary, close to defenders when they should've been looking for a gap. All it led to was a breakdown of a move through going backwards or a longer pass than would be needed.

I think this is the main reason why we are not scoring. I've noticed over the past few games that whenever our midfielder's have the ball there's no movement at all from the front men. Our attackers currently seem very reluctant to run into the channels and exploit open spaces. I'd expect Dyer and Waghorn to have a field day with their pace if they made these runs, but they seem very reluctant to do so, which inadvertently means Wellens and Oakley hold on to the ball longer allowing the opposition to get men behind the ball and break down our attacks. Furthermore, both Dyer and Waghorn seem to be playing very deep looking to collect the ball from midfield which just leaves Fryatt isolated. Seems like these players have been instructed to play this way as last season they were often playing just off the shoulder of the last man looking to get in behind the oppositions back line.

[skinnydipper]

I'm not a Howard fan but we were so much more of a threat when he came on as he was able to hold up the ball and bring others into the game. Even better when the pacy Dyer and Waghorn play alongside him as against Cardiff. Interesting to see the players reaction to Sousa at the end. The only one who avoided his handshake was Howard who made a bee-line to shake Keith Curles' hand as a means of avoiding Sousa. He's probably got the arse about the lack of a contract extension and being on the bench.

As for Fryatt I think he's talented but he's never been that great for us save for when he was negotiating his next contract. He put a shift in yesterday but was incredibly ineffective. Difficult for me to see where he fits in the system we're playing at the moment. Time will tell.

[phillthefox]

We might actually score if our players made runs. How many times yesterday we had a midfielder with the ball, 4 or 5 players in front of him and not one of them made a run to create space.

i agree nobody was pushing forward out out wide, and it showed as when QPR came forward they were making runs and getting onto passes , we just couldnt handle them yesterday, although the ref didnt help...

[caz05]

why is he playing oakley ? sorry , but he is not good enough. been poor for me all season , heard some ringing his praises but the captain the worst player ? neilson not good enough. sousa played 4-5-1 why ? it didnt work , when fryatt managed to flick on (didnt win much in the air) it fell to them . we passed lovely , SIDEWARDS, with the cutting edge not there. the ref was poor i know , but so what ,we have to deal with that . and for the second goal where their player was watched by four of our players pick the ball up when we should have cleared it and walk the ball into our net just ripped my heart out completely . what do we do to stop this rot ?

What the fook has oakley done wrong,it shouldnt have been him subbed yesterday it should have been wellens,oakley has been brilliant up to now

[cambridgefox]

Totally agreed with that, but then again I wouldn't be surprised by some of these claims that Waghorn and Abe weren't Sousa signings, I'm not being funny but isn't it ironic our first ever Japanese bloke has come in within a month of new Thai investors?

To be fair, 8 in 7 at £1mil (ish), give me that over £500k and 4 in 7.

First sentence is spot on IMO, I ain't being funny but 11 shots on target yesterday? Can't be true.

[/quoteThe distance between Tokyo and Bangkok is about 3000 miles,near neighbours then!

[Guest ttfn]

Because the people I'm thinking of spend the games sat on their arses in silence, and boo the team at the first opportunity. They don't merit the description "fans" in my book, but they buy their tickets and demand their "right to be critical" all the fooking time.

I'm sick of hearing peoples say "this pretty football is all very well, but it's results that count". I'm as partial as anyone to nicking three points away from home with a rugged performance, but the idea that we should play like that week in, week out, just saddens me. Even (most of) the QPR fans in this thread are saying that the way they played yesterday was a deliberate tactic for the circumstances and the opposition, and not their usual approach to games at Loftus Road. Thank fook for that.

And let's be honest about Pearson, who I rate highly as a manager able to get good results with a bargain basement squad - his teams often had an air of hoofball about them (Howard up top, Wayne Brown the iconic defender). And it wasn't often we won by more than the odd goal.

Not really sure what I disagree with more here: the notion that fans can't voice their discontent with the players/system or the idea that football is anything other than a competitive sport.

Football is played to win. The whole notion of the football pyramid structure is based around teams seeking to win, rather than play nicely. Don't get me wrong, I would like to see us play attractive football. But do we want a team that play nice football or are successful? People seem to have this idea that life under Pearson was inherently dull. But for every 0-0 against Derby there was a 4-0 against QPR. That 2-1 away win at QPR last season was the perfect Championship away display. We got stuck in, worked hard and played some nice football. Sousa has admitted that his players are unprepared for the first part, there's suspicions that they aren't fit enough for the second, so we seem over-dependent on the third.

Under Pearson we hoofed when necessary, which really is what good teams at this level should do. We tried to pass it, but when that didn't work, we had a 'Plan B' (see the two Cardiff play-off games last year).

As for your comment about non-singing fans, I suspect that you are totally ignorant of the non-singing support, assuming them to be inferior supporters to you. I've said this before, but I sit in the West Stand, surrounded by some of the most knowledgeable fans around. Some used to be Koppites but are older now, others just don't like to sing. They all share one thing: they care about Leicester City Football Club. And if they don't like what they have paid to see, they have just as much right as anybody else to let it be known.

The noise the Kop/L1 made on Tuesday was terrific, and obviously that meant that 65% of the home support was comparatively quiet. But these people have just the same right to criticise or applaud the team as you. These people have paid their money, and at the end of the day, once you enter the stadium you can support the team how you like (within the rules).

This is exactly what is marvellous about the Fosse Boys. They embrace the idea that there are different cultures and ways of watching football and being a fan. This can involve participating in the 'ultra' mentality, or, if you want, sitting there in total and utter silence. Different people want to watch football in different ways, and 'your' way is no better than anybody else's.

Also, I find it ironic that you're talking about the fact that you have to sing to support your team to be a true 'fan'. Your forum name is a song which has absolutely nothing to do with supporting the team.

[Prospero]

>ttfn

One of the most sensible posts in any thread I have read. I agree totally. I think the Fosse Boys were fantastic on Saturday, with their banner behind them. However, some of us who are older supporters were just as noisy in our youth but now prefer to sit and react more quietly. I go to all of the away matches and I am happy to stand when I have to in order to see the game and to join the singing if those around me are singing. I do think I am entitled to support the team in the way I find most enjoyable.

[caz05]

i agree nobody was pushing forward out out wide, and it showed as when QPR came forward they were making runs and getting onto passes , we just couldnt handle them yesterday, although the ref didnt help...

While i am reading this i have match of the day 2 on,now dont get the wrong idea im not saying were man u or liverpool but to listen to shearer talking about torres getting no service,up alone at the front and about none of the midfield looking to pass to him and pass back to the goalie,then the goalie hoofs it up to torres (which in his words is no good to torres) .

Now to me that sounds like us yesterday,i would be interested if anyone else watched this and though the same

[Maybes]

The disappointing thing about QPR is their shit away following

[ACF]

Seriously, has Tuesday's game been wiped from the records in a similar way to when we pwned Watford all over the shop 3 years ago?

Pearson didn't even play 4-4-2 ffs, no one was calling for it then.

Mate, I obviously dont get to any of the games, I just read the posts and put on what I think is needed. We obviously need to take out chances- 2 upfront, instead of one. Dyer is playing out of his skin, so keep him in an attacking position. Moussa played well when he came on, give him a chance. We can still play the way we have been in terms of style, but if we revert some things back to basics it might work.

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

I miss Nige.

[James.]

Not really sure what I disagree with more here: the notion that fans can't voice their discontent with the players/system or the idea that football is anything other than a competitive sport.

Football is played to win. The whole notion of the football pyramid structure is based around teams seeking to win, rather than play nicely. Don't get me wrong, I would like to see us play attractive football. But do we want a team that play nice football or are successful? People seem to have this idea that life under Pearson was inherently dull. But for every 0-0 against Derby there was a 4-0 against QPR. That 2-1 away win at QPR last season was the perfect Championship away display. We got stuck in, worked hard and played some nice football. Sousa has admitted that his players are unprepared for the first part, there's suspicions that they aren't fit enough for the second, so we seem over-dependent on the third.

Under Pearson we hoofed when necessary, which really is what good teams at this level should do. We tried to pass it, but when that didn't work, we had a 'Plan B' (see the two Cardiff play-off games last year).

As for your comment about non-singing fans, I suspect that you are totally ignorant of the non-singing support, assuming them to be inferior supporters to you. I've said this before, but I sit in the West Stand, surrounded by some of the most knowledgeable fans around. Some used to be Koppites but are older now, others just don't like to sing. They all share one thing: they care about Leicester City Football Club. And if they don't like what they have paid to see, they have just as much right as anybody else to let it be known.

The noise the Kop/L1 made on Tuesday was terrific, and obviously that meant that 65% of the home support was comparatively quiet. But these people have just the same right to criticise or applaud the team as you. These people have paid their money, and at the end of the day, once you enter the stadium you can support the team how you like (within the rules).

This is exactly what is marvellous about the Fosse Boys. They embrace the idea that there are different cultures and ways of watching football and being a fan. This can involve participating in the 'ultra' mentality, or, if you want, sitting there in total and utter silence. Different people want to watch football in different ways, and 'your' way is no better than anybody else's.

Also, I find it ironic that you're talking about the fact that you have to sing to support your team to be a true 'fan'. Your forum name is a song which has absolutely nothing to do with supporting the team.

Great post, pretty much sums up everything I was thinking when I was replying to leftsideoverhere's first post.

[The Doctor]

terrible. If the penalty was given then it's a completely different game, we were in control of the game at the time.

But why is it for almost every game this season (Burnley and Cardiff aside) we've been bemoaning a wrongly disallowed goal (M'boro & Reading), a penalty that should have been but wasn't (Cov, QPR) or Luck (Palace)?

We aren't actually playing all that poorly and but for circumstances out of our control (shite refs) we'd be up there. Yes we aren't scoring many but i'd be more worried if we weren't creating chances because eventually those chances will be buried.

This season will be a transition season and always would have been, pearson or no pearson, last seasons success was all down to the momentum from promotion. This season we haven't got that momentum, we've got to get ourselves going with out that. It's no coincidence that us and forest are struggling along in mid to lower table after the play-off defeats. It will take time to regroup following that.

[leftsideoverhere]

Not really sure what I disagree with more here: the notion that fans can't voice their discontent with the players/system or the idea that football is anything other than a competitive sport.

Football is played to win. The whole notion of the football pyramid structure is based around teams seeking to win, rather than play nicely. Don't get me wrong, I would like to see us play attractive football. But do we want a team that play nice football or are successful? People seem to have this idea that life under Pearson was inherently dull. But for every 0-0 against Derby there was a 4-0 against QPR. That 2-1 away win at QPR last season was the perfect Championship away display. We got stuck in, worked hard and played some nice football. Sousa has admitted that his players are unprepared for the first part, there's suspicions that they aren't fit enough for the second, so we seem over-dependent on the third.

Under Pearson we hoofed when necessary, which really is what good teams at this level should do. We tried to pass it, but when that didn't work, we had a 'Plan B' (see the two Cardiff play-off games last year).

As for your comment about non-singing fans, I suspect that you are totally ignorant of the non-singing support, assuming them to be inferior supporters to you. I've said this before, but I sit in the West Stand, surrounded by some of the most knowledgeable fans around. Some used to be Koppites but are older now, others just don't like to sing. They all share one thing: they care about Leicester City Football Club. And if they don't like what they have paid to see, they have just as much right as anybody else to let it be known.

The noise the Kop/L1 made on Tuesday was terrific, and obviously that meant that 65% of the home support was comparatively quiet. But these people have just the same right to criticise or applaud the team as you. These people have paid their money, and at the end of the day, once you enter the stadium you can support the team how you like (within the rules).

This is exactly what is marvellous about the Fosse Boys. They embrace the idea that there are different cultures and ways of watching football and being a fan. This can involve participating in the 'ultra' mentality, or, if you want, sitting there in total and utter silence. Different people want to watch football in different ways, and 'your' way is no better than anybody else's.

Also, I find it ironic that you're talking about the fact that you have to sing to support your team to be a true 'fan'. Your forum name is a song which has absolutely nothing to do with supporting the team.

I don't think you should take forum names too seriously. Mine's a joke about my politics, and very little to do with the song.

You seem determined to disagree with every word I write, whether or not you understand it. That's your right, I guess, but it's a tad annoying that you miss the point so spectacularly in order to do.

People can of course support the team any way they want. And if they want to support them by sitting quietly in the West Stand then that's fine. Their applause will play its part in supporting the team just as the kop's singing will. My objection is to the people who think that paying £20 to watch a game entitles them to express their "support" by booing. That isn't support, not in the least. It can only serve to undermine players' confidence and therefore make a better performance less likely.

I'm really not interested in re-opening the forum favourite of 'singing v non-singing' or 'standing v non-standing' to see who is the better fan. But whether you sing or not, as soon as you boo your own team you've stopped being a supporter at all.

As for the style v results debate, I think it's significant that you chose an away victory to illustrate your peaon to Pearson's style. The irony of Pearson's approach was that he often set his team up to play better football away from home. But at the Walkers last season I can remember many more frustrating 0-0 or 1-0 games than I can 4-0 romps.

Football is a competitive sport, but it is also a form of entertainment. If it's just about the competition, then why do people go to watch? If all that matters is the result, wouldn't listening to the classified results at 5 o'clock in the comfort of your own living room be more pleasant? That we turn up to watch in all kinds of weather shows that the result is not all that matters.

If it was the case that playing attractive football inevitably led to defeats then maybe we would be forced to choose results over performances. But the style of the top teams in the Premier League and elsewhere in Europe suggests that isn't the case. Changing the style of our team isn't something that can happen overnight, and my view is that we should be prepared to tolerate a season of mid-table inconsistency while Sousa's approach gets instilled in our team. Some people dream of being Wigan; I'd rather we aspire to be Chelsea.

[Ric Flair]

It's games like saturday where I wished I didn't care about Leicester any longer. Travelling 220 miles round trip to watch your team is often an effort but when they play like they did, it's sickening.

I have voiced my opinions on Sousa, and they still stand. But I shan't dish out the vitriol that he deserves as i'll just be moaned at.

Sousa's biggest problem is that he's come in to this club on the back of a successful period under a completely different regime. Sousa's style of football, which has it's attractiveness and qualities when done right is probably better suited when you can build a team from scratch and not inherit one that is used to winning in a completely different fashion.

Under Pearson we were a mixture of quick passing and attacking play, with a direct route when we were under the cosh. We often played too direct when we didn't need to, as we proved we could play an effective and attractive style of play with some of our build up play. But irrespective of how we played, we won matches and were one of the best sides in the league,

On saturday the most worrying thing was that we didn't even play the style of football Sousa is reknown for, it was a display that you see from any team that is devoid of confidence or ideas as we are simply not organised. It was aimless passes and long balls, just wanting the ball gotten rid of as quick as possible because none of the players had the desire or drive to get a foot on the ball and make QPR work.

Paulo said we were tired from Tuesday, it's probably the most honest thing he's ever said. But why are we tired Mr Special One? Because it's likely you've not got the squad fit enough. It's only September for god sake, it's really worrying.

Thankfully we've got a team far worse than us twice in a week, but it's away from home so we could still easily lose. Fryatt looks like he did under the series of failed managers we had a few years ago and that is another indication of what's going wrong.

Waghorn needs to be integrated through the middle more too, he's not a wide player as you're taking away his ability to draw central defenders out of position and getting behind them.

Something has got to change, was the Cardiff game a false dawn? Or was this game just a minor blip on our road to moving up the table? I'm sadly veering towards the former.

Not impressed Mr Sousa.