Barnsley Post-Match Thread

[FrankieADZ]

Just seen the goals again on SSN, all of them were pretty smart imo.

[AmyLGK]

Just seen the goals again on SSN, all of them were pretty smart imo.

DAMMIT Ive been waiting all night to watch them...now watching SS2 and the Arsenal Newcastle game! Hopefully Davie G will have caught them....!

[B52]

I think a lot more people think it will be 6 or 7 goal stuffing somwhere in the future if Sven don't try to learn the players something.

[Thracian]

As a team we were distinctly ordinary today but individually we shone so brightly in some areas that we might easily have had seven or eight goals.

Okay I winced at seeing us voluntarily conceding so much ground until our third goal. Having watched a reinvigorated Liverpool getting seven or eight players in the box in their last game at Anfield I lamented that we rarely got more than two or three forward.

But there's no denying we scored four fabulous goals and peppered the Barnsley goal with several more shots that either hit the woodwork (PVA's free-kick) or seriously stung the keeper's fingers.

And once Dyer came on and offered more pace, movement and harrassment it was always about how many we'd score not whether we'd win.

Mark Robins clearly appreciated what we offered, but for all that we misfired in so many places.

Van Aanholt, Vassell and Yakubu were particularly disappointing even though the Yak did have the consolation of what amounted to a couple of assists.

Individually there were good perfomances from Naughton, Mee, Bamba and hotshot Gallagher.

But way above them all was King. I watched him try to chip the goalkeeper earlier this season and make a mess of it. Well, he clearly worked on the technique cos today's effort was absolutely exquisite.

And the moment he anticipated and intercepted that ill-conceived Barnsley pass, there was few of us didn't expect the ball to end up in the net, such is King's accuracy and ruthlessness when offered a half-chance let alone a run on goal. Alan Birchenall likened his side-footed finish to Jimmy Greaves but, whatever, he stayed calm and characteristically did just what was needed to break Barnsley's hearts.

Thirteen goals from a midfielder with 16 goals still to play is a priceless contribution and the goals have come from so many places and so many different situations. The guy has such a quick mind and has such deft control.

While so many struggled in the wind to calm the ball and to weight their passes, King was precision itself. He never gave anyone chance to catch him in possession because he knew what he wanted to do before anyone else and the ball had gone before anyone could make a challenge. And, watching closely, there was barely one occasion when King didn't move to receive another pass as soon as he'd delivered the first.

It all looked so straight-forward yet so few of our players seemed capable of matching him even occasionally. I felt a bit sorry for Wellens. He tried hard enough. But, King excepted, there was so little movement around him til Dyer's arrival that he sometimes buckled under the strain of waiting. Both he and King looked spent at the end but far too many others barely raised a sweat. Even Abe looked like he was running on flat batteries.

Performing to 60% of capacity won't always see us through. Barnsley had their moments but never looked as if they believed they could win. Others will be made of sterner stuff and we'll need 11 men working flat out - not six or seven.

[Kitchandro]

As a team we were distinctly ordinary today but individually we shone so brightly in some areas that we might easily have had seven or eight goals.

Okay I winced at seeing us voluntarily conceding so much ground until our third goal. Having watched a reinvigorated Liverpool getting seven or eight players in the box in their last game at Anfield I lamented that we rarely got more than two or three forward.

But there's no denying we scored four fabulous goals and peppered the Barnsley goal with several more shots that either hit the woodwork (PVA's free-kick) or seriously stung the keeper's fingers.

And once Dyer came on and offered more pace, movement and harrassment it was always about how many we'd score not whether we'd win.

Mark Robins clearly appreciated what we offered, but for all that we misfired in so many places.

Van Aanholt, Vassell and Yakubu were particularly disappointing even though the Yak did have the consolation of what amounted to a couple of assists.

Individually there were good perfomances from Naughton, Mee, Bamba and hotshot Gallagher.

But way above them all was King. I watched him try to chip the goalkeeper earlier this season and make a mess of it. Well, he clearly worked on the technique cos today's effort was absolutely exquisite.

And the moment he anticipated and intercepted that ill-conceived Barnsley pass, there was few of us didn't expect the ball to end up in the net, such is King's accuracy and ruthlessness when offered a half-chance let alone a run on goal. Alan Birchenall likened his side-footed finish to Jimmy Greaves but, whatever, he stayed calm and characteristically did just what was needed to break Barnsley's hearts.

Thirteen goals from a midfielder with 16 goals still to play is a priceless contribution and the goals have come from so many places and so many different situations. The guy has such a quick mind and has such deft control.

While so many struggled in the wind to calm the ball and to weight their passes, King was precision itself. He never gave anyone chance to catch him in possession because he knew what he wanted to do before anyone else and the ball had gone before anyone could make a challenge. And, watching closely, there was barely one occasion when King didn't move to receive another pass as soon as he'd delivered the first.

It all looked so straight-forward yet so few of our players seemed capable of matching him even occasionally. I felt a bit sorry for Wellens. He tried hard enough. But, King excepted, there was so little movement around him til Dyer's arrival that he sometimes buckled under the strain of waiting. Both he and King looked spent at the end but far too many others barely raised a sweat. Even Abe looked like he was running on flat batteries.

Performing to 60% of capacity won't always see us through. Barnsley had their moments but never looked as if they believed they could win. Others will be made of sterner stuff and we'll need 11 men working flat out - not six or seven.

[MC Prussian]

We always do well against Barnsley. Thing is, I didn't think we would hammer them the way we did today.

I think the word's made the round how tough we are to crack down at the Walkers and Barnsley acted no differently at the beginning of this game. It took them 35 minutes to find into their rhythm, but this mainly thanks to our own mistakes (more details below).

Result-wise, a revelation. It could've, should've been 6-1 or even 7-1. Steele made two cracking saves, both from Gallagher?, and then there was van Aanholt's free-kick that hit the bar.

Make no mistake, though - Apart from the four cracking goals (two superb strikes, one cheeky lob and one neat finish), the team effort didn't convince me today.

There was a spell of ten minutes before the break and ten minutes into the second half where Barnsley were all over us and dominated the field with neat passes all over the place.

And none of our players intervened or could be arsed to get anything moving. We were holding back so deep, favourite nemesis called disaster was just lurking around the corner and an(other) accident waiting to happen.

That is, until King decided to break up the dull show, snatched the ball from a misplaced diagonal pass and made it 3-1 which saw the Tykes lose whatever confidence there was left.

A goal that sealed the win.

Sven mentioned it in his post-match interview and it's something that he and Fazackerley need to keep a good eye on for the rest of the season and that's keeping them players grounded with both feet.

Whereas the bad start to this season was down to Sousa's appointment/a lack of confidence and inconsistency being the team's biggest opponent when Sven got on board, now it seems like complacency is LCFC enemy number one.

Final stage of the campaign and final stage of this relatively huge turnaround. Unbeaten at home under Sven, unbeaten in the league in 2011 so far.

If you want to make it to the finish line (read: Playoffs/Promotion), we got all the goods but mentally, there's still room for improvement. Looking at the tough schedule ahead with fixtures against the in-form teams and league leaders still awaiting, the team has to learn not to squander their chances and to find a way of dominating teams when it matters.

Four individual efforts saved us from an embarrassment today, as Barnsley could've equalized during their strong twenty minutes.

Still, with Gallagher's, King's and Naughton's strikes on this great day of football, the competition for Goal of the Season just got a tad bit harder.

And Sven will be chuffed about his birthday present. Dear chants and three points in the bag.

Up the football league we go. May the playoff push continue. Wembley, here we come. And whatnot.

[MikeyT]

Leicester maintained their steady climb up the Championship table thanks to a fine win over Burnley on Saturday.

-BBC

Have i been sleeping? Did i miss something?

[Dylan]

Fantastic result- what we needed. Make sure we didn't slip up.

All four goals were absolutely fantastic and we're starting to see a change. We're now scoring goals when we're 'under pressure' like the 2nd goal (kings 1st) when earlier in the season we were pressuring teams and we concede.

In my opinion, the 'performance' wasn't the best as in how convincing we were (apart from last 20 minutes odd) but we still got a great result- which is what matters. I'm not being negative, just saying this is great how we've evolved into still getting the points- as I've seen us play better football but not win.

King was immense- two GREAT goals. I had a feeling he would start scoring once the transfer window shut. The defence were good- solid once again- showing our improvements. Mee impressed me today after I saw him last at Millwall. Abe didn't have the best of games but everyone has their bad days and shouldn't be dropped after one poorish game.

Gallagher played decent- cracking opening goal- sweet strike. His setpieces weren't the best today but we'll let him off after that goal

Tbh, I thought the Yak was very lazy today. He just walked back lazily and didn't seem interested. Hopefully he's saving it for Derby!

I thought Dyer was great coming on, and surprised he didn't start. Think we should start with him ahead of Vassell next week.

Unbeaten in 6 now with 5 wins- just what was needed. Hopefully carry it on at Derby- another 3 points would be fantastic. Bring on the sheep!

[Jackirius]

Good game, last 30 mins of the game we showed our quality. When we relax a bit and actually play football we look so threatening.

[Edmund]

For the people moaning about Yak, of course there's a flaw to his game because he would otherwise be a regular in the Premier League.

We've needed a player like him for ages. He won't score in every game and he won't spend ages chasing down lost causes but you'd generally back him to score when he gets chances and the people who are saying he dragged defenders away are completely right in my opinion.

Barnsley gave King the space and concentrated on Yakubu, as did Sheffield United for our goal on Tuesday. It doesn't matter which of the two is getting the chances as long as they get them because they are two of the best finishers in the league.

Exactly. Not only that, he had 3 assists in 3 games before todays match. There's more to a strikers game than just scoring which he's been doing anyway.

I wasn't aware we signed Dani Alves

[Prospero]

We looked like we were in second gear all game, whether that's because we thought that's all it needed, or we couldn't shift out of it I don't know. I was bored stiff though apart from 4 fantastic goals, not often they all go in.

Still the teams above will be looking at us and shitting it!!

I do not post very often and I have read and respected your posts for a long time. But please forgive me if I disagree with you now. We were not in second gear. This is Sven’s strategy working perfectly. First gear! Barnsley, to their credit, were prepared to attack throughout the match and Sven encourages the opposition to attack. He relies on a rock solid defence that will not concede (OK we did concede because Van Aanholt is not quite there yet). Our attack will come from midfield (King), wingers (Gallagher) or the defence itself (Naughton) as well as the lone striker, which is a difficult role. So Yakubu had a good game, threatening and tying up opposition defenders. He might have assisted a goal or scored towards the end. I thought it was an enjoyable and exciting match, never boring. What more do you want? We did seem second best for periods of the match but did you think we would really throw it away (as at Preston) – never! I do agree that other teams will take note.

It was an excellent performance and, as have others have pointed out, if the season had started at Sven’s appointment we would be second to only (sorry!) Forest and possibly Swansea on goal average.

In short, how can you be bored?

[Salieri]

As a team we were distinctly ordinary today but individually we shone so brightly in some areas that we might easily have had seven or eight goals.

Okay I winced at seeing us voluntarily conceding so much ground until our third goal. Having watched a reinvigorated Liverpool getting seven or eight players in the box in their last game at Anfield I lamented that we rarely got more than two or three forward.

But there's no denying we scored four fabulous goals and peppered the Barnsley goal with several more shots that either hit the woodwork (PVA's free-kick) or seriously stung the keeper's fingers.

And once Dyer came on and offered more pace, movement and harrassment it was always about how many we'd score not whether we'd win.

Mark Robins clearly appreciated what we offered, but for all that we misfired in so many places.

Van Aanholt, Vassell and Yakubu were particularly disappointing even though the Yak did have the consolation of what amounted to a couple of assists.

Individually there were good perfomances from Naughton, Mee, Bamba and hotshot Gallagher.

But way above them all was King. I watched him try to chip the goalkeeper earlier this season and make a mess of it. Well, he clearly worked on the technique cos today's effort was absolutely exquisite.

And the moment he anticipated and intercepted that ill-conceived Barnsley pass, there was few of us didn't expect the ball to end up in the net, such is King's accuracy and ruthlessness when offered a half-chance let alone a run on goal. Alan Birchenall likened his side-footed finish to Jimmy Greaves but, whatever, he stayed calm and characteristically did just what was needed to break Barnsley's hearts.

Thirteen goals from a midfielder with 16 goals still to play is a priceless contribution and the goals have come from so many places and so many different situations. The guy has such a quick mind and has such deft control.

While so many struggled in the wind to calm the ball and to weight their passes, King was precision itself. He never gave anyone chance to catch him in possession because he knew what he wanted to do before anyone else and the ball had gone before anyone could make a challenge. And, watching closely, there was barely one occasion when King didn't move to receive another pass as soon as he'd delivered the first.

It all looked so straight-forward yet so few of our players seemed capable of matching him even occasionally. I felt a bit sorry for Wellens. He tried hard enough. But, King excepted, there was so little movement around him til Dyer's arrival that he sometimes buckled under the strain of waiting. Both he and King looked spent at the end but far too many others barely raised a sweat. Even Abe looked like he was running on flat batteries.

Performing to 60% of capacity won't always see us through. Barnsley had their moments but never looked as if they believed they could win. Others will be made of sterner stuff and we'll need 11 men working flat out - not six or seven.

Excellent feedback, appreciated.

As for Andy King, I think his strength is also his weakness. By that I mean he is almost ghost-like, you can watch an entire match and barely see him yet he can pop up out of nowhere and bag a goal or two.

I'd love to see him getting stuck in and dictating play, a bit like Richie Wellens who I guess is the perfect foil for King at the moment. But maybe if he did, he would be noticed more and it would make it harder for him to have the impact that he does?

Who knows, he's a long way off being a complete midfielder, but with his return of goals he's a valuable asset nonetheless.

[FoxyPV]

fooking yeah! Onwards and upwards.

[Babylon]

What can I say prospero, I was bored. The people with me were bored and the people around me were bored (the great goals aside). Maybe it was our angle, but we seemed to lack pace (until dyer came on) and lacked any kind of urgency.

I don't over react with a win, or when we lose... I just call it as I see it, and for me we seemed like we had a few gears left in the tank.

Great result though as Barnsley are no mugs.

[StanSP]

What can I say prospero, I was bored. The people with me were bored and the people around me were bored (the great goals aside). Maybe it was our angle, but we seemed to lack pace (until dyer came on) and lacked any kind of urgency.

I don't over react with a win, or when we lose... I just call it as I see it, and for me we seemed like we had a few gears left in the tank.

Great result though as Barnsley are no mugs.

If we're saving those few gears for next Saturday, and it pays off, I'll be delighted.

[Babylon]

If we're saving those few gears for next Saturday, and it pays off, I'll be delighted.

Like I said before I don't know whether we left them in the tank, or whether we couldn't move up a gear. But for me we didn't seem like we were at it 100%.

[StanSP]

Like I said before I don't know whether we left them in the tank, or whether we couldn't move up a gear. But for me we didn't seem like we were at it 100%.

I guess in one way you could look at it if we weren't 100% today and still win 4-1, imagine what we can do when we are at 100%

[Haydos]

Like I said before I don't know whether we left them in the tank, or whether we couldn't move up a gear. But for me we didn't seem like we were at it 100%.

The first 11 is still relatively new. We have shown on numerous occasions what we are capable of this season and the more time goes by, the more I believe we will start clicking more consistently. The only downside to this theory is that several loanees will potentially be leaving in the summer, some of whom are becoming/may become key players. Naughton/Yakubu/Mee.

This season though, I reckon we're in a great position to kick on and take it to our full potential. This run of form is giving me and unhealthy amount of confidence

[Ozwin]

Andy King's chip goal, if Messi did that people would be talking about it for weeks. Absolutely stunning the way he shaped his body to make it look like a blast and then delicately chipped it over a helpless keeper. Absolutely brilliant.

[Jackirius]

Like I said before I don't know whether we left them in the tank, or whether we couldn't move up a gear. But for me we didn't seem like we were at it 100%.

I felt, when we got to the end of the match we were alot more free flowing and although you could say Barnsley had pretty much given up we seemed very comfortable on the ball, working it around nicely.

[lcfcsnow]

Are you actually being serious Babylon?

The system has totally changed from the last 15-20 years of quite frankly, shit boring hoofball. And I include the oneill era, whilst we did remarkably well, oneill was on a budget and had to set us up in a certain way to survive.

What we are seeing now is a refreshing change. Players have the freedom to play football. They're not playing in a rigid formation, unable to express themselves in fear they'll let the team down, we play the ball out of defence, forcing negative teams to come out so we have a chance of beating them. yeah, we may be open, but I'd rather that than watch a boring 0-0 or 0-1 defeat, how many of those have we seen over the years? were not hoofing it up to old carthorses to knock on to the invisible player.

I feel sorry for you if that's what you call entertainment.

[lcfcsnow]

And you mentioned a lack of pace, this is the fastest team we've had in decades. I was sick to the back teeth of watching a team of grinders unable to string two passes together trying to get a result week in week out.

At long last I am enjoying watching Leicester city, I no longer have to watch other teams on tv play football the way I wish lcfc could, and I've been wishing for 20 years.

Thankyou Sven, I am cherishing each moment you give us.

[marbelladave]

Morning all...

Great result and 4 excellent goals, great fun, in parts anyway.

As several posters have mentioned, this was hardly one of our more dynamic performances and we created little in the box, all our goals coming from distance.

To sum up, the left side of our defence is still pretty shaky, van Aanholt looks over confident and perhaps a touch arrogant, but that might just be his way, fortunately the cover from Mee and Gallagher was first class. As in the last game, the left side of our defence was targeted but this time to little effect. Mee and Bamba were both very decent and Naughton was exceptional going forward.

Midfield was not so good, Abe was poor, so poor that we actually looked better with Oakley on, Wellens was wayward, industrious but not very effective, King was easily the most effective though he still lacks presence and combativeness, his goals though were both excellent.

Up front, Yakubu lead the line, occupied the center backs but did little else, Vassell still looks a peripheral figure on the right, nothing like the player who led the line so effectively a few weeks ago. Gallagher was the only really bright spot, excellent out wide and even better when coming inside, he was, along with King by far our most potent attacking threat.

Reading the above, you might wonder how we managed to win 4-1, the simple answer is that we scored 2 goals from distance, strikes that on another day could have gone anywhere, and 2-1 was perhaps a more realistic outcome.

That said there were periods when we looked totally in control, yet barely breaking sweat, we rarely raised our game above a canter but then it did not matter. There are tougher tests to come when we will need to really step up, I just hope we can.

[Babylon]

Are you actually being serious Babylon?

The system has totally changed from the last 15-20 years of quite frankly, shit boring hoofball. And I include the oneill era, whilst we did remarkably well, oneill was on a budget and had to set us up in a certain way to survive.

What we are seeing now is a refreshing change. Players have the freedom to play football. They're not playing in a rigid formation, unable to express themselves in fear they'll let the team down, we play the ball out of defence, forcing negative teams to come out so we have a chance of beating them. yeah, we may be open, but I'd rather that than watch a boring 0-0 or 0-1 defeat, how many of those have we seen over the years? were not hoofing it up to old carthorses to knock on to the invisible player.

I feel sorry for you if that's what you call entertainment.

I don't know what anything you just said has got to do with me being bored at the game? Did I say hoofball was more exciting? No. Did I call it entertainment? No.... so what the hell are you talking about and why are you even mentioning it.

Have I slagged off Sven or his formation at any point? Again, no I haven't, so why are you making out like that's what i'm doing. I've enjoyed plenty of games under Sven, like our system and think everything is generally hunky dory (you'd be insane not to).

As many others have said though, we weren't at our best and we seemed to play at a canter. We lacked urgency and had we not scored a couple of long rangers it would look more like we just scraped past them. Seems to me you are looking at the score line and being impressed but taking no notice of what actually happened on the pitch for huge portions of the match. Or maybe you were one of the people jumping up and down with your back to goal having a gay old time and that's why you think it was such a great day out.

For me though the goals aside it was a quite drab affair for long periods, if I'm bored at a game, then I'm bored. I don't need someone like you coming on here telling me how I should be bloody feeling.

Just because we have pace in the team doesn't mean they were using it. The players strolled through the game and only when Dyer came on did they all lift their tempo.

[Babylon]

I felt, when we got to the end of the match we were alot more free flowing and although you could say Barnsley had pretty much given up we seemed very comfortable on the ball, working it around nicely.

I agree, the inclusion of Dyer added a lot to our forward line and we were much better when he came on. He was chasing down lost causes and trying to go past people whenever he got the chance.