Academy play top of the table Cov

[davieG]

With Leicester City's first team out of action, the academy side take centre stage this morning when they face top of the table Coventry City at Belvoir Drive (11am).

Academy manager Jon Rudkin said it would be a stern test for his new, young team, and is hoping City fans will turn up to cheer them on.

"Coventry have started the season well and it will be a good physical test for our players," he said. "Hopefully, if conditions don't play too much of a part, it should be close.

"The support for the young players has always been good, so it would be nice to see some people down there."

Rudkin added: "It has been a pleasing season so far. It is a real challenge for them.

"We have a fresh group of under-18s, albeit a very small one. It is probably one of the smallest groups of players we have had for a number of seasons, but they are going to benefit from playing regularly."

[jonthefox]

cmon citeh. At whatever level versus the scumbags.

[Howard9]

Got a mate who plays for coventry Joe Pegg, went my school but now he goes to a college in leicester, certainly a player who will come up in the ranks at cov

[jamesmilner]

lost 2-1 . good game we could have nicked it !

[Thracian]

Not impressed. Watching just the first half was plenty and it will be testimony to the Academy staff to see the difference they make over the rest of the season.

These lads looked as if they'd spent hours on the fitness machines and forgotten what a ball looked like. Some of the close contol was laughable and several players even seemed short of the right studs, they were slipping so easily.

Coventry might have been league leaders but they looked there for the taking and City had countless chances including a couple of open goals which they never looked confident of scoring.

One was missed by not shooting hard enough - thus allowing an easy clearance - and the other by shooting onto the near post but there were countless other chances with crosses of various degrees of accuracy (expect pinpoint), being rained on the Coventry penalty area but with no-one looking genuinely determined to make something of them.

Leicester - once of the short ball - seemed to much prefer the Mills-type diagonal ball to the left where, unfortunately, the recipient seemed to have no great pace, no great dribbling skills and an inability to deliver a telling first touch pass - each of them skills which would surely have been key to an abundance of chances.

Eventually, Leicester went a goal behind. A Coventry attacker broke into the space between midfield and our bck four and was allowed free rein to drive forward and deliver a lowish shot that the City goalkeeper did well to parry. Someone should have prevented the shooter having time and space to close in on our box but, with a defensive back four, you'd have at least thought one or them would have reacted first to the rebound...

But no..Coventry were given ample time to bury the follow-up and what really disappointed was that no-one seemed particularly bothered. Any coach and any player intent on a professional career should have been pissed off big time but there was no more than mild enquiry among the players and, thankfully, some resolve to make amends.

This was done with an unstoppable drive from the edge of the box by City's number nine, a chance which levelled the scores for half-time and convinced me that City should win the second half without undue trouble in the strengthening drizzle.

It was obviously not to be which surprised me considering how easily the Coventry banks of defenders - two rows of four - had been pulled out of position earlier.

There was no comparing this group with the King, Gradel, Odihambo team of yesteryear. Instead they all looked like gym-honed robots rather than imaginative. inspiring footballers. No-one stood out as having great pace, deftness of touch, devastating power in the air, exceptional vision, subtle passing skills or the heart of a lion. They all looked like pre-programmed functionaries.

But, it's early days and I do remember Schluppy's team not looking too hot when first assembled and they went on to challenge for the title.

[kam6]

Got a mate who plays for coventry Joe Pegg, went my school but now he goes to a college in leicester, certainly a player who will come up in the ranks at cov

his mom works with me!

[Trav Le Bleu]

Got a mate who plays for coventry Joe Pegg, went my school but now he goes to a college in leicester, certainly a player who will come up in the ranks at cov

Got a mate who plays for coventry Joe Pegg, went my school but now he goes to a college in leicester, certainly a player who will come up in the ranks at cov

his mom works with me!

Popular guy!