King

[chili_con_carne]

Yet again does nothing all game, it's almost like he's invisible because you don't seem to notice him at all. does he deserve any more chances? Also does anyone else think the ref seemed to be on our side today! Gave us all the decisions, makes a change from the usual shit refs we get.

[Finnegan]

Thought he was alright today. Did a reasonable amount defensively, covered some good yards.

Didn't set the world alight but nobody in our midfield did. He's had far worse performances lately, not sure what you're complaining about. 6/10 today I guess for most.

[HEGGSY]

Generally he is a non existent player. However as finnegan said he didn't do too bad today.

[Narborough_fox]

Apart from Kasper and the 2 CB's I can't think of any player that stood out today. We were poor and yes King has been playing below par most of the season but he held it together at Palace when the rest of the midfield crumbled. To constantly pick on King week in, week out is getting ridiculous when there are worse players on the pitch than him. Gallagher to name one today.

[Hollism]

For me he was the only one who managed to get a clearance that didn't end up in the stands! Kasper's kicking today was way off, and none of the back 4 managed to reach the halfway line. King on the other hand made 2 or 3 clearances that got rid of the danger and found a blue shirt. He had a fairly good game. I only remember him having one shot and it wasn't the worst I saw today.

[accessory]

Couldn't fault anyone in our midfield today. It wasn't their fault none of our strikers could hit a barn door..

[Libertine Dream]

Apart from Kasper and the 2 CB's I can't think of any player that stood out today. We were poor and yes King has been playing below par most of the season but he held it together at Palace when the rest of the midfield crumbled. To constantly pick on King week in, week out is getting ridiculous when there are worse players on the pitch than him. Gallagher to name one today.

I thought Danns was excellent today, his booking seemed to hold him back but all in all I'm glad he's playing in his position, looks like the player he was last year for Palace.

[LCFC BEAST]

I can't see why people think he doesn't do a job? He's playing as our silent assassin. He's played a more defensive role this season but has worked his socks off every game he plays. Yes he's not getting the goals he was last year but he's still doing a cracking job for the team.

[dannythefox]

Did well defensively today but I really don't know what's gone on with him but I'm sure Pearson will get him back firing!

[paddy Agyemang]

Done really well today and carried the midfield in the first half but gally wasnt that impressive

[Kitchandro]

I seem to be in a minority here but I thought he was shocking today. Looked unfit, lacked effort at times, attempts to tackle were pathetic.

I would hope he'll be on the bench and we'll bring in a good creative midfielder in the window.

[chili_con_carne]

I know he was alright, he wasn't exactly poor. But i just think we should expect more from him. we definitely need a new creative

Midfielder if we are going to push up

The table. I'm not his biggest fan. Mills had a great game i thought on the other hand.

[Thracian]

Yet again does nothing all game, it's almost like he's invisible because you don't seem to notice him at all. does he deserve any more chances? Also does anyone else think the ref seemed to be on our side today! Gave us all the decisions, makes a change from the usual shit refs we get.

Are you kidding? King made a whole stack of important defensive clearances right in front of the Leicester fans. And did a lot more as well. In fact it was a rarity when he lost possession for us at all and so often he relieved a tightish situation by quickly transferring the play with a simple but effective pass to feet.

On a day when the swirling winds played havoc, he and Tunchev forever tried to do the simple thing well, providing the foundation for what became a reasonably dominant away performance in the end and one we'd have won but for the constant wasting of between six and eight excellent chances.

Those "chances" were forgotten too by at least one radio caller who, for some reason, condemned a midfield which created enough easyish chances to have put four or five goals on the scoresheet.

There were no great shining lights in today's performance but King probably made fewest mistakes and his contribution took him pretty close to MoM Tunchev or the other contenders like Danns, Mills (for one vital block and some stout defending) and even Kasper (despite some wayward kicking) for two excellent first half saves which stopped us going behind and even Dyer and Wellens for some excellent work towards the end.

King today played an essentially defensive role - and did much to help us keep a welcome clean sheet while still finding time to get forward on occasions.

[chili_con_carne]

Fair enough, it might be just me. I just prefer a centre midfielder that gets stuck in, liked jay spearing when we had him on loan. just think our midfield is too easy to play against. We need a player like spearing or cattermole in there.

[Corky]

He was very strong defensively, not too dangerous going forward but he wasn't invisible.

[Guest Col city fan]

Fair enough, it might be just me. I just prefer a centre midfielder that gets stuck in, liked jay spearing when we had him on loan. just think our midfield is too easy to play against. We need a player like spearing or cattermole in there.

Yes. This team sooooo misses some midfield steel... Been saying this since the summer.

Spearing wont come now, unfortunately.. Super little player

[Thracian]

I know he was alright, he wasn't exactly poor. But i just think we should expect more from him. we definitely need a new creative

Midfielder if we are going to push up

The table. I'm not his biggest fan. Mills had a great game i thought on the other hand.

It wasn't creativity we missed today. We hit the post, Nugent lobbed wide of an open goal, Gallagher blasted high over when unmarked from 12 yards with only the keeper to beat, Beckford skied a straightforward chance from 18 yards after Dyer's feed, Dyer lashed over the bar from a few yards after their keeper had saved a close range Nugent header and that's just the simple chances...

[beryllind]

He was very strong defensively, not too dangerous going forward but he wasn't invisible.

He was very strong defensively, not too dangerous going forward but he wasn't invisible.

For a young player he should be a lot more of a force in midfield, and that is what the City are lacking

[davieG]

Perhaps you don't notice him because he makes very few mistakes and manages to find a blue shirt 99% of the time unlike most of the rest.

Also to physical tackle someone invariably leads to a free kick, the modern game is all about closing people down and steering them into less dangerous channels looking for opportunities to intercept passes or to force errors or take advantage of unforced errors which we seem to be masters at with our wayward passing.

[MattyFromLE]

Perhaps you don't notice him because he makes very few mistakes and manages to find a blue shirt 99% of the time unlike most of the rest.

Also to physical tackle someone invariably leads to a free kick, the modern game is all about closing people down and steering them into less dangerous channels looking for opportunities to intercept passes or to force errors or take advantage of unforced errors which we seem to be masters at with our wayward passing.

Totally agree!

[Kitchandro]

Perhaps you don't notice him because he makes very few mistakes and manages to find a blue shirt 99% of the time unlike most of the rest.

Also to physical tackle someone invariably leads to a free kick, the modern game is all about closing people down and steering them into less dangerous channels looking for opportunities to intercept passes or to force errors or take advantage of unforced errors which we seem to be masters at with our wayward passing.

He makes few mistakes because he doesn't want the ball most of the time and rarely tries to pick out a meaningful pass. He'd rather pass responsibility to someone else even if it slows the move down. This is annoying as he has the talent to do something with it. This idea that he's actually playing well it's just that you don't notice him is so overused. You notice players who are playing well because they are making significant contributions. Whether it's interceptions (and btw, these don't count if the opposition player just makes a terrible pass and plays it straight to our player who just happened to be standing there), tackles, good passes, goals, etc.

As for his defensive work, I can think of an example of him not doing much, one of their players squared up to him down the right in the second half, he stood off him and let him run at him, made no wortwhile attempt to stop the cross and had some Forest players gambled in the middle it may have been a goal.

If yesterday was a decent performance from him then that's all the more reason to replace him, there are midfielders who do so much more in this league.

[Jimmy]

Perhaps you don't notice him because he makes very few mistakes and manages to find a blue shirt 99% of the time unlike most of the rest.

Also to physical tackle someone invariably leads to a free kick, the modern game is all about closing people down and steering them into less dangerous channels looking for opportunities to intercept passes or to force errors or take advantage of unforced errors which we seem to be masters at with our wayward passing.

spot on Davie

[davieG]

He makes few mistakes because he doesn't want the ball most of the time and rarely tries to pick out a meaningful pass. He'd rather pass responsibility to someone else even if it slows the move down. This is annoying as he has the talent to do something with it. This idea that he's actually playing well it's just that you don't notice him is so overused. You notice players who are playing well because they are making significant contributions. Whether it's interceptions (and btw, these don't count if the opposition player just makes a terrible pass and plays it straight to our player who just happened to be standing there), tackles, good passes, goals, etc.

As for his defensive work, I can think of an example of him not doing much, one of their players squared up to him down the right in the second half, he stood off him and let him run at him, made no wortwhile attempt to stop the cross and had some Forest players gambled in the middle it may have been a goal.

If yesterday was a decent performance from him then that's all the more reason to replace him, there are midfielders who do so much more in this league.

Where did I say yesterday was a decent performance, I thought yesterday's game was totally devoid of any quality to my mind no one performed to their ability and left me totally disillusioned about any progress we are making and left me thinking of the Levein era when we had the excuse of cutting costs and no money to replace.

My comments were simple about his apparent invisibility and his lack of physical challenges, he's not the perfect midfielder by any means.

As for him slowing the game down that really is laughable if had players around with even a smidgen of a football brain which our team seems devoid of and were prepared to move to receive passes and in return pass back to him on his numerous wasted runs forward we might actually make some progress.

Yes he has his weaknesses but slowing the game down isn't one of them, he certainly needs to impose himself more, but not by making clattering challenges but by demanding the ball form his team mates, being generally more vocal to let players know he is and was available, he reminds me of many apprentices I trained who when they became fully skilled and as competent or more competent than their fellow workers still retained the air of a trainee.

The number times he drops back to receive the ball from the defence and is totally ignored, mostly by Mills, like wise the number of times he enters the oppos penalty area and is completely ignored only for someone to blast the ball over the cross bar is shocking is it any surprise that he does it less and less.

We currently have a team of disparate players there is little or no blend of skills or cohesion in all the time I've seen King and Wellens together in midfield they have rarely if ever looked a partnership. Their skills don't complement each other, they look like strangers and seemingly rarely pass to each other. That's not a dig at Wellens either. The team is littered with similar 'partnerships.

[Stuliasz]

Perhaps you don't notice him because he makes very few mistakes and manages to find a blue shirt 99% of the time unlike most of the rest.

Also to physical tackle someone invariably leads to a free kick, the modern game is all about closing people down and steering them into less dangerous channels looking for opportunities to intercept passes or to force errors or take advantage of unforced errors which we seem to be masters at with our wayward passing.

A midfielder should still be noticeable even if they do have a high completion rate, hiding behind a high pass completion rate doesn't mean he's necessarily having a positive impact on the team. Yes he finds a blue shirt most of the time but that's because in recent months, he seemingly can't get rid of the ball quickly enough and won't take the responsibility of forward movement himself, perhaps for the fear of losing the ball. Therefore most of his accurate passes tend to be negative, backwards or sideways as they are the easiest passes to play.

King was always best as an attacking midfielder when driving forward with confidence. The one time he actually tried this yesterday in the second half, he did this successfully and won us a free-kick in a dangerous position. However he's not doing this nearly often enough or as much as he used to. Whether he is being stifled by tactics or his own confidence I'm not sure but I really think people are overstating King's current impact on the team, he is capable of much better.

[Babylon]

Couldn't fault anyone in our midfield today. It wasn't their fault none of our strikers could hit a barn door..

I thought the midfield was beyond shocking until we made the changes.