Aimless hoofing.

[teblin]

Direct football can work. Look at stoke and us under O'Neill. We just don't have the players that suit that style.

[Sunbury Fox]

We aimlessly hoof because we have no composure and no control. Babs was right in the match thread. There's no triangles going on, unless you consider a gap of about 30yards a triangle. There's little give and go, the only one who does this is Cambiasso really, and it's so much more dangerous in the final third. It can really impact there.

Our passing today was woeful. That's usually indicative of a side that knows the opposition is better in my experience.

Not sure it is to do with composure. The main problem is that in a 442 our team is too spread out and therefore keeping possession is so much harder. Swansea who are the best passing team outside the big boys have always played 3 in the middle, 2 wide and 1 up front. We should be looking to emulate that; with the right tactics and system I think we could still be good enough to be out of the bottom 3.

[ozleicester]

Our passing is substandard and definitely too slow.

 

The touches should be short and sharp with players presenting. In the middle of the park we are much too slow and dont strike the ball cleanly or firmly enough. (watch Cambiassos's passes, almost always crisp). It requires a quality first touch, and that is definitely something we lack currently.

[MC Prussian]

Direct football can work. Look at stoke and us under O'Neill. We just don't have the players that suit that style.

Our passing has been dismal, sauf Cambiasso's input. Coupled with a lack of courage, lack of skill and lack of composure, it's a recipe for disaster.

 

In this division, everything moves fast. For most part, we're either too slow in our passing approach or rather not precise enough.

I think it all boils down to a lack of belief in one's own ability. We're giving the ball away so carelessly and too often, anyway.

And when we've got the ball, we don't really know what to do with it.

[lee7]

I can understand that when we are clearing the ball out from defence we'd look for the channels to just drop it behind the left/right back to try to utilize vardys pace but when that's the only option we have for a full 90 minutes it is inexcusable.

Our centre mids should be dropping short to recieve the ball turning and looking for a pass along the floor. If they're tightly marked then they lose their marker and play the ball back to the defender so atleast then it's dragged a player out of position. Instead all our midfielders do is recieve the ball, turn and ping it 60 yards in the air for vardy to chase. Failing that the defence then do it.

Moore got exposed yesterday majorly for his aimless hoofing, he simply can't pick a pass.

[RGFox]

Last few games really demoralising and resorting to hoofing reminds me of couple of years ago, free-flowing football goes out the window. Likely linked to lack of confidence and don't have faith in any strikers (Ulloa apart) to actually score this season.

Can't see Nugent or other strikers getting any more than 5 goals each.

Defoe or another proven striker needed in Jan. Similarly a commanding centre back needed too.

[Kitchandro]

It is. When you play 442 the idea is that you bypass the midfield by lumping it from defence to attack, thereby taking advantage of your numerical advantage further up the pitch and out wide.

The problem is that its a shite idea

 

Yeh straight out of the coaching manual that.

 

If you've got good wide players it's fine. Mahrez and Schlupp needed to offer something at both ends, and they did neither. They did not come inside to help the middle two, nor did they track back well enough in wide positions. They created nothing going forward either.

 

This was the formation we played last season, remember. We weren't a hoofball team them.

[cc_star]

Actually quite a few times yesterday we found Ulloa's chest and he played someone else in only to see the attack break down because someone else gifts the ball away

[narboroughblue]

That's because we should be playing 3 in the midfield. It's so obvious.

This.

Lack of options as we are overrun. No surprise the last couple of games the opposition has pressed us hard and made us resort even more to lumping it forward. 4 4 2 doesn't work in this league long term.

[Fox Ulike]

Yeh straight out of the coaching manual that.

 

If you've got good wide players it's fine. Mahrez and Schlupp needed to offer something at both ends, and they did neither. They did not come inside to help the middle two, nor did they track back well enough in wide positions. They created nothing going forward either.

 

This was the formation we played last season, remember. We weren't a hoofball team them.

 

Well no, Schlupp does come inside to make up the numbers into a 3 when we don't have the ball. Mahrez just floats around. The whole thing is messy and very easy to get wrong.

 

Their winning goal sees Schlupp covering back in Centre midfield, but no one is out wide to deal with Hutton. Straight outta the 'How not to...' manual.

[Bugman]

Hoofing was the only way we were going to get anything as we couldn't string two passes together without giving it away.

[Dickov22]

Yeh straight out of the coaching manual that.

If you've got good wide players it's fine. Mahrez and Schlupp needed to offer something at both ends, and they did neither. They did not come inside to help the middle two, nor did they track back well enough in wide positions. They created nothing going forward either.

This was the formation we played last season, remember. We weren't a hoofball team them.

Mahrez created nothing going forward? Apart from our goal you mean?

[Hirsty The Blue 94]

Every team does this when chasing a game. I watched the last half hour of Chelsea v Newcastle and Chelsea (the best team in this league) must have chucked at least 20 balls into the box in the last 10 minutes straight from the back. It's not a Leicester City thing, its a football thing and it's common sense really, the quicker you get the ball forward the more opportunities you get to create a chance.

[GingerrrFox]

Have a look back at that game and 90% of the time it wasn't our midfield that were playing the hopeless hoof upfield. The main culprits were Wasilewski, Moore and Konchesky all 3 of them had **** all composure on the ball and looked to play long at every opportunity. Perfect example was in the first half there was a nice bit of interplay between James and Cambiasso who passed it back to Konchesky, one touch and HOOF upfront to no one. Such a waste and it does nothing but invite more pressure on your defence.

[RedSoxUK]

Yeh straight out of the coaching manual that.

 

If you've got good wide players it's fine. Mahrez and Schlupp needed to offer something at both ends, and they did neither. They did not come inside to help the middle two, nor did they track back well enough in wide positions. They created nothing going forward either.

 

This was the formation we played last season, remember. We weren't a hoofball team them.

 

Yeah... no... Schlupp and Mahrez got forward plenty of times and had many opportunities, Mahrez looked fantastic again for us, Schlupp's shooting is why he's not playing as a striker, but he managed to get forward in them positions, and i'm calling bullshit on them not coming insise, because they did - Mahrez is even replicating le cut inside man the last few games.

 

And we were not a hooball team last season because we weren't trailing most games 2 - 1.

[UpTheLeagueFox]

we should be playing 3 in the midfield. It's so obvious.

 

and when we did that, Pearson was 'clueless' for lacking creativity by not going 4-4-2 

 

Damned if you do...

[Buzzell]

We hoof it because we have no other options available perhaps? We can't hold the ball up in midfield so if we're chasing a game then they must think hoofing is the better option.

I'm not saying it is though. It's absolutely pointless hoofing it up to Vardy aswell as Ulloa who is usually tracked by two players.

[Fox92]

This is why I think nugent should play as we can't play passing football with ulloa in the team

 

However, we've been doing it when Ulloa has gone off too. And that's more frustrating because we've got nothing to aim (Nugent and Vardy both being small of course) so the ball just comes back. It's so annoying. I wish we'd just retain the ball better, starting with the defence coming short for the ball and demanding it off the goalkeeper.

 

I think it's because of the state our form and confidence is in. At the start of the season, we were playing decent football with Ulloa up top. He holds the ball up better than any of the other strikers.

 

And Wood is a waste of time. Doesn't win anything in the air at all either.

[Fox Ulike]

and when we did that, Pearson was 'clueless' for lacking creativity by not going 4-4-2 

 

Damned if you do...

 

I don't think that anyone could blame Pearson for trying 442, like he did at home to Sunderland. But a few questioned that he continued it away at QPR, which we lost. A lot were then perturbed that he continued it at home to Liverpool. Which we lost. And then a lot more were SHOCKED when he chose the same formation against Villa. Which. We. LOST.

 

 

So it's more a question of 'damned if you do... do again... then do again... and then do yet again..'

[Dickov22]

and when we did that, Pearson was 'clueless' for lacking creativity by not going 4-4-2

Damned if you do...

Not true Geoff. Pearson got it badly wrong playing 4 central midfielders in the same side, it wasn't the fact he wasn't playing 442 more the fact we lacked width. To me it's clear we need 3 in the middle but still need a natural wide man in the side also. Thats do able!

[Stadt]

It's Ulloa, we were playing good football until he came on - it's not even that he's bad in the air but because he's marked by two players we're giving the ball away mindlessly.

When you're chasing a game you need runners from deep, players staying on the touchline stretching the opposition, players running at the defence and clever movement.

It's not all down to Pearson obviously but I feel he could get more movement out of the players, the same can be said for set pieces.

[Grewks]

It's Ulloa, we were playing good football until he came on - it's not even that he's bad in the air but because he's marked by two players we're giving the ball away mindlessly.

When you're chasing a game you need runners from deep, players staying on the touchline stretching the opposition, players running at the defence and clever movement.

It's not all down to Pearson obviously but I feel he could get more movement out of the players, the same can be said for set pieces.

 

 

It had nothing to do with ulloa.....We were always going to go more direct in the second half with being 1-0 down.

 

 

The problem was...how the hell is Ulloa meant to compete with Kompany, mangale, toure and Fernando all at once? he was the only one in the box at times.

 

 

 

I personally thought our movement was decent today....but I honestly believe it is more a case of players driving the ball into space rather than a lack of movement off the ball. King and mahrez did it well first half.

[Vicki Vixen]

The hoofing is a product of having defenders who are uncomfortable on the ball.

This is something which I really hope we address because at the moment we simply give away possession too much. Last season DD was dropping right back to collect the ball from the defenders. This season we don't seem to have anyone playing that role. I'd like to see Cambiasso dropping deeper to get the ball like the Man City midfielders were doing today.

[Larry_LCFC]

We started hoofing from the off and 9 times out of 10 we lost possession as a result. We made far more progress actually running up the field with the ball. I think the fact we choose not to do it very often just highlights the lack of quality. Nothing to do with Ulloa.

[cjslcfc]

The pattern of play is similar every game. I'm sure teams press us deliberately towards the left hand side. The ball goes back to a centre back (usually Morgan) who has few options so gives it to Konchesky. Konchesky doesn't have the confidence or composure on the ball so chips it forward. Most of the time we lose that ball and the opposition attack again. It happens far too much for it to be accidental, I'm convinced teams target us and feel we aren't as dangerous down the left hand side.