A little bit of reality?

[Guest Col city fan]

This forum never ceases to amaze me in terms of the people that slate the team on the back of a bad result OR people that will continue to see the positives whatever the situation. Those whose glasses are completely full or completely empty, so to speak.

Discussing this last night in the pub with my mates (all of us 40 somethings), the general conclusion we came to is that actually City are having a poor season. Certainly worse than we thought we'd have.

The summer was wasted in terms of strengthening the squad. Whatever the reasons (many given), we failed to strengthen, quality wise, in key areas.

We have seen two of our best performers of last season (Vardy and Drinkwater) become a shadow of their former selves. Why is this? Ability? Tactics? Again, whatever the reasons, two of our players who we expected to make the step up, haven't..or at least not yet.

We all agreed that we expected more of Cambiasso, for example. For all his touches and quality passes, he's been pedestrian in too many games. We expected him to control more games than he has done.

Finally..the Jan transfer window. Though by no means closed, we all expected us to sign a provider of chances to our strikers. We nearly got Maloney but personal terms finished this. IF he's the player we needed, within reason, we need to pay him to get him. This is the Premiership..and players come with a premium.

So I'm not being all doom and gloom. Certain players have shone actually. Hammond and Wasa for instance. Schlupp is improving also. I'm also not looking through rose tints...for me, this is as barmy as being completely pessimistic.

BUT generally, as fans of City for over thirty years, we as a group are pretty disappointed. We expected better...not to be great (let me make that clear) but better than we have been. And the last thing we want is to go back down again, having not made much of a fist of staying up. This could change. But we can't see where and how unless we now make a couple more signings for players who are better than we have now.

Anyway, opinions please. Are we performing at a level everyone expected. Or are people actually quite disappointed?

[AspectFox]

To be honest, I expected more of a fight and I'd kind of hoped momentum would have played a part too.

Sort of highlights how guff the Championship is in terms of quality in comparison.

The premier league requires players to have a bit of everything to succeed, having one quality alone won't get you through.

Vardy's speed in the Championship worked, here it doesn't , he needs another string to his bow to get results in this league.

[Katy]

I always thought we'd struggle a bit but maybe do enough to stay up though (and that obviously remains to be seen).

I think after the start we made, it was almost a sense of false hope and now we're performing pretty much how I expected us to it feels more disappointing. We ballsed up in the summer and now we're paying for it. We're not down and out by any means but we've got to make this transfer window work for us, Nige needs to crack on.

As for the players you've mentioned, maybe they're still getting used to the massive step up. I think they'll come good in the end, I have no doubt and if we stay up they'll have that years worth of prem experience. I've been more disappointed in Morgan quite honestly.

[I blame Wellens]

Frustrated is the word. With Pearson and his strange tactical decisions and team selection. Frustrated with some of the team and their performances because I actually do feel that some (May be most) of our players are very good and premiership quality . Frustrated that the weakest player in the team seems to have something on Pearson. It can be the only explanation for him getting a game every week.

[Tom's Pasta]

Haven't for a second questioned the attitude or work rate of the players.

But quality wise we are lacking and it has taken Pearson too long to realise this, I think we'll have a better second half of the season but will it be too little too late, I fear that it will be.

[Captain...]

Results wise it has been poor if we had picked up a few more points from the winnable games we would be out the relegation zone. I'm talking West Brom, QPR, Burnley not Stoke.

Performance wise we have regularly shown we are good enough at this level, especially against the bigger boys, but even when we have played shite we haven't been thrashed by anyone. Stoke yesterday was one moment of class from a quality player otherwise we would have picked up a point at least.

West Brom in particular was just so unfortunate to not to get anything out of the game and QPR, it largely comes down to naivety, so many soft goals conceded and good chances wasted. We have also had real problems with injuries to midfielders.

I will not overreact to a defeat to Stoke, they are a good side and have that experience and composure and in a player like Bojan a spark to turn a drab 0-0 into 3 points.

Although I was massively dissapointed in the second half yesterday and the way we just looked clueless and didn't put them under any pressure.

[StanSP]

In classic Coldplay style,

 

Nobody said it was easy

Nobody ever said it would be so hard.

[Guest Sharpe's Fox]

Disappointed with the players you mentioned Col, but they are the exact same players people were righting off in the summer of 2013. They came in against Boro away and both scored, then went on to be the best players of that season. You'd be a fool to make the same mistake again.

[LanguedocFox]

I always thought we'd struggle a bit but maybe do enough to stay up though (and that obviously remains to be seen).

I think after the start we made, it was almost a sense of false hope and now we're performing pretty much how I expected us to it feels more disappointing. We ballsed up in the summer and now we're paying for it. We're not down and out by any means but we've got to make this transfer window work for us, Nige needs to crack on.

As for the players you've mentioned, maybe they're still getting used to the massive step up. I think they'll come good in the end, I have no doubt and if we stay up they'll have that years worth of prem experience. I've been more disappointed in Morgan quite honestly.

 

I agree, although I think Morgan has done pretty well. At the beginning of last season everyone was slagging off Vardy and Drinkwater, on the basis of relatively average performances the previous season, but they came good. I think Drinkwater is quality, although I am not sure about Vardy - other than his pace. I'd like to see us get a real midfield playmaker and possibly another defender with Premier League quality, but I think with Mahrez back, Schlupp fit and Kamaric up to speed, we will surprise a few teams between now and the end of the season.

 

As for where I thought we would be by now: well, not bottom, but struggling around 17th/18th. However, with the caveats mentioned, I still think we can finish 14th or 15th.

[MooseBreath]

Would have hoped to have been 4-6 pts better off by now at least. I'm pretty confident we would have those points had Pearson not put the team through that bizarre series of tactics and team selections that failed on every possible level. That will probably turn out to be the difference between a satisfactory narrow escape and a disappointing relegation.

[davieG]

If you been watching for 30 years then you should know with Leicester City it is to expect the unexpected. I gave up trying to predict the results of our games many years ago never mind a whole season and that's because on the whole I've been disappointed more often that I've been pleased.

 

So no surprise to me that we're struggling but then I wouldn't have been surprised if we were sitting in the top ten.

 

It's the Leicester City way.

[Katy]

I agree, although I think Morgan has done pretty well. At the beginning of last season everyone was slagging off Vardy and Drinkwater, on the basis of relatively average performances the previous season, but they came good. I think Drinkwater is quality, although I am not sure about Vardy - other than his pace. I'd like to see us get a real midfield playmaker and possibly another defender with Premier League quality, but I think with Mahrez back, Schlupp fit and Kamaric up to speed, we will surprise a few teams between now and the end of the season.

As for where I thought we would be by now: well, not bottom, but struggling around 17th/18th. However, with the caveats mentioned, I still think we can finish 14th or 15th.

Yep, would agree with all of that. I think DD can be a good Prem player but I think it's a bridge too far for Vardy sadly, which is a massive shame. Wes worries me a bit sometimes, maybe I'm being too hard on him. It does take a while to adjust to a step up like this, however fantastic a player you are or have the potential to be.

[AspectFox]

Yep, would agree with all of that. I think DD can be a good Prem player but I think it's a bridge too far for Vardy sadly, which is a massive shame. Wes worries me a bit sometimes, maybe I'm being too hard on him. It does take a while to adjust to a step up like this, however fantastic a player you are or have the potential to be.

It could all change if Wes didn't wear his 50p shaped boots, some of the angles his clearances go defy Science!

[Babylon]

I expected to be in the group at the bottom battling to survive, and we're in the group at the bottom battling to survive. For us to be having a poor season you'd have needed to be expecting more than being in a battle at the bottom, in which case it's your own expectations that are the problem.

 

Yes we should probably be a few more points better off than we are. But if we'd held on against Burnley and Wes hadn't headed against his own player against west brom, would that change my mind on how the whole season has gone being a few points better off, not really.

 

Sometimes we're good, sometimes we're bad, sometimes we don't get what we deserve, sometimes we get more. We're not really that much worse than the 4/5 teams above us.

[Finn Claw II]

Pretty much agree. I thought Drinkwater and James would step up, possibly Mahrez. Going into the season my concerns were defence, DM and Attack. We haven't been totally destroyed by anyone yet but neither have we really dominated many (apart from villa?).

Extremely surprised we didn't sign a commanding CB but was seems to have stepped up.

I guess one way of answering the question is ask which of our players will be snapped up if we are relegated? Ulloa and Mahrez? Any others?

[Matt]

I thought these players would do better than they are doing, a relegation battle was expected but I also thought we had more quality than we are showing.

These players have failed themselves and us as fans.

I'm disappointed in them, I had faith in them that they'd step up.

If (When ) we go down these players can get us back up, whether they will is another question, should they get us back up I'd want an overhaul, which could do good or bad but these players are no good for this level simple as that.

[Katy]

It could all change if Wes didn't wear his 50p shaped boots, some of the angles his clearances go defy Science!

Ha! Yes, they do don't they. Yesterday was a prime example of that!

[Stevosevic]

You don't get much time to adjust. It's not like the Championship where you can waste a season 'building', finish 7th and have another go next year.

 

You get one season and you need to be good enough, if not, you're going down and you have to start again.  

[Fox92]

Thought we'd be higher - certainly didn't expect Burnley to shift from the bottom - but then again we still aren't far off (certainly not "dead and buried" which a caller said post match yesterday) and haven't been dominated (we seem to lose by the odd goal, that said, it's still a loss regardless). Pearson has obviously been loyal to the players that smashed the Championship which in a way I can see why but I think he'll just be as disappointed as us fans that certain players haven't stepped up. 

 

That said, I've been impressed with Ulloa in particular. Don't understand why we leave him on the bench at times. I do think we'll stay up though, don't know why but my belief is still there.

[DennisNedry]

I expected us to be in and around the relegation zone all season, not rooted to the bottom for weeks and months on end. 

 

I think we all knew we were going to be in trouble with such a poor summer in terms of transfers. Worryingly Pearson only seems bothered buying forwards now too, when it's midfield where we're desperately lacking.

[Wasyls Pec Deck]

I expected better, but I believe everyone associated with the club underestimated the gulf in class between the champ and prem - management, players and supporters. I remember watching the Everton game, and me and my dad both turned to each other after 10 mins and said 'wow'.

I think our naivety and lack of experience is telling. But it's not all been doom and gloom - there have been some success stories. Particularly the attitude and workrate of the players, and some individuals.

It might sound as if writing expecting relegation, but our relatively young squad will be better for this experience - and if for the most part they can kept together - they'll be back and better for it.

It would be a shame if the crowd starts to get on the players back. Let's get behind them, support them - and have a real crack at the great escape.

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[Lcfc_1995]

I expected us to struggle but I didn't expect the signings we had made to perform as badly as they had done, Ulloa has a good tally of goals it's just that he's had 2 goals in 16(?) appearances, cambiasso has struggled I thought, and we still need strengthening in centre midfield, as we do not have a consistent partnership in there due to injuries etc. however, I believe some of the signings made in the summer were mistakes, and this can possibly show due to Terry Robinson leaving the club?

[6ups 6downs 2 cups]

Expected a little better, we may scrape through, think pinning a lot on those last 8 games, just hope we are not cut adrift by then. Still think Burnley (especially after yesterday)and QPR to go down.If we could just survive we can reflect and move forward. As people said summer transfer business and a few players not yet making the step up looks like being our downfall.

[MHC]

I expected us to be the best of the three promoted teams by some distance. Turns out we are the worst. I was optimistic and maybe a little naive as I was convinced we would spend most of the season flirting with 12th or 13th. I am absolutely convinced that we are significantly underachieving. We should do better and I'm not sure who's to blame. Pearson and his tactics? The players and there ability or lack of it? The owners having too much faith in the manager? Robinson for failing to sign players of significant quality? Maybe it's a mixture of all of those things. If things don't take a turn for the better in the next couple of weeks then I'm afraid this season will be considered a right off by me. We are running out of time.

[Matt]

I harp back to when we played QPR, I said it was a must win game, must win because if we lost (Which we did) we'd go bottom and would not come off bottom people disagreed, it unfortunately seems I was right.