I Can't Believe What We're Seeing This Season - Notes for Leicester Friday, 21st Feb 2014 11:06 by HarryFromBath HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Saturday's game by delving into their forums. "If we don't go up, given the position we're in, it will be our fault and no-one else's. It would take a colossal drop in form — worse than last season — to not get the points needed", "I see few signs of complacency", "I can't see us faltering again." Leicester's nine-match winning streak has ended with two 2-2 draws, at home to the Hornets and then against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. Supporters were happy with how their team fought back in each game. At half-time, the Foxes were two down against Watford, and a goal and a man down against Forest. "This side give 100%. They're not always effective, but you cannot fault their endeavour and never say die attitude. This is our best team since the O'Neill days and will develop into a better team", "We have scored in the last 10 minutes in five of the last six games." "Nigel Pearson is absolutely perfect for this club", "You can tell how thorough he is and how well prepared his teams are", "Everyone that knows him says he has a great sense of humour", "He's a man of integrity and good values, just who we want at the helm", "Nigel's a top, top bloke." A Letter to Nigel"Dear Nigel, I am writing to apologise for doubting you. When we had that terrible run last season, I got worried and called for a change. I was wrong. You have turned around Sven's disjointed squad and rectified the mistakes of last year. "You have achieved a balance between youth and experience which is crucial for success. Well done, Pearson. You have the squad playing with steely determination and some real quality. Keep it going. I salute you." Stopping the FoxesWednesday's draw with Forest was a very much expected blood-and-thunder local derby, which saw left-back Paul Konchesky red-carded after an hour. However, Watford's counter-attacking tactics two weeks ago gave Leicester's 4-4-2 formation more than few headaches. "Watford got behind the ball in numbers and made it extremely difficult for us to break them down", "They slowed the tempo down and we didn't pass the ball quickly enough", "Their spoiling tactics worked to some degree", "There was too much sideways passing and not enough attacking with space." "We didn't play to our strengths against Watford. We're at our best with our full-backs overlapping, and players driving into the box or cutting balls back", "In the second half we played much wider and spread play much quicker, rather than trying to break through the middle." Defence"Our defence can be a bit sloppy, and not cut out the long balls quickly enough. We have a tendency to let the ball bounce and not make it ours." There was some criticism of their defence's hesitancy on occasion. "Kasper Schmeichel is destined for the Premiership. It's a good thing that it looks like we'll go up. If we didn't, I'm convinced he'd be off." The 27-year-old former Leeds goalkeeper "is an outstanding shot-stopper", and "is commanding and imposes himself when called upon."
The Danish international is out of contract this summer. "I think he's gone regardless of whether or not we get promoted", "He's a top keeper, but would be important in maintaining the stability of our defence if we go up." "We need a keeper with better positioning." Fans are also critical of his occasional indecisiveness, which cost them their first goal against Forest. "The penalty was Kasper's fault. I heard the call from my seat so Wes Morgan stopped. Kasper hesitated and put us in a right load of trouble." "I love it when Wes Morgan jockeys the ball out of play, and strikers try absolutely everything to get around him", "He is awesome, solid as a rock", "I have confidence that he will deal with any situation", "He's immense, just a brick wall."
The 30-year-old former Nottingham Forest centre-back is praised for his strength and consistency. "His first half performance against Middlesbrough was colossal." "Against Bournemouth, he nullified all the attacks launched by Lewis Grabban and had all their attackers in his back pocket as well." Morgan's centre-back partner Marcin Wasilewski "is solid and aerially strong, but is pretty slow, and sometimes looks like a red card waiting to happen", "He will be seen as a weak link because of his lack of pace and can be turned easily." There has been one recurring concern voiced about the 33-year-old Poland international, who joined the Foxes from Anderlecht this summer. "He has done the elbowing thing numerous times and there's never been any trouble for him", "I'd like someone to have a quiet word in his ear." Liam Moore made his first appearance at the City Ground since breaking a rib in Leicester's 2-0 win at home to Middlesbrough in January, coming on from the bench. The 21-year-old youth product "is quick, throws himself in front of everything and has decent distribution." "Moore's pace is his strongest attribute", "His concentration can lapse and he can sometimes be caught out of position", "He has come in in leaps and bounds this year", "There's no reason to rush him back. A not fully fit Moore could be a liability." "Richie De Laet was nowhere near as adventurous against Watford in going forward as he usually is. He so often dictates our style of play. The fact is that we play well when he pushes on." The 25-year-old right-back "is one of our most consistent and key players. He gets up and down so well." "De Laet wasn't to blame against Watford. The number of times Wasilewski was ignoring simple passes to his right and hoisting the ball into the swirling wind was infuriating." The Belgium international "never ever gets outpaced", and "has been excellent in recent weeks." "I like the look of Aaron Cresswell, and at 23, he's got years on Paul Konchesky." Our left-back was the most popular choice on a thread discussing which Championship players could strengthen their team. Konchesky was dismissed for a "reckless and out of control" tackle after an hour against Forest.
"Jeff Schlupp played last year when we won 6-0. It's meant to be." The 21-year-old is seen as the most attacking left-back option to replace the suspended Konchesky. "The way Schlupp and Dyer link up is second to none. Ipswich would have to work very hard to stop one or both of them causing trouble." Central Midfield"I'm just pleased that we actually have a decent central midfield for the first time in years", "We play with great fluidity. Our midfielders can be in the box with our strikers dropping back", "We've destroyed every side this season which has come to attack us." "We're going to have to get used to teams coming to park the bus in the run-in", "We need to pass the ball quickly", "This run-in isn't going to be as easy as everyone thinks. We'll see a lot more teams come to us and set up like Watford did." "We struggled to cope with Forest's three in midfield at times", "Matty James and Danny Drinkwater struggled to impose themselves for much of the game on Bournemouth's midfield trio." Forest, Watford and Bournemouth all played with three central midfielders to counter Leicester's threat here. Matty James"The amount of hard work James puts himself through for a full 90 minutes is a joy to watch. He's a brilliant passer of the ball and is one of the coolest players in possession. He knows when to pass the ball, who to pass it to and the pace of his passes dictates the tempo of our game."
The 22-year-old ex-Manchester United man "ran the show against Birmingham, and that was down to his ability to keep play moving quickly and to engineer space with net little touches and close control", "He's our engine, our Stevie G." "When he came on at Portman Road, he commanded the midfield and was literally everywhere defensively", "Some of his tackling has been pretty bad and he can dive in recklessly, and some of his shooting can be wayward", "He's a cracking player. I wonder just how far he can go." Danny Drinkwater"I think Drinkwater has been our best midfielder this season", "He's our best playmaker", "James is better defensively, but he allows Drinkwater the freedom to roam the midfield getting in between the lines, picking up and dictating play."
Drinkwater is another Manchester United youth product. The 23-year-old "always makes himself available for a pass even if he doesn't receive the ball", "He's been very consistent", "When he lost form last season, we collapsed." "Watford's two defensive midfielders man-marked him whenever he got the ball. They clearly did their homework and knew what made our side tick", "They did a job by giving him no space on the ball in their half", "It was his worst performance all season by some stretch. He didn't look sharp." "Can I just put on record that Andy King is still a very good player? Credit must go to James and Drinkwater for keeping him out of the team", "I do feel for Kingy as he can do a job, but lacks their energy." The 25-year-old Wales international has been reduced to occasional cameo appearances. Wide Midfield"Anthony Knockaert has become a highly intelligent footballer who makes good decisions. He knows when to pass, when to cross and when to beat his man." The 22-year-old former Guingamp right-winger "is the one player in the team who offers something different".
"Knockaert is excellent defensively when needed", "He's always looking for that one-touch pass which speeds the attack up." He had a poor game against Forest. "Knockaert lost the ball far too often", "He was poor, losing the ball a number of times, trying to do too much." Foxes have been critical of Lloyd Dyer on the left flank. "I think he needs a rest for a few games as he was anonymous for most of the Watford and Forest games. I don't think he made an overlapping run", "Wet weather and muddy pitches can hamper his game." The 31-year-old ex-MK Dons man "has two players doubling up on him as teams see what he is capable of", "An away side are more likely to target Dyer and double up on him", "I rate Lloyd defensively. Some people forget this aspect of his game", "He covers his full back so well." "I think Riyad Mahrez is going to be a top quality signing." The 22-year-old French-Algerian right-winger scored his first goal for the Foxes on Wednesday, following up a saved Kevin Phillips penalty after coming on from the bench. He joined from Le Havre in the January transfer window. "Mahrez is composed and classy. He also looks capable of injecting a sharp burst of pace too. I don't think he has as many ricks as Knockaert and looks a little more direct, but is equally a big threat." Strikers: David Nugent"Nugent is our best striker. He has excellent control, vision and pace", "He's a really intelligent player", "His movement and work-rate creates chances", "He's a great chaser down and links play well with the other striker." However, the former Portsmouth striker does divide opinion.
"He has been so frustrating this season for a man with so many goals", "We need our strikers showing for the ball and making dangerous runs. This is not Nugent", "Have you seen him run? He looks like he putting so much effort in, but it's like he's running through treacle." "Nugent always scores against Ipswich. Keep him in on this basis only." Most fans agree that the 28-year-old must play on Saturday. "We'll see a better Nugent against the Tractors", "I guarantee he will score a penalty", "I'd keep Nugent on for Ipswich. It is Nugent's beloved Ipswich after all." Jamie Vardy"Vardy is more effective than Nugent in open play. He shows for the ball and chases things down to make something from nothing. These are things that Nugent doesn't do." The 27-year-old former Fleetwood striker is consistently praised for his unselfish work.
"Vardy has the pace to trouble Premiership defenders", "He causes trouble for defences by running at them and setting up opportunities for others", "He has pace, persistence and aggression." "It's not only about goals scored. The goals he's made for us by drawing fouls and closing defenders down have been just as important. The little scamp has been worth his weight in gold this season", "In terms of his all-round play I don't think there's a better striker in the division at the moment." Kevin Phillips"You get the impression that Phillips loves the game so much, he is just desperate to keep playing", "He has a magic finish", "With Phillips you know you'll get 100% effort, 100% attitude and someone worth having. He's an inspired signing."
The 40-year-old former Sunderland striker joined from Crystal Palace in the January window, and scored the Foxes winner at Bournemouth. "Super Kev", "This is exactly why we've got him", "His movement against Leeds freed up space for Nugent's goal", "His Zimmer celebration was hilarious." Phillips has unfailingly replaced one of the main strikers between the 70th and 75th minutes since joining. "I can't believe people didn't want this man", "He's a brilliant signing by Pearson. What a player." Former West Brom striker and New Zealand international Chris Wood, "has looked energetic in his cameos", "There will be time for him at some point. We play football on the deck, which Woody thrives on and he scored 22 goals last season at the age of 21." Foxes' Views on ITFC and the Game"Let's get to Ipswich and start winning again", "Win against Ipswich, and this point will look even better", "I've got a feeling we'll spank Ipswich after that." After their second consecutive draw at Forest, most Foxes were consoling themselves that they would return to winning form on Saturday. "It will be a hard-fought match and I think we'll edge it", "Mick has done a really good job there, they will be nowhere near the soft touch they were 15 months ago", "He's a top bloke with a decent track record", "They have only won three on the road all season, but then they haven't lost many either." "Ipswich won't come to attack us", "I expect them to defend well and look to take chances on the break", "I think this is a game we will get a lot of the ball so tricky wingers either side could give us an advantage", "Ipswich are a solid Championship outfit, but we will win if we are on our game." Most fans are confident of victory, but they are not underestimating us. "They are a handy side under Mick, a manager I wouldn't mind at the helm here. He will make it difficult for us be it by being organised defensively or going at us." They are very aware that our top scorer is injured. "David McGoldrick being out is a huge miss for them", "No McGoldrick for them weakens them significantly, probably as much as losing Charlie Austin weakened QPR", "McGoldrick being injured is a massive plus point for us but they can still cause problems." WebsitesThe best and busiest Leicester message board is Foxes Talk.
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Kasper Schmeichel
Wes Morgan
Paul Konchesky
Anthony Knockaert
