Leicester(a) Premier League - Match Thread

[TheHowieLama]

I think Klopp has figured out we can do less self harm if the ball - and as many of our players as possible are nowhere near our goal.

[Jockey]

I think Klopp has figured out we can do less self harm if the ball - and as many of our players as possible are nowhere near our goal.

Just posted an article saying the same thing. That is how he plays football - you drop deep you concede, you play in their half you don't. This would be his style with VVD and Neurer in goal.

 

Same goes for Pep.

[Chip Butty]

What does "we play without game management" mean?

 

We come not to play. 

[magicrat]

My reflection on the game after only getting to see it yesterday was that we were lucky really,

Had Vardy levelled from the spot we would have struggled to get a point, Yet again a game we dominated in the first half ended up a tight finish and on this occasion we came out winners but a lot more by luck than design, We have to sort this shot out 

[aRdja]

What does "we play without game management" mean?

Hamann used to slow the game down a bit when we need to gain a bit of control.

[stringvest]

No teams other than United are good at managing the game - United are the exception because they are dull as fuck. City certainly can't, Tottenham can't either, and neither can arsenal. 

 

We didn't overachieve last season. We proved a lot of people wrong over a season - we did so because we are not as bad as people make out, and rather than admit they were wrong. We either overachieved or should have won the league! 

 

 

well, we'll find out over the course of the next few seasons I guess.  

[Pureblood]

Hamann used to slow the game down a bit when we need to gain a bit of control.

 

Yeah but it's not by accident that we don't play that way as much anymore.  It's still "managed", just in a different way.  I don't buy into all of this nonsense about the players lacking "nous", if I see that word one more time I will scrape my eyes out or melt them Raiders of the Lost Ark style. 

[Mascherano]

We're never going to play the same way as Man Utd, though. The philosophies and style of play are polar opposites. What good is it trying to hang on to a 1-0 when your team is full of midgets who aren't good in the air? It's a cliché but for us the best form of defence is attack.

I don't know about midgets, Henderson, Gomez and Can must be 6ft and Lovren well over 6ft and Matip rather tall. Good in the air? No I agree, dont think any of them are great but that's a problem we should have addressed.

Are they good at dealing with physical 1v1 challenges either? Then what happens if they have no cover in position? Well, i think our goals against column answers that, and will continue to.

Whilst we may not play like utd, our complete unwillingness to balance attack and defence means we will win many less ugly games, taking draws or losses unnecessarily, and they will gain points.

I don't even think it's entirely necessary to clone utd or Chelsea, it's just that our particular way costs points with the players we have. We live it every week. This thread is a relief thread more than anything. We didn't lose or draw so thank fuck for that, but it was bloody close and if Vardy did something other than his normal smash it down the middle penalty, the mood could have been a whole lot different.

I don't see the point in claiming that Leicester were lucky or the referree was a wanker, because the way we play, with the players we have, means that we will be potentially exposed to the same risks every week.

[Pureblood]

There is balance between the attack and defence, the evidence of this is a top four finish last season and a goal difference of +36.  If the balance was terminally wrong we wouldn't get anywhere near that. 

 

The only difference between this season and last season so far is a walloping at the hands of Man City with ten men and an international hangover.

 

We're still a good team on a generally upward curve, I think that has been lost a bit due to the recent bad run.

[Mascherano]

There is balance between the attack and defence, the evidence of this is a top four finish last season and a goal difference of +36. If the balance was terminally wrong we wouldn't get anywhere near that.

 

The only difference between this season and last season so far is a walloping at the hands of Man City with ten men and an international hangover.

 

We're still a good team on a generally upward curve, I think that has been lost a bit due to the recent bad run.

Well, we did concede 42 last season, and city were the nearest to us with 39.

The bad news is that Chelsea conceded 33 and Spurs 26. Utd conceded 29 and have now, it seems to me, resolved the lack of goals issue that resulted in too many draws. We didn't score more goals than anyone above us either.

 

The man city walloping is indicative of having no balance whatsoever. There was no evidence of a plan to cope with City after Mane went off. Where was the attempt to starve them of chances to at least keep it respectable? Or nick an equaliser?

 

Top 4 last season was a gift, with Arsenal and Utd having stinkers.

 

I don't see the upward trajectory myself. We will not come above both Manchester clubs, Chelsea or spurs this season.

I guess time will tell and i can buy doughnuts for you if I'm wrong! Id like to be wrong, but I see the same old frailties every week.

[Jockey]

I remember at Spurs last season, my mate was criticising Klopp saying he didn't make a change, I pointed out that be brought on Origi - a change.

 

What he meant was why not bring on Lucas when we were 1 nil up. But as TK says, why invited long balls into our area where we are not very good. They can't play the long ball if we have it in their half.

[aws]

The way we play means we're always at risk of a quick counter-attack and a small side will concede chances regularly at set-pieces. What we need to concentrate on is removing the silly mistakes which I think we can only do in the transfer market.

[an tha]

The way we play means we're always at risk of a quick counter-attack and a small side will concede chances regularly at set-pieces. What we need to concentrate on is removing the silly mistakes which I think we can only do in the transfer market.

Individual errors/lack of concentration/poor decision making are our biggest defensive problems IMO and can only be fixed by getting better players.

 

It is criminal that we have the defenders we do.

[jimmycase]

The way we play means we're always at risk of a quick counter-attack and a small side will concede chances regularly at set-pieces. What we need to concentrate on is removing the silly mistakes which I think we can only do in the transfer market.

 

I agree with you about the counter attack. I think also younger players like TAA and Gomez can learn from their mistakes but ultimately if they dont, the transfer market is available.

[Gym Beglin]

Joe Gome is a cb, there's nothing for him to learn from at rb.

 

He'll be a great cb, still so young and missed a year of development due to injury.

[Pureblood]

Well, we did concede 42 last season, and city were the nearest to us with 39.

The bad news is that Chelsea conceded 33 and Spurs 26. Utd conceded 29 and have now, it seems to me, resolved the lack of goals issue that resulted in too many draws. We didn't score more goals than anyone above us either.

 

The man city walloping is indicative of having no balance whatsoever. There was no evidence of a plan to cope with City after Mane went off. Where was the attempt to starve them of chances to at least keep it respectable? Or nick an equaliser?

 

Top 4 last season was a gift, with Arsenal and Utd having stinkers.

 

I don't see the upward trajectory myself. We will not come above both Manchester clubs, Chelsea or spurs this season.

I guess time will tell and i can buy doughnuts for you if I'm wrong! Id like to be wrong, but I see the same old frailties every week.

 

I'm not saying we're perfect and it goes without saying that there is always room for improvement.  What I am saying is that so far Klopp has done relatively well year upon year in terms of league position, commensurate to how much he has spent in the transfer market and with the general resources available to him.

 

I see no reason not to see how far it takes us, with Klopp having added Salah and a smattering of other signings.  We have a maturing squad which I think is capable of taking the final step and turning promise into silverware.  

 

A dodgy start and thrashing by Man City isn't enough to change my view.  We're still well placed to impose ourselves on what is a long season ahead.  So it's stay positive in TK corner.  

[magicrat]

Individual errors/lack of concentration/poor decision making are our biggest defensive problems IMO and can only be fixed by getting better players.

 

It is criminal that we have the defenders we do.

 

The root of the problem is the inevitable drop in intensity levels as the game goes on. Teams know if they can keep us out for the first 20/30 minutes they're in with a great shout. These players seem incapable of closing down a game and soaking up pressure for any length of time, Until we get that part of the strategy right we will continue to shit our pants and throw away winning positions

[VladimirIlyich]

Joe Gome is a cb, there's nothing for him to learn from at rb.

 

He'll be a great cb, still so young and missed a year of development due to injury.

I completely disagree. I dont think Gomez is anything yet,I think that injury fucked his potential up but hope I am wrong. If he learns to defend better at right back then he may get a run at centre back in the future but I don't rate him at all at centre back and neither,it seems does Klopp. We wont solve our defensive woes with Gomez but he may be a part of a future defensive set up,although I am not personally impressed by him.

[an tha]

The root of the problem is the inevitable drop in intensity levels as the game goes on. Teams know if they can keep us out for the first 20/30 minutes they're in with a great shout. These players seem incapable of closing down a game and soaking up pressure for any length of time, Until we get that part of the strategy right we will continue to shit our pants and throw away winning positions

Yeah - we had a patch last season where we showed we could dig out some gritty wins but we struggle to do it enough.

 

We seem to give teams and crowds hope - too often and it creates pressure.

 

We talk as fans about how we watch our games through our fingers, how watching us ages us etc - the reverse must be true if you are the oppositions fans...they must feel they are in with a shout, that we will make a mistake, that they can bully us from a corner or free kick into the box.

 

How many times do we give away those free kicks like at the death at Leicester on Saturday - those just begging to see the ball put deep into our box with the opposition piling in? Seems way too often.

 

Our game management/ability to quieten the opposition down to grind away all hope needs to improve.

 

Yes we are fucking brilliant when we blow teams away and yes we can and do grind results out (WBA away last season for example) but we need to add that to our arsenal more and show more steel and solidity and nous.

 

For me we will only do this by adding better and cleverer players to our defence/midfield. I still believe we can be as expansive as we are and be more solid....more solidity does not need to mean we compromise our attacking verve - more solidity can be brought into the team by buying players with more nous, with better concentration who are less prone to brain farts and individual errors.

[Rotpeter]

I completely disagree. I dont think Gomez is anything yet,I think that injury fucked his potential up but hope I am wrong. If he learns to defend better at right back then he may get a run at centre back in the future but I don't rate him at all at centre back and neither,it seems does Klopp. We wont solve our defensive woes with Gomez but he may be a part of a future defensive set up,although I am not personally impressed by him.

 

How do you KNOW Klopp doesn't rate him as a CB.   He's needed at RB right now, so that's where he's playing.  If Klopp didn't rate him I would have thought he'd be getting the Markovich treatment rather than being given games for the first team

[VladimirIlyich]

How do you KNOW Klopp doesn't rate him as a CB. He's needed at RB right now, so that's where he's playing. If Klopp didn't rate him I would have thought he'd be getting the Markovich treatment rather than being given games for the first team

He tends to pick Matip,Lovren and Klavan before him so I am guessing Klopp doesnt rate him above them yet.

[Rotpeter]

He tends to pick Matip,Lovren and Klavan before him so I am guessing Klopp doesnt rate him above them yet.

Yeah, can't argue with that.  Although, hopefully Lovren's visa gets pulled for lying on the application about his profession claiming: 'Professional Footballer' and the decision is taken out of Klopp's hands.

 

Deportation is our only hope!

[TheHowieLama]

He' has not had his first choice RB available yet - lets see if Gomez gets a look in the center once Clyne returns.

[VladimirIlyich]

He' has not had his first choice RB available yet - lets see if Gomez gets a look in the center once Clyne returns.

Fair comment. I dont think hes anywhere near ready but the competition is far from stellar,so there is a good chance he will.