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ricardo

Ricardo's report v Leicester City

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After the exploits of the previous two away games I was in good heart and confident as I strolled up to CR in the warm Autumn sunshine. Alex Neil brought Matt Jarvis back into an otherwise unchanged side and everything was looking unkey dory as City kicked off towards the River End and dominated the early possession. It could have been a superb start had Jerome connected better with Hoolahan''s through ball in the fourth minute but the big man ballooned it a yard over the top from a very decent position.That was about as close as we came to a goal in the opening quarter because City''s play gradually became more and more ragged with needless loss of possession and silly misplaced passes. Jarvis was a virtual spectator on the left as most of City''s play seemed to run into blind corners down the opposite side of the pitch. Leicester were quick in the tackle and gradually grew into the game after a tentative start. Their first dangerous move after about twenty minutes saw the lanky Schlupp almost wriggle through only to be denied by a superb block from the City captain.It was a signal for a prolonged bout of Leicester pressure that had the home defence at sixes and sevens. Vardy was beginning to find space and was continually spinning behind Bassong and things did not look at all comfortable.Thankfully Ruddy came to the rescue twice in quick succession with point blank saves as a Leicester opener seemed imminent. The key moment of the half was not long in coming as Vardy and Bassong tangled in the City box in the 27th minute. I called it a penalty at first glance although upon reflection it might easily have been deemed an accidental coming together. I think Vardy''s speed at getting a shade in front of Bassong is what made Clattenburgs mind up.In any event Vardy easily converted and it could quickly have gotten much worse as a minute later the Leicester forwards were only inches away from sliding in a glorious cross that flashed across the goalmouth with the City defence in disarray. At this point it seemed obvious to me that we had the wrong formation for this game, our build up was slow and predictable with no obvious outlet and consequently we were just going sideways until we lost the ball. In a similar position I couldn''t help but think back to the times that Paul Lambert would have been brave enough to change things well before half time.The final ten minutes of the half were a torture with almost nothing coming from City while the Foxes seemed constantly on the verge of a second goal. Thankfully the we went in at the half only one down but it might well have been two or three.When the teams ran out for the second period I confess that I was aghast that there had been no changes but at least with a good talking too City were quickly on the attack and created a chance. A Leicester defender almost headed into his own net but the ball just dropped the wrong side of the bar. As City tried to keep the pressure on Howson lost possession and the Foxes swept forward with quick passes and Shlupp lashed a shot across Ruddy into the far corner. Thankfully it signaled the change that should have been made earlier and Redmond at last replaced Dorrans.City were finally getting a bit of width and when Mbokani came on for Jarvis ten minutes later we were treated to all out attack. The crowd now got into the game as City won a series of corners that had the Foxes defending desperately. Mbokani got up brilliantly to another cross whipped in from the left but Schmeichel got an equally brilliant hand up to turn it over. Finally the goal came with Howson''s dangerous cross into the box which both Bassong and Mbokani attacked and it was the big Congolese striker who claimed the last touch.From then on it was almost all one way traffic although with City throwing caution to the winds the speedy Vardy had a couple of opportunities to finish it. They had the ball in the net again but thankfully Clatenburg saw a foul on John Ruddy and one way traffic was resumed. Laffers came on for Wes but despite corners and shots and last ditch defending they could not force a leveller. Redmond was unlucky with a narrow angled shot saved and then another that took a wicked deflection but spun the wrong side of the post with the keeper beaten. Six minutes were added thanks to Leicester players making the most of injuries and throws but it just wouldn''t come and to be fair its just asking too much when you throw the game away in the first hour. I would like to say that we deserved a point for all that late pressure but in all honesty we had the wrong game against a Leicester side that played the breakaway game to perfection. Its a hard lesson but we got what we deserved, nothing.

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Good report Ricardo, hard not to concur with most all of it. It was Jerome that gave way to Lafferty though and their disallowed goal was as clear foul on a keeper as you will ever see. City were off colour and Leicester came with a plan, by the time we had changed ours the 2 goal margin was a bridge too far, unfortunately.

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Good report, thank you.

I take two positives from today: AN hasn''t been one for making the same mistake twice, and you learn more in defeat than in victory.

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Although I''ve been watching football for almost 40 years I don''t usually work out where things are going wrong-or right-but even I could see from early on that Jerome needed someone else up with him. As you say though Bor, AN will learn from that.

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Thanks for the report Ricardo! It seems an accurate & fair reflection of what happened on the pitch.

We look better when we attack with pace. That first half really wasn''t good.

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Depressingly accurate and 4 pts from four winnable home games is cause for concern. We''ve got to look for maximum points against Newcastle and WBA who frankly are quite awful at the moment.

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We''ve had a very gentle start to the season but six points from the next three matches will keep us on target for 39 points which should see us survive. Newcastle away is perfectly winnable as is West Brom. Man City might be a bit more tricky although the 3-2 win three years ago was fun.

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Now will be the real test of AN. Today we got a bit found out.

Leicester did their research.

That said when it was changed we looked much sharper. I think Mbokani offers more penetration and variation than Jerome on this showing.

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[quote user="Highland Canary"]We''ve had a very gentle start to the season but six points from the next three matches will keep us on target for 39 points which should see us survive. Newcastle away is perfectly winnable as is West Brom. Man City might be a bit more tricky although the 3-2 win three years ago was fun.[/quote]Gentle start? Hardly. Of our eight games three have been against teams in the top five (with two others away to teams in the top half of the table) and only one against a team in the bottom five.

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Cheers Ricardo.I do like a well balanced match report.As opposed to some of the keyboard bashing nonsense that happens here when we lose.

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Well summarised Ricardo, Of course i didnt have the luxury of being there but also felt that olsson is our best choice at LB, does anyone know if he is/not fully fit, that might be the reason he didnt feature.

MBokani does look like a right handful and i can see him and Laffs being used together quite a bit if we are chasing a game.

The result was disappointing but we did give it a right old lash towards the end, no rolling over and accepting defeat...and that''s how it should be.

Newcastle and Brom are winnable games and if we show our usual desire, combined with appropriate team selection, we can get all six points.

The penalty was prob a free kick anywhere else on the park, it just happened in the box. Vardy was cute, Seb a little naive.....if it had been one of our strikers goin down , we''d have howled for it, wouldnt we?

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Olsson did well at WetSpam, but the last 30 minutes was blowing like good un, he has played more minutes for Sweden than us this season, i can understand why AN left him out, as Brady and Jarvis have been so good in the previous games, is the reason IMO

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I can accept that Lesso. i have no real problem with ANs selection, he does what he thinks is best for the Club and i will back him (for what its worth) until i feel i cant....hopefully never.

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[quote user="Bor Bor Bor"]Good report, thank you.

I take two positives from today: AN hasn''t been one for making the same mistake twice, and you learn more in defeat than in victory.[/quote]

So would you rather we lost every game then? Idiot.

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[quote user="ricardo"] Alex Neil brought Matt Jarvis back into an otherwise unchanged side and everything was looking unkey dory as City kicked off towards the River End and dominated the early possession. [/quote]Too many Peronis before the game ricardo ? [;)]

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[quote user="TIL 1010"][quote user="ricardo"] Alex Neil brought Matt Jarvis back into an otherwise unchanged side and everything was looking unkey dory as City kicked off towards the River End and dominated the early possession. [/quote]Too many Peronis before the game ricardo ? [;)][/quote]Well spotted Til, I don''t know what I was thinking there[:$]. I got the Laffers / Jerome substitution wrong as well. I also notice from the replays that Mbokani''s header hit the bar and not Schmeicals hand and I wasn''t at all sure that it wasn''t Bassong that got the last touch for the goal until I saw the the side on replay. Maybe I''m getting too old for this reporting lark.As Groucho Marks said "who you gonna believe, me or your own eyes".[:D]

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[quote user="ricardo"][quote user="TIL 1010"][quote user="ricardo"] Alex Neil brought Matt Jarvis back into an otherwise unchanged side and everything was looking unkey dory as City kicked off towards the River End and dominated the early possession.
[/quote]

Too many Peronis before the game ricardo ? [;)]
[/quote]

Well spotted Til, I don''t know what I was thinking there[:$].

 I got the Laffers / Jerome substitution wrong as well. I also notice from the replays that Mbokani''s header hit the bar and not Schmeicals hand and I wasn''t at all sure that it wasn''t Bassong that got the last touch for the goal until I saw the the side on replay. Maybe I''m getting too old for this reporting lark.

As Groucho Marks said "who you gonna believe, me or your own eyes".[:D]
[/quote]

 

You may have the odd slip, Ricardo, but they are miniscule compared to the bigger picture. You continue to have the ability to go to the games, obviously derive great enjoyment in doing so, and happily articulate your thoughts of what you saw faithfully after the match. I should be so lucky to be in your enviable position.

While I do, at least, have the ability to watch all Norwich matches live with instant replay ( while we are in the Premiership ) I would never want to pick you up on the odd error you make in your match reports. I''ll save that delicacy for your abundant predictions of our fate in the standings. [:D]

 

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[quote user="ricardo"] In a similar position I couldn''t help but think back to the times that Paul Lambert would have been brave enough to change things well before half time.[/quote]
Whilst, as always, I agree with the majority of your report, I do take slight issue with the above. Is it just selective memory on your part? How often did Lambert change either formation or personnel in the first half when only 1-0 down in the Premier League? Because i''m struggling...

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[quote user="hogesar"][quote user="ricardo"] In a similar position I couldn''t help but think back to the times that Paul Lambert would have been brave enough to change things well before half time.[/quote]
Whilst, as always, I agree with the majority of your report, I do take slight issue with the above. Is it just selective memory on your part? How often did Lambert change either formation or personnel in the first half when only 1-0 down in the Premier League? Because i''m struggling...
[/quote]If you are asking me to substantiate with facts Hog, then I have to admit that my memory is not that accurate to give you exact games and dates. However I can certainly recall Lambert making a substitution after half an hour when he realised the formation wasn''t working. Sometimes his team selections and  formations seemed outrageous but whatever other faults he had he was never afraid to change things early when he could see it wasn''t working. Maybe he just got lucky with us but at the time I was quite prepared to grant him God like status for some of those decisions.AN may yet achieve a similar standing and has certainly got more right than he has wrong. There have only been a couple of times when I felt he got things badly wrong, one was the delay in bringing Redmond on last Saturday and the other was his first home game against Brentford last season.But the I''m only a spectator so what do I know.

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[quote user="YankeeCanary"]

[quote user="ricardo"][quote user="TIL 1010"][quote user="ricardo"] Alex Neil brought Matt Jarvis back into an otherwise unchanged side and everything was looking unkey dory as City kicked off towards the River End and dominated the early possession. [/quote]Too many Peronis before the game ricardo ? [;)][/quote]Well spotted Til, I don''t know what I was thinking there[:$]. I got the Laffers / Jerome substitution wrong as well. I also notice from the replays that Mbokani''s header hit the bar and not Schmeicals hand and I wasn''t at all sure that it wasn''t Bassong that got the last touch for the goal until I saw the the side on replay. Maybe I''m getting too old for this reporting lark.As Groucho Marks said "who you gonna believe, me or your own eyes".[:D][/quote]

 

You may have the odd slip, Ricardo, but they are miniscule compared to the bigger picture. You continue to have the ability to go to the games, obviously derive great enjoyment in doing so, and happily articulate your thoughts of what you saw faithfully after the match. I should be so lucky to be in your enviable position.

While I do, at least, have the ability to watch all Norwich matches live with instant replay ( while we are in the Premiership ) I would never want to pick you up on the odd error you make in your match reports. I''ll save that delicacy for your abundant predictions of our fate in the standings. [:D]

 

[/quote]Yes Yankee, there''s no substitute for being there and even though the walk home seems to get longer with every passing season (especially when we lose), the internet streams and Sky TV  are a poor substitute for the real thing.Prediction time is looming. Four more games and we will more or less know our fate.

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