Are we back on track?

Totally agree with you,the lack of quality in this is far worse than we could have expected.
Hard to criticise the manager after our impressive start,and an sure we can only get better.
2 areas of concern in my opinion,we are equally poor at attacking corners as defending them.
Also all this pretty tippy tappy from defence is good to watch but always seems worrying,at least once a match we seem to over elaborate and risk conceding,like at Norwich.
As forRudkin,think our great form so far is in spite of him,not because of him.
Should have been got rid of last season.

You should never have gone down, miles better than Everton.

Southampton showing just how shiete they are - who thought hiring Russell Martin was a good idea FFS

Good post 99.

As you know I didn’t ever think our demise was quite as terminal as you and many others did. I still feel like the overall structure of the club has remained and we’ve just gone back to the strategy of buying promising young and hungry players and selling key assets to fund it.

Fatawu looks to be one of thousand rough diamonds that could be incredible if we nurture him correctly.

I also think we’ve handled the summer pretty well. We’ve managed to move on a good number of players and accepted we’ve needed to loan out a number that we couldn’t. There’s only Daka who appears to be around the squad but not wanted.

What I also like about Maresca is the way he’s changed the attitude and mentality of the squad. That was one of the biggest issues and he identified it very quickly and has set about fixing it and that’s his biggest success for me. We’re winning games with fitness and attitude as well as application.

So the one concern I have is that I’m not 100% convinced by Maresca’s Pep Ball lite we’re playing. Yes we’re getting results and I think it will get us out of this division as long as we can maintain our improvements. But I share the same concerns as you - I’ve been shocked by just quite how poor the standard has been in the division so far, especially with opposition teams in the final 3rd and with all the chances we’ve given away I fear we would have been battered a few times in the Prem already.

Now does this mean it won’t click and we’ll improve, of course not and I’m happy with the strategy overall. I’d just like to see a plan B and C and a bit more tactical balance if it’s needed. My worry is that we’ll try to play a system that needs world class players to fully succeed. My two concerns are the lack of goal scoring chances and also that we look open defensively at times.

So overall I think the club have handled relegation well and we’ve done a good job of moving players on and beginning the rebuild. I still think there’s a long way to go and I’d like to see Maresca introduce a bit of tactical variation.

But all in all, we couldn’t have asked for a better start results wise. I just don’t trust it fully yet.

It depends how far you're looking ahead. For this season, which to be fair we have to be totally focused on for the present, we're doing really well. We have got rid of a lot of deadwood and brought in a manager with a new philosophy. Enzo has implemented some considerable change since the disastrous reign of the last incumbent; in particular he seems to have transformed the attitude of certain players and got ones who were out of form playing well. Who would have put Vestergaard as a (deserved) fixture at CB, or Wilf as an attacking midfielder - effective one too? I doubt if anyone would have jibbed at the prospect of 7 league wins, 1 loss and a couple of Cup successes before the start of the season. It's also a work in progress, so we can hopefully look forward to further improvement as the season unfolds. One worry is that we have our Rolls Royce in midfield, who is far too good for this division; I'm just praying he doesn't get injured as we don't have an equivalent substitute.

In the distance there are some worrying storm clouds gathering - if we are successful this term, will we be able to sustain positive outcomes next year with this style of play and the present squad (albeit with some strengthening)? Also we still have Rudders in position, and I don't trust him any further than I could throw him. Still, those are issues to be of concern later, we need to concentrate on getting back to the promised land as our number one priority.

Yeah in agreement with all of you (when does that ever happen?!), I think we’re starting to recover as a club and Maresca has done well to turn a losing mentality into a winning one, regardless of the standard of this division.

I think where the owners are concerned Mersey - the answer to whether our demise is terminal without Vichai at the helm will, along with any questions over Maresca, be answered next season. If we invest badly, or not at all, if Marescas plan isn’t working out and we don’t act quickly enough.- then to me I think our decline is terminal. Basically if we return to the decision making of last season then we’re done - because we won’t get away with it twice.

So all in all - our future in the short to medium term rests on how much Top and Rudkin have learned from their irresponsible management of the club last season. We’re here because of complacency and neglect from the owners and the board - let’s hope it’s the last time they ever make such a huge mistake

Good posts all

I have been impressed with the season so far - picking up wins whilst not playing our best, the old cliche - a sign of a decent team. We've had a couple of tough teams (on paper) too - Southampton away, Norwich away, Coventry first game, then circumstantially tougher ones, with Hull doing surprisingly well and Bristol and Cardiff also having decent starts. I would have had us down to beat Hull at home as well, so it could reasonably have been 100% wins, which, let's face it, everyone would have been delighted with before a ball was kicked in August.

Fully agree we look unnecessarily risky with the ball at the back - at times v Norwich, I literally had my heart in my mouth watching it - it was exciting and terrifying in equal measure. One signing for me (and I agree re Mavididi and to an extent Fatawu) is the GK, Hermansen. He looks brilliant (not just compared to the poor alternatives at the club, but actually an excellent bit of business!) Comfortable with crosses, shot stopping, ball at feet, positioning. He will only get better too.

Academy step up of the season so far - Kasey McAteer - very pleasing to see the talent shining so early in the season - and being given the opportunities to play regularly.

Overall, irrespective of the stepdown in quality, it is nice to be winning matches! Yes, there will be a few bumps in the road - we are Leicester, after all - and we don't do things the easy way - but I would take this over Everton, Burnley, Luton's start (and Chelsea's... who are looking like such a random / basket-case club beyond anyone's expectations).

Maresca - as a final point - refreshingly direct and lacking in any sort of BS or nonsense in his pre or post-match interviews. Single word responses. Positive when appropriate. Respectful. Realistic and says it pretty much how it is.

Looking forward to Blackburn away at the weekend - should be a good game.. Liverpool between now and then - should be a free hit! Who knows - we may nick something there with a bit of luck!

UTF!

I suspect that the likes of Hull may well be the ones that will give us most trouble this season - teams which are well organised in defence, lie deep and look to nick a goal. It's early days yet but we need to find a way of scoring against such or we may struggle in quite a few games.