Personally I don't think Ranieri is getting the matchday decisions particularly wrong. Things were ok at home for the first few matches, and we have won at the KP five times this season. As things have deteriorated recently he's been short of central midfielders to really change things; we tried a 3-4-3 for half an hour against Copenhagen away and it was atrocious. So Ranieri changed it. Meanwhile, I don't believe those players on the bench have shown enough to deserve pushing their way into the first team. Some complain that he's putting out the same old team, others say that he's changing too much. Combined together, it's hard to say that that is the problem.

Also, Ranieri wasn't the one who organised the pre-season Champions Trophy; he will have just had to deal with it as best he can.

If he's doing anything wrong it's to do with the overall focus of the players. As you say, I think people would be a lot more forgiving of the whole situation if it looked like the players were together and fighting for it, but they don't. Somehow the whole squad has lost focus somewhere and they need to get back on track, hence why I'd advocate looking to move on anyone who won't buy back in to this collective focus in January.

DillyDong - you could something else to the list. Teams know exactly what to expect and they're prepared.

Without Kante we are a poorer version of last season. We play exactly the same way and with largely the same players, but now, people aren't leaving space behind for Vardy to run into. Defenders are surrounding Mahrez and not showing him onto his left foot.

Those two things alone have nullified about 80% of our attacking threat and we don't have any other way of playing.

Good shout BS

I know the opposition have concentrated on Mahrez this season that's why I was calling for him to be moved into the 10 role for a bit.
But hey knowing LCFC as we do we will probably go and turn Man City over at the weekend with no Ageuro, Fernandinho, Kompany etc.

That would be typical wouldn't it?

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

DDDD I know you don't think the team have suffered with fatigue this season but I guess we all see things differently. I've mentioned this before but Wes couldn't even lift his legs after the Southampton game and that's not normal in September. The whole team in that game just looked tired from start to finish. Now I don't think fatigue was an issue at Sunderland, there's simply no excusing that performance but I do think it's been an issue in previous games.

Now we just look like a team lie on confidence and suffering with injuries to key players. Schmeichel and Drinky are both making a huge difference. Zieler doesn't have the same relationship with the defence and neither King or Amartey have anything like the attributes that Drinky has.

Central midfield is just non-existant, King offers nothing and as a senior player he should be helping Amartey but he doesn't, he's a passenger. Although Ranieri has few options in terms of personnel, which only the club can be blamed for, he should see that we need to change formation to suit the players we have.

Okazaki should be starting, he's the only striker in form. I think we were all surprised that Slimani started instead and only Ranieri can be blamed for that.

As others have said we're predictable and easy to play against now so for Man City I'd go for something completely different. Ranieri is calling for the players to find their great escape spirit, well why not play them in the same formation?

Zieler
Morgan Huth Fuchs
Albrighton Mendy Amartey Schlupp
Mahrez
Okazaki Vardy

If we want to get the best out of Mahrez then he has to play centrally where he can't be doubled up on. In that formation you'd have Okazaki dropping into midfield and Mahrez and Vardy ahead free to go where they want. The defence also has a lot more protection, we know Albrighton and Schlupp can play wing back, Amartey would be able to just sit in front of the back three and Mendy will have Okazaki and Mahrez helping out. So practically four in the middle when defending and then Okazaki and Mahrez break forward and Mendy sits in so he and Amartey are protecting the defence/covering for wing backs pushing on.

I suspect we'll see the same tried and now failing 4-4-2 though.

last year the fans were behind the team; this year it is shocking. I went to Chelsea away and was disgusted. So embarrassed it was untrue. So IMO half the problem is lack of the12th man. Get behind the lads and stop expecting so much.

I find it odd the limited link up play between mahrez and vardy, mahrez has had chances to pass but has taken the route of going himself. Fair enough when things are going well but not so when scrapping. I just hope it is that he's trying to take responsibility on his shoulders and not helping to get his mate into the team.

Champions, I agree think we could do with playing 352 or variant, the opposition know what to expect and we could mix between the 2 formations, as it's doing its job in Europe where they havent experience of playing us.

I'd go slightly different though to allow us to shift to back 4 mid match with Simpson occupying the wasileski slot;

Zieler
Simpson Morgan Huth
Albrighton Fuchs
Mendy King
Okazaki Musa
Vardy

comment by Glory Glory Hole (U1063)
posted 6 hours, 3 minutes ago
last year the fans were behind the team; this year it is shocking. I went to Chelsea away and was disgusted. So embarrassed it was untrue. So IMO half the problem is lack of the12th man. Get behind the lads and stop expecting so much.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't forget the number of plastics who started going to the KP when we got promoted to the prem. its a lot easier to get a ticket now then it was last season as well

What I like is that Ranieri is seeing the issues exactly as they are and trying very sensible things to fix them.

The problem is, nothing has worked yet. So much so a Dunge has not just got off his fence but thrown it at Birch on the touchline!!!

comment by Blackstarr (U12353)
posted 43 minutes ago
comment by Glory Glory Hole (U1063)
posted 6 hours, 3 minutes ago
last year the fans were behind the team; this year it is shocking. I went to Chelsea away and was disgusted. So embarrassed it was untrue. So IMO half the problem is lack of the12th man. Get behind the lads and stop expecting so much.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't forget the number of plastics who started going to the KP when we got promoted to the prem. its a lot easier to get a ticket now then it was last season as well
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Exactly.

But it not the so called plastics that are moaning its long term fans who are getting things out of perspective.
I dreaded listening to the moanin last night but i was surprised how positive it was much more than on here.

comment by Flip78 (U7985)
posted 48 minutes ago
Champions, I agree think we could do with playing 352 or variant, the opposition know what to expect and we could mix between the 2 formations, as it's doing its job in Europe where they havent experience of playing us.

I'd go slightly different though to allow us to shift to back 4 mid match with Simpson occupying the wasileski slot;

Zieler
Simpson Morgan Huth
Albrighton Fuchs
Mendy King
Okazaki Musa
Vardy
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yeah you could go Simpson and Fuchs for Schlupp but I'd have Amartey because he'd be better sitting in front of the back four and could essentially become a fourth centre half. I also think he's been better than King.

Playing this formation is as much about getting Mahrez into the middle as it is giving the defence more protection. Mahrez given a free role makes him a lot more difficult to nullify and that's what he needs.

Merseyside, I can and have put up with a lot from watching Leicester. But I'm not going to sit here happily or excuse it when I see players not trying hard enough with my own eyes.

Do you think its not trying Dung. I hear that Marhez did not do much Tracking back on Saturday. But i think the confidence is shot and also we seemed to get out muscled more this season.

I think it is indeed not trying, particularly from Vardy and Mahrez although we've also seen it from others. Schlupp, for instance.
The one whose confidence is shot is Amartey; I always think he's trying but he just looks completely out of his depth right now.

comment by The_Dungeon_Master (U4830)
posted 9 minutes ago
I think it is indeed not trying, particularly from Vardy and Mahrez although we've also seen it from others. Schlupp, for instance.
The one whose confidence is shot is Amartey; I always think he's trying but he just looks completely out of his depth right now.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I know you're a fan of King but what do you think of his recent performances?

I feel sorry for Amartey because he should be getting support from King being the senior player but he's not. He's almost having to do it all himself because King is MIA and quite rightly, as you say, he's looking out of his depth. I'm a fan of King for his service to the club but I'm really disappointed by his performances recently.

I didn't see his performance against Sunderland, although it sounds very similar to his performance against Middlesbrough, which I did see. In that, he was not taking the responsibility that he needed to. I know others disagree with me, but I am without doubt that he's better than this because I've seen it.
It is partly lack of confidence, but it's also partly lack of effort because he's simply got to get over it and act like the senior player that he is. It's lack of effort by way of lack of courage, and he's got to have a word with himself before he disappears from the first team forever.

One of the big problems is paying £30M for one striker and paying another striker a vast increase in wages to keep him. I'm not saying either of the payments is fundamentally wrong but I think Claudio feels obliged to play both of them as a result. So we drop Shinji and are no longer playing 4-4-1-1 but now a genuine 4-4-2, leaving our midfield looking horribly exposed, especially with the loss of Kante.

Trying 3 at the back for half an hour is not long enough, particularly when it's 3-4-3 rather than the tried, trusted and successful 3-5-2.

Mahrez needs to be smarter, if he is being double or triple teamed there will be space elsewhere which he needs to utilise better.

comment by Merseysidefox (U4842)
posted 4 hours, 8 minutes ago
What I like is that Ranieri is seeing the issues exactly as they are and trying very sensible things to fix them.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Not like you to be so sarcastic Mersey?

As for Vardy not trying, maybe but I noticed two things on Saturday, his desire to win the ball led to the goal and his desire not to give up won us a corner from nothing in the dying seconds.

I also noticed Vardy pass to Mahrez but that was a one way street, didn't see a single pass come the other way unless I blinked and missed it.

I also noticed from the start as did the commentator and nearly every other fan that Sunderland targeted Simpson with their big guy as he was left on his own by Mahrez nearly the whole game, in fact I don't think I've heard a commentator so blatantly accuse a player of not covering in any match commentary from nearly the start of the game.

Not sure CR noticed though, if he did though he still did sweet F*ck All about it.

Others will disagree but I also though Amartey had a good game as DM covering the defence making some key interceptions while Huth gawked as he lost his player hence scoring the own goal while no one gets within yards of any of their players for the second goal, defence, what defence, it's certainly not the Italian way but after all we are Leicester not Milan and Co. Time the manager woke up and realised it.