Not sure I’d attribute either Everton or today to the Mahrez fiasco to be honest, even though of course we miss him. Against Everton we were playing really well, then Chilwell had a horror moment and we went to pieces.

Today we were sensational in the first half and should’ve been three or four up. Then for some reason we seemed to lose our zip, conceded an awful goal and heads went down.

We’ve given away 15 points from winning positions this season and only come back from behind to win once, and that’s with Mahrez in the team.

For some reason, despite being in the top half and playing well, our confidence seems incredibly flakey and easy to shatter.

Personally I think the side lacks leadership - something that also explains our vulnerability at set pieces. That’s one thing I like when Iborra plays - he’s a real midfield general who marshals the troops and brings calmness. I think without him or Wes in the side we’re too prone to panic.

We started brightly against Everton but had nothing to offer going forward. Without Mahrez there was no creativity - no one to really test the opposition

Today offensively was much better but if Mahrez is in the team today we win that for me. Second half we pushed after their equaliser but there isn’t that real piece of quality to pull something out of the bag when needed

No coincidence for me that after good recent form we return 1 point from 6 against an average Everton and a pretty poor Swansea

I've noticed you've been quietly recently, it's been nice

comment by Pride of the North (U6803)
posted 52 minutes ago
I've noticed you've been quietly recently, it's been nice
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You’ve missed this just admit it

Get used to being without Mahrez.

We'll be what we are?

he isn't coming back. we should have won today thought it was a great performance.

why would anyone think it was a good window when our best player gets unsettled? I don't think any fan wanted Man City to makes naughty bids.

I hope Marhez plays against Man City on Saturday.
we need ten good games out of him and he can go.
If he was told in the summer £50 million and you can leave and did not put in another transfer request just the same one in the summer,then its no wonder he has got the ache.
so rather than get our pound of flesh lets get him back.

The players yesterday got off to a flying start but remember Swansea are on a role and confidence is high second half we ran out of steam.
We need Marhez to unlock defences while the new players get up to speed.

Can’t see Mahrez playing anytime soon - likely to be a month or so without him

Give him a new contract 130k help him to stop feeling sorry for himself, put in a release clause at 75 million then if someone triggers it off he goes. Everyone knows where they stand.

There’s no way Mahrez is going to sign a new contract for any amount of money. He’s done with Leicester completely. It’s just a case of whether we can get him to play a few more games before he goes in the summer but that’s looking unlikely right now

In that case stick him in the reserves for the next 2.5 years or until someone bids 75m

comment by Man in the Long Black Coat (U2592)
posted 3 minutes ago
In that case stick him in the reserves for the next 2.5 years or until someone bids 75m
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Makes no business sense that. We are paying him £100k a week - why would you want him to sit in the reserves for 2 years? Just to punish him? No one will bid that money if he’s sat in the reserves so Leicester will be the ones that lose out

Best thing to do is to convince him that he isn’t going to get his move by sulking and integrate back in if you can. If he still won’t play then we have no choice but to let him go on the cheap in the summer

If he comes back into the fold and wants to play get a contract with release clause.
If as you say he done with Leicester completely then no contract, reserves and wait for the bid.

comment by Man in the Long Black Coat (U2592)
posted 29 seconds ago
If he comes back into the fold and wants to play get a contract with release clause.
If as you say he done with Leicester completely then no contract, reserves and wait for the bid.
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He isn’t going to sign a new contract - full stop. He’s hacked off with the club it’s worst thing he could do and his agent and the club are unlikely to agree on the release clause anyway

If you put him in the reserves then we have to accept that we aren’t getting £75m for him

Let tail wag the dog then - come back Riyad when ever you feel up to it and you can go straight back into team then in the summer we will start the unsettling process all over again.

BS the new contract with a release clause idea is an interesting one which may have some traction. It would allow both the club and the player a way forward.

You are wrong when you say the club has no choice but to let him go on the cheap in the summer. If Mahrez continues to embarrass the club and owners by having a hissy fit, he is taking a grave risk. The owners could let his contract run down and take the financial loss. It is not beyond the bounds of possibility that they would do this. Have you not heard of the concept of 'face' - it's really important in Asia?

comment by Man in the Long Black Coat (U2592)
posted 7 minutes ago
Let tail wag the dog then - come back Riyad when ever you feel up to it and you can go straight back into team then in the summer we will start the unsettling process all over again.
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Did I say that? Read what I’m saying again. Make the best business decision and that’s not sticking him in the reserves on £100k a week for 2.5 years is it?

comment by nuneaton_fox (U7936)
posted 7 minutes ago
BS the new contract with a release clause idea is an interesting one which may have some traction. It would allow both the club and the player a way forward.

You are wrong when you say the club has no choice but to let him go on the cheap in the summer. If Mahrez continues to embarrass the club and owners by having a hissy fit, he is taking a grave risk. The owners could let his contract run down and take the financial loss. It is not beyond the bounds of possibility that they would do this. Have you not heard of the concept of 'face' - it's really important in Asia?


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The new contract idea is pie in the sky. There is no way Mahrezs agent and the club will agree on the release clause value. No way in hell. They will want £50m the club will want £80m

If he refuses to play - then what you are saying is that the club should, out of principle, take a big financial hit and run down his 2,5 year contract of £100k a week rather than getting something for him in the summer

It makes no business sense and rarely ever happens

It's not about money or business sense, it's venturing into the area of Mahrez taking on the owners and potentially embarrassing them. Could I see them making such a big decision? Absolutely, remember they had any number of 'business' or 'football' reasons to get rid of Pearson, but what purportedly did for him in the end was siding with his son against the owners.

comment by nuneaton_fox (U7936)
posted 2 minutes ago
It's not about money or business sense, it's venturing into the area of Mahrez taking on the owners and potentially embarrassing them. Could I see them making such a big decision? Absolutely, remember they had any number of 'business' or 'football' reasons to get rid of Pearson, but what purportedly did for him in the end was siding with his son against the owners.


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Totally different situation with Pearson who wasn’t earning anywhere near what Mahrez does and was the final straw in a series of issues with Vichai. His son contributed to a PR disaster which could have had far reaching effects on the clubs brand in Thailand had the owners not acted

EVERY decision the club makes is a business one because their primary interest is financial. To say business doesn’t come into the Mahrez decision is just completely wrong. You honestly think they would want a stranded asset on the books for 2.5 years for the sake of making a principled point?

You’re completely wrong on this Nuneaton

No I'm not BS.

I'm not saying this will happen, but it's a risk for Riyad.

It is a business decision too, they risk showing weakness in dealing with an employee in a very public manner. Think of it in the context of their overall business, which is virtually all at home rather than the side show that is our club. Paying out around £12M is relatively small beer.

And what would Mahrez have to lose by signing a new contract with a release clause whatever the figure? He wouldn't be in a worse place than he is now with no release clause. He'd get to be back playing football and earning a move away.

Why would the club do it? Because they'd get back a fully committed player whose way out of the club is to play at a consistently high level.

It is a compromise which offers something for both parties.

You’re not thinking clearly. If Mahrez signs a contract with an £80m release clause (which is what Leicester value him at) then he runs the risk of it not being triggered. If Man City aren’t prepared to pay £80m cash then there is a risk that Mahrez will not take that Man Utd and Arsenal wouldn’t activate it either.

Add in to the fact that he is fuming at the club and the idea of him agreeing to such a thing is just lunacy. Mahrez and his agent would want the release clause to be lower than what Leicester would insist on and that’s even if they contemplate talking to the club on such a matter

Can the club afford to lose £12m by keeping Mahrez in the reserves? Yes but you’re not factoring in the money they lose in the summer (by selling him) if they make that decision

These things nearly always go the same way for that reason. Remember Van Dijk at Southampton? Did he sign a new deal? Did he sit in the reserves for the entire remainder of his deal? Nope.

The club know they are better off selling him in the summer than letting him sit in the reserves and that’s exactly what will happen.

This is a tricky one. If I was in Mahrez's shoes, I would be saying that "the club was willing to let me go for £50M a few months ago, but because I have been playing so well they now want £80M. No matter how I play, Leicester will always be looking for a little bit more than money other clubs are prepared to pay". A new (possibly extended) contract with an £80M release clause would provide Mahrez with all the incentive in the world to play his best football and prove that he is worth that much - a win-win solution. Mahrez may well decide that he won't sign, but that really wouldn't help him achieve his ambition of a move.

I don't want us to lose someone who is probably our most talented player ever, but we can't keep going through this horrendous process in every transfer window. UTF

The thing about release clauses are that they are set higher than current market value to factor in market changes. £80m now is £100m by the summer. So even if Leicester were willing to go with £80m - Mahrez isn’t going to take the risk that a club won’t meet the valuation. He knows that in the summer his existing contract has 6 months less on it than it has now - it pushes the club into cashing in.

He wants out. End of. There is no way in hell he is going to discuss extending his contract at a club he feels has gone back on its word. It’s not even worth debating