Leicester U21 (H) Match Thread

First 30 minutes we looked really good.  Sharp, quick, effective passing and we looked totally in control.  Gibson was proving a genuine presence up top, working the channels and bringing others into play.  Williams, in a more advanced role, was supporting well and someone who was driving forward with the ball.  Behind then Scannell was at the heart of it, dictating the tempo and making sure the passing was crisp.

As said before, Rose very composed and brings that level of assurance and calm that is contagious...








Then we got tired.


Preston on the left just looks copulated.  There's no other way of saying it.  He looks absolutely shattered.  It's hard enough for him playing at left-back when he's exhausted but as wingback it's sending a lamb to slaughter.  Idehen as the left-sided centre back was just exposed every time because he had no cover down that side.   I thought the back 3 themselves were fine but Ohman is a liability with his free-kicks.  He simply gives too many away and never seems to learn that you can't through the back of people.

Once we started to tire it was carnage.  Rose dropped like a fly and with that Morton was all over the place.  With tiring wingbacks, Leicester exposed the gaps and ran riot.  The midfield picked nothing up.  The front 2/3 couldn't get hold of anything and we just retreated further and further.   The substitutions didn't help us really.  He was knackered but Gibson going off removed any outlet we had.

It's very difficult to be either positive or negative because it just feels so all over the place.  But I think there has to be a line in the sand and we say enough is enough on the excuses.  We are where we are and we've got what we've got.  Sadly I think our balance is all wrong.  In the squad you could argue that we've got our core nice and experienced but the problem is so much of that core is made of glass.  McKeown, Waterfall, Rose, Hanson.  That's a solid core that 12 months ago would have been brilliant to build around.  Put the young legs around it and I'd have been very happy.  Rose can't stay fit or get up to 90 minutes and Hanson is well, struggling.  That leaves us having to play combinations of Morton/Spokes/Taylor when they all lack the experience to lead and dominate.  Clifton should, on form and in my opinion, be a mainstay in the middle but due to a lack of cover elsewhere and/or constant rotation that isn't happening/

On paper, the attacking midfield options we've got is very exciting.  Tilley, Wright, Scannell, Bennett, Williams and I've probably missed someone too.  But any 3 of those supporting a striker or any 2 out side should be enough to cause problems.  Tilley's injured (when he seemed to be coming into form), Wright also injured, Scannell looks to have fallen out with Holloway, Bennett I'm hoping comes good and Williams doesn't seem to have nailed down a set position.  

Up top we can discount Hanson.  Green, I'm afraid, just isn't up to it.  He doesn't offer anything.  That's not me going in on him, it's the reality.  We need a front man to be able to do at least one of the following; run the channels, hold it up, be a nuisance, bully sides, create chances, score goals.   He doesn't do any.  

Jackson, albeit having seen relatively little of him, looks a fair way off the pace in terms of fitness and standard.  He may well come good but he looked like a rabbit in the headlights yesterday.  Gomis I'm failing to see what he brings.

In his first few outings I thought Windsor looked excellent.  Since then he's been shafted out wide and deep, which doesn't suit him at all.  Not sure why that's happened.  I think he's picked up a knock too.

That leaves Gibson, who clearly splits opinions.  I think there's real potential there and with proper coaching and more games he'll be a real gem.  But for our whole attack to be focused around a rough diamond and a lack of anything happening behind him is a concern.

It's the constant knocks and fitness issues that really concern me though.  I said yesterday about something isn't quite right and I think until we get to the bottom of that we're never going to move on properly.  Despite a lack of balance and experience, I think we've got more than enough quality in that squad to be very comfortable this season.  What isn't helping is that we don't know what our best XI is, or anything close to it.  We've all got ideas but I don't think Holloway does.  Personally I don't think we've got the depth to play wingbacks so need to go to a back four.  A lack of depth means I don't want to see our fullbacks exposed which means wingers.  I don't think any of our available strikers are good/experienced enough to play up top alone which means 2 up top.   Pointing to a 4-4-2, which probably suits a lot of the players we've got.  

Whatever system we go with, it has to consistent and we can't keep making wholesale changes every game.  It simply isn't working.  Changes when needed, not just for the sake of it.

Not saying much but Green was our best player at Dagenham and we were excrement after he went off. Think your harsh on him, he works hard and does hold it up, sadly none of our other forwards seem anywhere near good enough. Ollies got it wrong

I'm not saying he doesn't work hard.  But that's a given.  I could work hard for the team, I could bust a gut until I drop.  It doesn't mean I'd be effective in the slightest.  

I only half watched the Dagenham game and I do agree, Green was one of our better performers on the day.  But it's still not enough, he just doesn't offer anything of what we need.  When we first signed him I thought he was fairly effective in the early days when he was working off Hanson and chased down in the corners.  But after those first few games he hasn't done that.  

Unfortunately I don't agree on him holding it up.  It doesn't stick with him often enough, when it does he doesn't bring others into play and/or he slows it down.

Quoted from diehardmariner

I'm not saying he doesn't work hard.  But that's a given.  I could work hard for the team, I could bust a gut until I drop.  It doesn't mean I'd be effective in the slightest.  

I only half watched the Dagenham game and I do agree, Green was one of our better performers on the day.  But it's still not enough, he just doesn't offer anything of what we need.  When we first signed him I thought he was fairly effective in the early days when he was working off Hanson and chased down in the corners.  But after those first few games he hasn't done that.  

Unfortunately I don't agree on him holding it up.  It doesn't stick with him often enough, when it does he doesn't bring others into play and/or he slows it down.

The problem I have with Matt Green is that he's got no pace now, his strengths were running in behind and taking defenders on, no his pace has gone he's lost the ability to affect a game, plus he's always going down far too easy, that said the keeper did wipe him out on Saturday, for what I saw as a stone wall penalty..

Williams is a must for every game.
He's the only one in years who can take a good corner and free kick.
Purely for that.

It’s really hard watching town at the moment but I still do and pay for any matches that my season ticket doesn’t cover. Town need the money. I’ve noticed that as bad as it is JT is way over the top with his negativity and constantly gets things wrong, players names, what’s actually happened as we can all watch now..... He’s passed it and thank god I have the option of turning him off.....Reading the comments I notice many others are noticing too. UTMM!!

[quote=22]Anyone surprised our team of young lads got turned over by a prem teams young lads?? [/quote

Our "young lads" are actually the youth team , not those that were on show last night.  Pretty sure all in the squad last night were all pro's and form part of the first team squad.
Any of them impress ?   Any of them grab the opportunity to nail down a starting place ?

Quoted from Steve Richards

Williams needs to play high up the pitch. He has never been a midfielder he may have the skill and the maturity to do it despite still being young but his best position is off a Striker (Windsor for me) or to the left or right of him with Edwards making up the dynamic 3. Play that combination week in week out with some patience and it will eventually click and provide the goals required this season! Appreciate injuries may have prevented us seeing that combination so far ...

Hope u are right. It makes sense. Tranmere away here we come

Quoted from Steve Richards

Williams needs to play high up the pitch. He has never been a midfielder he may have the skill and the maturity to do it despite still being young but his best position is off a Striker (Windsor for me) or to the left or right of him with Edwards making up the dynamic 3. Play that combination week in week out with some patience and it will eventually click and provide the goals required this season! Appreciate injuries may have prevented us seeing that combination so far ...

Deckchairs and Titanic spring to mind.

Quoted from friskneymariner

Deckchairs and Titanic spring to mind.

Williams, Windsor and either Edwards or Tilley ought to be our front three with Wright, Bennett and Green as back up. Clifton, Rose and Hewitt our midfield three. We already have decent back 5 and we need to send back the loanees who are surplus to requirements (Gomis and Morton) and manage without Hanson and Scannell. We would be better off blooding our own youngsters than giving game time to other club’s loanees that aren’t up to it.