Leicester City - 1 Time Champion of England

[Fryer Tuck]

Wouldn't look too deeply into the match odds. We were favs against West Ham a fortnight ago. I think we have a better chance of beating Burnley at Turf Moor rather than Swansea at the King Power. Although I hadn't heard of them having any outs?

I'd be happy with a draw out of this one. We play Burnley, QPR and Sunderland in our run home. Our focus should be to pick up 9 points from those games. Any extra points are a complete bonus.

Really? Oh wow, 1.80 vs 2.10? Dang, it looks like both the Tottenham game, and West Ham's fall certainly had its part in that, but not to the extent where it makes us favourties. I guess you've missed on the most notable piece of news that came out of the Swansea game: Gomis is injured. (I should note this: The way Swansea handled Gomis is the way we should handle Kramaric so that Krammers will absolutely belt it next season.)

In regards to other outs, Naughton (Remember him?) broke his ankle against Hull. Montero (Who did quite well against us) and Olivera are not expected to return this week (They'll likely be back in the next Swansea home game), and Tom Carroll won't play.

In other words, a fair bit of talent is missing here, and their attacking capabilities are significantly reduced. Of course we have to be weary as usual, but combined with the fact that Swansea do poorly here, I think now would be a very good opportunity to pick up some bonus points (100% Agreement, as long as we win over Burnley, QPR, and Sunderland, everything else is a bonus). Hopefully the fans will be on song, giving further confidence to the lads. It also helps that the only other team that is playing is Burnley, so now is finally the time to get off the bottom.

 

[Fryer Tuck]

Alright, a bit late, but just to get us warmed up for tonight, the U21s have won their quarterfinal clash against Everton in the International Cup 4-3 on penalties! (Score was 2-2 aet, and 1-1 at full time). Moore and Knockhart also played.

Highlights here:

Report here: http://www.lcfc.com/news/article/u21s-report-leicester-city-2-everton-2-aet-4-3-pens-2406420.aspx

Scoring from corners, scoring hatricks for St Kitts, scoring just for fun. Harry got the brace! I just hope he can keep this up, would like to see him in the team one day (even got that winner in his one game).

Credit has to go to Smith for making two key saves to get us through.

We will play one of Porto, Fulham, or, sigh... Man City, in the semi final. Our U21s have really been killing it!


Also, this story:

Good gesture, that. Great to see!

 

[Jatz]

That story is awesome mate! Great to see the club taking the extra step. It's the little things that make supporting this club easy!

 

[Fryer Tuck]

Ulloa's goal: http://streamable.com/2shq
King's goal: http://streamable.com/hi5e


Well, time to get prepared for Burnley, which will be the most important match at this point in time (The match that gets us out of the zone). We need a win to really give us a boost. The way that Burnley’s been playing, there’s good reason why they’re at the bottom of the table (I’ve always wanted to say that.)

Anyway, for the first time in a long time, the opposition is actually below us on the table. We’re no longer 20th, but we’re still in the dog fight. Now’s not the time for complacency!

Injury notes, we know about Nugent, but apparently Wasyl was also injured. While it was also for tactical reasons, Wasyl actually left the stadium and came back close to full time (He was wearing the same gear as Nugent in the tunnel cam… speaking of, check out Nugent and Cambiasso in that vid, Nugent is doing his best to pump the boys up, Cambi’s pumped after that win.)



The good news is that neither injury was serious, they should be back for Burnley, and we all know what Nugent’s record against Burnley is like.

Also, believe me when I say you don’t want to know what I predicted. I... had perhaps a little too much fun. I'm not going to jinx us but saying a word.

I have to say, the team that Pearson prepared is pretty much exactly how I want to go about things (Nugent was originally ahead of Ulloa of course), which gives us plenty of options on the bench should we need to change tactics. Now there is something that crossed my mind, all those formations that we've been doing in previous games? I almost hazard to say that this has allowed us greater flexibility to regards to tactics, we switched seemlessly into 4-4-2 with an unorthodox squad as soon as Swansea started applying pressure.

This is the first of three games where the opponent is fighting for their lives. We got the bonus points, but now is the time to stamp our authority on Burnley. Now that we are above them, it's time to ensure that it stays like that, and take home the points they took from us. They will view this just as winnable as we are of them. In other words, we have an expectation to perform up to now, and we need to deliver on that.



I think we have the squad to ensure that we keep this up over the remaining 6 games, heck, I would say that we could certainly push Chelsea (That QPR game, and where Chelsea are at the moment actually gives us more of a chance, we could do a Sunderland with a bit of luck), seeing how the games are going, could be the first exciting Chelsea game in a fortnight. The only thing that may kill us is the lack of finishing that we showed against Swansea. Pearson finishes off strongly, and as long as we don't lose our drive, I think we will not only survive the drop, but actually make a statement for next season to any future prospects (My #1 transfer target without a shadow of a doubt: Get Huth on a permanent!) But before I get too carried away, survival is key this season. First things first, we need to prove a point against Burnley.

 

[Milang_Panthers]

 

[Fryer Tuck]

Winning goal: http://streamable.com/mh7v

Also, I think you may have been aware, but just like the same fixture last season, the owners did something similar this time around:

Another blue shirt, with our motto 'Foxes never quit' on the front, and Fearless on the back (our PL campaign promotion at season's start). Leicester fans were also treated to a £5 food and drink offer at the ground to give their full support to the boys.

Another great effort by our owners!

 

[Jatz]

How good are our owners?! And how good is our side!

4 in a row is just unbelievable. We played very ordinary on the weekend and still got the result! Loving the resolve in the squad at the moment.

It's great to be out of the relegation zone but the work is only half done. Don't think we'll have issues with complacency with Pearson at the helm either.

 

[Zidane98]

Do the football world a favor and make it 5 wins in a row.

 

[Fryer Tuck]

Do the football world a favor and make it 5 wins in a row.

It would be fantastic if we could!

However, at this point in time, I am unsure what sort of team we're going to play. Do we go all out, no matter the opposition? Or should we preserve our resources for Newcastle? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ester-manager-looks-perform-great-escape.html I feel that if we can get 6 more points, that's us up guaranteed.

I am once bitten, twice shy about resting players, because I remember a certain match a couple of seasons (An opponent we thrashed 6-0 two weeks earlier) ago that almost turned fighting for the title into a 'great grab' for a playoff place. I think that with our strongest available team, and in Chelsea's current state, we can get at least a draw, perhaps much more, and continue our fine run.

However, Nugent and Schlupp have knocks, and it was reported that Vardy had to play the game on painkillers. The last thing we need is injuries to our key players in our dash home. Vardy will be the one that hurts the most, that pesty pace really puts teams to the sword.

But we could possibly lose a bit of that momentum if we get stung, even if this is a game we're expected to lose. Then again, Pearson is backing the squad, he is putting them to the test by claiming that if they are worthy, they will stand and deliver. He did that against Burnley, and there's a good chance that he could do it again.

Myself personally, let's just end this as soon as possible, go all guns blazing, and get those points one way or another. Assess the situation at half time if any changes are needed. These boys have been seasoned in the Championship, so a midweek game is nothing to them. Schlupp and Nugent are expected back for this game (though they could be rested until Newcastle).

However... one thing that really scares me... Konchesky vs Hazard... that's scary. Please let's place positive attacking football against Chelsea, and use our pace to give their defense something to think about.

 

[Jatz]

That's our last 'hard' game out of the way.

I really hope the injury news is good to us!

 

[Fryer Tuck]

Here's an early gif of the Albrighton goal:

http://gfycat.com/DisgustingIncredibleFlycatcher

I'll be sure to get the proper version soon. I can't post it here, since it's too big, so you're going to have to copy that into your address bar.

Indeed, and to be honest, it was a very good effort from the lads. Chelsea were just class in that 2nd half. Better teams would've been cut up like we have. Too bad we couldn't get a point, but the Huth sub really cost us. King was looking grand before he was subbed off. I think we would've certainly seen Kramaric had the game gone as planed.

Dare I say it? I have very little regret with the team selection tonight. Barring some bad luck, we did pretty well, and I'm sure the heads will be up for Newcastle. All players performed well, though once they figured out Konchesky, that was it. The most bizarre thing was that De Laet had Hazard in his pocket, nicely done.

I think the subs were just precautionary, King and Huth looked fine-ish enough from what I saw (King looked very confused at the sub.) They were knocks, but that's it. However, Mahrez on for Vardy wasn't what I would've done. Probably could've still gotten something had it been Kramaric for Ulloa. Then again, I suppose the focus was on resting Vardy for Newcastle, though I think we could've held on for the draw had Vardy stayed. Mahrez isn't exactly defensive.

But I agree with your suggestion, we start Kramaric against Newcastle, fresh legs to go from the start. Hopefully we'll see Huth and King back, and maybe Nugent and Schlupp (That would be huge if we get either one back, let alone both.) We've done Newcastle at our place once this season, and with a point (preferably three) to prove, I'm sure we can do it again.

 

[Fryer Tuck]

Ulloa’s first: http://giant.gfycat.com/InfatuatedGlitteringAmericancrocodile.mp4

Morgan’s goal: http://giant.gfycat.com/ThirdGenuineGlobefish.mp4

Ulloa’s Penalty: http://giant.gfycat.com/LoneInconsequentialJackrabbit.mp4

Vardy Abuse: http://giant.gfycat.com/DearestAdorableAlbino.mp4 (Thank goodness for those blue pads, or that could’ve been a lot nastier)

Also, I see that you noticed the tifo display. That one was purely fan orginised. It was a costly exercise, but for a first time effort, they did a fantastic job! It also should be noted that the club themselves orginised one to compliment the fan orginised one. Here’s a picture of it here. Potential wallpaper material?

So, I leave for the night, unfortunately with a bit of a cold, and I find that Sunderland and Aston Villa won? (West Brom to a lesser extent). Pfft, of course, of course! It’s never that easy when it comes to Leicester. I hope Southampton is going to be as generous as they were with Sunderland. I think another Swansea performance is in order.


Burnley and QPR are virtually gone. Burnley needs to win their last three, and QPR basically the same thing, unless they win big (or we lose big). That still requires us to lose all three games though. The big problem is Sunderland winning, which means despite our best efforts, 18th place is right behind us still. Well, to be fair, we did have some results go our way when we were languishing off the bottom, so swings and roundabouts.


The key message is that we just need to beat one of Sunderland, Aston Villa, Hull, and Newcastle in terms of point tallies. A very crucial fact is that we must not lose to Sunderland. Winning against Sunderland puts us in an excellent position. The good news is that we have tons of form and momentum going our way. We’ve still got Nugent and King to come back, and we’ve got plenty of options to mix and match. We’ve likely going to be better rested and prepared to take on the Soton challenge. If Aston Villa can get the job done, so can we.


While I do have a good feeling that Arsenal and Chelsea will still press on (Can’t rely on Man Utd) even if places are settled, we cannot rely on Sunderland’s hard fixtures to stop them. We must take the bull by the horn and win our matches (and tire Sunderland out for our game, since they’ll need to play 3 games in one week).


Frustrating, but I have every faith that we will be able to get the job done. We survived the toughest week, now it’s up to us to see the job through.

 

[Jatz]

Nige has ruled King out this weekend but everyone else is available.

 

[Fryer Tuck]

Nige has ruled King out this weekend but everyone else is available.

Saw that, Nugent's in contention as well. Nugent in for Mahrez is my only change. Let's do Southampton like we did Swansea!

Also, to celebrate the General Election, Ladbrokes ran their on poll on which footballing figure would be the best PM? Guess who won? http://news.ladbrokes.com/polls/pearson-pips-sherwood-vote-top-footballing-prime-minister.html (I think you know about the Sol Campbell bit, running for London Mayor?)



But on a proper voting issue, the end of season awards is coming! Being held on May 17th, it is up to the fans to determine who our player of the season, young player of the season, and goal of the season is!

Two of those are easy (Schlupp and Cambiasso.) The goal of the year is very tricky, it's between Nugent's class finish against Liverpool, and Vardy's 'something out of nothing' goal against West Brom.

Here's the voting slip: http://www.lcfc.com/news/article/201415-season-awards-voting-now-open-2445350.aspx Let the club know your thoughts on the award winners.


One minor note, I know there's some discussion about fan owned clubs. How about one for the Leicestershire region? There's Hinckley, (The most basic package is only 6 pounds, which will give you one share). They used to be Conference North before their financial woes hit. This is the phoenix club. More details can be found here: http://www.hinckleyafc.org.uk/membership/membership-structure-3/


EDIT: Well Jatz , Pearson wins April Manager of the month: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...elping-Leicester-four-straight-victories.html

Think he looked more pleased with the Coke bottle:

I've also edited the goals, so they won't cause loading nightmares. The autotag is nice in some occasions, just not like this. If you're interested, I can compile a list of all our goals this season, if we're successful in staying up.

 

[Fryer Tuck]

Both of Mahrez' goals:
http://streamable.com/cmli
http://streamable.com/0gdp

I just heard that just like the Burnley game, the owners are yet again offering free breakfast, t-shirt, and a 5 pound food/drink voucher for Sunderland. I believe they also have something big planned for QPR as well.

Also, what Pearson does when he's not calling people ostriches:


Finally, record breaking Leicester is back: http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2015...ools-long-standing-premier-league-rec/page/1/ Win against Sunderland, and the record is ours!

 

[Jatz]

I love Nige! So glad he's still around!

 

[Jatz]

 

[Jatz]

Didn't see that thing about Hinckley til just now FT. Very interesting. Have you invested?

 

[Fryer Tuck]

Didn't see that thing about Hinckley til just now FT. Very interesting. Have you invested?

Not yet, but strongly considering it. It's about $10 all up for a minimum package, and for a share of the club, why not? It helps to grow a local club in the shire.

I might just shoot them an email, and see how that goes.

 

[Jatz]

Not yet, but strongly considering it. It's about $10 all up for a minimum package, and for a share of the club, why not? It helps to grow a local club in the shire.

I might just shoot them an email, and see how that goes.

Let me know how you go. If it's all good, I'd love to get involved as well.

They seem to be in the 10th division? How's their season been?

 

[Jatz]

 

[Fryer Tuck]

Let me know how you go. If it's all good, I'd love to get involved as well.

They seem to be in the 10th division? How's their season been?

Will do. I think they would certainly welcome some new owners, lol.

Right, Midlands Football League 1st Division. They finished 3rd this season! 76 points with 23 wins. They were 10 behind second placed Bromsgrove, from Worchestershire. They scored the 3rd most goals with 106, including the season high for the league 13-0 win over Pelsall Villa at home.

It looks like the Champion only get promoted to the Midlands Football Premier League, but three teams get relegated from the Premier League?

According to the rules, it looks like this league intermingles with the other Midlands feeder leagues, so that one from each Tier 10 division gets promoted into this league.

Basically, the only way up is to either finish as Champion, or under some technicality, be the most 'qualified' club.

So, all or nothing, really. They've got the right tools to be very competitive, that's for sure.

 

[Jatz]

Wow, that's a bloody tough ask! No room for error there!

Hopefully they can push again next second. They're well equipped compared to the teams around them?

 

[Fryer Tuck]

Ripper! I've been really wanting to watch this doco, but have never gotten the chance to (They kept taking it down). That Watford bit can bugger off though. It's just amazing how relevant some of this is when talking about recent events. Pretty much word for word right here. It's just too bad I no longer have the link to the End of Season Awards, where we get to see some rather interesting scenes, including a drunk Pearson:

Manish: Why do the players call you the headmaster?
Pearson: Because I'm a twat.

This is all I have from that night:


But yeah, great find. Love it!

 

[Jatz]

Thought you might like it if you hadn't already seen it!