Newcastle United 1 - 2 Leicester City - 03/01/21

[Abra Dubravka]

1 win in 7, next 7 games;

 

Arsenal (A) FA CUP, Sheff U (A), Arsenal (A), Leeds (H), Everton (A), Palace (H), Southampton (H)

 

Don't expect anything out of either Arsenal games, nor Leeds, Everton - or even Southampton. 

 

That's why it amazes me people think we're safe, reading that lot with our form and our manager at the helm we bloody aren't.

 

Sheff United are down, we're better defensively than Fulham and WBA, but we simply don't score or create enough to win enough games for us to be truly safe.

 

Even last season, we completely ran out of steam. Fortunately we picked up enough points not to ever get sucked into anything, but had no faith that this side has any character or balls in it to win any sort of 'must win game' that a relegation battle brings.   

 

 

[Ben]

Sheff Utd, hmmmmm, remember when Derby went down with only 1 win.

[Sean]

Haven't bothered to scroll through umpteen pages so sorry if this is a Giggs but seeing Leicesters' new training complex on Football Focus yesterday says it all about the gulf between us and them. Fantastic new facility that has everything while we've got plastic bins for ice baths. Brendan Rodgers was saying how they may not be able to afford 60-80 million pound 'elite' players but having the ability to attract and keep local talent is massive. They might have won the league the other year but they're half the size of NUFC IMO, but they're progressive and ambitious.

 

The Mike Ashley effect. We're now years behind clubs like Leicester, even if Ashley was to leave tomorrow and we became the richest club in the world. He absolutely hates the club, it's fans and the wider region.

[sh74]

At the end of the day bruce is a mid table championship manager and that is where we are heading no ifs or buts or sleeves rolling up.We are going down.

[Yorkie]

At the end of the day bruce is a mid table championship manager and that is where we are heading no ifs or buts or sleeves rolling up.We are going down.

 

Who stays up at our expense?

[sh74]

Fuck knows but we are down with Bruce in charge.

[Alberto2005]

Fuck knows but we are down with Bruce in charge.

I don't think so, people forget we're not the only shit team in the league. We've been horrible all season and we have around an 8 point lead over the bottom three?

 

We'll be right down there till the end but if Wilson stays fit we won't go down imo.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

We have about half the points we need to stay up, I think it’s going to get interesting.

[Infinitely Content]

Think the points total to stay up will be very low this season. We've 19, I reckon 34 keeps a team up.

[Yorkie]

I just can't see us finishing below any of the current bottom four given the amount of quality we have in the team. The goalkeepers are exceptional; there's consistency, steel and skill in Fernandez and Schär; the midfield is average at best but the likes of Hayden, Shelvey and Fraser all have their moments; Almiron and ASM have quality and Wilson is streets ahead of any other striker in this part of the league. Clearly we're operating significantly below the sum of our parts (despite what some might say), but there's enough individual talent there to force survival.

 

I wouldn't even be overly concerned if Wilson's legs fell off tomorrow. We had one of the worst strikers I've ever seen for us complete the entire season last year and we were miles away from the drop; way ahead of a more competent relegation skirmish than this year's lot.

 

We're in shaky form at the moment but it doesn't feel particularly long ago that we won two on the bounce immediately after an earlier bad spell. So I don't see anything having fundamentally changed, which means we're gonna depart from the usual win-a-few/draw-a-few/lose-a-lot pattern that we're used to.

[GideonShandy]

I just can't see us finishing below any of the current bottom four given the amount of quality we have in the team. The goalkeepers are exceptional; there's consistency, steel and skill in Fernandez and Schär; the midfield is average at best but the likes of Hayden, Shelvey and Fraser all have their moments; Almiron and ASM have quality and Wilson is streets ahead of any other striker in this part of the league. Clearly we're operating significantly below the sum of our parts (despite what some might say), but there's enough individual talent there to force survival.

 

 

Hope you're right, but I can easily see Brighton finishing ahead of us.  They're a better team.  I suspect we're going to be fighting it out with Fulham for 17th & 18th.  The bookies have us 7/2 for relegation.  FiveThirtyEight's model is predicting a 17% chance -- about the same odds as rolling a 6 on a dice.  Think that's about the range.

[hakka]

1 win in 7, next 7 games;

 

Arsenal (A) FA CUP, Sheff U (A), Arsenal (A), Leeds (H), Everton (A), Palace (H), Southampton (H)

 

Don't expect anything out of either Arsenal games, nor Leeds, Everton - or even Southampton. 

 

That's why it amazes me people think we're safe, reading that lot with our form and our manager at the helm we bloody aren't.

 

I think the survival points score might be lower than normal this year. The teams in the bottom 3 have been awful and would take some significant turn around for one to escape. Then you got the cushion of Burnley and Brighton there who could easily still be lurking in same place. Just feels like Bruce will squirm a few more points to keep us up and Ashley will be delighted with that. I make it we are only 2 points worse off than same point of last season, so think we are on course for a worse finish, but likely to finish where we are now. I wouldn't describe us as safe, but think it's more likely we will just do enough to stay up than to go on a run so bad that we end up relegated.

 

I am hoping we go down under Bruce though. It's the only fuck you Ashley gets stung from that matters, and absolutely what him and Bruce deserve.

[Big Geordie]

Relegation means he won’t sell the club though - that’s even if he still intends to sell, should we stay up.

[nufcjb]

Our opponents today, btw:

 

From this:

 

 

<a href="https://ibb.co/cCvqhkn"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/7Rzhtjm/belvoir.jpg" alt="belvoir" border="0"></a>

 

 

To:

 

 

 

Blurb:

 

 

 

 

Leicester City have unveiled their stunning new £100million training complex, which the players are all set to move into on Thursday.

 

The club have been working on the new site since spring last year but will finally make the move into the 185-acre site in Seagrave, a village in Leicestershire, which includes 21 training areas, 14 full-size training pitches and a 499-seater pitch for youth team games.

 

The complex has been built on the site of a former golf club, but nine of the 18 holes have been retained which the players will be able to test their skills on once club chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha can fly over and complete the first official tee-off.

 

Moreover, the buildings - of which there are seven in total - which form the heart of the complex have been named after the late owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and his company.

 

The administrative and medical hub is called the Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha Building, and will hold facilities such as a swimming pool required by both the playing and football operations staff, while there is also room for a restaurant and areas designed for recreational activities.

 

The complex also includes features such as customised gym and hydrotherapy facilities, while the dome that appears to stand out is has been named the King Power Centre, which holds an indoor artificial pitch and other media facilities.

 

The club's former Belvoir Drive facility - which was their training ground for nearly 60 years - will now become home to the club's women's team.

 

The dome that appears to stand out is the King Power Centre, which holds an artificial pitch and media facilities.

The administrative and medical hub is called the Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha Building, and will hold facilities required by both the playing and football operations staff.

The complex also includes a swimming pool to help the club's players recovery following top-flight matches.

Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers hailed the facilities as 'a different world' and labelled it the club's most significant investment.

The new complex also includes features such as a customised gym and some hydrotherapy facilities.

Seagrave will become home to the Club's entire men's professional and academy football operation in the coming weeks.

 

'To be able to move into one of the most advanced training facilities in the whole world is something we're all so excited about,' said boss Brendan Rodgers - who will see his side train there for the first time on Christmas Eve ahead of their boxing Day clash with Manchester United.

 

'I've been dropping in there over the last number of months and now it's finally arrived, the time that we can look to go in, we're really looking forward to it.

 

'It's amazing and, now we're going to this new site, it just takes you into a different world altogether and it's a world we're looking forward to being in.

 

'It's the most significant investment in the club's history, if you think of everything they've done, the owners, since they've been here. This facility is going to help improve players, but also people.

 

'The essence of Leicester City - and I've really found this since I've been here - is a genuine want to develop people and help people, whether you're a player or a member of staff.

 

'That's something which comes from the very top. To have that at the top of your club, of course we're all very lucky to be able to work here and experience that.'

 

Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha meanwhile added: 'The club has taken some enormous strides forward in the last 10 years,' he said. 'In terms of our long-term future, this is perhaps the biggest.

 

'A new training ground has been a dream many years in the making, so it is with great pride that we have been able to deliver this. Seagrave will be a pivotal part of the club's operation for generations to come.

 

'Of all the investments we have made in the club, this has been our most significant. It is an investment in our players of today and our players of tomorrow, putting some of the very best facilities in the world at the heart of their everyday environment.

 

'It elevates the club's offering to its players and staff to an entirely new level and is a key component in making our progress of recent years sustainable.'

 

Once the first team have moved into the complex, Seagrave will become home to the club's entire men's professional and academy football operation in the coming weeks.

 

 

Meanwhile:

 

 

<a href="https://ibb.co/NjWR2Jn"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/ncQpMY8/bins.jpg" alt="bins" border="0"></a><br />

 

Remember the early Premiership days when we played at Filbert Street under Keegan. Opening day, Srnicek sent off. Beardsley had his cheekbone fractured yet we still won against these and I was buzzing the next morning.

 

Fast forward 25+ years and we're on the wrong end of losing to them and I'm waking up absolutely seething reading what baconhead said about the loss. How the tables have turned.

[Ben]

TBF Man City, Liverpool and Leicester all played terrible against us, I dont think it was anything Bruce did to counter their tactics they were just shite.

[Cronky]

We pressed the opposition further up the field with more conviction and overall the new line-up looked like an improvement, though not a spectacular one, of course.

 

I feel a bit sorry for Joelinton, who never hides, but we would be a much better side if there was someone in that number 10 position who was more mobile and had a better touch. He reads the game well, and shows for the ball, and knows what he should be doing in possession. Trouble is, his body doesn't allow him to do it at sufficient speed. He loses the ball in promising situations too often, and a player in that role tends to see a lot of the ball. A lot of moves seem to break down with him.

 

In fairness, he sometimes uses his strength to open things up, and I don't think we have a clear alternative option. But it's a very frustrating picture to watch.

[GWN]

We pressed the opposition further up the field with more conviction and overall the new line-up looked like an improvement, though not a spectacular one, of course.

 

I feel a bit sorry for Joelinton, who never hides, but we would be a much better side if there was someone in that number 10 position who was more mobile and had a better touch. He reads the game well, and shows for the ball, and knows what he should be doing in possession. Trouble is, his body doesn't allow him to do it at sufficient speed. He loses the ball in promising situations too often, and a player in that role tends to see a lot of the ball. A lot of moves seem to break down with him.

 

In fairness, he sometimes uses his strength to open things up, and I don't think we have a clear alternative option. But it's a very frustrating picture to watch.

 

 

 

What I have seen this season is a side so uncomfortable on the ball it’s making us defend way too much than we have to as we keep giving the ball away. Every ball played is like a grenade being thrown, until that’s resolved we have no where to go with this squad, Bruce doesn’t have the ability to coach this touch, make them better, it quite clear what’s wrong.

[GWN]

TBF Man City, Liverpool and Leicester all played terrible against us, I dont think it was anything Bruce did to counter their tactics they were just s****.

 

I disagree , we aren’t as shit as they are made out to be just learn how to retain the ball a bit better, we are sometimes a little better at defending than say Brighton or West Brom as we have had players doing it for 4 seasons or more now , it’s how we avoid a battering in truth we get so much practice at it 

 

We are one of the few teams not to press the ball, these top teams don’t know what to do at times against us, invariably they find a way through but we don’t get the beatings you expect because w3 are well practiced.just my thoughts .

[tgarve]

We pressed the opposition further up the field with more conviction and overall the new line-up looked like an improvement, though not a spectacular one, of course.

 

I feel a bit sorry for Joelinton, who never hides, but we would be a much better side if there was someone in that number 10 position who was more mobile and had a better touch. He reads the game well, and shows for the ball, and knows what he should be doing in possession. Trouble is, his body doesn't allow him to do it at sufficient speed. He loses the ball in promising situations too often, and a player in that role tends to see a lot of the ball. A lot of moves seem to break down with him.

 

In fairness, he sometimes uses his strength to open things up, and I don't think we have a clear alternative option. But it's a very frustrating picture to watch.

 

I’m sorry but joelinton , I don’t feel sorry for him, he is lazy, and doesn’t care. I’ve watched the team for 25 years and he is one of the biggest wastes of space we have ever had , why Almiron and Murphy are playing second fiddle to this fraud is anyone’s guess

[AyeDubbleYoo]

We don't get hammered because of how rarely we attack. We know how to keep things tight, and that's basically it.

 

Teams like Man City beat us easily because of their style, which is more patient and deliberate. They don't hammer us because they can't be bothered once they know they've won. Teams like Leicester and Liverpool, we were able to keep the score down by just getting everyone behind the ball.

 

It might be enough to keep us up, that's a sad reflection on the league though. Basically, the team with the least ambition and attacking intent will survive over other 'better' footballing sides. Guess you could argue that's fair enough, but it's fairly painful to watch.

[GWN]

We pressed the opposition further up the field with more conviction and overall the new line-up looked like an improvement, though not a spectacular one, of course.

 

I feel a bit sorry for Joelinton, who never hides, but we would be a much better side if there was someone in that number 10 position who was more mobile and had a better touch. He reads the game well, and shows for the ball, and knows what he should be doing in possession. Trouble is, his body doesn't allow him to do it at sufficient speed. He loses the ball in promising situations too often, and a player in that role tends to see a lot of the ball. A lot of moves seem to break down with him.

 

In fairness, he sometimes uses his strength to open things up, and I don't think we have a clear alternative option. But it's a very frustrating picture to watch.

 

I’m sorry but joelinton , I don’t feel sorry for him, he is lazy, and doesn’t care. I’ve watched the team for 25 years and he is one of the biggest wastes of space we have ever had , why Almiron and Murphy are playing second fiddle to this fraud is anyone’s guess

 

 

 

I have to agree, breaking him down and for the money we paid he brings very little to the team, when he loses the ball he rarely goes aggressively back after it, looks lazy and being lazy are different but I agree he looks lazy, stats may make a mug of me.

 

The bloke isn’t really getting much better, fuk me how long do you wait, he’s no mug but I struggle to find what he is? Winger, midfield, striker, number 10 ? No fucker knows 

 

Folk have said in some games he’s been great, fuk me I just don’t see the same thing, reasonable yes but not great and even given motm on an occasion .Maybe JL just doesn’t float me boat but I don’t see any decent player there at all.

 

Our whole midfield is horrible.

[Guest neesy111]

I would say we do seem to have more legs in the team () over the last few games which has helped.

[Away Toon]

Relegation means he won’t sell the club though - that’s even if he still intends to sell, should we stay up.

 

Nobody knows that maybe not even Ashley, how come you are so certain?

[Cronky]

We pressed the opposition further up the field with more conviction and overall the new line-up looked like an improvement, though not a spectacular one, of course.

 

I feel a bit sorry for Joelinton, who never hides, but we would be a much better side if there was someone in that number 10 position who was more mobile and had a better touch. He reads the game well, and shows for the ball, and knows what he should be doing in possession. Trouble is, his body doesn't allow him to do it at sufficient speed. He loses the ball in promising situations too often, and a player in that role tends to see a lot of the ball. A lot of moves seem to break down with him.

 

In fairness, he sometimes uses his strength to open things up, and I don't think we have a clear alternative option. But it's a very frustrating picture to watch.

 

I’m sorry but joelinton , I don’t feel sorry for him, he is lazy, and doesn’t care. I’ve watched the team for 25 years and he is one of the biggest wastes of space we have ever had , why Almiron and Murphy are playing second fiddle to this fraud is anyone’s guess

 

 

 

I have to agree, breaking him down and for the money we paid he brings very little to the team, when he loses the ball he rarely goes aggressively back after it, looks lazy and being lazy are different but I agree he looks lazy, stats may make a mug of me.

 

The bloke isn’t really getting much better, fuk me how long do you wait, he’s no mug but I struggle to find what he is? Winger, midfield, striker, number 10 ? No fucker knows 

 

Folk have said in some games he’s been great, fuk me I just don’t see the same thing, reasonable yes but not great and even given motm on an occasion .Maybe JL just doesn’t float me boat but I don’t see any decent player there at all.

 

Our whole midfield is horrible.

 

Well ultimately whether a player is lazy or just looks lazy can only be a matter of opinion. But for me, he definitely looks like he's trying. Some players just don't have the sort of physique that enables them to move in the kind of nimble way that so many situations in football require.

 

I'd agree that there's a problem in finding his best role. Perhaps his current one is the best possible. But overall, I fear he lacks the mobility to do well in the fast pace of the Premiership, whatever role he's given. He's got a good football brain, but his body isn't allowing him to do what he needs to do.