Why Leicester are title challengers again

[Frogfish]

Leicester are coming off a very easy run of games. Burnley, Southampton, Palace, Arsenal, Brighton, Everton, Watford, Villa and Norwhich. They have done very well, but I dont think they would have been expected to lose any of those games.

They have us and City in 5 days next week, it will decide if they really are title challengers or not. I suspect not, Sheffield Utd are the only top 7 side they have beaten so far this year.

It would be wrong to discount their 2-1 home win over Spurs, who will definitely finish Top 6, and 1-1 draw at Chelsea. However you are absolutely right - when they were discussing Leicester's run on ESPN they also failed to mention the quality of the opposition.

 

[Modo]

Watched Leicester's game yesterday and to be completely honest I can't believe how they've conceded so few goals. I wasn't impressed at all. It's seems like they have trouble defending just like us at times when they play teams who sit back and defend.
Also their players looked jaded. They won't be able to compete with us like many others have said.
But our squad is getting smaller and smaller and that worries me.

 

[manwithnoname]

Watched Leicester's game yesterday and to be completely honest I can't believe how they've conceded so few goals. I wasn't impressed at all. It's seems like they have trouble defending just like us at times when they play teams who sit back and defend.
Also their players looked jaded. They won't be able to compete with us like many others have said.
But our squad is getting smaller and smaller and that worries me.

Yeah, it was very poor defensively, but I'm not sure it wasn't just 'one of those days'; if they're always that wide open, then better teams than Norwich would have exploited it by now.

Pukki seemed to break clear via a simple long ball at least three times

 

[mark1975]

Yeah, it was very poor defensively, but I'm not sure it wasn't just 'one of those days'; if they're always that wide open, then better teams than Norwich would have exploited it by now.

Pukki seemed to break clear via a simple long ball at least three times

We can say the same about us though, we've been easily exploited and got away with it more than a few times, but that's down to loads of factors really. Injuries stopping us having a consistent back 4/5, fatigue, how open we sometimes are, and we're playing in one of the best leagues in the World where these days it's a rarity that a team has a mean defense. It seems like for years now the onus has been completely on attacking teams, which is of course makes for great entertainment.

I think Leicester had an off day and I think the amount of off days you have based on squad size, injuries, games played etc is where it's won or lost.

We've had a few injuries and are stretched, but as Klopp said, that's the same for everyone. It's how you cope that's important, we got through a leggy, scrappy game with another 3pts, Leicester had a bad day. That's all that matters, that and the hope it'll happen a few more times.

 

[Brizzle]

Leicester have a long easy run post Boxing Day but finish with a v tough last 6-8 games. Wouldn’t be surprised to see them hold on to second until late in the season

 

[Hansern]

The Norwich game was supposed to be easy though. Christmas periode can see teams dropping points where they normally dont given the amount of games.

 

[doctor_mac]

I made Vardy captain in my Fantasy Team this week! Bad for my Fantasy team. Good for LFC.

Fuck your Fantasy Football!

 

[doctor_mac]

There is no chance Arsenal are getting anything out of that game. Easy 3 points for City.

Arsenal are going to get mullered. It will be a great day to be Robbie from AFTV.

 

[lfc.eddie]

Do you fellas in here have a "Brendan Rodgers famous Quote" thread?

He used to love to use "character" and "outstanding". A few years in Scotland and now his favourite - "press the reset button".

 

[King Binny]

 

[Dreambeliever]

They were never in the title race and will do very well to stay top 4

 

[Insignificance]

They were never in the title race and will do very well to stay top 4

They have equally points tally to Real M and Barcelona at this stage. They can build a good momentum without Europe disturbance. The CL qualification is their to lose .

 

[FoxForceFive]

Rodgers can complain about 10 games in 37 days all he wants, but we've been playing pretty much that schedule for the past two seasons, with a very few short breaks in between.if you want to compete for the league competitively, & in the cups properly, then you have to assume a game every 3 days for a good portion of the season, & train as such, or be prepared to prioritise competitions &/or certain league games in order to manage it.

 

[Dreambeliever]

They have equally points tally to Real M and Barcelona at this stage. They can build a good momentum without Europe disturbance. The CL qualification is their to lose .

As Chelsea have shown a few bad results and the rest catch up. They don’t have the depth to cope with all these fixtures. They will struggle massively and have a game every 4 days for the next month or so,

 

[Dreambeliever]

Rodgers can complain about 10 games in 37 days all he wants, but we've been playing pretty much that schedule for the past two seasons, with a very few short breaks in between.if you want to compete for the league competitively, & in the cups properly, then you have to assume a game every 3 days for a good portion of the season, & train as such, or be prepared to prioritise competitions &/or certain league games in order to manage it.

The fa should bin off the league cup as a minimum and get rid of FA Cup replays. That would help

 

[Insignificance]

As Chelsea have shown a few bad results and the rest catch up. They don’t have the depth to cope with all these fixtures. They will struggle massively and have a game every 4 days for the next month or so,

They got 11 points on Sheff Utd and 12 at Wolves. Of course they can be caught but it is still their to lose. 1 month of heavy schedule and then the remainer of season with 1 game a week.

 

[Modo]

Rodgers can complain about 10 games in 37 days all he wants, but we've been playing pretty much that schedule for the past two seasons, with a very few short breaks in between.if you want to compete for the league competitively, & in the cups properly, then you have to assume a game every 3 days for a good portion of the season, & train as such, or be prepared to prioritise competitions &/or certain league games in order to manage it.

How stupid do the critics of squad rotation look today? Remember the flack Rafa used to get from pundits for worrying about the players fitness levels. Even fans didn't get it.

 

[darkstarexodus]

Rodgers can complain about 10 games in 37 days all he wants, but we've been playing pretty much that schedule for the past two seasons, with a very few short breaks in between.if you want to compete for the league competitively, & in the cups properly, then you have to assume a game every 3 days for a good portion of the season, & train as such, or be prepared to prioritise competitions &/or certain league games in order to manage it.

And far more of our players are in significant roles for their national teams as well. Copa America and AFCON (which I still can't believe we didn't win...) this summer too, World Cup the summer before, Euros upcoming, Nations League, and so on.

 

[MomoWASright]

How stupid do the critics of squad rotation look today? Remember the flack Rafa used to get from pundits for worrying about the players fitness levels. Even fans didn't get it.

There are still dickheads who think if you’re paid well you should play every game. Apparently money can change was you physically can do.

 

[Modo]

There are still dickheads who think if you’re paid well you should play every game. Apparently money can change was you physically can do.

Yup.

 

[Dreambeliever]

Time to vault this car crash of a thread.

Title challengers my arse!

They’ll do very well to make top 4

 

[Gerry_A_Trick]

Time to vault this car crash of a thread.

Title challengers my arse!

They’ll do very well to make top 4

Agreed about them not being challengers, but they're 10 points clear of 5th, it'd be a disaster for them if they don't stay in top 4.

 

[Modo]

I dunno, but I found this pretty funny:

https://www.reddit.com/r/LiverpoolF..._liverpool/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x

 

[Dreambeliever]

Agreed about them not being challengers, but they're 10 points clear of 5th, it'd be a disaster for them if they don't stay in top 4.

As Chelsea have shown it’s easy to hit a rough patch. As it is they’ve dropped 8 pts in a week. They have a lot of games coming and Rodgers will want a cup.

I can see them falling back into the pack

 

[MaBigTip]

Time to vault this car crash of a thread.

Title challengers my arse!

They’ll do very well to make top 4

Don't get so high and mighty yet... they might still finish 2nd... losing to City and us says little about LCFC. However, City losing to Wolves twice may say something about them.

 

[RedStar]

As Chelsea have shown it’s easy to hit a rough patch. As it is they’ve dropped 8 pts in a week. They have a lot of games coming and Rodgers will want a cup.

I can see them falling back into the pack

Chelsea are not in a rough patch, theyve lost 5 of the last 7. They just arent very good and clearly dependent on some young talented players who arent able to produce their best form consistently.

Leicester wont be anywhere near the title but they should comfortably get 3rd.

 

[dee]

Rodgers can complain about 10 games in 37 days all he wants, but we've been playing pretty much that schedule for the past two seasons, with a very few short breaks in between.if you want to compete for the league competitively, & in the cups properly, then you have to assume a game every 3 days for a good portion of the season, & train as such, or be prepared to prioritise competitions &/or certain league games in order to manage it.

That is a great way to view two sides of a statement. Are Leicester wrong to challenge the backlog of games in the early winter or are we wrong to suggest it is the norm?

I genuinely have no idea if any other countries have two domestic cups to compete for but I'm hoping we are the wierdo's here. We do play to many games in England to my mind and the easiest solution is to bin off the league cup. Also removing the possibility of any team playing playing within 72 hours of any other competitive match

 

[dee]

As Chelsea have shown it’s easy to hit a rough patch. As it is they’ve dropped 8 pts in a week. They have a lot of games coming and Rodgers will want a cup.

I can see them falling back into the pack

They have a good 12-13 players that are rightly doing well with just 4 losses so far this season; away to united, home and away to us and away to Citeh. They've won (12) or drawn (3) of every other fixture. Is it so hard to give another team some praise?

 

[mark1975]

Time to vault this car crash of a thread.

Title challengers my arse!

They’ll do very well to make top 4

Christ you aren't half one knee jerk know-it-all gobshite sometimes.

Who's the car crash pat? The person who predicted they'd make top four, where they are at the halfway point, or the idiot who's deciding their seasons fate based on one week of form?

 

[Dreambeliever]

Don't get so high and mighty yet... they might still finish 2nd... losing to City and us says little about LCFC. However, City losing to Wolves twice may say something about them.

They won’t and even if they do we’ll so far ahead that they were never in the title race. It’ll have been a one horse race.

Not that it’s that high and mighty, it was obvious to most that they were never in it.