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Showing posts with label Leicester City. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leicester City. Show all posts
Peter Anderson ⚽ You have to feel sorry for "our Brendan". His Leicester City side have been decimated by injuries over the last few weeks, yet had to face Liverpool, Man City and Liverpool again in a week over Christmas.

The first game was in the Carabao Cup and despite playing Liverpool off the park in the first half, Liverpool came back to draw the game and send it to penalties, which Leicester lost. Klopp had played a weakened team while Rodgers played his strongest available, with his eyes clearly on the silverware.

A few days later and his side faced the champions and with his defenders Evans, Soyuncu, Pereira, Fofano and Justin all injured, they did well to lose the game only 6-3. Now they face Liverpool again in the league on Tuesday, after Liverpool have had a free week due to their Boxing Day game being called off for Covid reasons. Rodgers was stoic when he faced the cameras after the City game, but you can't help thinking that it just ain't fair. 

Every season the topic of the Christmas schedule and the winter break raises its head. This season with covid it is even worse. The Premier League can't seem to tell the managers the protocol for calling games off. It seems to depend on the club rather than the number of players out. All footy fans love the Christmas schedule but having the Carabao Cup games just before Christmas doesn't make any sense. Some would say having the Carabao at all doesn't make sense. I wouldn't miss it if it disappeared from the calendar. I think at least allowing the teams in Europe to field their reserves would be a start. Also having two legged semi-finals is just uncalled for. I appreciate that finding a place for all the games is difficult, so maybe now is the time to speak about the Carabao Cup and how necessary it really is. Also having a short staggered winter break would work well. They could also have the FA cup third round played mid-week to allow a few extra days off. What is clear is that Leicester have been punished for getting so far in the Carabao and not having a Covid outbreak in the camp, and that is just not on. 

Klopp also had his say on the festive madness pointing out that while the hectic schedule is traditional and loved by the fans, it was unreasonable to ask Liverpool to play on the 26th and then again on the 28th. Professional athletes need 72 hours to recover or they risk injury so are the EPL really looking after the players' welfare? Surely two full days between matches is not unreasonable. Trying to reschedule all the Covid postponements is going to be a nightmare for those involved, especially the teams in the Champions League. Clearly some change is needed but I think that the EPL, as usual, has its eyes only on the money.

This is the last post of 2021, so a Happy New Year to all the Quillers, thanks for your comments and let's hope that 2022 is a good one.


Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports.

Leicester Losers

Peter Anderson ✒ Every now and again a team comes along from mid table obscurity to stick it to the big boys. 

This phenomenon usually involves the serendipitous coming together of multiple strands of skill and luck; a popular chairman, an up-and-coming coach, a blend of skillful players at opposite ends of their careers. 

These teams are always a joy to watch unless they are playing your team! If they are on live TV you'll always make an effort to tune in. My first such team was Bobby Robson's Ipswich. 

The legendary manager drove his young largely homegrown team to two second places in the league as well as FA and UEFA cup glory, supported faithfully by the Cobbold brothers as club chairmen. His team boasted the likes of Paul Mariner, Terry Butcher, Alan Brazil, John Wark, Kevin Beattie and Arnold Muhren. All unforgettable names. It was always a treat when they were on Match of the Day or Sportsnight.

Another such team was Kevin Keegan's Newcastle. After Newcastle had fallen into the second division and were in danger of going even lower, John Hall won control of the club and appointed the inexperienced Keegan. They recruited well and filled the ranks with the likes of Shearer, Andy Cole, Rob Lee, Ginola, Asprilla, Albert and Les Ferdinand. Although they won nothing, they shook up the big boys and had Fergie's dominant Red Devils on the run. Who could forget the 4-3 defeat to Liverpool or Keegan's infamous "I will love it if we beat them" line after being wound up by Fergie. Ultimately Man Utd saw them off and Newcastle won no trophies, but provided plenty of entertainment!

Which brings me to the current Leicester City team who are quickly developing into my new favourite "second team". When Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha took over the club after the death of his popular father in 2018 one of his first major decisions was to bring in the Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers. I must admit a soft spot for our Brendan. His Swansea team knew how to play football and when he went to Liverpool, he came within a whisker of winning a well-deserved title. His Reds played superb footy with the SAS (Suarez and Sturridge) up front. I was delighted when he left Celtic to return to England and thought the well run league winners of 2016 were a great fit. Leicester had a proven track record of canny signings. The likes of Kante and Mahrez were bought for buttons and sold for millions. 

Rodger's current side boasts a midfield of Ndidi, Tielemans, Maddison and Harvey Barnes with the evergreen striker Vardy still terrorising defences into his 30s. All of this is shored up by Johnny Evans and Kasper Schmeichel at the back. None of these players broke the bank but have played with great enterprise. The perfect blend of a dynamic coach looking to re-establish himself, a canny popular chairman and a blend of young and old, hungry players has taken the Foxes to second in the Premier League and the quarters of the FA cup. 

Brendan knows how to set up a team. His team know how to thrill and win. The question is: can they stay together long enough to emulate the Ipswichs and Newcastles of yore and really worry the big boys? Time will tell, but for now, I will be sitting back and enjoying the ride.

Peter Anderson is a Unionist with a keen interest in sports.

The Foxes

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