10 Games In - Your Verdict

[Chrysalis]

49 minutes ago, Danny Clender said:

It’s “Be here now” isn’t it, technically excellent, but somehow doesn’t deliver consistency.

I don’t think there are any conspiracy theories, it’s just we can’t reach the required levels of consistency.

From a solution pov, I’d say there needs to be some brave calls from the club to make things work consistently.

 

We may have to spend big on a defender in January, we may have to start Daka, we may have to buy an experienced midfielder and leader, we may have to adjust the style of play just to gain points, short term, we may have to change players roles, we may have to trust the system and live with it until it clicks, it will, but games like yesterday against Arsenal have to stop.

 

There are only a few “resets” we trust and believe in.

 

We are 10th, the average, we are not an average team.
 

The table doesnt lie, a team is a unit not a group of individuals.

 

Looking at it from head to heads, I would say Brighton, Palace, West Ham are all better teams than us, we still above palace in the table though.  However I do think they on a upward projectory.

 

Whats crazy though we still only 3 points off 5th (4th if west ham lose game in hand).

[Andy11111]

Yeah, just checked the table a second ago, absolutely nothing in it, get a couple of wins, top 4 even 👍

Edited 31 October 2021 by Andy11111

[turlo]

What's most worrying is 10 games in we don't have a settled formation or know what our best starting 11 is. Now 3 4 1 2 has been exposed (press our midfield & overload the wing backs) we'll no doubt go back to 4 2 3 1, which we moved away from due to several key players to that system underperforming and Rodgers unwilling to play Nacho in the 10 role while Madders was out of form. Or does he go back to 4 3 3 which was more solid in midfield but lacked the link between midfield and the front 3?

[Guest Danny Clender]

15 minutes ago, Chrysalis said:

The table doesnt lie, a team is a unit not a group of individuals.

 

Looking at it from head to heads, I would say Brighton, Palace, West Ham are all better teams than us, we still above palace in the table though.  However I do think they on a upward projectory.

 

Whats crazy though we still only 3 points off 5th (4th if west ham lose game in hand).

Correct.

And I know readers will query “all are better teams” but it does stand at the minute and that’s the big bug.
We’ve invested more, overall, to be better than those clubs, yet from 10 games we’re under performing. 

[Crinklyfox]

Teams are no longer worried about playing us.  They all know we have defensive frailties so provided they can set up with a good enough formation to frustrate our attacks they know that they have a good chance of winning.  So far we're not in any trouble and the confidence hasn't gone but some of the impetus has.  Our top players want to be in a team challenging for titles, cups and European places and we don't look up to that at present.  We have the potential and are capable of turning it around but right now we're not in a good place.

[lazlofox]

We haven’t played any where near what we are capable of in a single game.

 

We start slow, partly because teams press us early and we (the defence in particular) go to pieces. We have been sussed out in that regard.

 

Worst of all is our movement off the ball, which means the defence end up passing it amoungst themselves. They didn’t look up for it yesterday and soon woke up when the crowd got on thier back for thier endless back passing.

 

Something isn’t quite right

[HighPeakFox]

I have to agree with those feeling underwhelmed - thus far i've not seen many games where I was convinced we were the better team. I was working yesterday, but gather from friends that, the first 20 apart (and I concede that was where the game got lost) we were somewhat unlucky not to score, and there have been a few games like that (Brighton the main offender).

 

So nothing new from me here - start harder and take control of the midfield sooner. I know the defence is considered shambolic, but that only happens when what's in front is dismantled, and our midfield is getting dismantled too often.

[TMELcfc]

10 games in and I’ve only seen us do what I want us to do once, against Utd, which was press from the front as a team. 
Most games this season we’ve done the opposite and sit off. Why?!

When in possession it’s been pretty boring, but whether people like to admit it or not that’s been our style for past 18 months. Possession over substance. 
 

Love the fact little old Leicester are in Europe, that’s making the season enjoyable for me. League performances are so predictable - slow starts, concede goals for fun, possession football that’s easy to defend against.

 

In general too many injuries again is a problem. When whole squad is fit and playing, the manager has no more excuses. 
 

[Vestan Pance]

I think it can be summed up in the signings that we made and how they're doing. We've stood still and other teams have invested better.

 

The only signing that is playing regularly and doing O.K is Soumaré but that's mainly down to the Ndidi absence. I'm sure Daka will do it for us as Vardy fades but we've made no improvement to the starting 11.

 

If you stand still in this League you start to sink.

[ceebeefox]

As a fan since the 60’s I have no “delusions of grandeur” and a mid table finish and 2 good cup runs respecting the competitions is all I ask for. And,until these wonderful owners got us up it was a hopeful wish not a demand. We may have to be happy once in a while being mediocre, whilst every now and then upsetting the apple cart like the United game. But I wish we’d mix our game up a bit at times. O’Neill would’ve stuck Vannestegard up front for the last 15 and launched it, and what’s wrong with that?

[sdb]

Our current XI would lose to us 12 months ago, or 24 months ago. I'm sure we'd all agree. We've been unlucky with injuries, but we strengthened the squad rather than the starting XI during summer and are now having to rely on sub standard players too often. Annoyingly the worst players we signed are the ones we currently need the most.

 

As has been said, good attacking, poor defending. A lack of intensiteee and confusion over our best system, but no real plan B when the opposition have us figured out. 

 

Overall it's been underwhelming. We probably have half a dozen more points than we deserve too, which is a massive concern 

[weller54]

14 minutes ago, ceebeefox said:

As a fan since the 60’s I have no “delusions of grandeur” and a mid table finish and 2 good cup runs respecting the competitions is all I ask for. And,until these wonderful owners got us up it was a hopeful wish not a demand. We may have to be happy once in a while being mediocre, whilst every now and then upsetting the apple cart like the United game. But I wish we’d mix our game up a bit at times. O’Neill would’ve stuck Vannestegard up front for the last 15 and launched it, and what’s wrong with that?

Vestergaard up front.. what's wrong with that?😂😂..

Anyone want to start a list!

[Guest Chocolate Teapot]

It's not been good but its far from a disaster. We can still achieve all of our aims from the season, despite fofana having a serious injury.

 

I think if anyone comes in for soyuncu I would sell. We could get 40 odd million for him and that could fund someone like Carmo at Braga. We need to sort ourselves out defensively, going forward we look fine, the side has goals in it but defensively we don't dominate and are too reliant on Evans.

 

I also think leaving mendy out the squad is a mistake, he's our only real holder bar wilf and we could have done with him in Europe. KDH is miles off being as good as praet too.

 

With JJ back soon we need to switch back to 4 at the back, we're far too easy to cut open at the moment.

[surrifox]

17 minutes ago, ceebeefox said:

As a fan since the 60’s I have no “delusions of grandeur” and a mid table finish and 2 good cup runs respecting the competitions is all I ask for. And,until these wonderful owners got us up it was a hopeful wish not a demand. We may have to be happy once in a while being mediocre, whilst every now and then upsetting the apple cart like the United game. But I wish we’d mix our game up a bit at times. O’Neill would’ve stuck Vannestegard up front for the last 15 and launched it, and what’s wrong with that?

One obvious flaw in that plan is that Vestergaard cannot head a ball properly most of the time 

[Happy Fox]

We have been mediocre, I do believe it’s a mixture of players and the management, not all the blame on Rodgers some of the players are going through the motions and is their really any appetite or desire for us to be challenging for the top 4-5? Players seem to be counting down the days to join a new club it feels like that in all honestly.

 

 

[demon_dog]

1 hour ago, weller54 said:

Vestergaard up front.. what's wrong with that?😂😂..

Anyone want to start a list!

I remember when people scoffed at Steve Walsh being up front sometimes!

[Fox92]

I only recall one good performance all through the game and it was against Manchester United.

 

We still concede too many set piece goals, we seem to let the opposition have a lot of shots and chances.

 

I still believe we can finish top 6. I think the normal top 4 plus West Ham will finish above us but aside from that Everton seem inconsistent, Spurs don't look good. Wolves and Brighton might be a threat to our top 6 position. Villa and Leeds won't be anywhere near.

[Gazza M]

I think we are more than capable of 6th -8th if we get some consistency in our defending. 

[FOXSE]

We have had a relatively bad start to the season. Not in any small part due to injury. We are in the quarter finals of the league Cup, still in with a good chance of getting out our europa league group and after this round of league games the lowest we can be is 11th.

 

Overall, it could have been much worse, and if we pick up form and have fewer people injured we could still finish 4th or 5th.... not too bad.

[ceebeefox]

1 hour ago, weller54 said:

Vestergaard up front.. what's wrong with that?😂😂..

Anyone want to start a list!

Better than at the back! He’s very deceptive though....... he’s slower than he looks!!!!!

[winteriscoming]

We look decent at times and then dreadful. Defensively still look awful. Identical goals conceded against Brentford and Arsenal from corners. I see us finishing mid table between 8th and 12th.

[TheStig]

2 hours ago, Happy Fox said:

We have been mediocre, I do believe it’s a mixture of players and the management, not all the blame on Rodgers some of the players are going through the motions and is their really any appetite or desire for us to be challenging for the top 4-5? Players seem to be counting down the days to join a new club it feels like that in all honestly.

 

 

Agree - and those are probably the ones that will push for a transfer because we didn´t qualify for CL. Its the chicken and the egg really. So easy to "down tools" and wantaway. would rather seem them pull of the gloves and start performing - it doesn´t need to be pretty all the time - but the least we can demand is fight and attitude. Do we have to play route one ball for a while so be it until this is sorted out.

[ealingfox]

Enjoy the rest of our European campaign because we won't be in it next season. Not the end of the world of course but we have not looked good so far this season.

[RowlattsFox]

I thought a potential mid table season may be on the cards, hard for us sustain a top 4 challenge given our overall squad. But it's the manner of our performances which have been disappointing so far. So passive, no organisation and it appears no plan from a defensive point if view. No real improvement in any area of weakness and reliant on individual performances. 

 

We can't seem to get a formation balance right. 

[RoboFox]

Manchester United has been the anomaly this season. Let’s face it, we’ve been poor and we look increasingly prone to disastrous spells in games which see us brain farting all over the team and leaking goals.

 

Defensively, we’re an abomination at times and I can’t understand why after 3-odd years, we’re still so bad at set pieces at both ends of the pitch. It genuinely doesn’t look like Rodgers knows how to fix the issue.

 

We’re too reliant on Tielemans to be on song. When he plays well, the team tends to. 
 

However, with Justin, Evans, and Fofana back to full fitness, it could change everything. I’m confident something will click, and we’ll find a vein of form.

 

Top four? No chance. Top six? Maybe.