Rotherham (H) 3-0 - 23 Dec - Post-Match Thread

[LCFCJohn]

I’m not sure if it’s because we ran out comfortable winners but I haven’t seen anything said post match about the incident with their defensive howler that led to the ball being cleared off the line and whether it should have been a pen, unless I have missed it.

 

Fats was clearly being pulled back and was honest to keep on his feet. I think it was a clear pen and should have been given. The problem being, players should be encouraged to be honest but if they are then not given decisions, surely next time it makes more sense to just go down? It encourages the wrong habits and you can see why players go down like an Olympic diver when they have to to get the decisions.

[Les-TA-Jon]

25 minutes ago, LCFCJohn said:

I’m not sure if it’s because we ran out comfortable winners but I haven’t seen anything said post match about the incident with their defensive howler that led to the ball being cleared off the line and whether it should have been a pen, unless I have missed it.

 

Fats was clearly being pulled back and was honest to keep on his feet. I think it was a clear pen and should have been given. The problem being, players should be encouraged to be honest but if they are then not given decisions, surely next time it makes more sense to just go down? It encourages the wrong habits and you can see why players go down like an Olympic diver when they have to to get the decisions.

I think the ref probably played advantage and was ‘scuppered’ by the goal line clearance. 

[hejammy]

8 hours ago, SpacedX said:

As I recollect, he hit it first time on the volley where perhaps he should have taken an extra touch to bring it down/control it. 

Yep, clearly he tried to go for the spectacular, and it spectacularly back fired! 

[hejammy]

5 hours ago, Dan LCFC said:

A total mismatch and frankly comical we're in the same league.

I mean not to sound all 'high horse an all' - but that's just an unnecessary arrogant statement. You'll always have teams at the top and at the bottom, Man City therefore must be thinking the same most games? I do think we as fans perhaps need to be a bit more humble. We we're once in their position and only due to the amazing owners we have now, we are where we are. 

Edited 24 December 2023 by hejammy

[ALC Fox]

Just caught up with the extended highlights. What a game by Wout Faes. Pivotal contributions to two of the goals and generally imperious throughout. You can only play what's in front of you, of course, but he really thrived in that role today. Having CBs who can pass the ball is such a weapon against these low block sides.

 

Really nice to see Praet and Yunus coming back and playing well too, as they'll be required during AFCON. Hopefully Casadei's goal spurs him on a bit too as his contribution to the team should only increase in January.

 

And what a redemption arc for Daka. He was abysmal in a disjointed, brow-beaten team last year. But the guy who lashed 4 past Spartak Moscow was always in there. And he seems to have found his mojo again. I'm not entirely sure why he wasn't being used earlier in the season.

 

Although they were scoring on occasion, Vardy and Iheanacho have both looked a little awkward at times. Perhaps somebody else has more info on Patson's issues? Maybe it was simply because he was just one of those who expressed their desire to leave in the summer? It'll be a shame (for us) when he goes away with Zambia as he's really providing an option now.

 

Hopefully Vardy can return fairly quickly and Cannon is able to deputise and make an impact too. Maybe the versatile Yunus could be used as a false 9 as well.

Edited 24 December 2023 by ALC Fox

[CUJimmy]

2 hours ago, Motty said:

I think because Bramall Their No3 was rapid and Justin is faster than Faes

I thought he looked their best player overall.  First LB for a while that Abdul hasn’t had on toast.  That and being on a yellow card was probably the reason for the early substitution.

[Paninistickers]

3 minutes ago, CUJimmy said:

I thought he looked their best player overall.  First LB for a while that Abdul hasn’t had on toast.  That and being on a yellow card was probably the reason for the early substitution.

I'm pleased other people noticed him. He's the first player this season if any opposing team I've thought, wow, this is a genuinely good player (in a strange way, I do and don't miss that from the PL, watching good players from the oppo) 

 

He had Fatawu in his pocket and straight after our opening goal, showed he could attack too. 

 

I Googled him after the game, which shows how impressive he was! 

[UniFox21]

6 minutes ago, CUJimmy said:

I thought he looked their best player overall.  First LB for a while that Abdul hasn’t had on toast.  That and being on a yellow card was probably the reason for the early substitution.

They managed him really well, having a covering midfielder block the option to cut in. As your say , the LB really blocked off his attacking potential.

 

Thought their RB was pretty decent too, kept Mavididi pretty quiet 

[CUJimmy]

1 minute ago, UniFox21 said:

They managed him really well, having a covering midfielder block the option to cut in. As your say , the LB really blocked off his attacking potential.

 

Thought their RB was pretty decent too, kept Mavididi pretty quiet 

I was a pitch level so it’s harder to judge but it seemed that in the second half Woutt and Mav were working triangles and getting some joy down the left.  Wilf and Abdul weren’t having the same success on the right during the first half.

[UniFox21]

Just now, CUJimmy said:

I was a pitch level so it’s harder to judge but it seemed that in the second half Woutt and Mav were working triangles and getting some joy down the left.  Wilf and Abdul weren’t having the same success on the right during the first half.

Think that was more with Ricardo pulling to the left side, along with KDH and the two you've mentioned had a good outnumbering going against the defence. 

 

But we didn't see much of that down the left, until Yunus, Casadei came on 

[Double Decker]

6 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

I'm pleased other people noticed him. He's the first player this season if any opposing team I've thought, wow, this is a genuinely good player (in a strange way, I do and don't miss that from the PL, watching good players from the oppo) 

 

He had Fatawu in his pocket and straight after our opening goal, showed he could attack too. 

 

I Googled him after the game, which shows how impressive he was! 

Yes, great spot. 

I thought the other wing back/full back was impressive too. He was quick, strong and busy. Stephy had a lot of ball and ran at him often, but rarely beat him and was forced back. It was a great battle, with both players playing really well.

[Kinowe Soorie]

I was also very impressed by both of Rotherham’s right and left backs. Our wingers didn’t get a sniff out of them.

Three players this week that have stood out to me, Jordan James, Cohen Bramall and Dexter Lembikisa (on loan from Wolves?)

[FoyleFox]

11 hours ago, nathan. said:

Did we have a different announcer guy today? 

Yes. Hopefully a temporary one. 

Although, did laugh at his 3rd lot of substitution announcements, did ours and then basically might as well have mumbled "they're also making one, someone off and someone on, whatever" 🤣 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

1 hour ago, hejammy said:

I mean not to sound all 'high horse an all' - but that's just an unnecessary arrogant statement. You'll always have teams at the top and at the bottom, Man City therefore must be thinking the same most games? I do think we as fans perhaps need to be a bit more humble. We we're once in their position and only due to the amazing owners we have now, we are where we are. 

Seeing as this forum loves this word, it's a great chance to use it. 

 

Yesterday put in perspective how much those in charge of the club fvcked up letting us drop last year. We went from a European semi final against Roma, with our best ever and most valuable squad, the best facilities we've ever had and probably the most ever people wanting to see us play, to a competitive game against Rotherham United who at time looked semi pro yesterday.

[VG Fox]

1 hour ago, Paninistickers said:

I'm pleased other people noticed him. He's the first player this season if any opposing team I've thought, wow, this is a genuinely good player (in a strange way, I do and don't miss that from the PL, watching good players from the oppo) 

 

He had Fatawu in his pocket and straight after our opening goal, showed he could attack too. 

 

I Googled him after the game, which shows how impressive he was! 

Do you think time for a bid in January?...... rapid left backs who can defend are relatively rare......

[UniFox21]

Faes is growing into that position very well, his runs forward and becoming more and more dangerous. Actually think the system suited it with him on the left compared to when JJ is there.

[KFS]

48 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Seeing as this forum loves this word, it's a great chance to use it. 

 

Yesterday put in perspective how much those in charge of the club fvcked up letting us drop last year. We went from a European semi final against Roma, with our best ever and most valuable squad, the best facilities we've ever had and probably the most ever people wanting to see us play, to a competitive game against Rotherham United who at time looked semi pro yesterday.

This. Some Leicester fans are getting what they wished for this year and still can’t even open their traps on a match day. Bizarre fan base.

 

I will say this though - I’m feeling far closer to this team and the characters in it already than a lot of the muppets from last season. Winks and Fatawu will be loved more by this fanbase than Maddison and Mealdealmans. That says a lot. 

[MattFox]

2 hours ago, hejammy said:

I mean not to sound all 'high horse an all' - but that's just an unnecessary arrogant statement. You'll always have teams at the top and at the bottom, Man City therefore must be thinking the same most games? I do think we as fans perhaps need to be a bit more humble. We we're once in their position and only due to the amazing owners we have now, we are where we are. 

Our currrent position is hardly amazing in the context of the last 10 years though really

[Chelmofox]

19 minutes ago, UniFox21 said:

Faes is growing into that position very well, his runs forward and becoming more and more dangerous. Actually think the system suited it with him on the left compared to when JJ is there.

When teams like Rotherham barely attack for sure. But Faes found it harder work against Sheffield Wednesday who caused as more issues. JJ has defended well there with some obvious limitations imo, and it's not clear to me why he gets so much criticism. Faes is a rock in the centre 2 partnership and when Doyle is back we have 2 to rotate in the LB position.

[CosbehFox]

 

2 hours ago, Paninistickers said:

I'm pleased other people noticed him. He's the first player this season if any opposing team I've thought, wow, this is a genuinely good player (in a strange way, I do and don't miss that from the PL, watching good players from the oppo) 

 

He had Fatawu in his pocket and straight after our opening goal, showed he could attack too. 

 

I Googled him after the game, which shows how impressive he was! 

Rotherham fans have him down as their one of their worst players. He was the reason we won the away fixture. 
 

They’ve started playing him LWB because he can’t defend his back post 

[The Quick Brown Fox]

16 hours ago, Phube said:

Double jeopardy rule. If he was sent off and gave away a penalty ten RovRum have been punished twice. 
So they get a penalty and a yellow card.

I thought it was outside the box, haven't seen a replay yet. But I was trying to explain that to my lad. Outside the box it's a freekick and a red card, inside it's yellow and a pen. 

[Chelmofox]

14 minutes ago, The Quick Brown Fox said:

I thought it was outside the box, haven't seen a replay yet. But I was trying to explain that to my lad. Outside the box it's a freekick and a red card, inside it's yellow and a pen. 

I have a direct view in H1 block and i was convinced it was outside and the ref had given a free kick. Was dumbfounded that it was a yellow till i realised it was a pen. Just seen this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRA2xXQJaV0&t=592s

 

.. and its much, much closer than i remember (Daka is quicker that you realise a lot of the time).  There isn't a replay that give a definitive view at the point contact is made, but almost looks bang on the line. 

 

 

[SecretPro]

17 hours ago, StriderHiryu said:

Honestly, us supporters need to get a grip. This is NOT directed at you, but does need to be said.

 

Rotherham today had TWO shots on our goal in the entire match. ZERO on target. We had 77% possession and for long periods of that game our centre back Vestergaard was playing 20 yards forwards in the Rotherham half. That was essentially an attack versus defence training session but at close to the elite level of sports. When the opposition has no intent to try and attack or score, it is difficult for the attacking team to score. Earlier in the season it was a problem, but now Enzo has been at Leicester for over 6 months, we see that we can break down anyone parking the bus. But we have to be PATIENT.

 

Enzo himself said in his post match interview that he was happy at half-time. And that's because this game went almost exactly according to his plan. As the game went on, the concentration levels of Rotherham dropped and we scored. From about 50 minutes onwards they were clinging on and there was no world where they would ride out another 40 minutes without conceding. All the tell-tale signs were there, which is why the sensible posters on here weren't worried at all.

 

The team and manager are not immune to criticism, and it should be welcomed. But almost every game we've had against low block teams has gone like this. It might not be fun to watch in the first half, but it's the opposition that are responsible for it being a crap spectacle, not Leicester. Compare this game to the Birmingham one, that was a great game to watch because they had a go.

 

For me, it's been more frustrating against the teams that have really dared to press us, such as Sunderland and Leeds but even to some extent Coventry and Southampton where at times during those games some poor decision-making led to us needlessly inviting pressure onto our back line or not taking advantage of the spaces in behind.

 

Ultimately, there is a reason why we have made the best start of any Championship team after 23 games in history, and it's not just because of our squad. I have a UEFA B coaching certificate and am preparing to do the A in the next 12-18 months. As part of that course you study patterns of play, attacking systems and so on. Enzo Maresca is absolutely top-draw and doing some cutting-edge things. He's someone that has been name-dropped on the course and was a reason why in the game he had such a huge reputation when we appointed him, even though most fans had no idea who he was. His approach is systematic and consistent. His team can grind you down but remain defensively stable. Look at the positions Faes, Ricardo and Vestergaard took up today... you don't get much more attacking than that!

 

Speak to Man City fans and they will tell you a very similar story. Most teams rock up at the Etihad with 11 behind the ball and just try to hit them on the break. Their fans LOVE the games against Liverpool, even if they lose, because Liverpool dare to have a go at them. They were poor against Villa recently, but said it was a breath of fresh air to see a team genuinely have the balls not only to try but actually execute a plan to outplay them. In this division, we have to get used to frustrating games... it's the nature of the unfairness of the resources of the relative teams in this league.

 

Rant over, and not directed at you. I think it would take years for fans to get used to it though!

 

17 hours ago, SecretPro said:

It wasn't dire. It was a 45 minute exercise in game control and wearing down the opponent. 

I was just trying to be succinct 

[James_lcfc]

9 hours ago, Dan LCFC said:

A total mismatch and frankly comical we're in the same league.

I remember thinking the same during our away game against Newcastle at the end of last season.

 

Championship or not, it’s nice to be on the other side of that! 

[CUJimmy]

1 hour ago, Chelmofox said:

When teams like Rotherham barely attack for sure. But Faes found it harder work against Sheffield Wednesday who caused as more issues. JJ has defended well there with some obvious limitations imo, and it's not clear to me why he gets so much criticism. Faes is a rock in the centre 2 partnership and when Doyle is back we have 2 to rotate in the LB position.

The first goal came through Woutt making a run from deep in the 10 channel that wasn’t picked up until it was too late.  This is a great attacking tactic against a deep block as it gives us an overload there but it’s risky against a more attack minded team.