The Race to the Title

[dricha1]

I don't think we are the bravest or dare I say it, the best tactically. Ranieri has that particular title sewn up this season!
We've not deserved it ( so far )
When the real pressure was on we have not responded. Champions don't look at rivals and moan that they keep winning. Spam, goons, yesterday, toon, Leicester ( both games ) Everton ( complete domination ) are 7 examples where we should have taken more than we ended up with.

Having said all that I'm still not giving up completely. West Ham, Chelsea, Everton and United can all beat Leicester. It's highly unlikely and would be a mental run of results but in terms of genuine quality, Leicester aren't better than them.
The way they are playing, with their belief, desire and will suggests that it's probably 95% in the bag for them

I'd add Sunderland to that. 5 out of 6 tough games for Leicester.

 

[tttcowan]

After being one of the worst at conceding and one of the unfittest sides in the league just 12 months before with no major changes...

I don't think anyone could argue it's not odd... Generally when such improvements seem to good to be true they are. Certainly the fitness is weird. Where's that come from.

You're bottom of the league, going down, tens of millions pounds at stake. And from my understanding of the way the tests work it's certainly possible to get around them. It's gotta be tempting. We'll never know anyway but it is odd.

 

[Hazardousman]

You may of not paid attention to Leicester, they have played some fantastic stuff however as soon as they realised they were in a title race they have been ultra defensive to win

Whereas we have looked tired and haven't really changed the way we play.

To overlook the stuff they did in the first half of the season would be wrong and tar them with the same brush as stoke

Would people here be moaning if we went ultra defensive to win the West Ham and Arsenal game and the Liverpool game?

Hell no, we would be celebrating our first title in 50 years

I watched the majority of their games after they played us and they have always been very defensive, they use tactical fouls and have more often than not scored from long balls over the top.

It's clearly been effective so fair play to them but to suggest they have played some fantastic football this year is just a fabrication, every single stat suggests otherwise.

Not to mention the amount of decisions they gave had from refs have increased by over 50%

 

[beats1]

We never really put enough pressure on them points wise or even in the media. No mind games from our side. Not saying it would of definitely had an effect but other clubs and managers would of definitely been ramping up the pressure on Leicester more. Sometimes I think we are too nice or nieve as a club.

This but it felt like we were felt uncomfortable with the attention and we would always play it down

 

[Cooko]

We'd of all snapped hands off for 2nd back in August. Fair play to Leicester. I don't always like their playing style but they deserve to be where they are.

Id bite your hands off now 4th !

 

[TheHood]

We never really put enough pressure on them points wise or even in the media. No mind games from our side. Not saying it would of definitely had an effect but other clubs and managers would of definitely been ramping up the pressure on Leicester more. Sometimes I think we are too nice or nieve as a club.

I'm not even sure that the players truly believed it themselves, it speaks volumes when you have the club longest servant talking about whether we would finish in the top 4 on eve on the City game. The necessary mindset just isn't there.

 

[millsey]

I'm normally the pessimist. But Leicster could well lose the last 3 of Everton,
man Utd and Chelsea. I'm more worried about us having to win 6 in a row

 

[beats1]

I watched the majority of their games after they played us and they have always been very defensive, they use tactical fouls and have more often than not scored from long balls over the top.

It's clearly been effective so fair play to them but to suggest they have played some fantastic football this year is just a fabrication, every single stat suggests otherwise.

They were brilliant at the start of the season playing some great counter attacking football

When they destroyed Man City they went defensive but they were constantly counter attacking and same against Arsenal. Against the smaller teams they also did very well.

Their football went shit when they played us in the league and that was when we lost the title tbh, that or the West Ham match

 

[talkshowhost86]

We're good enough to win our last 6 games.

Let's go for that and show them what we're made of. We need to come 2nd and if we win every game it puts the pressure on Leicester. All we can do is make them earn it.

 

[dagraham]

I absolutely hate this 'Spursy' mindset.

Agree. We do find extraordinary ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory over the years, but more often than not its of our own making ( not saying it's the case this season).

Blaming luck is a losers mentality and partly why we have under achieved as a club over the years.

 

[Marty]

Koeman is fuming about the blatant penalties that weren't given, doesn't make any difference to this game and Leicester will just give him a big fuck you but hopefully referees will feel a little more under scrutiny until the end of the season.

The Simpson incident is never a penalty though, his arm is completely against the side of his body and the ball would've hit his side if his arm wasn't also there. Never a penalty or a red.

The Huth one though ... that's a pen.

 

[SugarRay]

I'd add Sunderland to that. 5 out of 6 tough games for Leicester.

It's a tough game too but looking at the sides I'd say Leicester are comfortably better.

The other teams in mentioned have as much quality, in areas more quality, as Leicester.

On a side note. If we can keep Poch I believe this is the beginning of a special period for us. Leicester will fall away, no doubt.

 

[tttcowan]

They were brilliant at the start of the season playing some great counter attacking football

When they destroyed Man City they went defensive but they were constantly counter attacking and same against Arsenal. Against the smaller teams they also did very well.

Their football went shit when they played us in the league and that was when we lost the title tbh, that or the West Ham match

Or when we played those ridiculous pre season games in Germany days before losing the opener to Manchester United.

Seriously though, we didn't behaving like a team trying to win the league pulling that shit and we might be 3 points better off by preparing for the season properly. So i hope and doubt that's a lesson that's been learned.

 

[ackie]

I just hope this is their Devon Lock moment - they, their fans and every neutral think they have won it now - it might be the point they start to lose it. I can dream can't i?

I'm gonna dream with you mate...I still believe

 

[worcestersauce]

The Simpson incident is never a penalty though, his arm is completely against the side of his body and the ball would've hit his side if his arm wasn't also there. Never a penalty or a red.

The Huth one though ... that's a pen.

Haven't seen them yet but if it puts pressure on the referees I'll be happy.

 

[glacierSpurs]

if only they play great football and win majority of the games deservingly, I don't hate them and give it to them to be at where they are now...

 

[glacierSpurs]

I'm not even sure that the players truly believed it themselves, it speaks volumes when you have the club longest servant talking about whether we would finish in the top 4 on eve on the City game. The necessary mindset just isn't there.

there is only one man in our club who always show the best mindset we need, Lamela.. too bad it seems so few are agreeing to him at the early stage of the title run-in..

 

[millsey]

I don't think any predictions can be made. Say they lose to Sunderland next week, very hard place to go now, and we beat Utd. 4 points off with 5 to go. It all changes so quickly

 

[Hazardousman]

We're good enough to win our last 6 games.

Let's go for that and show them what we're made of. We need to come 2nd and if we win every game it puts the pressure on Leicester. All we can do is make them earn it.

I personally feel like it's gone now, stranger things have happened but I just feel like we were fighting an uphill battle against them given their fixtures and ours and other circumstances.

I know Liverpool collapsed a few years back but to be honest I felt like they would, Leicester seem to be made of stronger stuff at the back.

The fact that they can afford to lose their next two and even if we win both of ours we still wouldn't be ahead of them tells me that the task seems very unlikely.

I am going to assume we are finishing third as it stands, not trying to be negative but I don't want to believe anything else and get my hopes up.

Such a shame really because we have had a fantastic season and it's all going to be overlooked because Leicester choose this year to have the best season they could ever imagine, it's odd to me but it makes me think of a certain word I hate using and I think we both know what it is.

 

[millsey]

there is only one man in our club who always show the best mindset we need, Lamela.. too bad it seems so few are agreeing to him at the early stage of the title run-in..

Rubbish. The likes of Toby and Kane have been brilliant. Lamela only gives his all because without that he wouldn't be in the team