*Official Match Thread 2016/17* - Leicester City v Manchester United 07/08/2016

Originally Posted by Billy Redface

Nobody is saying they need to change, but the point is that it doesn't mean they're the better side and it's a style that bigger clubs simply wouldn't be allowed to adopt without being called negative.

Of course, did you really expect anything different, they are still Leicester City, punching above their weight against clubs throwing absurd figures around. They will always get an easier press, conversely if Utd end up spending £200 million+ this summer the press will go in hard if the performances do not pick up.

Originally Posted by Tiberian

Of course, did you really expect anything different, they are still Leicester City, punching above their weight against clubs throwing absurd figures around. They will always get an easier press, conversely if Utd end up spending £200 million+ this summer the press will go in hard if the performances do not pick up.

I expect them to be judged as the best side in the country.

Originally Posted by Billy Redface

Nobody is saying they need to change, but the point is that it doesn't mean they're the better side and it's a style that bigger clubs simply wouldn't be allowed to adopt without being called negative.

See above. Not a criticism. More how it's received. It works for them and it toppled everyone last year. Good for them.

Absolutely... I don't care if Danny £#%&!ing Murphy thinks they were unlucky - I care about beating them. Ideally, absolutely @#%&!ting them, but winning with style isn't an overnight process. Leicester are two years down the line with their style, let's see how we go under this manager in the same time-frame.

Originally Posted by Baron

Absolutely... I don't care if Danny £#%&!ing Murphy thinks they were unlucky - I care about beating them. Ideally, absolutely @#%&!ting them, but winning with style isn't an overnight process. Leicester are two years down the line with their style, let's see how we go under this manager in the same time-frame.

Exactly. If we're happy to lavish praise on them (deserved) and admit they were better than anyone else last year (which they were) then anyone beating them deserves credit.

The praise is that they fully deserve their title....but in the same breath it seems we're expected to do better than the likes of Leicester

Originally Posted by Billy Redface

Exactly. If we're happy to lavish praise on them (deserved) and admit they were better than anyone else last year (which they were) then anyone beating them deserves credit.

The praise is that they fully deserve their title....but in the same breath it seems we're expected to do better than the likes of Leicester

Of course we are, and of course we should be.

With this Pogba transfer there has been a lot of talk about acting like a big club, on the level of Barca, Real and Bayern, part of that will be accepting the pressure and expectation that comes with being on that level.

Just watching MOTD now:

What a bitter, Abu bore Danny Murphy is. At least Souness and Carragher try to disguise their allegiance.

This monotone gimp couldn't be more scouse if he tried.

Apparently the Mata sub says nothing other than 'I want you to go'. Calm down, you div. Why bring him on in the first place then? Why comfort him if you want to humiliate him?

"Bizarre management".

Really Danny? How's your managerial career going on?

The Vardy tackle: didn't think it was a booking or a foul

Originally Posted by Tiberian

Of course we are, and of course we should be.

With this Pogba transfer there has been a lot of talk about acting like a big club, on the level of Barca, Real and Bayern, part of that will be accepting the pressure and expectation that comes with being on that level.

Should we?

They finished first last season. They're the team to beat, here and now. And this is the first instance of trying to get back to that position. And we're expected to be better than them straight away?

It's a situation we should never be in, in general, but it's the reality of right here and now.

Like i said, people have a bizarre perception of Leicester now. Still the underdog, but people are happy to say how much better they were than everyone else. And if they are, then there's expectation with that. Or there should be.

We now know..well the learned ones among us that Luke shaw mostly and valencia injury was LVG's Downfall. His and most modern manager rely on pace and quality, overlapping from wingback.

We had no one.

Originally Posted by Barcabal

We now know..well the learned ones among us that Luke shaw mostly and valencia injury was LVG's Downfall. His and most modern manager rely on pace and quality, overlapping from wingback.

We had no one.

To be fair to Murphy on the Mata thing, being subbed as a sub is pretty much the biggest embarassment in football it does usually mean you've been worse than dogshit, that's why you never really see it happen other than injury or if a keepers been sent off.

I can't be the only one sat watching it who asked what the £#%&! Jose was doing?

I know it's the done thing to try and put a positive spin on it because it's our team, but if Pep did the same to say Nasri the board would be full of "Marlo your mate's screwed" posts. I didn't see it as a particularly good indicator for Juan's first team prospects.

Sorry.

Originally Posted by ScholesGingerSheen

To be fair to Murphy on the Mata thing, being subbed as a sub is pretty much the biggest embarassment in football it does usually mean you've been worse than dogshit, that's why you never really see it happen other than injury or if a keepers been sent off.

I can't be the only one sat watching it who asked what the £#%&! Jose was doing?

I know it's the done thing to try and put a positive spin on it because it's our team, but if Pep did the same to say Nasri the board would be full of "Marlo your mate's screwed" posts. I didn't see it as a particularly good indicator for Juan's first team prospects.

Sorry.

it's the done thing to put a negative spin on anything and everything you can these days, especially when you've already decided what the story is that you're trying to move on...

that's not to say mourinho didn't make a mistake though. what he should have done is take rooney off well before he did and switched him for mikhi. the reason he never is because he wants to give rooney and zlatan as much time together as he can. and that's his mistake - already allowing that process to dictate his selections...

specifically on the mata substitution it was clearly just to waste time, which is a bit sad considering it was only the charity shield.

Originally Posted by ScholesGingerSheen

To be fair to Murphy on the Mata thing, being subbed as a sub is pretty much the biggest embarassment in football it does usually mean you've been worse than dogshit, that's why you never really see it happen other than injury or if a keepers been sent off.

I can't be the only one sat watching it who asked what the £#%&! Jose was doing?

I know it's the done thing to try and put a positive spin on it because it's our team, but if Pep did the same to say Nasri the board would be full of "Marlo your mate's screwed" posts. I didn't see it as a particularly good indicator for Juan's first team prospects.

Sorry.

But he wasn't worse than dogshit. It would be embarrassing if he was. The explanation is simple and makes sense in the context of the game and also the fact we have six subs to use.

José has never had a problem with Mata, he just doesn't fit in with his plans. It doesn't mean he dislikes him. I certainly don't see why he would want to humiliate him. He's a good pro. And that was evident when he put his arm round his shoulders. If it was an exercise in humiliation, he would just let him walk straight past.

As we've seen with Basti too: if he wasn't in his plans, he wouldn't be near the squad.


Yeah, it's a little embarrassing for Mata to have that by his name, but it's hardly a big deal. It's far from the biggest embarrassment in football. Rifling a 94th minute o.g.winner would hurt more, I'm sure. And it's hardly as damning as Murphy made out.

"I don't like to see that in football at all."

That's funny, because I don't like to see you in football either, Danny, you dot-eyed dullard.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

I don't know what game that £#%&!ing scouse #@&%! Danny Murphy was watching but he apparently said that Leicester were the better team? Despite the fact they wouldn't have scored but for the fact we handed them a goal.

Apart from him of course being a fanatical dipper, Leicester play in a very "British" style which lots of our pundits will appreciate.

Originally Posted by red in cumbria

Apart from him of course being a fanatical dipper, Leicester play in a very "British" style which lots of our pundits will appreciate.

True, but it's only appreciated because they're an underdog.

If a big club surrendered that much possession and were as cynical as them, they'd be slated.

He did Mata dirty with the sub, nqat. Would be stunned if he's here in 12 months. Not arsed tbh.

As for Leicester, they're not nice to watch but they look set for another good season. Credit to Ranieri if he's managed to keep their level of focus. Musa will help the rapid transitions which impressed enough people last season that they were regarded as an attacking side.

Reality is a big club needs to step up and actually take this shit back by playing proper stuff.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

Reality is a big club needs to step up and actually take this shit back by playing proper stuff.

This is the real issue.

Leicester have an average squad with one or two gems. Playing to their simple strengths should not be enough to win the whole league. In other seasons, it would have got them a European place, nothing more.

As much praise as they deserve for last year, the big sides should hang their head.