Dan

No it isn't Being worse than any other home nation for us is complete embarrassment. It's the barest minimum for us.

I can't work out what our plan was last night. The second half was embarrassing. I cannot remember ever seeing a side look so clueless against ten men.

I've thought that in the past - people are deluded if they think that you're going to get anything like Kane & Alli's form for England because they're around poorer players. Poch has built a side that gets the maximum from those two. England haven't.

We're bound to have money to spend. Likely to take in some money for Mahrez, Musa as well by the sounds of things, as well as the CL revenue on top of the Sky TV money. We're definitely going to spend some. I don't know what to make of Evans. Don't know how good he is.

I'm not feeling Dier either to be honest. Looks OK but not a lot more.

Is there anything in the Mahrez to Barcelona rumour? The word was Messi has apparently urged Barcelona to bid for him as he's a big fan. Surely not?

Anything on a new manager?

Oh and for what it's worth England winning the World Cup wouldn't top last year for me. I'm far more connected to Leicester than I ever will be England.

I think there are too many variables but I can see your point. Was going to make the middle paragraph as a point myself - how many players actually start out as defenders and focus on that for their whole footballing development? I'd guess nowhere near as many as attackers, hence you're likely to have a better standard. I think ultimately though being a midfielder is the hardest, and possibly even full-back nowadays.

I generally agree there is very little to like about England but no matter how bad England are Scotland always manage to be worse.

It's only in retaliation to the Scots who dance in the streets naked whenever England get knocked out.

Doesn't get the credit he deserves for that run. Add in knocking out Sevilla, the fact we had to contend with a pretty tough run of fixtures with a squad that wasn't really prepared for it (which I can't put down to him). I know I sound like I'm making excuses for him but we prepared for last season so terribly that we didn't react to our setbacks as well as we always used to. Ranieri was dismantling the whole model, and Rudkin twice failed to bring in the right targets - I can't blame Shakespeare for having to field a defence of Simpson, Benalouane, Fuchs and Chilwell, we're bound to struggle. I totally accept it could go wrong but that is the case no matter who we appoint. I've been impressed with the kinds of things he says - he's a realist and given his snipe at our poor recruitment it looks like he knows exactly what needs fixing. I would not be disappointed if he ended up being an assistant to someone like Roger Schmidt. I think that could work. He was one of the architects of a management team that continuously improved this club. The team, the backroom staff, the facilities (which you can credit the owners too) and eventually I think the academy, he's made noises about wanting to improve that too. If he takes us over I think we'll have a good season.

Shakespeare to be named manager this week apparently.

He did the exact same again this season. Deliberately ran to the exact same bit of the ground bloke's such a cunt but it's hilarious.

I remember when we played Spurs at home on boxing day in 2014 and Harry Kane was getting booed. It was embarrassing watching some of our fans moan about him cupping his ears to us when he scored after 2 minutes. I most likely booed (although I'm personally pro anything that makes it more hostile) but no complaints at all with what he did.

Having been there, I just cannot see them ever warming to that place. Combine that with owners who absolutely bullshit their fans, generate hype but don't actually deliver on what they say, and you've got a pretty dangerous combination. That West Ham can get the Sky money, a ground the size of Arsenal's for free and still make insulting offers for players is an absolute disgrace and it's totally cheating their fans. I think they will eventually think that they've fucked up in their ground. I think that Spurs' ground will be a success and Chelsea's too should they move, and they will have a rethink. Don't ever fall for the garbage that they get 55k at that place. It's nearer 45k. Was when I went. I think they will eventually bin it off and get a proper ground again. Until they do I've no intention to put another penny into West Ham as an away fan. A truly mundane experience.

West Ham will have a new ground within ten years.

Agree on all counts and trust me given the journey we've been on we have been on the end of a lot of snobbery. I do think it's poor personally to support say, Arsenal, when you live in Preston, unless there are genuine links to the club. To deprive your own cities' club of a fan because you'd rather watch Arsenal through the TV. I honestly don't think they get what they're missing. I think it's less regular the older you get but I always used to get Man Utd & Liverpool fans rip the piss out of me at school yet I knew full well I enjoyed football more than they did. On the subject of snobbery, just have a read of this utter nonsense. Read the whole thread if you can. Basically it's a Wolves fan moaning about the smaller clubs in the Premier League, a Reading fan having a go at them over it and a Leeds fan backing the Wolves fan. Basically, the Reading fan is getting outnumbered by a load of arrogant idiots and shot down despite being spot on with everything they say. Fed up of entitlement culture, and I desperately hope that after witnessing what we did last season that we've learnt that entitlement isn't the way forward and that such a mentality never develops at this club. One tweet says "you don't get it, football is about history and noise" as if that's a reason Leeds should be in the league above Reading. If Reading go up this season, then they have absolutely earned their place through being well run and well coached. Nothing to do with the past has any bearing on if Reading should be in the league or not. I actually think this mentality runs into some of these clubs and it holds them back. Forest are another. Forest aren't a big club. Historically, they are a successful club, and I massively envy what they did under Clough, but they aren't a big club and it's absolutely cringeworthy when you hear their fans claim they're some kind of sleeping giant because they had a purple patch once upon a time, as if their 20+ years outside of the top flight doesn't count for anything. Am I being really stupid here, but does anyone else think that this "we belong there" mentality actually hinders these clubs, do people within clubs like Leeds, Wolves, Sheffield Wednesday etc... believe that they 'belong' in the Premier League and that they shouldn't have to work for it as much as someone like Reading or Brighton, for example?

Jose Mourinho should have a break from football.

Been linked to Watford and OGC Nice. Has been favourite for both recently.

Talksport did a poll not too long before he did end up getting the boot asking "would you have Ranieri at your club" and it was an overwhelming no. While I don't give him no credit, I think he got very lucky as well. I don't buy this notion that he's transformed us into title winners overnight. He took over the form team of the country and had a world class midfielder signed (who he didn't even want, he had to be convinced daily). I think he made some tweaks during games, and I think he played a blinder with the media throughout the season as well (although I maintain this is the most overhyped part of football management) but you only have to see what he did when he actually had the time to have a pre-season to show that it's not entirely down to his methods that we won it. As for Shakespeare, I'm not quite as confident as I was before, but at the same time I think recently his hands have been tied with squad selection. Our last three games we have been forced into playing a defence of Simpson, Benalouane, Fuchs and Chilwell. That's only one first choice player in their actual position. I cannot put the blame on Shakespeare too much when it's not his fault we lack depth, and he's been quite vocal about it too so I'm hopeful that he realises our issues. I think it's imperative he stays at the club, but I wouldn't be disappointed if he went back to being an assistant to a new man.

We weren't particularly entertaining to watch second half of the season but like I've said before people kept saying "wait until teams set up differently against you" and we still came through it. First half of last season we were fantastic to watch. Arsenal are very good occasionally but not that often now. You aren't what you were.

We can't win with some. No matter what we do. We beat teams in open, high-scoring games? We're told to wait until teams start playing defensively against us. We beat them too? No style, not attacking enough etc... It's footballing snobbery and nothing more. We've all got our own ideas on how we like to see the game played. There is no particular right one, and I would strongly dispute that it is "damaging" for the game if teams like us and Chelsea win things. What would be more damaging for the sport is if every team in the world adhered to one style of play. How boring would that be?

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/05/17/craig-shakespeare-wants-quick-decision-leicester-city-job/