EFL Cup - Semi-Final (1st Leg) - Leicester 1-1 Aston Villa - Wednesday 8th January, 2020

[Stan]

Kick-off 20.00

Live on Sky Sports

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[Guest]

@Stan @Dan. Would you rather win the league cup or get in the champions League this season?

[Mel81x+]

19 minutes ago, Gunnersauraus said:

@Stan @Dan. Would you rather win the league cup or get in the champions League this season?

Think they'll get into Europe this year. I also think they'll progress here quite well. It's what the outcome is of the other match that I think might decide who wins the league cup. 

[True Blue]

Leicester should take this super seriously and field their strongest eleven

Thanks for the obvious Mr. TB

[Stan]

38 minutes ago, Gunnersauraus said:

@Stan @Dan. Would you rather win the league cup or get in the champions League this season?

Very tough question. Champions league comes with all the prestige and money but I want us to be a side that regularly competes for silverware. Apart from the PL win its been far too long that we won a cup or even got to a final of one. 

I think we're certs to finish top 4 at the moment so will get CL or if not at the very least EL football. so a League Cup win is preferable right now given our league position. 

[Dan+]

That is very tricky but I'm actually going to go with winning the cup, and I say this as somebody totally appreciating the fact that finishing in a Champions League spot would be a bigger benefit to the club in the long run - but it's a bit of a chicken and egg situation. You want to build your club up, you want to progress, but ultimately what do you want to do these things in order to be able to do? For some it may be to see us pitted against the top players - but for me, I would enjoy us winning tomorrow more than I would see us losing to Barcelona. The sport is ultimately about trophies, about tangible success, and once it ceases to become that then as far as I'm concerned you have let the business people, the UEFA 'executives' win.

That said, luckily, I don't think it's one or the other - I think we're unlikely to win this competition as Manchester City are frightening on their day, and worryingly for us, they can turn it on to a level that we've shown no capability of being able to deal with. That game a few weeks ago was a battering. 3-1 flattered us. 6-0 wouldn't have been unfair. It was a proper shellacking. I fear that this is going to stick in our minds a bit and that ultimately we won't be able to beat them anyway - but then again, we are above them in the league.

And also, barring some absolute horror capitulation, we will be playing in the Champions League next season. We are 2nd in the table, 14 points clear of 5th placed Manchester United with no evidence that this gap is going to be closed anytime soon - it could grow yet. We are highly unlikely to miss out on it and to do so from here would be embarrassing to be honest. While we were hammered twice over Christmas, only Liverpool are as good at consistently putting the poor teams to bed as we are (and they're better at it). We've dropped points to non 'big 6' teams twice all season - two draws against Norwich and Wolves, two teams that have beaten Manchester City three times out of three for what it's worth.

Obviously tomorrow - biggest game since Atletico Madrid in April 2017 for me. I don't care that the competition may not be what it once was, it's silverware and that is ultimately the aim. There is no excuse for anything other than a fantastic atmosphere and a performance where everything is thrown at it. I'm certain of the latter. We named a strong side in round 2 and ever since that I've felt we may just do something in this competition where so many teams frequently let the chance pass.

We should be getting to that final. We can't assume we'll roll them over as Villa will be well up for it themselves, but we have absolutely everything going in our favour for this. Injuries, form, league position, we have no excuses to not take this over two legs and I'll be bitterly disappointed if we don't do it.

I want at least a two goal lead by this time tomorrow. Achieve that and we really have got to blow it to not do it. Full strength team and put them away.

[Stan]

Evans Soyuncu Fuchs at the back for us. No Ndidi for us which is a big miss. 

Vardy back though happy days 

[Fairy In Boots]

No senior striker for us as we don’t have one apart from Kodjia and he’s not in the squad. Other than that full strength minus McGinn and Targett

[Fairy In Boots]

El Ghazi up front I think

[Fairy In Boots]

38 minutes ago, Fairy In Boots said:

El Ghazi up front I think

Sorry no one up front lol 

our fans deserve so much better 

[Fairy In Boots]

Massive shithousery we’ve not attacked all game 1 up now

[Fairy In Boots]

1/4 way through this now. If you offered me 1-1 I’d take it get a striker in for the home tie

[Fairy In Boots]

I’d have took that before the game, good solid performance but still errors. Luis is 20 years old though so can’t be to upset. 

Nyland looks assured at this level

[Dan+]

Called 1-1 about 20 minutes in. Was so obvious what was coming. Rodgers got the set up wrong in a big game yet again. It's a bit worrying.

[Dan+]

I feared the worst when Ndidi wasn't in the squad, he's out for the 2nd leg too apparently which is a huge blow, I think if it wasn't for Vardy's ridiculous form all season I'd have Ndidi down for player of the season. Why the hell he thought he'd get away with naming that midfield I've no idea, you can't play three playmakers for fuck sake - and certainly not when one of them is off as Tielemans has been for a good couple of months now. Saturday it should be Choudhury, Praet and Maddison for me. We need more bite, more tenacity.

Set up was wrong. Just take them on with the usual 4-3-3 man.

We're still well in this, and we should still do it, but we've made it very hard for ourselves now and their fans are going to be bang up for it. I'm not hugely confident though now after yet another big game bottling.

[Fairy In Boots]

6 minutes ago, Dan said:

I feared the worst when Ndidi wasn't in the squad, he's out for the 2nd leg too apparently which is a huge blow, I think if it wasn't for Vardy's ridiculous form all season I'd have Ndidi down for player of the season. Why the hell he thought he'd get away with naming that midfield I've no idea, you can't play three playmakers for fuck sake - and certainly not when one of them is off as Tielemans has been for a good couple of months now. Saturday it should be Choudhury, Praet and Maddison for me. We need more bite, more tenacity.

Set up was wrong. Just take them on with the usual 4-3-3 man.

We're still well in this, and we should still do it, but we've made it very hard for ourselves now and their fans are going to be bang up for it. I'm not hugely confident though now after yet another big game bottling.

Think it’s also more evident that with our set up now with Mings back in the fold we’re a much more difficult team to play against than the aimless mess that got dicked at Watford 

[Dan+]

2 minutes ago, Fairy In Boots said:

Think it’s also more evident that with our set up now with Mings back in the fold we’re a much more difficult team to play against than the aimless mess that got dicked at Watford 

You defended well but you shouldn't be able to sit back that much and not get picked off. You had literally no threat in that second half at all, no outball, possession must've been something like 85-15 second half and we didn't have enough to show for it. Grealish did what he could but fuck me he had no chance.

Even our goal was a mistake from you initially - although notably it was Choudhury seizing on it which I think sums us up a bit tonight. It's not old fashioned to say that you need tenacity and bite in midfield, Liverpool are the best team in the world and that's largely what their midfield is built on.

[Dan+]

Chilwell and Tielemans were horrendous tonight. Chilwell's a big part of the reason teams can successfully park the bus against us I think. He's excellent at carrying the ball unchallenged but he hasn't got the skill of someone like Ricardo to really attack teams. He was also asleep for their goal. Tielemans was just horrendous, I think he needs some time out the team.

[Stan]

Tielemans was disgustingly bad today. Counted about 8 or 9 simple passes going to their players. He was just slow and laboured. Definitely needs a break or something as he's been below par too much.

Was always going to be difficult today with Villa sitting deep and containing us in their own half. Tough to break a side like that down and Mings back in their defence really helped. Ndidi missing for us was a huge blow but Choudhury and Albrighton made a difference when they came on. Albrighton coming on as a central attacking midfielder was odd though

Not sure how the second leg will go. Reckon it'll be quite feisty with how much is at stake and how much both teams will want to get to the final. Gonna be tough for us with Ndidi still likely to be out. Can't see 3 5 2 working at their place either. Should go back to 4 3 3. 

[Dan+]

Tielemans is a bit of an elephant in the room. He started the season slowly, had a good October and has seemingly gone well off the boil again - and how long can this go on before you start asking a question or two? He's obviously got the talent but I'm not convinced he's completely fit you know, he isn't the quickest anyway and he's frequently blowing out of his arse after about an hour.

Our three subs were our best three players. Choudhury should be starting every game in Ndidi's absense as we quite simply don't have anyone else with any tenacity in midfield. Praet was a waste of a shirt tonight. Maddison I'm struggling to blame too much. He wasn't great but he at least seems the most inventive.

We're honestly not that good at home. Genuinely haven't been that impressed by a home performance of ours since Arsenal. On the flip side we're great away, something like 7 away wins in 8 and only Man City away was the failure to win, so we have every chance still. We play with so much more freedom on the road.

[Fairy In Boots]

6 hours ago, Dan said:

You defended well but you shouldn't be able to sit back that much and not get picked off. You had literally no threat in that second half at all, no outball, possession must've been something like 85-15 second half and we didn't have enough to show for it. Grealish did what he could but fuck me he had no chance.

Even our goal was a mistake from you initially - although notably it was Choudhury seizing on it which I think sums us up a bit tonight. It's not old fashioned to say that you need tenacity and bite in midfield, Liverpool are the best team in the world and that's largely what their midfield is built on.

No striker as an outlet, we will have one for the return leg I’d have thought 

[Fairy In Boots]

Question for both of you, @Dan @Stan do you think Albrighton is available and how much do you reckon it would cost? 

[Fairy In Boots]

Also for what it’s worth your counter attacking game is great but that also means as you ride high in the league teams aren’t going to open up for you and let you cut them to death. You now have to start breaking teams down which requires a bit of creative genius so I’d expect your home form to be a bit worse than away 

[Stan]

1 hour ago, Fairy In Boots said:

No striker as an outlet, we will have one for the return leg I’d have thought 

I thought the rule was that if they weren't registered in first leg then they can't play in 2nd leg. Or perhaps that's just for FA Cup and replays... 

1 hour ago, Fairy In Boots said:

Question for both of you, @Dan @Stan do you think Albrighton is available and how much do you reckon it would cost? 

I would say not for this window. Perhaps in the summer for between around £10m and even that's probably an inflated fee. 

48 minutes ago, Fairy In Boots said:

Also for what it’s worth your counter attacking game is great but that also means as you ride high in the league teams aren’t going to open up for you and let you cut them to death. You now have to start breaking teams down which requires a bit of creative genius so I’d expect your home form to be a bit worse than away 

I think any side we play towards bottom of the league will do what you did yesterday and sit deep. Was speaking to a Villa mate after the game yesterday and he said that's what you guys need to do away from home from now on to try and get results now that you're in that 'dogfight' at the bottom. It's not pretty but then if it gets you points so be it. 

[Dan+]

14 hours ago, Fairy In Boots said:

No striker as an outlet, we will have one for the return leg I’d have thought 

That's what annoyed me about us - you had so little to counter us with that we should in my eyes be able to force more at the other end than we did. It was all too slow, pedestrian stuff, even our goal came originally from an error.

 

13 hours ago, Fairy In Boots said:

Question for both of you, @Dan @Stan do you think Albrighton is available and how much do you reckon it would cost? 

Very tricky to answer, I'd personally not sell as I do think players like him are still worth at least having as an option so I don't really see the benefit of selling, but if we do bring in another winger this month then this may become an option. I don't think it would cost you a fortune though, wouldn't be totally shocked if you got him on loan.

 

13 hours ago, Fairy In Boots said:

Also for what it’s worth your counter attacking game is great but that also means as you ride high in the league teams aren’t going to open up for you and let you cut them to death. You now have to start breaking teams down which requires a bit of creative genius so I’d expect your home form to be a bit worse than away 

Agree with this and it's been the case for a while, but it's worth pointing out before the Norwich game a month ago we'd won 8 home games on the bounce so something's gone a bit missing. I think Tielemans' form is a big reason for it, I think last season Tielemans plays yesterday and we win it comfortably. Entire set up was wrong from us from the start though, I feared a game like last night as soon as I saw the line up. Rodgers is doing a fantastic job but he's got this annoying tendency to try and be too clever in big games and it's routinely backfiring.