EFL Cup - Semi-Final (2nd Leg) - Aston Villa (3) 2-1 (2) Leicester - Tuesday 28th January, 2020

[Fairy In Boots]

19 minutes ago, RandoEFC said:

Congrats mate.

Didn't see this coming tonight. Huge opportunity missed for Leicester you have to say.

Yeah I did mate, I fancy us against anyone at home with Mings and Grealish with a striker. 

Leicester created more and we rode our luck but we’re a decent side, if we keep key players fit i’m  confident we will survive. 

Also worth noting that aside from the 1930’s Villa have contested a cup final in every decade. Since 1880’s when the FA cup kicked off in earnest. 

No other club has done that utv

[Devil-Dick Willie]

If Villa win silver and go down they'll be the 2nd team from Birmingham to do so

[Cicero]

14 minutes ago, Devil-Dick Willie said:

If Villa win silver and go down they'll be the 2nd team from Birmingham to do so

Wait? Didn’t Birmingham beat Arsenal in 2011, then go down?

[Fairy In Boots]

1 minute ago, Cicero said:

Wait? Didn’t Birmingham beat Arsenal in 2011, then go down?

Yep

[Devil-Dick Willie]

6 minutes ago, Cicero said:

Wait? Didn’t Birmingham beat Arsenal in 2011, then go down?

Exactly?

[Lucas]

Leicester are learning a valuable lesson this season.

It's all well and good thriving on the underdogs tag but they need to realise they are one of the top clubs now and believe in their ability.

They have made great strides this season. Rodgers building a really impressive team. Can't knock them too much.

But mentally, they aren't taking that next step. Should be winning these kind of games but they don't seem to deal with the 'favourites' tag. 

And in the 'big' PL games, they seem to give too much respect to the opposition rather than going out with the belief they have enough to win.

It's a psychological thing they need to overcome and something Rodgers needs to install in this side.

Credit to Villa, they have done well to come out on top in that tie over 180mins given how much weaker their options are but Leicester have got to be winning games like this if they want to go places.

[Dr. Gonzo]

1 hour ago, Fairy In Boots said:

Dean Smith takes us to Wembley 2 years running. I’ll shut up about him now, I’m obviously just a cunt.

 Also if 2-3 key players stay fit we’re good enough to stay up and we’ll build in the summer again. 

Congrats fella, hope you stay up first and foremost but silverware is obviously nice and you've now got a shot to get some. Granted, it'll be tough as fuck against City.

[Stan]

1 minute ago, Lucas said:

Leicester are learning a valuable lesson this season.

It's all well and good thriving on the underdogs tag but they need to realise they are one of the top clubs now and believe in their ability.

They have made great strides this season. Rodgers building a really impressive team. Can't knock them too much.

But mentally, they aren't taking that next step. Should be winning these kind of games but they don't seem to deal with the 'favourites' tag. 

And in the 'big' PL games, they seem to give too much respect to the opposition rather than going out with the belief they have enough to win.

It's a psychological thing they need to overcome and something Rodgers needs to install in this side.

Credit to Villa, they have done well to come out on top in that tie over 180mins given how much weaker their options are but Leicester have got to be winning games like this if they want to go places.

Can't really fault that assessment - the mentality thing as favourites or not is something that is coming in to question. Especially when it comes to games against 'top 6' sides, moreso Liverpool & Man City this season.

I'd like to think that the better/more positive mentality comes with age - a lot is made out about the generally young side we have so I think that has to be taken in to account in that experiences like this either make or break players/teams. Thankfully I think we have enough character and personality in the squad that this just makes them stronger. It's not the end of the world that we've lost tonight as much as it hurts but I think under Rodgers and keeping the core of our side over the next 2-3 seasons we will continue to go far in cups and be moderately successful. I think Rodgers will instill the drive and determination to be successful by winning trophies but it'll take time. I reckon by the end of 2021/22 season we'll have won some silverware. 

[Fairy In Boots]

9 minutes ago, Stan said:

Can't really fault that assessment - the mentality thing as favourites or not is something that is coming in to question. Especially when it comes to games against 'top 6' sides, moreso Liverpool & Man City this season.

I'd like to think that the better/more positive mentality comes with age - a lot is made out about the generally young side we have so I think that has to be taken in to account in that experiences like this either make or break players/teams. Thankfully I think we have enough character and personality in the squad that this just makes them stronger. It's not the end of the world that we've lost tonight as much as it hurts but I think under Rodgers and keeping the core of our side over the next 2-3 seasons we will continue to go far in cups and be moderately successful. I think Rodgers will instill the drive and determination to be successful by winning trophies but it'll take time. I reckon by the end of 2021/22 season we'll have won some silverware. 

Think you’ll lose ndidi in the summer 

[Dr. Gonzo]

15 minutes ago, Stan said:

Can't really fault that assessment - the mentality thing as favourites or not is something that is coming in to question. Especially when it comes to games against 'top 6' sides, moreso Liverpool & Man City this season.

I'd like to think that the better/more positive mentality comes with age - a lot is made out about the generally young side we have so I think that has to be taken in to account in that experiences like this either make or break players/teams. Thankfully I think we have enough character and personality in the squad that this just makes them stronger. It's not the end of the world that we've lost tonight as much as it hurts but I think under Rodgers and keeping the core of our side over the next 2-3 seasons we will continue to go far in cups and be moderately successful. I think Rodgers will instill the drive and determination to be successful by winning trophies but it'll take time. I reckon by the end of 2021/22 season we'll have won some silverware. 

I mean, you're still pretty clearly a work in progress. But I think Leicester fans can be happy with the progress they've made this season.

[Dan+]

This is the most talented Leicester side I can remember, but it's spineless.

[Cicero]

44 minutes ago, Devil-Dick Willie said:

Exactly?

Ok nvm. Thought you implied 'Silver' as in 2nd place, not silverware. 

[Fairy In Boots]

8 minutes ago, Dan said:

This is the most talented Leicester side I can remember, but it's spineless.

Do you think you bottled it? Or that you can’t break down teams when you can’t counter at speed. Mings as a sweeper has nullified you over 2 legs and restricted you to shots outside the box by and large. We’ve ridden our luck but I’ve never felt cut open 

plus I did think it’s about right Targett scores because you did shit on that buy. 

[Stan]

46 minutes ago, Fairy In Boots said:

Do you think you bottled it? Or that you can’t break down teams when you can’t counter at speed. Mings as a sweeper has nullified you over 2 legs and restricted you to shots outside the box by and large. We’ve ridden our luck but I’ve never felt cut open 

plus I did think it’s about right Targett scores because you did shit on that buy. 

I wouldn't say we bottled it. Not like we didn't turn up. This is a young squad. They'll learn from this (I fucking hope so anyway). 

 

[Dan+]

2 hours ago, Fairy In Boots said:

Do you think you bottled it? Or that you can’t break down teams when you can’t counter at speed. Mings as a sweeper has nullified you over 2 legs and restricted you to shots outside the box by and large. We’ve ridden our luck but I’ve never felt cut open 

plus I did think it’s about right Targett scores because you did shit on that buy. 

Bottled it for sure but the truth is once we go behind we're really average. Truth be told I think we just gradually let that slip further and further from us right from the start of the tie - get an early goal at home I think we probably go on to win the tie comfortably - but we kept doing too little time and time again over the two legs and eventually paid the ultimate prize.

We are 3rd in the league, playing a team floating around the relegation places who have lost numerous key players in recent weeks, one that we've fairly recently walloped away from home - make no mistake, to lose to that over two legs is bottling it. You dug very deep, we just passively let the tie slip further and further away from us.

That tie has exposed all of our flaws to me. To me I see another version of Tottenham - a good team but flat track bullies that won't win anything.

This is still likely to be a brilliant season but it's all in vain if you can't turn up when it matters - and we are going to get very few better chances to achieve something like that. Make no mistake, that is pitiful from us, and it's potentially damaging. We couldn't have handpicked a better set of circumstances to make a cup final and we didn't show up in either game.

Rodgers has a lot of blame to take too. Was that supposed to be a back three with Chilwell in the middle, Barnes on the left - what the fucking hell is he doing that for in a game of that magnitude? We have established a very decent 4-3-3 - why the fuck do we keep fluctuating from it for big games?

Dreadful night for us. Just awful. Got exactly what we deserved even if the officiating was possibly corrupt.

[Dan+]

1 hour ago, Stan said:

I wouldn't say we bottled it. Not like we didn't turn up. This is a young squad. They'll learn from this (I fucking hope so anyway). 

I hope so but we will not be as lucky to get a draw like that in a semi final again.

The key for us is installing that mentality and I think we need that in the form of another couple of signings in the summer - I think we could probably do with an experienced head in midfield. Maddison and Tielemans once again outperformed by Grealish when it truly mattered.

[True Blue]

It was a great game for the neutrals Leicester started super strongly i felt Villa would be out of it in the first half. Credit to them for scoring and playing better in the second half than they did in the first. Overall the two legs it was super tight, felt Leicester should have got this without any disrespect to Villa who earned their final. State the obvious but Leicester have the superior squad and the superior season. Such a shame that City will probably be in the final, obviously Unite not without chances tonight but can't see them scoring two or more and not conceding at all.

[Fairy In Boots]

5 hours ago, Dan said:

Bottled it for sure but the truth is once we go behind we're really average. Truth be told I think we just gradually let that slip further and further from us right from the start of the tie - get an early goal at home I think we probably go on to win the tie comfortably - but we kept doing too little time and time again over the two legs and eventually paid the ultimate prize.

We are 3rd in the league, playing a team floating around the relegation places who have lost numerous key players in recent weeks, one that we've fairly recently walloped away from home - make no mistake, to lose to that over two legs is bottling it. You dug very deep, we just passively let the tie slip further and further away from us.

That tie has exposed all of our flaws to me. To me I see another version of Tottenham - a good team but flat track bullies that won't win anything.

This is still likely to be a brilliant season but it's all in vain if you can't turn up when it matters - and we are going to get very few better chances to achieve something like that. Make no mistake, that is pitiful from us, and it's potentially damaging. We couldn't have handpicked a better set of circumstances to make a cup final and we didn't show up in either game.

Rodgers has a lot of blame to take too. Was that supposed to be a back three with Chilwell in the middle, Barnes on the left - what the fucking hell is he doing that for in a game of that magnitude? We have established a very decent 4-3-3 - why the fuck do we keep fluctuating from it for big games?

Dreadful night for us. Just awful. Got exactly what we deserved even if the officiating was possibly corrupt.

Minus McGinn & Heaton that’s us at full strength now. 

Think your problem is like we had under O’Neil, you’re a pacey  counter attacking side but when teams sit back or in our case play a back 3 sweeper system you can’t just cut them open and then you have to unlock them. 

Maddison and tielimans aren’t those type of players, you need a David Silva type player to do that. It gets worse as you rise because more teams set out to frustrate you rather than have a go. 

5 hours ago, Dan said:

I hope so but we will not be as lucky to get a draw like that in a semi final again.

The key for us is installing that mentality and I think we need that in the form of another couple of signings in the summer - I think we could probably do with an experienced head in midfield. Maddison and Tielemans once again outperformed by Grealish when it truly mattered.

Grealish is better than Maddison though, he will be an England player at the Euros he has to be, scandalous if not

[Dan+]

11 hours ago, Fairy In Boots said:

Minus McGinn & Heaton that’s us at full strength now. 

Think your problem is like we had under O’Neil, you’re a pacey  counter attacking side but when teams sit back or in our case play a back 3 sweeper system you can’t just cut them open and then you have to unlock them. 

Maddison and tielimans aren’t those type of players, you need a David Silva type player to do that. It gets worse as you rise because more teams set out to frustrate you rather than have a go. 

Grealish is better than Maddison though, he will be an England player at the Euros he has to be, scandalous if not

Maddison and Tielemans have both struggled a bit lately for me - Tielemans more so, it wasn't like Iheanacho wasn't making the runs yesterday but the creativity was lacking. When teams are beating us they sit back and we're generally clueless as to what to do about it. Villa played the tie to perfection tactically so I have no qualms about you going through even despite some of the officiating (which I could slate a lot more than I have done so far).

I've got to say I'm coming round to the thinking that Grealish edges it. He just seems to have that bit more impact. I'd love him here if you went down but I think someone else will get him.