Other Matches - Wednesday 26th December, 2018

[RandoEFC+]

Richarlison 5-1 . Burnley are absolute AIDs. I can't remember the last time we won a Premier League game so easily. We played well but that scoreline is more reflective of how utterly terrible Burnley are. It was the first time we scored four on the road since the 4-4 at Old Trafford in 2012 apparently so could easily be a decade since we last put five past anyone on the road.

Back up to 8th for now. If we can get another three points down at Brighton which won't be easy then we've got a couple of home games and hopefully we can start to build the momentum back up.

[Bluebird Hewitt]

Sounds like Palace battered us all round but hardly tested Etheridge really. Happy with the point, especially as that's only our second point away from home.

Leicester away next, so hoping the sods law effect comes into play again.

[Cicero]

Just realised City drop to 3rd. 

Surely Pep will be under some pressure if he doesn't deliver the league or CL this season? 

[Cicero]

Selling Coutinho was the smartest thing Liverpool have ever done. 

[RandoEFC+]

1 minute ago, José said:

Two goals from Pogba and three assists last game  to a particular 'cule', if you call that a bust what would you call Bench-riding Coutinho? A mega-bust? 

Pogba can have some credit when he does it for more than 2 games, you'd expect that was a minimum expectation given the 90 million price tag or whatever it was.

Liverpool massive favourites for the title now, they've passed the tricky tests better and more consistently than City. However, it's only halfway and Liverpool have bottled a better position than this one under Rodgers. 

City seem under loads of pressure and that's what happens when Liverpool keep relentlessly winning. This is the worst time of year to have a dip as well and when they play Liverpool next week all the pressure will be on them.

I'd like to say Spurs are in contention now but it's Spurs. Next time Liverpool drop points and Spurs have a chance to go within 2-3 points of the top they'll bottle it and draw 1-1 at home to Brighton or something.

[Storts]

We are bloody superb 

[Storts]

Has everyone seen the Salah dive yet?! Wow that is a shocker 

[Stan]

My word. What can I say?! Tottenham and Liverpool fans can thank us later .

The reaction from the team to going a goal down was superb. Didn't look like crumbling and in fact from about 35mins, we were on top and took the game to City, really attacked them and got on the front foot. The goal was deserved and then we carried on taking the initiative and trying to control the game 2nd half. I'd say we were worthy winners - Man City only created half chances and didn't have too many shots on target. They play well to make space and used Sterling and Sane as outlets but they were matched by Chilwell and Pereira. The latter is proving just what a good signing be can be after a bit of an inconsistent start. 

Pereira's goal though . Sensational hit. Struck so cleanly and powerful but precise. Really didn't see the win coming but as City found out against Palace at the weekend, if you attack them and don't let them control the game, they panic and get rattled. 

As much as I gave credit to Puel on Saturday, the same has to be done again today. Kept the same starting squad as Saturday and the same shape. Paves the way for a bit more gelling between the players. I don't think the reports in the press last week worked as it seems to have only spurred him and the players on to say a massive fuck you to them all. 

Proud of the team right now. Two massive performances. Two huge wins. If you'd have told me we'd take 6 points from Chelsea and Man City and only concede one goal, I'd have laughed at you for a good while

[Bluebird Hewitt]

And then you drop points on Saturday. 

[Mel81x+]

Never got out of second gear today and to be fair to the team they could have battered Newcastle if they really wanted to but they didn't. I am not buying the hype that we're winning the league until we've actually gotten to the stage where no one can catch us. Shaqiri has been a good acquisition because he is putting goals away at a good rate. Big set of games to close the year out now and with the current form City are in I think we can actually take them at the Etihad, that is the most critical game for us now. 

[LFCMike]

Another comfortable performance. It's hard not to get carried away but I'm struggling to find a weakness in this side. Absolutely unreal return at this point in the season

[Dan+]

1 hour ago, The Artful Dodger said:

Puel deserves some credit there. 

He does, and I say this as someone who thought he was done.

I actually don't know what to say anymore nothing makes a jot of sense.

[Dan+]

45 minutes ago, Bluebird Hewitt said:

And then you drop points on Saturday. 

I annoyingly can see this a mile off

[Stan]

 

 

[Stan]

Fucking have that. Ricardo Pereira you beauty. 

 

[Stan]

@José

I see 'Pogz and Lingz' linked up for the 3rd goal as well... 

[Dan+]

Forgive us if we're quite irrational at times. Absolutely nothing makes sense anymore. Prior to Saturday we had been piss poor for a long time but this last two performances and results are two of our best of the last few years. We were excellent again, again I think got fortunate with a couple of the chances that were missed but we could easily say the same about some of ours in the first half.

Puel's set up has been spot on for the last two games. A very tough midfield to break through with three defensively minded players in there - makes sense when you've got ability to counter in the front three. Both of our goals are quality, the ball from Vardy for the first and the strike from Ricardo for the second are both class.

Choudhury has been a revelation. I really do think he helps us become so much more balanced. I said it after Saturday that we are far better with the players capable of playing with intensity in their game such as him, and Albrighton, and Vardy etc... so I was delighted to see he went unchanged and we got the same result.

It's been a truly bizarre season so far. People will call us fickle but I think given what's happened there is nobody who wouldn't be a bit.

Now onto Cardiff. We've given ourselves a great chance of getting 7th place now at a point where I thought we were about to drop to about 13th. It's very tight but we might've discovered something good here. Cardiff is a very different test and winning these last two games does not make that one a foregone conclusion.

But what a few days. Unbelievable.

Not a chance Liverpool or Tottenham end this season trophyless.

[CaaC (John)+]

 

[Cicero]

7 minutes ago, Dan said:

Not a chance Liverpool or Tottenham end this season trophyless.

Something I've been saying since July/August 

[RandoEFC+]

I'll be surprised if Puel isn't sort of under pressure again before the end of January. The best thing is it's not usually Leicester fans overreacting, it always seems to be justified at the time.

[Dr. Gonzo]

1 minute ago, RandoEFC said:

I'll be surprised if Puel isn't sort of under pressure again before the end of January. The best thing is it's not usually Leicester fans overreacting, it always seems to be justified at the time.

I don't really understand why he's seemingly constantly under pressure. I'm not sure what expectations really are for them - they won a title recently... but present day I don't think they've realistically got a squad that can sustain multiple title challenges year in year out.

[Stan]

13 minutes ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

I don't really understand why he's seemingly constantly under pressure. I'm not sure what expectations really are for them - they won a title recently... but present day I don't think they've realistically got a squad that can sustain multiple title challenges year in year out.

We don't think realistically we will sustain multiple title challenges, either. We just want to watch good football and potentially be best of the rest, and perhaps break in to the top 6. Before the Chelsea game, it didn't look like happening and we genuinely think we have a great chance to finish 7th and be that 'best of the rest'. There's a gulf in quality both on the pitch and/or financially between the top 6 and other league clubs so the next achievement would be 7th. And of the clubs competing for 7th, I believe if we're gonna maximise on our potential, we have to be finishing above the other challengers. 

He became under pressure, justifiably so, because we weren't winning games we should have been, and at the very least, not competing to how we know we can in some games, too. 

With the last two performances, though, Puel and the players have said 'fuck off' to those reports (which apparently started in The Sun?!) of any unrest or that he's facing the sack. No-one in their right mind can complain about how things are with the last two performances. Two really determined and spirited victories. It's not like we were lucky to win the games either; I think there's strong cases to say we were deserving of the 6 points here. 

[Dr. Gonzo]

21 minutes ago, Stan said:

We don't think realistically we will sustain multiple title challenges, either. We just want to watch good football and potentially be best of the rest, and perhaps break in to the top 6. Before the Chelsea game, it didn't look like happening and we genuinely think we have a great chance to finish 7th and be that 'best of the rest'. There's a gulf in quality both on the pitch and/or financially between the top 6 and other league clubs so the next achievement would be 7th. And of the clubs competing for 7th, I believe if we're gonna maximise on our potential, we have to be finishing above the other challengers. 

He became under pressure, justifiably so, because we weren't winning games we should have been, and at the very least, not competing to how we know we can in some games, too. 

With the last two performances, though, Puel and the players have said 'fuck off' to those reports (which apparently started in The Sun?!) of any unrest or that he's facing the sack. No-one in their right mind can complain about how things are with the last two performances. Two really determined and spirited victories. It's not like we were lucky to win the games either; I think there's strong cases to say we were deserving of the 6 points here. 

I've not watched much of Leicester this season, so I don't really have an idea of how things have been on the pitch at all - just really going off the results and the table. That area of the table is pretty tough, because the sides are all pretty good and probably aren't far from kicking on to better challenging those above them with a bit of planning and investment. But they're also fairly inconsistent... which is why they're mid-table really. Can be frustrating for fans.

[RandoEFC+]

Two match ban for Salah incoming? Lol nah.

 

[Stan]

No way Salah gets a ban .