Man City v Leicester

[Whitechapel]

Well.. That could have gone better. Leicester absolutely deserved the win. Let's get that clear right out of the gate. They also had the rub of the green a little and things just went for them. I, as I'd imagine any football fan would have been, was disappointed that neither of the penalty shouts were given. The first looked on the line to me, and on the line is 'in'. It's a shame John McEnroe doesn't play for City really. The chalk flew up. But I was more irritated with the shove on Fern. A straight arm push is a foul, and the ref gave a free kick for the same thing later in the game. A penalty and an equaliser then might have changed the game massively. (That's three in two games against Leicester...)

Seemed a pretty archetypal Leicester performance. Cede possession, defend deep and in numbers in the box and work on the break. So a bit annoying that MP wasn't able to counter it, but when you've got the right tactics to fit the squad, it's hard to counter.

But now is where it gets interesting, because this was a game changer for Leicester. How they do in the next couple of matches will be key. They wouldn't be the first side to win a key game and then freeze. Look at Liverpool a couple of seasons ago. They 'won the league' against City and just collapsed. Hell, they pretty much did the same thing this season! How will they hold up now this shit has got even more real.

Both times City have won the Premier League they have chased down the 'Champions Elect'. They pulled back eight points from United, much later in the season and Liverpool were pretty much on the open top bus as City went about taking 16 points from the last six games to take the title. When they chased down United, they won their last six straight after being 'dead and buried' when they lost to Arsenal.

Hart, Kompany, Zabaleta, Clichy, Nasri, Silva, Toure, Aguero and Kolarov have all lived through both of those seasons with City. Demichelis, Fernandinho and Navas were there for the second one. That's a lot of experience of pretty much exactly this situation. Yeah, some of them are injured, but they are still knocking about the place and the return of Kompany will make a vast difference. I hope.

And for Leicester, this is all new ground. How will they cope with no longer being a bit of an oddity, but actually being favourites? How will they cope with a bit of pressure? Surely they have a few injuries due FFS!!

Leicester are there to be shot at now, and City have a squad full of players who have done this exact thing before. (Even if most of them are injured) I'm not saying lightening will strike in the same place thrice, but that it's not unknown for sides who have it all but won in February or March to come unstuck. Bring it on.

But if they do it, I certainly won't begrudge them any success at all. It's fucking ace that they are really going for it, and it's something I've wanted to see in football for a couple of decades. A bit annoying that the universe chose a season where City were the challengers, but cest la vie. I suspect that they won't be the last.

Spurs are sneaking up on the inside too, and, while it would be gutting for Leicester, it would also be a good thing for English Football.

But if either of you two do end up hitting the wall and fucking up, and you hand the title to Arsenal... I'll not be happy.

And to top it all off...

When was that stadium expansion planned for?

 

[silkyman]

You're actually copying that United dick who's name I've already forgotten? And think it might be even slightly funny?

That really is a low for any human being. Or a chimp. Or a rat. Blocked, lest my IQ reduces by fucking osmosis.

EDIT.... So you can't block admins.... FFS... That guy's an admin?

 

[Stevencc]

He'll have the whole forum to himself (though he'll probably end up blocking himself too) if you don't stop making jokes he doesn't like, guys.

 

[JimJams]

That really is a low for any human being. Or a chimp.

Hang on a fucking minute...

 

[Christian Slater]

Emptihad.

 

[Stevencc]

Emptihad.

You no good, lower-than-a-snake's-belly, shallow-as-a-worm's-grave, chimp/rat/worm. BLOCKED.

 

[silkyman]

Hang on a fucking minute...

Not you mate... You're different...

 

[Blitzballer]

chat shit get banged

 

[Stevencc]

You can just about see an empty seat up on the big screen - fucking blocked heinous c***.

 

[JimJams]

Incidentally on the pressure argument, I don't think it'll come into play at all.
This is a group of players that last season were rooted to the bottom of the league table and needed to go on a miraculous run in order to survive. The pressure of having to win just about every match for the rest of the season was real, but so was the belief, ok it's different to a title race, but it's pressure nonetheless.
If we don't win it, it won't be because of pressure, it'll just be because someone else was better. I don't think we can really 'throw it away' as in most peoples minds we aren't expected to string together these results so we're only fulfilling expectations if we do falter. Teams like Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea et al are expected to keep the charge going til the thing is won when they're in our position, we're not.

 

[G.B]

soft lad silky

 

[Stevencc]

Blocked.

 

[Jockney]

Incidentally on the pressure argument, I don't think it'll come into play at all.
This is a group of players that last season were rooted to the bottom of the league table and needed to go on a miraculous run in order to survive. The pressure of having to win just about every match for the rest of the season was real, but so was the belief, ok it's different to a title race, but it's pressure nonetheless.
If we don't win it, it won't be because of pressure, it'll just be because someone else was better. I don't think we can really 'throw it away' as in most peoples minds we aren't expected to string together these results so we're only fulfilling expectations if we do falter. Teams like Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea et al are expected to keep the charge going til the thing is won when they're in our position, we're not.

I don't buy into the argument that lacking experience of winning things at the highest level has a big negative effect on sides leading the pack (I mean, these are footballers, with or without those experiences they've been dealing with that sort of pressure their whole lives and on a much more personal level), but it's surely basic psychology that being in front completely affects your goals in the long and short term? Art from adversity and all that. Leicester have to set their own bar for success now, unless they play it reactive.

 

[Blitzballer]

Nice to see Delph have shit game and got subbed. Fucking snake

 

[Jockney]

Nice to see Delph have shit game and got subbed. Fucking snake

Yo, get over it. It weren't even that bad.

 

[Blitzballer]

Still can't understand why we got rid of Albrighton. The kid is class

 

[Stocky]

Don't think Leicester will in it to be honest, but obviously it's an amazing achievement what they're doing.

What I am sure of though is that Silkyman wanks into the same Donnay sock every night and sniffs it afterwards. He's a psychologists dream.

 

[Stevencc]

The MOTD highlights give the impression that 3-1 actually flatters Manchester City. Leicester could easily have had five or six.

 

[JoshBCFC]

How Demichelis is deemed BPL quality xD

Sent from my E2105 using Tapatalk

 

[Avatar]

The MOTD highlights give the impression that 3-1 actually flatters Manchester City. Leicester could easily have had five or six.

I watched the game. Leicester carved open City so often, it was actually very good to watch. They have so much pace in the channels and their passing was really good. Kante looks pretty good.

 

[Blitzballer]

nobody has mentioned another comment by Michael Owen during commentary

"Leicester have scored the first goal, which means they are 1-0 up. If it stays like this - they win."