To be fair to Pelle, his ball through to Mane was superb and he looked more of a threat than Austin when he came on.
I normally HATE being in the Pub when we lose a game, but actually I enjoyed that game yesterday.
For the first time in a while it felt we were playing a different level of football - not in terms of passion etc but a proper “intelligent” game of cat & mouse football that is often the hall mark of top of the table clashes.
Sure we didn’t have the guile to actually break them down, but in these games you get one chance and have to take it - Mane had other options and chose the wrong one in reality, but would never blame him for Ben Stokes’s last over or anything else.
Sure the numpties will moan but for me we came of age yesterday, we took on the Champions Elect and we hardly gave them a touch, and simply lost to a misjudgment not even a mistake - where Clasie ended up on Morgan not Pelle or VVD/Jose.
When it comes to the Fairy Tale and Leicester, I have a different reaction to many. I actually believe that COULD have been us, certainly under MP and even possibly last season. Great starts and just a slight weakness in the squad to cover for when Pelle had his bad Decembers. A lack of belief that we could actually do that and no additions in the January windows.
Leicester have got there by avoiding injuries to key players, let’s face it, they have used the fewest players of any EPL team. It COULD have been us and next season it does mean it could be ANYONE.
Game changer that is for sure.
And then the cricket.
Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. It wasn’t Stokes’ fault that Mane didn’t chip Schmeichel…
Someone else can start the next match thread.
Fair warning - we will lose again on Saturday as I am taking the offspring. Last game we got to was the opening game of the season - say no more
In response to DP… for me it just emphasizes why we did so well… continuity - keeping the same bunch of players together is what it is al about - not changing every season… we lost 7-8 key players these last two seaosns hand have done extremely well to do as well as we have considering - but the ‘what if’ is to me a clear lost opportunity.
Players wanted to leave, fair enough, but I think we should always be asking why? and how to make them not want to. The old ‘cash’ excuse is not enough for me… its surely also about the aspiration
Also re pens… Bets way to judge the media reaction is to consider what how tehy moight have portrayed this had this gone begging for Leicester and we had won 1-0. Given the leicester love in- I am sure many would have been outraged at the incompetence of the refs in this case… Context is sadly everything
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no, it’s pretty much the cash thing. Unless its the aspiration of lots of footballers to play in China or America?
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Will be inteesting to see howmany stay at Leicester… but I can see them staying as they have Champs league football… had we managed to push on and get that, holding on for one more season,becomes more of an option.
Any ref brave enough to give a marginal decision against Leicester will find himself in v.hot water IMO. I dare say they will get backlash next season tho. They won’t be able to buy a penalty next year. Prob get relegated.
Interesting
Graham Poll in the Fail so I guess not many of you will have seen this.
Basically all EPL Referees are crap and nothing is being done about it. Lack of Leadership etc.
7 out of 49 Red Cards have been overturned this season 14% are wrong.
Then down in the comments section nice to see someone from Slovenia having a rant about oour lack of Penatlies on Sunday!