A Rough Tractor Ride!!!

Peter Gilbert 14.1.01

It's always a mistake to watch Leicester with an impartial spectator. You take them along, you talk the team up, you give them loads of information. You say things like: If we win we go 5th with a game in hand over the rest.' 'Or we've had a little blip but now I'm sure we're back in form.' 'Europe here we come.' Or other such stuff and nonsense and what do they do?

Wearing the Swedish kit to make Sven and Stig in his Volvo feel at home we go and play like like a bunch of Swede Heads or Turnips or Cabbages or some other mundane vegetable that grows in profusion in Suffolk.

Oh well at least PT will have blown all credibility with Sven and Stig and he'll have to put up with making a name for himself at Leicester.

I wouldn't mind if we'd played a bit of football or done something worth talking about.

Walking back to the car with 'impartial friend' my mood was as icy as the January air and I just hope that 'The martin O'Neill' effect is not beginning to wear off.

I do wonder however why PT is trying to wean the team off playing 5 at the back when it has been so successful in the past. With four at the back everyone needs to be a specialist in his position and our players are not. For example Rowett is not centre back and Impey is no full back so we were going to be vulnerable and so it proved.

0-0 at half time was satisfactory but in the second half Ipswich really set about us and they swished the ball about with such deliberation that we appeared to be chasing shadows to a large extent.

From the 52nd minute onwards they dominated midfield and statistically it was only a matter of time before their wayward finishing found itself getting on target. Time after time they squandered golden opportunities or if they were on target Simon Royce, playing like the Ipswich shirt sponsor suggested........ 'Green King', was on hand to scramble it clear. He made several fine saves and with ten minutes to go I could only hope we had weathered the storm.

The Ipswich fans of course sang 'Boring Boring Leicester' and who could argue.

We made substitutions,mediocre players were replaced by others of the same calibre and our only moments of quality came from Jones and Izzett.

Gary Rowett tried to play the part of the cool calm confident defender and instaed of playing safe he became over confident whilst trying to shepherd a ball across the line. Rather than putting it out for a corner into row Z, he lost control of the situation the ball was pulled back to Scowcroft who shot wildly and it would have gone out for a corner had not Marcus Stewart closed his eyes and put his head in the way to divert the ball past the flailing arms of Simon Royce.

A couple of minutes later City launched an all out attack, Guppy crossed to the far post Impey tried to head it but missed narrowly. Titus Bramble a 19 year old defender who had 'out thought' the City strikers all afternoon, swept the ball out wide to Wilsden, he ran forward with great gusto delivered a great cross which Elliott watched and Scowcroft was on hand to head it home. It was a great goal you have to say that............don't you????????

So what have we learned?

Royce : OK

Impey: Not a full back

Rowett: Not a centre back

Elliott: Needs another centre back to work with.

Davidson: Back after injury was always struggling.

Savage: Was far below his usual self - must be coming down with flu.

Jones: An improved performance.

Izzett: We know he can do it but....was outnumbered.

Guppy: Back to the drawing board.

We tried all 4 forwards but none of them is worth including in a match report about Leicester City.

We could go into free fall - by this performance the Opta statistical forecast of us ending in 11th place.......was wildly optimistic. We will only be picking points up off the lowly teams from now on........such as Bradford????????

That is the last time I ever take someone along to watch Leicester City play who is not a true fan..........it always blows up in my face...........but imagine how PT feels.......

'Hello Sven nice to see you again.'

'Oh Peter your team is nearly as bad as Lazio........'

Copyright