Had Nkoulou and Sierralta been available today I’d expect we’d be cheering a famous win. This is the frustration. Cathcart, WTE and Masina are not bad players, but they are not Premier League defenders. It should have been an easy fix, but our board steadfastly stick to their guns and deny there is a problem, even though the evidence proves otherwise. It’s a shame we have to play out these hopeless matches. We’re always such a soft touch at Leicester. How many times do we go there and concede 4 goals? Seems like every time, but we always seem to beat them at home. It’s quite bizarre how that occurs. I’m not going to be too downbeat, as the forward line and midfield make us competitive enough. Our defence WILL relegate us though, but once you accept that, you can enjoy the victories at Everton and thrashing United a lot more.
If Maddison did call it, in the good old days that would have been a caution for Ungentlemanly Conduct. Either it was that, or Bachmann shouted 'away' and WTE ignored it or there was no shout from Bachmann and WTE just let it go - but I expect there was a shout from at least Cathcart or Bachmann, well I hope there was. All in all, the decision to leave it was awful and we can only speculate about the communication.
'Maddison called it' is going to be the new ludicrous Chinese whispers fact, taking the place of 'Chalobah was only dropped because he runs an orphanage out of his mansion and some of the orphans went to Gray's lockdown party so Natty-boi was forced to isolate too', isn't it?
I wasn't trying to find excuses just stating a possibility. I would defy anyone to identify a particular voice with 30-40000 fans shouting, I'm sure anyone on here who has played in front of that many fans would agree
I can understand some of our fans wanting to believe this. It’s so much harder to believe that WTE is just that ******* bad at football and by extension that Gino and Scott didn’t do good business here.
Does this extend to the names of forum members? For example do you object to the name 'Gurning Dong'? - just asking for clarification.
Maybe Bachmann did shout AWAY but Troost thought Dan was yet again expressing his desire to leave in January, moving to a top 6 club which he clearly thinks he's ready for.
Just wanted to take a moment to doff my cap to whoever on the Leicester ground staff looked out at the end of half time just as the players were returning to the pitch under ever-heavier falling snow and thought to himself, “Yeah, this is the time to put the sprinklers on…”
And yet for the ones who play in front of the biggest crowds, week in week out, it’s something that barely ever happens.
'Why is it relevant' that Watford's defence was up against a very very good striker? I just don't see why you appear to want to turn my comments into an argument.
Under Munoz, which was weird. Even then, Sierralta has hardly been available this season to select, and Ranieri hasn't had the opportunity.
I'm pretty sure that was also the snake's biggest issue with Gino. When he failed to sign a quality centre back. Groundhog day!
Frustrating, but are people going nuts about us ‘never learning’ by not improving the defence forgetting we have signed two vastly better CBs in Sierralta and Nkoulou and they’re both injured? And our first choice keeper was injured. It’s bad luck but it happens. Yes I would like another CB in Jan but it’s a bizarre narrative some want to spin that today was our first choice back 5.
Our defence will be the holders of the joint most goals conceded in an FA Cup final AND longest run of PL games without a clean sheet. Both records achieved in the last 2.5 years.
Well you can decide whether it's an argument or not, but you still haven't explained why it's relevant either - as I said, what difference does it make that they're playing against good players? This is the Premier League; everyone's a good player. That fact bears no significant relevance to the performance of our defenders, so I don't understand why anyone would be expected to have openly stated it in the way that you expressed surprise no one had, in your initial comment.
Cathcart has shown he is somewhat competent when playing with a competent partner. His and our defensive performances with Nkoulou were a huge improvement. As soon as WTE returns we go to crap as does the rest of the defense. He is an incredibly weak link and is an error a game defender. Unfortunately in the PL, that error gets punished 9 times out of 10. It's the same old saga and now even the BBC have picked up on it. Our front line is very good, our midfield is OK, but out defence is weak and frail. Any attack by the opposite team has a high expected chance of a goal, no matter how many goals we score or how well we play. The transfer window can't come quick enough, but I think we will see the true face of Gino as he is going to be forced to show his hand. Invest in the defence once and for all or say hello to the Championship again... and again... and again...
Again, you are accusing people of 'spinning narrative' whilst totally ignoring the context of it and spinning one yourself - 'two vastly better CBs' - as already pointed out by several people here, myself included, that's one who was desperately brought in weeks ago with the season well underway and so unfit and unprepared to be a starter in this league, and another who you frankly have no idea whether they are 'vastly better' or not at this level - no one does. On top of that, as Burnsy in particular has been pointing out - if your two starters are out, and that means you have to field WTE and Cathcart as your starting pair in this league, then that by definition means you have failed in your defensive recruitment and left your team facing an uphill battle to survive. On top of that, our full backs were what are currently considered our first choice pairing, and the difference between Bachmann and Foster is marginal and has been debated amongst our fans back and forth all season to date. You suggesting that this is some higgledy piggledy defensive line up superglued together with a couple of midfielders and an u-23 is the real 'narrative'.
Nkoulou was only signed because of injuries! Three of the back four today were part of a shocking defence that got us relegated a couple of seasons ago. The club know that injuries happen, they aren't learning because they have kept several players in the squad who we know aren't good enough for this level and will most likely have to play a part this season.
See what I meant in post 438? They will defend anything. Cathcart still starting games 4 years after he should have gone and WTE brought in alongside fatty Rose as a dismissive attempt to throw bodies at our defence and these people lap it up.
Same old really, **** defence, decent attack. Looks like we need to score a minimum of 3 to win a game. New CB and GK in Jan and we'll stay up with ease.
Boggles the mind that people are saying Nkoulo is one of our two best centre backs, and not simultaneously appreciating the irony of the fact he was signed as free agent that no other club on the planet wanted a couple of months into the season. If that doesn’t show you how shockingly bad our defence is then nothing will, yet some people are actually taking it as a positive!
Not a single person has claimed that the back line today was first choice. As for the other points, Sierralta was a cheap punt who may or may not make the grade at premier league level (I think he probably will). Nkoulou was a free agent who has only played 2 games so I guess we can’t judge him yet. Both I have high hopes for but let’s not pretend they are not firmly out of the bargain bucket that the club does everything else defensively wise.
Even just down to the very minutiae - the fact that he was just as available, for just as much money (nothing) in the summer, and we actively chose not to sign him, for absolutely no reason whatsoever - WE ACTUALLY CHOSE TO SUBMIT AN INCOMPLETE SQUAD LIST TO THE LEAGUE INSTEAD. We're a farce - they're playing a game, and Twitch aren't about to make them partners or put them on the front page for it, either.
What on earth are you even reading to have come to that conclusion? Not one person here has come close to suggesting that was our first choice back 5. What a lot of people have done, indeed almost everyone to a man or woman, is suggest that when we are forced to pick a defensive unit from those that sit outside this mythical ‘first choice’ bracket, we are desperately short on ability. We have no idea at all if Ranieri rates Sierralta - and we have seen Nkoulou a grand total of less than 3 whole games. And he turns 32 before the season is over. They may well be vastly better than their contemporaries in the squad - but it’s hardly saying much. We all hope they will improve us but at this juncture it’s a big reach to expect that we will get both of them together on a regular basis with our record, and that they stay fit and we improve dramatically defensively. We need a better GROUP of CB’s. A group that means that if we suffer a couple of injuries doesn’t have us dusting off WTE, Cathcart and Kabasele for a 10+ run of games. Foster has been better but still has made mistakes this season. Bachmann has been a bit of a disaster in the PL to date - but neither is really the answer anymore and only yellow-tinted glasses would tell anyone otherwise. None of our full-backs look capable of being a PL-quality regular and they are incapable of putting any kind of run of good form together. The CB’s we have outside of the two mentioned above are woefully short of the ability needed at this level. As I have said elsewhere, we are long past due 5-6 genuine quality defenders/GK. We need new first choice full backs, a new No.1 (spending £6m on a GK we can’t see until next season is the latest joke) and a couple of CB’s with genuine ability. At the very least. It’s not just about this game. You misconstrue the points if you think it is.
We have now lost the joint most games. 8 from 13. Only two clubs have conceded more, and only one other club has failed to keep a clean sheet. It doesn't matter how well we play, how many we score or how many chances we create, the defence will relegate us. We need to be hard to break down and difficult to score against. We are the complete opposite. Our defenders are not happy unless they have those head to the floor moments of dejection during a match. They are addicted to it. We need players who will do everything in their power to stop the opposition from scoring. Our guys just do not have that desire in them.
So where are the good quality back ups ready to step up? Injuries to 2 players, one of whom was signed earlier this month and it’s a league 1 defence again.
