Leicester City v Spurs

Leicester City v Spurs

First Half

5 mins: Already to me, there is too much passing backwards to simply keep the ball. 

Yes, keeping the ball is important, the opposition can't score if they don't have it, but both Son and Johnson have had passing on inside, particularly Johnson just now that wasn't seen or taken.

A question that mindset, that outlook that says we must have plenty of time to decide what pass to play, it's safe mode.

One side needs to have their two wingers just take their man on every time, like when proper football was played. Sides today don't see it, defenders don't defend against it.

You want the full-back in that defensive state of mind, it keeps them back even when their side is defending and you wear them out mentally.

Running at players causes panic and that's when mistakes occur.

Is today's game 'drawing board' football?

Right lads, these are the set plays we do in these situations.

I mean, that's what playing out from the back is and we gave away a goal to Bayern Munich in both pre-season friendlies that way, the same move.

Johnson is a better player off the bench, the mid-field looks too similar to last season, but we'll see how the game goes.

Finally, before I start to watch the test of the game, why does a defensive midfielder have to drop right back next to a centre-back to collect the ball of them?

I appreciate you are drawing a player out, creating space etc, but does it actually work?

If you have ball-playing centre-backs, why not pull players the other way, do something the opposition are not expecting, take your marker into an area they don't want to go. Start causing confusion with a forward getting in the way.

Right, back after I have watched some more.

7 mins: We start to play the ball inside, Maddison whips a pass, how does Ndidi behind Solanke clear, surely the striker should get there first?

A free header 6 yards out and Solanke heads it straight at the keeper, not an encouraging start from the £60m man.

For the team we want to be, challenging for trophies, one of those should have been taken.

I don't remember Harry Kane being beaten to too many back post situations, he popped those in time after time.

Is that better movement losing your man?

Was the anticipation there, I'd have to watch it again to see, but let's push on.

8 mins: allowances must be made for Solanke learning his role in the pressing game, he looks like a playing jogging to a position he has been told to be in, but when closing down the ball it does look half-hearted, as if this is what I'm supposed to do but it's a stolen gesture.

Sonny sprints to close down the keeper, Solanke runs slower wiyj little 'intent' to lose the keeper down.

That area of his game he'll have to improve.

I'm just saying what I see without trying to fit into pre-conceptions.

My preconception is that Bergvall and Gray are eventually going to make us a better team, but they need time to adjust o whatever role they are going to play.

The pressure is on Maddison I think. One decent pass in 7 minutes is an OK start, but we want more than OK by the end of the game.

12 minutes: Maddison has played two good passes buy Son puts him in after a sweeping move and unmarked he doesn't shoot with the left-foot instead crosses to try and find Solanke who is beaten to the ball again, corner.

One pass too many, trying to walk the ball into the net and score the perfect goal. Shoot man, bloody shoot, be greedy in that situation.

The keeper would only be able to parry a shot and there might be scraps for Solanke or Johnson.

Wrong choice I feel.

14 mins: Poor Maddisom free kick. There is a gap where the ball can be played along the floor behind the defence. There needs to a runner there for that but Spurs are not set up that way from free-kicks.

Solanke header. He is there and there abouts.

18 minutes: 3 goos balls from Maddison. Why do so many free-kicks have t go backwards to retain possession. Let's see more launched forward, put pressure on the in their box. Old school football.

Son has a chance on the edge of the area first-time on his right foot, but he takes a touch to put it onto his left foot, opportunity gone. Closed down corner. Wrong choice.

25 mins: Johnson sims up a problem. Great tackle, space to run into, looks around for a pass, can't find one so decides he'll go backward instead, slips over, commits a foul, 

Nobody near him and he gives away the ball when he should be driving at the defender.

It's the wrong mindset, let's go backwards to keep the ball and have time.

It's not good enough.

Mentality work with a sports psychologist required.

Postecoglou was yelling at them last season to stop passing backwards!

28 mins: Maddisons 4th good pass, a Pedro Porro header, goal and a 1-0 lead.

32 mins: Free-kick routine. Fifth good ball from Msddison, Johnson fires it across, too hard?

Was it a shot?

Nobody there to tap it in, as a training ground routine someone should have been.

If it is a routine, you don't wait to see if it is working, you assume it will otherwise you are the one messing it up.

45 mins: Yet again a throw-in and as we have no plans for them the players don;t know what to do, can't figure out anything for themselves and Johnson loses the ball (again), this time for Leicester throw-in.

1-0 up, all in all a good half but we are not clinical yet again in front of goal and why would we be with largely the same players.

Without proper work on it they are not going to get more clinical and that will be a problem going forward this season.

Maddison has performed, Son has produced some moments and shown his age in others. he hasn't relentlessly taken on his man, too many backward passes.

You have to make things happen, not wait for them to happen.

Proactive football, not reactive football.

Solanke, OK, stuff to work on.

There was a moment where he chested a forward ball down around the halfway line on the right-hand side of the field.

He then played a pass out wide, when he should have turned infield to play it square, we could have broken, switched play, but instead, we had resulting problems all as a consequence of Solanke choosing the wrong option.

Second Half

No changes.

47 mins: A throw at the corner flag and we go all the way back to the halfway line, easing any pressure on their defence.

I'm sorry but if you are going to have 30+ throw-ins a game, you should have a plan with what you are going to do with them, 

Spurs never have had. It's an area of the game that is crying out for some innovation.

54 mins: A Solanke shot but it's a nothing shot straight at the middle of the goal and the keeper, it has to be either corner you go for from there.

An area to improve.

Nice reading of the game and moved to receive the ball through the defensive line into the box so that's a positive, but you'd expect that of any striker.

55 mins: From the resulting corner we totally relieve any pressure off them by playing the ball back to our goalkeeper midway in our half,

Absolutely ridiculous, we have created problems at corners so we help the Foxes out!

56 mins: We open Leicester up and Bentancur should score but the ball in under his feet and all he can do is hit it in easy reach for the keeper. Another chance thrown away.

58 mins: A half-heated leg out from Romero doesn't stop a cross across goal and from the resulting cross back, he has left Jamie Vardy of all people unmarked.

1-1 and our lack of clinical finishing again sees us in a position we shouldn't be.

76 mins: Bentancur is carried off and some sick people in our society start booing, soon drowned out by the applause.

At these times your rivalry is irrelevant, you applaud a player being carried off regardless, but that just shows what's wrong with an element of people today.

As Maddison is substituted he gets some stupid boos as he did all game. Again, the stupid element of our society, they can not seriously have expected Maddison to play in the Championship.

Some people need to grow up.

82 mins: Spurs already look more of a threat with Bergvall and Kulusevski on the pitch.

We again look as though we have picked up a massive bargain in the shape of this Sweedish teenager.

86 mins: Son is in but lacks the control at the crucial moment, chance gone, These moments are why he needs to be sold next summer while we can still get a fee and play our future left-sided winger.

98 mins: The ref doesn't play the advantage he should, blew too early. Hwever, from the resulting Bargvall free-kick Richarlison doesn't even hit the target with his header. He is a centre-forward, these should be food and drink to him.

That should have been in the back of the net.

How many years have I talked about the importance of training clinical finishing in friendlies and against lesser teams.

These two strikers will score goals, but nether is worth £60m

A disappointing result in a game we should have won comfortably, but could have easily lost.

Plenty of positives to take out the game, but it's those negatives that will cost us points and they cost us 2 points here.

COYS