Leicester City v Bolton

doffcocker wrote:Medo and Spearing are only a fraction of the midfielders they could be.

They both have defensive as well as attacking qualities, the latter of which, we haven't seen this season as much as we did last season.

I don't think either have much attacking quality to speak of, Medo's got a decent long shot on him and is probably better on the ball but both would prefer to sit in front of the back 4 and spoil opposition attacks then lay it off to a more creative player. 

Copper's absolutely spot on in what he says above, and I agree that we don't have the players to play a traditional 442 every week. Since Holden's injury we haven't had a dynamic box to box midfielder that's necessary for it, alongside Muamba's physicality we had a really good blend.

WE have missed Muamba and his ability to tidy things up. He didn't score many but he had a great engine for running from box to box.

Reebok Trotter wrote:WE have missed Muamba and his ability to tidy things up. He didn't score many but he had a great engine for running from box to box.

Exactly RT and I think he was still developing.

Big miss for us, in my opinion.

Some thought Muamba was a right donkey, however my own perspective was that we struggled when he wasn't on the park.

Covered a lot of ground did Muamba. Not the most technically gifted but he had a tremendous engine. He was the closest we ever got to a Roy Keane type of player in midfield.

When Muamba played a full 90 minutes 8 matches that season we won 5 drew 2 lost 1 when he was substituted we lost every match or when he came on as a sub.A prime example 0-0 v Norwich away and 0-0 v Newcastle Boxing Day 2011 looking like draws and what would have had been 2 good points,Clueless Coyle goes from 4-5-1 to 4-4-2 bringing KD on 65 minutes 0-0 70 minutes 1-0 v Newcastle 78 minutes 2-0 midfield overrun.The same happened at Norwich Muamba subbed 71 minutes 1-0 88 mins 2-0. The stats speak for thereselves. 

Muamba was great at breaking the other teams play up, he was a very valuable asset to our team.

Even though his football ability was not the best , he never stopped chasing the ball.

Muamba was occasionally like a brick wall in front of the defence, such that his incapabilities with the ball at his feet were worth suffering.

Not often enough was this the case in my opinion.

Would we be significantly better off had he not retired? I don't believe so.

Muamba's style of play was intentionally 'low key' because he didn't make wonderful passes, sleek switching of play, or any of those things you would reagard as good. What he did was simple, sometimes brutal, but usually effective. As mentioned, he was there simply to block the midfield, and break up the play when it was needed. It was up to his midfield partner to make the passes. He did make do-or-die tackles, sometimes because of his misreading of the game. He did have bad matches, but name me a player that has an excellent game, every game.The important thing, for me, was that he always tried. I think he would be one of the stars if he was playing in the current midfield.

Totally agree.    

gloswhite wrote:Muamba's style of play was intentionally 'low key' because he didn't make wonderful passes, sleek switching of play, or any of those things you would reagard as good. What he did was simple, sometimes brutal, but usually effective. As mentioned, he was there simply to block the midfield, and break up the play when it was needed. It was up to his midfield partner to make the passes. He did make do-or-die tackles, sometimes because of his misreading of the game. He did have bad matches, but name me a player that has an excellent game, every game.The important thing, for me, was that he always tried. I think he would be one of the stars if he was playing in the current midfield.

Ref watch: Russell in charge

Mick Russell will take charge of Wanderers’ clash with Leicester City on Sunday afternoon.

Based in Herfordshire, Russell has been involved in 15 games so far this term across the Championship, League One & League Two, brandishing 41 yellow and two red cards in the process.

An experienced official with almost a decade spent officiating professionally, Russell has never previously taken the reins of a competitive Bolton Wanderers game.

Marvyn Amphlett and Nigel Smith will run the line, whilst Mark Howes will be the fourth official.

Mick Russell, I don't like that name very much.

We're doomed.

Team tomorrow Lonerghan,Baptiste,Knightmare,Mills,Ream
                                      Medo Spearing
                          CYL                             Eagles
                                       Mark Davies
                
                                             Beckford
Subs Bolger,Connor Wilkinson,Moritz Mason,Pratley,Hall,Gk.

Opposition watch: Leicester City

With eight draws in the last 15 meetings between Wanderers and Leicester – one of which came in a stalemate at the Reebok Stadium last November – Sunday’s contest at the King Power Stadium looks set to be a tight affair if nothing else.

A fixture which has been few and far between in recent years – last season marked the first league clash between the teams in eight years – the corresponding game last term saw Nigel Pearson’s men run out 3-2 winners on home soil back in April courtesy of Jeffrey Schlupp’s late strike.

Having enjoyed an impressive start to the current campaign with 45 points accumulated from their 22 league games so far, the Foxes are currently leading the pack at the top of the Championship table, two points ahead of second placed Burnley.

With aspirations of returning to the Premier League for the first time in a decade, City came close last term only to be denied a place at Wembley at the death during the second leg of their play-off semi-final clash with Watford.

A bitter pill to swallow for a team which have been fighting for promotion to the top tier since their League One title winning season in 2009, there have certainly been no lasting after effects of their play-off heartbreak.

The return of manager Pearson to the helm has undoubtedly proven to be crucial to Leicester’s recent successes – having departed the club in 2010, the former defender re-joined the Foxes just a year later following the departure of chairman Milan Mandaric.

With City having secured ninth and sixth place finishes respectively in the past two years, Pearson has transformed a side which struggled to climb out of the lower reaches of the Championship table following their relegation from the top flight in 2004.

The Leicester boss has proved to be thrifty in the transfer market, bringing the likes of top scorer David Nugent to the club on a free transfer – a move which has ultimately been a masterstroke on his part.

The club’s supporters however will be aware of the fact that their side started last season in similar fashion, with a drop in form towards the final months of the campaign meaning that they had to settle for a spot in the play-offs – ironically securing their place ahead of Wanderers on goal difference.

Undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with at present, the Foxes will be aiming to secure their ninth league victory on home soil when the Whites come to town.

With Nottingham Forest having ran out winners at the King Power Stadium last month however, Wanderers will be hoping to cause an upset and record a fifth win on their travels this season.

Rob Tanner - Leicester City reporter for the Leicester Mercury

After the disappointment of last season, City have shown this season they have learned from the experience.

Manager Nigel Pearson has made very few changes to the squad, only adding a few more experienced players, and the stability has led to the club's best ever start to a season.

Now two points clear at the top of the table, they will be keen to avoid last season's collapse when their promotion push faded.

Key will be their home form and although Bolton will offer a stern test, City will start as favourites.

I predict a 2-1 win for Leicester.

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I am going for a 2- 1 Bolton win.

 

BWFC team to face Leicester: Lonergan, Baptiste, Mills, Knight, Ream, Spearing, Medo, Moritz, Lee, Hall, Beckford

Hall?

Fuck me, how many more chances is this lightweight going to get?

Happy Beckford is starting and I predict he will score!!

NickFazer wrote:I think we will go one up top but with Beckford not Mason, who I think may drop into midfield where we surely miss Danns energy. Its the full back position that bothers me most though, Baptiste and Ream are not comfortable full backs and the thought of Knight and Mills or Knight and Wheater does not fill me with confidence.

How about 3 centre backs and Baptist and maybe Vela as wing backs?


A point will feel like a win.

Knight with anyone frightens me !

Its not a bad team considering ..... at least its not 11 defenders on the pitch.