Football Focus

[geoffers]

Not so safe for AFC Bournemouth though. Seems they are on their relegation run now. Man City next. Has Eddie's magic worn away??? It was fun while it lasted though.

[Horsetan]

The least said about Liverpool's performance against Hull, the better.

[BoD]

The least said about Liverpool's performance against Hull, the better.

If it wasn't for Liverpool Sunderland would be out of the bottom three.

[Colin]

Not so safe for AFC Bournemouth though. Seems they are on their relegation run now. Man City next. Has Eddie's magic worn away??? It was fun while it lasted though.

I sincerely hope you are wrong! I admire Eddie Howe and would be disappointed to see Bournemouth go down. Both my son and I - Hammers season ticket holders - hope they turn their season around.

[peanuts]

often get asked why i support "little oldham " when i could easily support one of the big manchester clubs who win lots of games and trophys well heres your answer days like this playing relegation rivals away from home down to ten men since half time after a dubious sending off n the tunnel you dont get a bond like this between fans and players at the big clubs proper celebrationshttp://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/competitions/league-one/10756717/chesterfield-0-1-oldham 

[BoD]

That link didn't work for me but I know what you mean. Once a fan always a fan. You can try to ignore your team, you can try supporting other teams, you can pretend you don't like football at all and watch other sports, but the team that you first support is forever in your heart and their ups and downs are your ups and downs.

[Rivercider]

That link didn't work for me but I know what you mean. Once a fan always a fan. You can try to ignore your team, you can try supporting other teams, you can pretend you don't like football at all and watch other sports, but the team that you first support is forever in your heart and their ups and downs are your ups and downs.

Usually more downs than ups, but it makes the ups so much more enjoyable!

 

cheers

[Joseph_Pestell]

The least said about Liverpool's performance against Hull, the better.

I beg to disagree.

[Joseph_Pestell]

Not so safe for AFC Bournemouth though. Seems they are on their relegation run now. Man City next. Has Eddie's magic worn away??? It was fun while it lasted though.

I think Bournemouth will be OK despite their comedy defending on Saturday. The three relegated sides will come from the current bottom six.

[Colin]

often get asked why i support "little oldham " when i could easily support one of the big manchester clubs who win lots of games and trophys well heres your answer days like this playing relegation rivals away from home down to ten men since half time after a dubious sending off n the tunnel you dont get a bond like this between fans and players at the big clubs proper celebrationshttp://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/competitions/league-one/10756717/chesterfield-0-1-oldham 

I like to think I am a Hammers fan because I was born nearby - had I been born, say, nearer to Leyton Orient I would have ended up an Os supporter instead. Truth is, when I was a kid all my family who actually liked football were West Ham fans and I just followed the tradition (as has my son Chris). I do, however, have a cousin who switched his allegiance to Millwall - we don't talk about him.

[Horsetan]

I beg to disagree.

 

I'd agree with you if I supported Hull.

[Joseph_Pestell]

I'd agree with you if I supported Hull.

 

Yes, Hull seem to be turning things round nicely under the new manager.

 

But I am just interested in Liverpool doing badly (P5, W0, D1, L4).

[geoffers]

"....I sincerely hope you are wrong! I admire Eddie Howe and would be disappointed to see Bournemouth go down. Both my son and I - Hammers season ticket holders - hope they turn their season around...."

 

"...I think Bournemouth will be OK despite their comedy defending on Saturday. The three relegated sides will come from the current bottom six..."

.

 

 

So do I but when you have that support for a team in your heart (as mentioned above) you tend to look on the gloomy side. For some reason AFC seem to do badly against teams below them - they have lost to Sunderland, Crystal Palace, and Hull fairly recently. You cannot afford to do this if you can only pick up the occasional point from the big clubs.  Against Arsenal they played Gunners off the park for 68 minutes going to a 3-0 lead and then suddenly are lucky to save a point. Too many goals are scored against them in the last few minutes. Their style of play is too open and leaves defensive spaces and whilst they seem to create chances at the other end the strikers are not quite good enough to take them consistently. 

[BoD]

Claudio Ranieri has just been given a vote of confidence and the club's full backing.

 

Now, what is it that usually follows that?

[Arthur]

 

Taxi for Ranieri, taxi for Ranieri!

[cary hill]

No point in sacking Ranieri now it's too late for that to do any good.

 

I reckon last season's Premiership title was 30% down to Pearson developing a siege mentality within the squad to enable the Great Escape in the previous season and breeding great confidence within squad,.30% down to Steve Walsh's mainly excellent player recruitment, 25% down to Kante and perhaps 15% down to Ranieri who made one great decision early in the season to change from a slow back three to a slow centre back pairing but brilliantly screened and protected by Kante.

 

I would give Ranieri credit for not tinkering much at all last season and using a consistent starting eleven, making the same substitutions at about the same time every game, and playing the same simple counter attacking system for the vast majority of the season. This is what enabled a hugely confident and resilient squad of mainly journeyman footballers all playing out of their skins to pull off their miracle.

 

Since the end of last season Ranieri has messed up big time.

 

Kante leaving due to his agent's benefit buyout clause being activated was a huge blow as the team is now like a car with no engine. No one or even two of Ranieri's replacement signings come anywhere near to replacing Kante and his workload.

 

Ranieri's failure to oversee the signing a couple of younger more mobile central defenders in the summer is costing the team dear now, as Morgan and Huth are exposed for pace in nearly every game and have no protection whatsoever this season

 

Ranieri's constant and baffling team and formation changes have totally confused the players and totally eroded their confidence.

 

However the players still need to have a good look at themselves as well, as whilst I wasn't expecting what is essentially a team of journeyman professionals to perform at anywhere near last season's level, they have collectively fallen off a cliff and are in no sort of form whatsoever.

 

I'd have been happy this season with 14th position in the table, which is Leicester's average finishing position over the years in the top flight, but that may be well beyond them already.

Edited February 7, 2017 by cary hill

[gwrrob]

Taxi for Ranieri, taxi for Ranieri!

 

I'd be tempted to let him win the Champoins League/[European Cup] for us oldies first.

[andyram]

Well I am hoping he will be out of another competition tomorrow night.

[peanuts]

quick question for all you refs qualified or not team have a throw player has the ball in both hands goes behind his head brings it forward to throw forward but dummys it and brings it back and flicks it behind him to a team mate .foul throw or not

[62613]

quick question for all you refs qualified or not team have a throw player has the ball in both hands goes behind his head brings it forward to throw forward but dummys it and brings it back and flicks it behind him to a team mate .foul throw or not

Law 15: The Throw-In:

 

A Throw-in is awarded......

 

Procedure:

At the moment of delivering the ball, the thrower:

Faces the field of play

Has part of each foot either on the touchline, or on the ground behind the touchline

Uses both hands

Delivers the ball from behind and over his head

 

So, on first sight, a foul throw, because of the last condition

[cary hill]

Well I am hoping he will be out of another competition tomorrow night.

 

A very good chance that he will be, having seen his probable Leicester team for tonight's game. Good job it's only costing me £10.

[peanuts]

Law 15: The Throw-In:

 

A Throw-in is awarded......

 

Procedure:

At the moment of delivering the ball, the thrower:

Faces the field of play

Has part of each foot either on the touchline, or on the ground behind the touchline

Uses both hands

Delivers the ball from behind and over his head

 

So, on first sight, a foul throw, because of the last condition

but would it be ball has been brought from behind over his head then flicked back the other way so it fullfills the letter of the law 

[pH]

but would it be ball has been brought from behind over his head then flicked back the other way so it fullfills the letter of the law

 

But "delivers" implies the ball leaves his control at that point i.e. he lets it go.

 

Edit - also, he can't deliver the ball into the field of play correctly if he does what you describe. If he is (correctly) facing the field of play, to flick it backwards on to the field, he has to use one hand to throw it sideways - a foul throw, though those are not called as often as they should be IMO.

Edited February 8, 2017 by pH

[cary hill]

A very good chance that he will be, having seen his probable Leicester team for tonight's game. Good job it's only costing me £10.

 

I hadn't anticipated that McClaren would also play silly beggars and diss the F.A.Cup when it came to team selection.

 

The match only really proved that Premiership clubs have better quality and fitter "reserves" compared to Championship clubs.

 

Still good to see Leicester score three good goals of different types - a team goal, a 20 yarder and a fine individual goal - and our dominance over Derby in recent years re-established.

 

Our old club servant David Nugent got the fourth biggest cheer of the night when he came for Derby.

 

The referee had a shocker missing two stonewall Leicester penalties and a sending off for the Derby keeper for a clear handball outside the area but apparently he doesn't live in Derby.

Edited February 9, 2017 by cary hill

[andyram]

I hadn't anticipated that McClaren would also play silly beggars and diss the F.A.Cup when it came to team selection.

 

The match only really proved that Premiership clubs have better quality and fitter "reserves" compared to Championship clubs.

 

Still good to see Leicester score three good goals of different types - a team goal, a 20 yarder and a fine individual goal - and our dominance over Derby in recent years re-established.

 

Our old club servant David Nugent got the fourth biggest cheer of the night when he came for Derby.

 

The referee had a shocker missing two stonewall Leicester penalties and a sending off for the Derby keeper for a clear handball outside the area but apparently he doesn't live in Derby.

Leicester just shaded it and, with the introduction of some fresh quality from the bench, were much the better side in the extra half hour. We definitely got away with a few decisions. One penalty (not two sorry) and the keeper should have been sent off. Disappointing team selection for us, but a useful exercise as five of the starting eleven (and finishing team) were coming back from injury hence the reason we faded in the additional period. But satisfied that we forced Leicester to go the distance and almost knocked them out. Three important home league games to come. Maximum points will justify the resting of Carson, Pearce, Baird, Olsson, Bryson, Bent and Ince.