I think we're all probably still in shock, to be honest.
We've looked ropey in the past few weeks - Villa being the only convincing game - but even so, it's been embarrassing how easily we've been turned over by the two. I don't think even the most opportunistic Leicester fan would have expected a win in the last two (especially against Liverpool), and two competitive losses would have left most of us feeling optimistic. But we just didn't compete at all. It was men against boys. I thought the Man City game was the more embarrassing of the two (even though the end score-line looks more favourable) but in both games we could have easily conceded 6 or 7 and not felt hard done by. Now we clearly don't have the players of either side, but that's beside the point - far worse teams have put up a much better fight against them. Watford looked far better just the week before.
I think partly it's due to Liverpool/City both being on form, partly due to a lack of steel and physicality in our midfield (N'didi can hold his own, but Tielemans and Maddison lack bite), partly down to our poor wingers, but mostly down to tactics, and how Rodgers has set up the team. Any Leicester fan could have told you that sticking Maddison on the wing always makes us play poorly at the best of times (see: games vs. Wolves, Man United and the first Liverpool game), so how on earth did he think he was going to cope with TAA bombing down the wing. Liverpool and Celtic fans both said that Brendan doesn't know how to set up for big games, and the same thing seems to be showing.
So a good season still, but a grim few weeks for Leicester fans. Shows just how far the team (and manager) still have to go.
Hit nail on the head.
The issue is not that we lost, but in how we lost. Some of us don't like the manner we lost, and have been accused of been "entitled" by certain sections of the fans who think its wrong to throw criticism just because we in second place.
If that was a game where the team names were anonymous and no one knew our league positions, you would think we were relegation fodder the way we played or even a lower league team.
Even one game later Wolves managed to turn over Manchester City. and I think we were Liverpool's easiest away game of the season.
I think part of the issue was both teams raised their game expecting us to be a tougher challenge, that's a reasonable assumption to make. The other part is simply that Rodgers got it horribly wrong. We had players out of position, a player who wasn't fit to play yet started "and" out of position. We did not press. Passes went astray probably because of nerves. Our entire midfield was missing, leaving defenders and striker isolated.
Part of this was is our team is young, and young players are more affected mentally. We probably should have started Fuchs in the Liverpool game, as well as Hamza for more bite in midfield, and Albrighton instead of Barnes. We also should have pressed high up the pitch and not defended so deep. Will Rodgers learn from this remains to be seen, but it's the reason he is not considered a top draw manager, and is the level below that.
The task at hand now is to come back from it and start winning again, this is a test for the Manager if he can get us firing again after two shocking games. If we want top 4 we need to get right back on it straight away. Even the draw against Norwich means we now need to beat either Spurs or Chelsea to stay on track for 72+ points.
I fear we may collapse due to confidence been shattered but hopefully we overcome it. It is still an excellent season for us at this point, second in the league at Christmas and in a semi final.
