{"id":4989,"date":"2022-03-11T21:15:12","date_gmt":"2022-03-11T21:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=4989"},"modified":"2022-03-13T22:59:08","modified_gmt":"2022-03-13T22:59:08","slug":"tally-ho-chaps-lets-give-the-foxes-a-chasing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/?p=4989","title":{"rendered":"Tally Ho, Chaps! Let\u2019s Give the Foxes a Chasing!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Modified from telegraph.co.uk<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

From 2016 to 2021, our next opponent\u2019s fortunes largely appeared to rise, albeit with a very significant blip costing two coaches their jobs. Through generous refereeing at both ends of the pitch Leicester City won their first ever top-flight title in 2015-16 (but do remember the widely recycled anecdote that the Marshdwellers \u2018pushed them all the way\u2019 – until the Arsenal nipped into second place! \u2013 souvenir DVD\u2019s are still on sale). Leicester\u2019s hubris was perhaps defined by their rat-faced iconic striker\u2019s decision not to move to the Arsenal but rather to stay with the Foxes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a season or two\u2019s reversion to their mean, their fortunes revived and as ours declined we seemed to be swimming in the same pond but in different directions. After two consecutive seasons of appearing nailed on for a top four finish only to fall out in the dying embers of both seasons, last year\u2019s FA Cup victory (another first), seemed to be confirmation that, under Rodgers, they were establishing themselves as genuine members of the so-called \u2018top six\u2019 at the expense of\u2026you know who. This was further emphasised by widespread advice to their playmaker, Maddison, when he was identified as a potential Arsenal target last summer, that he was at the \u2018better club\u2019 and he would be damaging his career if he moved to the Arsenal. How things seem to have changed. And a bullet dodged!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our overall record against Leicester City since the first match between Leicester Fosse and Woolwich Arsenal in League Division 2 on 7 January 1895 ended in a 3-1 defeat is 69 wins, 45 draws and 33 defeats.  Home games in the Premier League distil those numbers to 12 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat but that defeat and one of those draws occurred in the last two matches at TNHOF in October 2020 (0-1) and July 2020 (1-1). Despite those recent aberrations, we should therefore expect an Arsenal victory and a further three points on our quest for a top 4 finish. Frankly, if we can\u2019t take 3 points from this match, top 4 will probably prove to be out of this team\u2019s reach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a decent start Leicester have had a poor season and dropped from 9th<\/sup> to 12th<\/sup> whilst Vardy was out injured though they have staged a recent mini revival with 4 wins on the spin and three clean sheets. It has been suggested that Rodgers has tightened up a hitherto leaky defence at the expense of midfield creativity (sounds familiar, eh?) and they are happy to sit back, soak up pressure, score on a breakaway and steal wins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It appears that after lasting only 60 minutes against Leeds, on his return from injury, Steptoe Senior Mark II is reported as being out for the foreseeable future with an ankle problem. At the back they have also missed the experience, organisation and black arts of ex Manc Jonny Evans who remains a long-term absentee. The return of promising young defender Fofana has also been aborted by Covid-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rodgers tends to transition between a back 3 and back 4 with either of the big lumps Ndidi or Chowdury the midfielder who drops back in. Albrighton works his socks off all the way up and down the right side, interchanging with the right wing back and scored a peach against Rennes \u2013 the thinking man\u2019s James Milner, perchance? When Leicester play three at the back their two rampaging wing backs, Justin on the right and Thomas on the left tend to play well forward and this may suit our wide men seeking space on the flanks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At centre back, they have the big Turk S\u00f6y\u00fcnc\u00f6 who has had a pretty shaky season and has looked less assured without Evans alongside him. His regular partner seems to be Amartey, another big unit. There will be little point slinging high balls in towards our diminutive or even absent centre forward but rapid footwork and swift interplay may prove their undoing. Rennes and Leeds both made chances by carving open a relatively slow Leicester back line and were very unfortunate not to score. Schmeichel does make rather a lot of excellent last ditch saves and like his father before him, is worth a good number of points per season. He will just have to be beaten on Sunday. Moreover, this season the Foxes have been one of the two worst teams in the Premiership at defending set pieces \u2013 along with Leeds. Hopefully our set piece guru will be on the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Vardy returned from injury Leicester reverted to playing the long ball over the top for him to chase from his position on the shoulder of the last defender – a strategy that has been so productive for them over recent years. Even in his absence, their recent safety-first approach has tended to stick with that option with Daka unsuccessfully trying to emulate the Vardy role against Rennes this week. Against their last two opponents they have also had Iheanacho and Lookman try to play that role, the former in somewhat slower motion. I trust that our centre backs have been forewarned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nonetheless, they do have creativity in their team with Barnes on the left. His mazy run created Leicester\u2019s opener against Rennes after they had clearly been second best for the first quarter of that match \u2013 as indeed they have been in several of their recent wins. Further creativity comes from their midfield in the form of Tielemans, Maddison and Dewsbury Hall (was Dewsbury Hall used to film Downton Abbey?) though recently the latter two have been an either\/or and Rodgers seems to trust the latter more. As Maddison merely came on as a late sub against Rennes on Thursday, I expect him rather than Stately Home to start against us on Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leicester have just notched up 3 Premier League wins in a row for the first time since October when Rodgers was being touted as a possible replacement at Manure. More recently the gutter press has been speculating on his position at Leicester. However, despite their recent mini-revival they still sit only twelfth, 12 points outside a European place so winning the UEFA Conference Intertoto Freight Rover Trophy looks like their best hope (Ha!) of being in Europe next season. It would be no surprise if their two \u2018Round of 16\u2019 ties against Rennes have taken on more importance than their league position as a route into Europe next season. For a change, we are the team that has had the luxury of a full seven days break with time to concentrate exclusively on our next opponent on the training ground. We must take advantage of that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before any of this weekend\u2019s matches have been played, we sit in 4th<\/sup> place on 48 points, 8 points behind and with two games in hand on the repellent west London accessories to the war criminals who have invaded Ukraine. Hopefully the consequences of sequestration of Abramovich\u2019s assets will rattle those vermin and open up third place to the chasing pack. We currently sit in a very favourable position in that pack with points and games in hand on the others but need to maintain our recent form and attacking brio and at the very least not lose our games against those teams. If we can do that, a top four position is a distinct possibility but clearly there’s much work to be done yet and many a slip etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along with the Arsenal\u2019s recent good form we have seen the emergence of a clear first choice ‘twelve’ playing in a flexible 4-3-3 formation with the only regular question being which of Martinelli or Smith-Rowe starts on the left. The latter is available after his bout of Covid-19 according to MA8\u2019s pre-match press conference though I expect him to start on the bench. On the other hand, Tomiyasu our first choice right back, is again unlikely to figure due to a persistent calf problem. Hopefully, his deputy C\u00e9dric will perform as ably as he has done hitherto in Tomiyasu\u2019s absence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hence, I expect a starting eleven of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ramsdale<\/p>\n\n\n\n

C\u00e9dric, White, Gabriel, Tierney<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00d8degaard, Partey, Xhaka<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saka, Lacazette, Martinelli.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope that we are more committed than Leicester in this game, have more stamina and can be more assured defensively than we were against Watford. If we are all of these, I expect a 2-0 victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Holic Pound<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In part as a result of Merse\u2019s observations, here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/sport\/football\/60667575<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

but principally because there is currently a far, far better thing to do with our cash, the Holic \u2018Pound\u2019 is going here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/donate.savethechildren.net\/campaigns\/arsenalukraineappeal<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the Guvna once confessed, it\u2019s a bit more than a pound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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From https:\/\/www.arsenal.com\/news\/join-us-we-stand-ukraine<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Enjoy the game, Holics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, here’s a nice field with no foxes in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Image by Carl Bovis @CarlBovisNature<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

#StandWithUkraine<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From 2016 to 2021, our next opponent\u2019s fortunes largely appeared to rise, albeit with a very significant blip costing two coaches their jobs. Through generous refereeing at both ends of the pitch Leicester City won their first ever top-flight title in 2015-16 (but do remember the widely recycled anecdote that the Marshdwellers \u2018pushed them all […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4989"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4989"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4989\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5014,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4989\/revisions\/5014"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4989"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4989"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goonerholicsforever.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4989"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}