CHALLENGE: Do a Leicester City - within 2 years ! (FM15)

[BallHogging]

More Moaning - Wednesday, 3rd December 2014 - 12:45pm

 

Also Today I get a knock on my door from Vardy. 

So it seems I haven't kept my promise since our last chat. And really I haven't. I just haven't been able to find a proper role for him in the team yet. I mean, if De Laet hadn't been performing so well up and down the right wing then perhaps Vardy would have gotten in there due to his better attributes that actually seem well matched to what I want down the wings. The player there has to defend and attack in equal measure.

Acceleration:  16
Pace:  17
Stamina:  15
Aggression:  18
Bravery:  18
Determination:  17
Work Rate:  18

He might not be able to pass, cross, shoot, dribble, or tackle...but those attributes above tend to make up for it. In defense he will hunt someone down and even he doesn't win the ball cleanly he might force a rushed pass, an error, or if all else fails get goalside and hold play up..or chop 'em down. In attack his pace should do what De Laet's has been doing in cutting inside suddenly, and maybe Vardy can finish slightly better than De Laet? 

Obviously I could just use Vardy as one of the front Trequartistas, but his lack of aerial presence makes a difference. Kramaric is supposed to be able to dribble and finish much better. Adriano is better when he can play. So Vardy is way down the pecking order in a few things. But with Kramaric performing so badly of late, maybe I can afford to give him a chance upfront.

Vardy waited patiently whilst I computed all of this in my head. Sat there in silence, eating from my peanut bowl, eyeing up my Brandy bottle, Vardy watched practically drawing up his own P45 as a warning to me.

We finished our conversation and left on good terms, I feel perhaps for the last time.

 

[BallHogging]

Injury Voodoo & Market Movements

 

Well well well, our injury plight even seems to affect players talking to us about a move! Word will soon get out not to associate yourself with Leicester City for one shall be struck down with painful injury! 

We actually had a deal with Fiorentina for the transfer of Marcus Alonso. The deal had been delayed for a week whilst we finalise arrangements regarding finance, when in that week Marcus was struck down for 4 weeks with what?.....a flaming hernia...painful, especially the flaming type. 

We'd agreed a good deal for the transfer and agent fee. The wages were considerable at £25,000 pw, but we felt if we did push the button on this deal that it would be a success. Now though we won't be paying the wages for someone to recover and we're concerned we may not end up getting the same deal for the player should we go back in in a month or so.

The truth is we do not have much money to play with at present, perhaps £1,400,000 and £40,000 in wages. I do have my eyes on a number of players that I might like to join us for the latter half of the season, bed in for next year if they're good enough. The only problem is getting conclusive reports on players in time for the January transfer window. We're limited as far as scouts are concerned and we're spreading them a little thin at the moment. 29 active assignments and 59 queued. It means I have to trust my partial player knowledge, take a full on gamble, or wait.

I would like to shift some players in January, to both bring in some money and free up the wage bill, but I suspect January will be the same as July/August gone, in that I won't be able to find any interest in my unwanteds. We'll try none the less but I'm approaching the market with caution given the small amount of money I have. 

News on developments as they come in....
 

[BallHogging]

Board Room Demands

 

Following on from my previous update I went back to my office at the training ground and held my testicles in my hand....after a brief moment analysing their size I decided they were big enough...and off to the Chairman's office I went (virtual conference call of course). 

It was a lengthy conversation where I brought my case to the fore regarding the backlog of scouting tasks and how we need to expand the team. Back and forth the conversation went with each subsequent argument of mine gaining shorter shrift from the Chair. After a brief pause where it looked like things had run their course I took a breath and went for it sternly:

How to get what you want 101. 'If at first you don't succeed, try try and finally threaten.' 

Simple.

We're only allowed 1 extra scout though the stingy luddites.
 

[BallHogging]

Scouting Team Expansion

 

Well after my success in getting the go ahead to expand our scouting team and thus network I got together with my staff and asked them for recommendations, if they knew anyone that could add to the team. I wanted their thoughts before I undertook my own research.

After gaining the intelligence I initially opened negotiation with Mads Jorgensen, who I believe is the same attacking midfielder/winger Jorgensen I often bought back in CM01/02 time. We started with him due to his existing knowledge. It is varied and may help us add data immediately to our knowledge base.

Unfortunately Jorgensen wanted £2200 a week and a bonus for avoiding relegation. Any bonuses should only become live when we purchase some of Jorgensen's recommendations so I'm not sure what planet he's on. But that aside, our wage structure for scouts stops at £1700. Mads didn't take kindly to this and put the phone down no sooner that he had picked it up.

After consideration I got in touch with my second target, Pedro Correia. I hear his ability to judge definitively is not all that, but his existing complete knowledge of Portugal and good knowledge of Brazil should help us to refine and make more efficient our efforts in the very least. Pedro was happy with a lower wage and with no fuss faxes were sent back and forth. So all being well Pedro should be with us in a few days...that is, as long as he doesn't get struck down with an injury for talking to us.

 

[BallHogging]

After a brief foray into the FM16 demo...we're back. Come on you foxes!!!

 

 

Leicester City vs Hull City - Saturday, 6th December 2014, 3:00pm

 

What an opportunity today presents us. A home fixture against a team currently struggling in the relegation zone. But this team is Hull, and despite their position at present I have previous with them. Hull play a wingback system that morphs from 541 into a 3+7in your box pretty much. They are exceptionally hard to break down, so swift moving attacks to exploit temporary spaces are key. 

With that in mind we'll set out as we started against Palace. Freedom to play direct and forget about possession, as long as we attempt to win back possession at the very earliest. I'll be instructing them to press every Hull player at all times, yes that includes their centre backs. 

Same plan as last time: get the lead, become italian...defend and keep ball! The press have it down as a bore draw...they know Hull well. 

 

Team News
You see, if Vardy wasn't injured he'd get an opportunity today at right WM-A. Simpson is unfit, yes De Laet is back, but as a home game where we'll need to overload Hull to score Vardy may have been perfect. But De Laet's it is. Riera was too tired so in comes Schlupp for a chance to impress. With James injured I pull Drinkwater back to Regista and give Simao a rare start at CM-A, ahead of Sastre! He has preference for the wing but now 35 it might be best for him to use his intelligence in the centre of the pitch a la Giggs, and as he uses both feet.. when under pressure he can go one way or the other to flummox the opposition. Kramaric is lucky to retain his spot following recent performances. With Adriano still only at 86% fitness prior to games it leaves me viewing him as a tool to change up the fabric of a game as a sub, when the opposition is a little tired. So with Vardy out and this being a home game against a weak opponent, Kramaric gets another shot to show us what he's got. 

What...a...ridiculous...match. On every level. I know where to start, I'm just gathering myself. 

This game looked like becoming the first game of my Leicester career where we were just comfortable. One of those days where the home team drives home their advantage and comfortably takes the 3 points and says 'onto the next one'. For the 1st time this season we were the team to start off with a bang, and Hull the team who couldn't string anything together. 

On 8 minutes we played an expansive move which ended in setting Kramaric off on a run into the box. Chopped down, the penalty was given, and Simao on only his 2nd start dispatched it with consummate ease. Ok, it was only a penalty and if not fouled you could say it was likely Kramaric wouldn't score. But as we continued the pressure we scored a second, this time from open play. Schlupp as he did all game drove with the ball wide left and decided to deliver a whipped early cross which was perfect for Ulloa to run onto and power past the keeper with a swing of the leg. I thought it was time to start being Italian. I kept mentality at standard but set retain possession and short passing, no pass into space, but actually retained shoot on sight. Surely when in complete control at 30 minutes in we could negotiate the 3 points out of this gauntlet.

No. Not with ease anyway. On 35 minutes from a freekick out by the touchline Hull pumped the ball into box and somehow Knockaert handballed. Penalty, 2-1. Here we go I thought. Hull had another attack inbetween, but on 37 minutes we regained our 2 goal lead thanks to a freekick of our own connecting with Wasilewski at the near post. Simao with the assist. A stroke of luck, a set piece goal, which as you know by now I try not to take credit for. I'm only happy when we beat a team with goals from open play, control the game, and defend astutely. But today, today I'll take it! However...you remember the Cambiasso corner pinball fiasco? Well it happened again, 6 minutes later. The corner which was going safely wide hit Wes Morgan who couldn't get out of the way apparently, and bounced right back into the mixer of the 6 yard box. Melee ensued, and another centreback bundled it over the line, Dawson. 

So we pretty much deservedly take a 2-0 lead and look good for more, get hit by two silly goals and go in at half time expecting a Hull formation change and a hard second half. 3-2 does not look or feel safe when this game should be out of sight for Hull. 

Well it can and will get worse. On 56 minutes Cambiasso gets sent off for a second bookable offence. Hull hadn't changed formation, but you can be damn sure they do now! They went to a 4312 with width provided by the full backs. Even though I could continue with the formation from the outset and just operate with 1 striker I know I have to change it. You'll see the end formation below. I left Ulloa in isolation for those brief moments of respite when he actually manages to get onto a clearance. I set 5 in the backline with FB-A's to be our alternate outball whilst trying to play out from the back due to the numbers there. The FB-A's generally received the ball from an advanced position, which did help us get out. The three in front of the back 5 were a central Regista flanked by 2 roaming playmakers. I made a brave change here to introduce Sastre and Ledesma alongside Simao, going with guile instead of brute force. I couldn't believe how well it worked as everyone supported everyone and we actually managed longer periods of respite than I thought we would thanks to the formational success and the technical talent of those in the midfield 3. 

Then, this was all helped by our 4th goal, another fluke, gratefully received. A Hull pass was intercepted and simultaneously first time given the John Smiths upfield. "Have it" exclaimed Morgan just concentrating on contacting his foot with the meat of the ball, never in a million years was its direction in his mind. The direction however was straight inbetween Hull's centrebacks where Ulloa decided to steam through, his first touch knocking the ball diagonally through their right and left centreback (%, yes...just like that), with his only option..his 2nd touch.. being a left foot shot before his chance got away. 4-2, goodnight god bless. 

The team admirably defended against the onslaught throughout and took their reward today. I wish it could have been easier but come the final whistle it's still a satisfying day. I think if you rerun those circumstances from 3-2 and 10 men, that 99/100 we don't take the 3 points. 

Notable Performances
Wasilewski & Morgan at the heart of the defence. Ulloa poaching his eggs, magnificent. 
 

Overall Stats

Final Ratings

Shots

[BallHogging]

Best Of The Rest

Despite the game in hand some have on us, after the latest 3 points, the best of the rest is what we are. 

It's nice viewing for us after our tribulations to date. 
 

[BallHogging]

Your Hired!

In world news this week...

 

Little does he know what might have become of him here!!
 

[BallHogging]

The Game Has Become Self-Aware

 

It knows what I'm typing and it taunts me. 

Recently I did that piece on Marcus Alonso. I wrote that anyone linked with Leicester gets done. It's like one missed call but we're the caller. 

No, Pedro Correia is alive, but someone we had a little chat with, someone we're scouting has befallen the curse, the unspeakable H word, the plague which plucks many of our bredren from our mist...George, we're sorry.

To be fair he looks a little unimpressed...

At night I hear a faint noise...it's the sound of the FM game engine mocking me.
 

[BallHogging]

He's Alive!

 

He's made it. It was emotional as we finally laid eyes upon each other. Pedro had heard of the goings on surrounding anyone associated with Leicester. We shared an embrace...a Brandy...and then asked him for his first report.

Turns out I'm rather familar with this one...

[BallHogging]

The Gods Of The Draw

 

Remember when I spoke of these in relation to us meeting our cup targets, and just generally doing well in the very distant hope of perhaps fluking a cup run/win and making Europe that way?

Like everything else we do not find favour here:

So much for reaching the 5th round as per board expectations...considering "Arsenal are the most successful side ever to have played in the FA Cup..."

[BallHogging]

Swansea City vs Leicester City - Saturday, 13th December 2014, 3:00pm

Team News
With Cambiasso injured Huth gets a rare start at Regista. We don't expect Huth to offer much further upfield, but mainly for an extra defensive barrier to break down Swansea attacks even earlier. Of note is that Simao retains his place as CM-A, and everything else remains unchanged. As for Swansea team news...would you believe it, but Nugent gets a game against us. He best not make us regret the good price sale...
 

Of course it was. Of course the sole goal would come from Nugent. Is there anything else misfortune can take the mick out of. Really. Oh and it was a fantastic strike too apparently. The first half we owned, completely, but wasted multiple good opportunities to create good shooting chances. Kramaric was utterly terrible when it came down to it. I couldn't be more disappointed in his constant poor performances. For someone who is supposed to have more talent than the rather more pre-historic Ulloa the stats do not lie. Kramaric has been poor and I'm considering pulling him in to talk about his poorness. 

In the second half Swansea came out with the bit between their teeth and they kept it up for 45 minutes. I'm not lying when I say I knew the game had completely gotten away from us for that second half. Not in a we're getting battered way. Just that we'd lost the battle, lost the control, the ability to create things. Frustration set in and Swansea defended much better. It was a weak second half evidenced by the fact that in the first 45 we'd had 10 shots, in the second only 4 and those felt more speculative. I made three changes early on to try and change the course the match was following, but it did absolutely nothing. The only way I can describe our second half performance is 'stale'. Offputting, horrible to look at, horrible to the taste. Nigh on dire. Ok so I had more than 1 way to describe it.

 

This was a game we should have taken something from. It was our opportunity for a Palace mark 2. An away game where we could have taken spoils. Unfortunately for us the majority of shooting opportunities in that better first half and overall fell to Kramaric. Half way through it all I even put Knockaert back in up front and moved Kramaric back to CM-A thinking that he could use his dribbling there and leave Knockaert to the shooting. But even there his awful passing let him down. He's the new Danny Simpson is this Kramaric. 

We have to just let this go, quick and move on. I already have ideas for a few changes to the lineup, not the formation. This must be the longest that we've stuck with one! 

 

Notable Performances
Morgan was 'winning everything in the air today' and his stats were impressive. Wasilewski did well also. Huth did indeed do what I wanted from him in the Regista position, a lot of tackles to break down Swansea play sooner, but I have a sneaky suspicion that we lost control, composure, and chances created due to going for Huth over the likes of Sastre. Drinkwater too made a ton of tackles and tried hard in the Regista position. And perhaps unsurprisingly... nothing to note in an attacking sense.

Overall Stats

Final Ratings

Average Positions

Shots

Scoring Chances

[BallHogging]

Off We Go Again
 

Now one of our players to recently step up and make themselves important has succumbed to our injury plague....

[BallHogging]

Everton vs Leicester City - Saturday, 20th December 2014, 3:00pm


 

We head into this game against a flying Everton side expecting nothing really. Everton are the best side in the league right now, topping the table having only lost 1 game in 16 matches. They are SIX points clear, no one with any games in hand. It's remarkable. So our relatively new formation should get the awakening that by now might be well overdue. I'm not going to change anything though and I just hope that we're able to stay compact, aggressive but cleanly so, and we'll just hope for a miracle in defending their flank game. Today is Schmeichel's 150th game for the club. Mark it with a performance please Kasper.

Team news
Cambiasso returns to Regista following his ban. Sastre takes over from Huth for a little more passing accuracy. Trashorras now back from injury gets to start in CM-A and we're hoping for some shots from him. With Knockaert's recent demise I go with Mahrez at left CM-A. Riera gets another go at left WM-A. Ledesma gets a go ahead of the woeful Kramaric who recently vowed not to let his goal drought affect him. I wish he would. Adriano comes in ahead of Ulloa for one. 
 

Well as is usual our opposition flew out of the blocks. Everton had the lion's share of possession and although we tried to be calm and play out from the back all our passing routes were blocked. Everton pressed high and as we made our strikers man mark their fullbacks, Baines and Coleman, when we had the ball back all our players were in our half. So it was either punt it guaranteed to noone, or try and play out whilst we reposition. It was tough. But it was made tougher as Everton took the lead just before 10 minutes and yes of course it was from a set piece. Baines from 30 yards left side lofted the ball in for it to be headed away back in his direction. He runs onto it and hits an accurate long shot which Kasper does well to save, in fact it looks like he collided with the post too. Unfortunately keeper lying down syndrome kicks in, as does magical ball drops to poaching player epidemic, and Barkley slaps it in easy as you like. 

Our players first touches were poor, and passes were often played behind a player on the move. Morgan and Wasilewski were constantly making hashes of short balls out from Schmeichel. They weren't tough to control but their 1st touches tempted Everton forwards to press sooner than they might have. Twice this lead to 1on1's for their attackers. Somehow they didn't score. These poor first touches showed up all over the field and finding respite between Everton's lines was non existent. Any space and time found there would be limited anyway. They were chasing us like rabid dogs. Everyone had a defensive role in our approach today, but I considered whether we had to make a change for the greater good. Perhaps I had to leave people in certain advanced positions in order to receive the ball and for us to attack directly in hope. They weren't giving us any space, pressing high, but ensuring they were ultra compact in their third. No wonder they're 1st in the league. 

It wasn't until 32 minutes that I decided upon how to try and remedy this. We moved our CM-A's to AM-A's, an attempt to get players in behind their high pressing players for when we play it out from the back. It didn't seem to change much for the remainder of the half but at least we didn't concede again from their barrage of corners, free kicks and venomous strikes from Barkley, who seemed to be on the end of everything. Adriano picked up a minor injury after a crunching tackle and I decided to swap him with Ulloa on 42. He could have seen out the half and perhaps recovered a little, but he seemed to run away from a few more physical challenges so I decided enough was enough, why delay matters. 1-0 half time, 1 shot for us, itself a shot blocked no sooner than it was desperately hit by De Laet. 

 

At the start of the second half we started to see some effect from our AM-A's. By 60 minutes we had managed 5 shots, speculative still yes, but coming after better passages of play. It culminated in a ball running out to Trashorras 25 yards out who partially injured himself struck a ferocious drive at Howard who could only parry to the onrushing De Laet. 1-1. 

Well we were suddenly raising an eyebrow and going off our start to this half thinking that we might be able to dream a little. This didn't last long as a few direct balls later Barkley was making his way into the box to be brought down by Mahrez. Apparently he dived, we protested furiously, and we were very unlucky...but it mattered not and Baines dispatched the spot kick. Oh how short lived hope can be. Two minutes later Morgan fouled Cassano on the edge, dead centre. Baines decided it was his time. 3-1 it was.

Hope sinking faster than man and millstone we just looked forward to the end of the game now and with it the ability to move on mentally to the next one. We brought on Kramaric for 12 minutes as his minutes to impress continue to dwindle.  With nothing doing the final whistle was blown. We lose to 3 set piece goals. Have 3 players injured. And we didn't manage any further shots until the 89th minute. A disappointing day. It wasn't completely awful, just yet another one of those fixtures we'd sooner forget. Oh, and Kramaric was terrible.

 

Notable Performances
Well we worked out Wasilewski and Morgan cannot play out from the back under pressure, no matter what is in front of them! Sastre and Cambiasso had good moments today and were as calm as one could be under constant pressure. De Laet's movement rewarded him with a goal and he nearly had a second from it. Mahrez was a bright light centrally, also making a lot of effort defensively. He could find himself with more chances to impress. Adriano did actually look good in the very tough first half, finding passes and showing some good touches shielding the ball until a pass was on. Shame he was injured again. 

Overall

Final Ratings

Scoring Chances

Shots

Everton Shots

Average Positions

[BallHogging]

We're Gonna Need More Medical Facilities


Trashorras was taken off on 67 minutes with injury in our last game and once again we're struck with a considerable lay off period for one of our important players.





Muskwe Momentum Continues

And again I'm being told of our youngster Muskwe's progress in the U18's. If this development continues then the man might find himself touching first team sub appearances sometime soon.

[BallHogging]

Leicester City vs Manchester United - Friday, 26th December 2014, 3:00pm


 

Well xmas is upon us, it comes round too quick for my liking. Nothing annoys me more than the advertising campaigns starting 2+ months early. The devil spawn children getting happier and happier. The absolutely abhorrent xmas music played in the stores. The stress of what to buy who. It's awful. I'm all for bulk buying presents in the January sales for the following year. They don't need to know do they. Well for one thing I'm glad there's no winter break because if there wasn't I'd have to surround myself further with these phillistines, these xmas tree erecting, present wrapping, gobble up the marketing puppets. 

Thankfully, there's boxing day fixtures. Sadly, it's against Manchester United who are probably set to induce another losing streak for us. Back to back losses against Swansea and Everton precede this, and then have you seen our next batch of fixtures? 3 away games at West Ham Villa and Arsenal in the cup, a home game against Chelsea, and then if it wasn't bad enough...another visit to the Emirates in the league. It's very possible that we don't see a single point for over a month till we play Sunderland on the 27th of January. As it stands the board are very pleased with me, let's see how they start twitching before the transfer window slams shut!

Man Utd lined up in an unexpected formation but one which certainly made sense with their playing personnel and one which would be tough to defend against. 4-3-1-2. A balanced tactic allowing defensive solidity along with high pressing. It also has great variation in attack with plenty of short passing support between the 3 centre mids, the bombing forward fullbacks and the shadow striker, but one which has definite direct football potential with the two strikers who lead the line out into the channels. At its most dangerous it turns into a 2-5-3 with the 5 somewhere along the edge of our box.   
 

Team News
Well it's all change today as a number of players are too tired to be effective. It was reported to me that Morgan could do with a rest and so today is that day. He moves out for Huth and he is also not on the bench as Moore takes that sub slot as emergency CB. Drinkwater comes in for the struggling Cambiasso. Valeron for the freshly injured Trashorras...I swear these two think they're here for some midfield timeshare. Schlupp takes over from a tired Riera, with Konchesky still not fit for action. Ulloa in for the also knackered Adriano. Sastre keeps his place, as does Mahrez, both impressing in the last game. And Ledesma continues with his little test stint up front. 

It was indeed a tough game fraught with danger all over the pitch, but to be fair we were handling it well, all the more so considering our formation. United did play out from the back but once the ball left the defensive line it was quickly transitioned directly to one of the strikers. Their attacking play was a mixture of these direct balls and also looking for the switch diagonals to find the high runs of Shaw and Dani Alves. Wasilewski and Huth had A LOT to do and they consistently allayed attack after attack. Wasilewski had Falcao's number who could not dribble for toffee (see internet video of Falcao the horse). So despite leaving 2 CB's against 2 strikers we did well. Our WM-A's also had noone to mark due to Utd not playing with wingers. I didn't want them man marking their full backs even though those FB's would practically be wingers throughout, that would lead to our shape being truly distorted. So the WM-A's had to decide for themselves when and who to press. Our OI's informed them of who to press and it worked well enough. The wall of 6 in front of the CB's (2 registas, 2 CM-A's, and free to press centrally WM-A's) forced Utd into more speculative direct balls.

In the 25th minute we flew into gear with a sweeping move which ended with a cross from De Laet on the right to the back post where Schlupp on the opposite flank came in like a train to give us the lead. Yes possession was 60/40 in Utd's favour, but we were defending admirably and sporadically threatening ourselves. As the players celebrated 'ay up' my assistant and I said to each other. What's on the cards here?! Only about a minute later and the goal ending move was nearly repeated. Schlupp again with a glorious chance heading agonisingly wide of the far post, shaving it on the way past. It should of been 2. We continued to create and also stifle Utd despite the inevitable shot in the arm they received. We went in at 1-0. The players were bouncing in the dressing room and I told them that I was pleased and to keep at it. No need to talk about complacency, dealing with Utd attacks was nerve wracking enough. 

 

The second half followed a similar suit for possession, attacking style and end to end action. Unfortunately for us our lead didn't last long. On 50 minutes a corner led to the ball being weakly headed about 12 yards out to the right side of the box, where Herrera ran across and first time slapped it high into the roof of the net, less guile more 'have it'. 1-1. We battled from here for 20 minutes as the game was in the balance much the same as throughout. From the 70 minute mark however Utd decided to go in for the kill. Like a cat that decided mousey's play time was over they sank their teeth in. Ashley Young was brought in at SS and injected so much life into their game with pace and dribble ability and piercing runs centrally. The danger signs were there but I didn't heed them and Young scored after bursting through. Then on 74 after a move right to left across the box Young deftly fed Van Persie with a reverse pass who in a yard of space let fly. And on 89 minutes Rooney carried on where Baines left off in our last game...tucking away a free kick right on the edge of the box, making it look as easy a job as a CGI artist tasked with turning Wayne into Shrek. 

1-0, 1-4, what a difference a half makes.  And now we progress to that nasty batch of fixtures I mentioned. My goal from them? Learn and fine tune. Everything this year is an informant to our title tilt next year. Yehhhh snigger all you like you faithless pagans.

 

Notable Performances
Wasilewski was fantastic really and has recently been so successful in tackling that he has to be my first choice. Drinkwater again was sound. Sastre and Valeron were superb in not panicking when panicking was the only thing to do. Schlupp was very hyperactive in a positive sense. His youthful exuberance may well be what we go with more often. Mahrez was useful again in CM-A using his dribbling ability and agility to evade intense pressure. Alongside Valeron who preferred first time passes under pressure these two complimented each other well as those responsible for transition. As Ledesma was injured early Vardy got the nod ahead of Kramaric at Trequartista. It didn't really lead to much, but later on Vardy was moved to WM-A, what we recently mulled over. His effort and commitment was evident, his pace and direct running useful. Nothing of real note came from it but he looked ok there. Something for the coming games perhaps. 
 

Overall

Final Ratings

Shots
Average Positions