I checked out that list a few weeks back. Literally every team in the Premier League that doesn't drop is in the top 30.
I assumed it was racists. Chelsea starts phasing out theirs and falls out LCFC embraces theirs and is likely to win.The new market inefficiency: buddhist monks?
Every time I have seen them this year, they get one or two chances and absolutely bury them. Today was a perfect example. I thought Palace outplayed them as well, but it was typical Palace with crosses to no one and hitting the crossbar and side netting. Give Leicester credit, they do not make mistakes and are absolutely ruthless on their opponents' mistakes.Another weekend, another 1-0 win. And another game where they just barely hung on by their fingernails. I actually thought they were second best and Crystal Palace deserved more out of the game, but you could say that against Watford and Newcastle too. I still am skeptical they can hang on to this, but at this point they are running out of games to collapse.
I was just coming here to post that same link, and the start of your first sentence almost exactly mirrors how I was going to start. His statistical analysis of why Leicester is leading the league is actually good in and of itself, and slightly more believable than his ranking of the top ten unexpected league winners (which still makes for a nice parlor game-level discussion).Bill Barnwell, if you can believe it, actually put together a solid article that combined context for Leicester's run with some historical cross-league and cross-sport context for where a LCFC championship would rank in unlikeliest of david-and-goliath stories. Spoiler: he ranks Nottingham Forest first, Kaiserslautern 2nd, and would put Leicester 3rd. The 2013 Red Sox came in 9th.
This was how Leicester won the championship 2 years ago under Nigel Pearson.I think it's easy to discount the job the defense and midfield do when the other team attack. They are really well drilled and compact. palace had a lot of the ball, but how many great chances did they create. Not many. They had a couple of great crosses, but no one got on the end of them...that's a lot to do with the Leicester defense marking tight and defending well as a unit and shoring up the space in the box. They seldom get opened up, teams don't often get behind them. I think Wes Morgan was 100% in tackles made yesterday and he and Huth are a great pairing.
it is a cliche but this is how you win titles, grind out wins when you're not at your best. At some point Vardy will get a few goals, and Drinkwater has had his bad game (v Newcastle) and was immense yesterday. It's not easy to take 13 points from 15 at any point in the season, and teams are sitting much deeper against them, which might be why Vardy isn't getting in behind nearly as much as he was in the first half of the season. They do the little things well. ie. against Newcastle they ran the clock down like bosses. They had a about three solid minutes in and around corner flags. It's amazing how many teams can't or don't do that. They aren't scoring many goals, bu they're keeping it tight at the back and not conceding many.
Spurs have some tough games coming up, both teams will drop points. It'll be interesting to see how Leicester play when they really need to chase a game. I know they got a late winner against Norwich, but at this stage of the season, it seams like every couple of matches is a new phase of the season. Fairytales don't happen too often in sport these days, so i think that's where my doubts stem from.
I think the rule makes sense, but I think there's too much inconsistency in how the rule is applied and interpreted, both by referees on the pitch and by fans and pundits off of it. As such, I'm in favor of this:By and large, I think they have it right. Hand to ball and distance are the two criteria that are drilled into refs and while they don't always judge it right in real time, those seem like the right criteria for the impossible task of reading a player's mind.
This is particularly relevant when you consider the forthcoming arrival of instant replay - controversies will be magnified when replay officials asked to judge intent still get key decisions wrong.You can eliminate the noise very easily; redefine the rules. Every time the ball strikes arm or hand it's a foul. No more controversies, but we'll see an influx of players trying to hit defenders' arms inside the box.
I hate to quote myself but there's an interesting parallel in Serie A. Gonzalo Higuain, who is arguably more important to Napoli with 30 goals, just got handed a 4 match ban for losing his mind at a weak second yellow. Napoli were already effectively 6 points down (they had essentially already lost by the time Higuain was off). It was a long shot to begin with, but if the ban stands I don't see any way Napoli can mount a title challenge.The one flaw I see is Vardy's hotheadedness. I can totally see him getting a violent conduct ban at the worst possible time.
Not at all. I originally responded to the "This team is bulletproof." Perhaps I didn't make it clear enough, but the only fringe case I can see where this team collapsing is if they lose a major piece for an extended period. The only guy I see out there with an unstable streak, outside of potentially Danny Simpson, is Jamie Vardy. I think this team cares about each other too much for one guy to lose it or for his teammates to let it happen.I'm confused...are you asking if Jamie Vardy (21 goals) is worth being in the line-up because he might (uncarded for 11 weeks) do something rash?
It is much more likely that Spurs squander what little chance they have with Dier getting his 10th yellow this week or noted hotheads Alli or Lamela getting a bad red than Vardy going crazy.I think Vardy is on 5 yellow cards and the Amnesty starts after the second Sunday in April. I don't think he's gonna blow his top and fire into a defender and risk a straight red or retaliate and get sent off. He might have a devlish side, most good forwards do have a bit of anger in them, but he's also a pro, in a team going for an unlikely EPL title. He knows his value to the team, even when he's not scoring. A huge part of his game is getting in behind the defense and playing the ball just before the defender makes the tackle and winning a free kick. He's done it countless times, he knows it's coming and he plays for it. He goes arse over tit pretty much every match.
If Socrmaniac calls it and Vardy loses his mind and fires into an opposing player, with violence on his mind, fair enough, he shall be annointed as the Nostradamus of this forum and duly credited.
West Hamm will still be fighting for Europe and potentially even 4th in week 33. With their talent, they could (and have) beat anyone. You are spot on with the two relegation battling teams, both of who probably only have budgeted a point against LCFC, so they are likely to sit back and play for 0-0. Both ManU and Chelsea have been especially adept at bus parking in a manner that would neutralize the Foxes counterattacking style. Chelsea could also be battling for a European slot at 5 or 6th or even 7th, depending on how the FA Cup goes. I agree that Everton has nothing to play for and looks quite certain to get cut up by Leicester's style seeing how they have given up goals on the counter all year long.Leicester's last 6 fixtures:
Gameweek 33 Sunderland (A)
Gameweek 34 West Ham (H)
Gameweek 35 Swansea (H)
Gameweek 36 Man Utd (A)
Gameweek 37 Everton (H)
Gameweek 38 Chelsea (A)
The foxes would need to drop a minimum 7 points (assuming Spurs win all of their remaining fixtures) to lose the title.
Anybody see that happening at this point? I believe if they manage to get 6 points from the next three gameweeks, the title is theirs. Relegation battlers Sunderland and Swansea are more likely to show up and give Leicester a run for their money than Everton and Chelsea, who will have nothing to play for in the last two weeks of the season.
Still too early to say this, I think. Maybe next week at this point or the week after, but I don't think we're at the point yet where extraordinary scenarios about Vardy losing his mind are necessary to knock Leicester City from the top.Perhaps I didn't make it clear enough, but the only fringe case I can see where this team collapsing is if they lose a major piece for an extended period.