You know things are bad when you are dreading a game of football.
After the limp surrender against West Ham, there was little prospect of anything other than another defeat with the only question seemingly how much of a hit would be taken in the goal difference column.
Dean Smith rolled the dice. Tim Krul, Jacob Sorensen, Kieran Dowell and Branson Williams out – the latter apparently had nothing to do with any of the social media issues over the weekend.
Most noticeably, Tony Springett was handed his full debut after an impressive second-half cameo on Sunday.
The first half was very open. City looked a completely different proposition from the meek weekend surrender. Against West Ham, players were hiding from the ball but at the King Power, the addition of the industrious Lukas Rupp and the energy and pace of Springett seemed to transform the team.
We were even treated to some slick one-touch passing the like of which haven’t been seen for some time.
Angus Gunn fully justified his selection. After 10 minutes he did well to save a rasping James Maddison shot, only to get back to his feet and parry Jamie Vardy’s effort from the rebound.
Barely 30 seconds later he dived to his left and needed strong hands to turn away another powerful shot from the former City man.
At the other end, Kasper Schmeichel also had to be at his best, saving from the impressive Springett and then Teemu Pukki on the follow-up.
City were certainly giving as good as they got, yet frequently had too few players up in support of the attacks. Billy Gilmour had a frustrating half – playing some great long, defence-splitting balls while moments later running limply into a Leicester player to give the ball away.
At the back, Sam Byram and Grant Hanley looked well in control. Successive Leicester corners did nothing but find the Scot’s head.
On balance, Leicester had the better, more dangerous possession but City were actually making a game of it.
With halftime looming, City had the best chance of the game so far. Springett made a powerful run on the right and played a great ball to Pukki. The Finn cut inside his man and hit a shot past Schmeichel in the Leicester goal, only to see it rebound off the post.
I can’t remember the last time we went in 0-0 at half-time!
Brendan Rogers switched it up at halftime, Mendy replacing Lookman. The difference was immediate.
Leicester looked like they meant business and began to pile pressure on City. Time after time, the City defence repelled the attacks though. Hanley was again superb – blocking a Vardy shot on the half-turn that was goal bound.
But every passing game seems to bring another moment where City conspire to gift the opposition a goal. Milot Rashica won a header on the left, made the run forward to take the return ball before curling an utterly woeful cross way beyond any City player, to the far side of the pitch.
Within moments, the ball was inside the City box. Vardy hit a shot that took a wicked deflection off Hanley’s trailing leg and ballooned over the stranded Gunn.
The reaction to this was to swap Rupp for Sorensen, the German proving again that he can be a useful cog in the City midfield.
Leicester came again, Hanley blocking Vardy again. And then the second gift.
Sorensen played an overly ambitious ball to Springett. The youngster didn’t really have a hope. Harvey Barnes laid the ball to Vardy and the former England man lashed a shot past Gunn for his second.
Leicester continued to pour forward. Smith replaced the excellent Springett with Przemysław Placheta and Rashica with Jon Rowe. Regrettably, both were largely anonymous as City ran out of steam, and Leicester looked to shut the game down.
The third came from a throw on the left. The ball moved into the middle before moving inside the left channel. Gunn did well to parry the initial cross but it only fell to Maddison who smashed the ball home, respectfully turning away without celebrating.
That really was game over.
Leicester with no need to take any risks, City without the energy or imagination to make anything happen. The closest they came was a Max Aarons burst into the box when he elected to cut back to Pukki when a shot was probably the better option.
After the weekend capitulation, at least City made a game of it for 45 minutes, showing that all is not lost for next year, but when Leicester turned up the heat, once again they crumbled.
It doesn’t take a football genius to work out that a midfield will be high on Dean Smith’s shopping list. Lukas
Rupp probably deserves to be involved. The emergence of Springett shows that there is talent amongst the youngsters too. Rowe has faded after his initial burst onto the scene but will surely benefit from a season in the Championship.
So, two games to go. I for one will be glad when the misery of this season finally comes to an end.
I found a stream, managed to get the first half watched but second was terrible so had give up. It was as you say very open 1st half, yea we made a darn good go of, but you could see confidence is low, as expected. The s
Ick one touch passing was good to see, thought it was consigned to history. But you just knew that the second half would be a different story. Hanley for me had a decent game as did several others, judging on the half I saw. My big downer has to Rashica he gives the ball away far to much, and makes rushed and pointless decisions. If the talk is correct and he wants away,bInsay we won,t miss him one bit, prefer Onel any day
Well summed up James the bare facts are whoever in charge and whoever been playing its 5wins in 56 simply pathetic and we on for another six defeats on the trot for fourth time . Smiths not the man for me can’t understand what way he’s trying to play one thing for sure he can’t get a tune out of this lot keep well
Hi James
Sadly I disagree with your assessment of Byram as a CB he is the second coming of Russell Martin an excellent RB but never a CB.
Sorensen should be filling in along side Hanley they have proved in the past to work well together but Smith doesn’t see it that way.
The modern trend of blocking really needs looking at most of the Leicester defenders stood strong took the full force of the shot, yet cities defenders see the ball coming and turn sideways to deflect it with no idea where it’s going to go.
Hanley’s trailing leg deflected a looping shot beyond Gunn, no trailing leg and a possible goal kick or a save.
Once the first goal was conceded you could see the confidence flow out of the team, Smith on the touch line did little to cajole the team on he looked resigned to a poor result and expected the second to follow.
Gunn, Hanley, Pukki all did well.
Springett, Rupp, Aaron, Giannoulis, Rashica, Lees-Melou, Rashica put in a good shift
Gilmour, Byram were passengers
The subs were too little to late and the commentary with his remark about our owners having no responsibility for how the transfer fun was spent was or is ridiculous they control the purse strings Webber would have had to convince them on every signing it really is about time they left and let the club get it’s pride and passion back
Last goal-less first half was Brighton (a)….not too long ago but with this aimless shower it seems a lifetime!
Can anyone out there please tell me how we have improved in any way at all since Farke was replaced?
OK, we were losing, but at least we had some sort of identity. Now it all just seems so aimless, chopping and changing personnel with (unfortunately) the same result.
I cannot recall a City squad which has looked so totally out of its depth in all areas at any level I’ve watched them play.
It is humiliating at the moment to admit that they are “your team”.
O T B C
First 45mins was quite good by our standard for this season.
Team selection is haphazard putting a LB as CB when you have Sorensen is suicidal.
Will we see DS&CS at the start if next season not sure could see Leeds come calling or Forest Green