Leicester City Exodus…

Several of Leicester’s bigger names appear to be heading for the exit door as Nigel Pearson rebuilds his squad…

According to Nevzat Sakar, the vice-president of Trabzonspor, an agreement on an £800,000 move for City’s Sol Bamba is nearing completion. The popular Ivory Coast international signed from Hibs just 18 months ago.

Last year’s big money signing Matt Mills is also on his way out of the club, but a move to Celtic has been held up with City wanting to recoup at least £3M of the £5M they paid Reading for him last summer.

Another defender, Lee Peltier, appears to have Leeds and Huddersfield vying for his signature just a year after he left the Terriers to come to the King Power Stadium…

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A Right Royal Thumping…

Reading 3:1 Leicester City

It was déjà vu for City at the Mad Stad as they ran headlong in to a Reading side that comfortably notched up their eighth successive win in a manner identical to twelve months previously, the last time City played at Reading.

Nigel Pearson made just one change from the side that lost so disappointingly at Bristol City with Drinkwater replacing Marshall but they were soon on the back foot as the Royals laid siege to City’s goal. In one frantic spell Schmeichel dived low to keep out Hunt’s shot and then Morgan and St Ledger both headed off the line in the space of a few seconds as City somehow survived.
It wasn’t long before the home side had the advantage when McAnuff laid the ball in to the path of the onrushing Leigertwood who drove the ball handsomely past Schmeichel and in to the top corner from twenty yards.
City had little to offer in response and were unable to keep the ball as Reading owned the midfield and continued to play most of their football in City’s half. Half time arrived to City’s relief and gave them a chance to regroup but, surprisingly, Nigel Pearson chose to replace Beckford with Howard and Kennedy with Bamba, with St Ledger moving to left back.
The visitors began the second half with more purpose and were able to put some pressure on the Royals’ defence but despite this pressure there was little in the way of a serious threat to Federici’s goal.
Nugent worked hard and created a couple of shots that both went wide and the end product was lacking. Despite City’s possession and pressure it was Reading who continued to look the more dangerous side with real pace on the break that eventually brought reward in the 75^th  minute when Hunt’s cross was met by Roberts from six yards and he side-footed home to give Reading some breathing space.
This was the cue for the home fans to sing “Where the f**k is Matty Mills?” and this was followed up soon after with “You could have had him for a tenner”.
In the final minute Reading added a third and once again Hunt was the provider from the right wing as his cross was headed home at the far post by Church.
There was just time for Danns to add a consolation as City fans headed for the exits and he had time to control a loose ball before he drove low in to the corner from ten yards.

So Reading continue their march up the league and City fans are left to contemplate a second defeat on the road in the space of five days and an infuriating inconsistency. City were second best all over the park today against a side that was confident and has now beaten City five times in a row. Reading aren’t blessed with a highly talented side but what they have is pace and a phenomenal work ethic which City couldn’t handle.
It serves as a reminder (as if it were needed) that Nigel Pearson’s side still has a long way to go.

Reading: Federici, Cummings, Pearce, Gorkss, Harte, McAnuff, Karacan, Leigertwood, Robson-Kanu, Hunt, Roberts (Church 84). Unused Subs: Tabb, Le Fondre, Andersen, Cywka.
Leicester: Schmeichel, Peltier, Morgan, St Ledger, Kennedy (Bamba 46), Drinkwater (Gallagher 74), Danns, Wellens, Dyer, Beckford (Howard 46), Nugent. Unused Subs: Marshall, Schlupp.

Referee: B Madley (West Yorkshire). Attendance: 21,858.

City Face Competition for Transfer Targets

It seems that competition for players may be intense in this short January transfer window.

City agreed a £2M fee with Doncaster Rovers yesterday opening the way to signing their leading goalscorer Billy Sharp.
But Sharp, who scored both goals in Doncaster 2-1 win over City earlier this season, is also thought to be attracting the interest of Premier League Fulham.
Some Doncaster shareholders are trying to piece together a financial package to keep their prize asset at the Keepmoat Stadium,  but it seems unlikely they would be able to get close to the deal City are offering which has been quoted as something in the region of £5M.
Talks are ongoing with Sharp’s agents.

Another City target, Reading’s Jimmy Kebe, is also being pursued by Wesy Ham who have already had a bid rejected by the Royals. The Mali international’s contract runs out in the summer so it is unlikely that Reading will hold out for long.

City’s £1.5M bid for Hull winger Cameron Stewart has been batted firmly away with Head of Football Operations Adam Pearson, saying: “City were wasting their time in trying to sign Stewart. He is not for sale, end of story. We don’t want to sell Cameron and the player doesn’t want to go, so Leicester are wasting their time.”

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Royals Rude Awakening

Leicester City 0:2 Reading

Any sense of complacency or ideas that big spending guarantees results were dispelled in a disappointing 2-0 defeat at home to Reading at the King Power Stadium on Saturday…

Sven Goran Eriksson made two enforced changes from the last league outing with Pantsil in for the injured Peltier and League Cup hat-trick hero Schlupp replacing the suspended Vassell. 
From early in the game it looked to be one of those days for City, with the Reading fans on Mills’ back he didn’t look happy and every move City tried broke down on a well drilled Royals’ defence.
Schmeichel pulled off a fine block to deny Hunt in a one on one and Leigertwood went inches wide with a long range effort that had the City keeper beaten as Reading looked to extend their fine run of results at Leicester.
The midfield looked out of sorts with Danns giving away possession almost every time he got the ball and a Schlupp attempt on goal through a crowded box was one of few first half chances.
City began the second half looking brighter with King on for Abe and it was King who set up Nugent for a shot which struck the foot of the right hand post. If that had been a couple of inches to the left it could have been a very different afternoon, but it was the visitors who took a 64th minute lead.
A corner from the left found Hunt ghosting in unmarked at the near post to nod a header past Schmeichel.
Kebe then went on a lone run through City’s static defence before going close, provoking a furious reaction from Schmeichel who ran out of his goal to give the whole side a public dressing down.
City forced a few corners, that were gobbled up by the centre-halves, but never really built up a head of steam in pursuit of an equaliser. The introductions of Gallagher and Waghorn didn’t improve matters and Reading doubled their lead in the 89th minute. Kebe received a throw in the area and shielded the ball well before setting up Robson-Kanu 12 yards out to drill home a side-footer.
Game over…

Sven admitted: “I’m like the crowd, like the players, frustrated. We conceded two from set plays, which is not acceptable. We should be a bit more clever than that. I don’t know if we had too many new players on the pitch. We lost the ball and were a bit nervous and a bit frustrated.”

Leicester: Schmeichel, Konchesky, Pantsil, Mills, Bamba, Wellens, Abe, Danns (Gallagher 71), Fernandes (King 46), Schlupp (Waghorn 60), Nugent. Subs Not Used: St Ledger, Weale.
Reading: Federici, Griffin, Harte, Pearce, Khumalo, Karacan, Leigertwood, McAnuff, Kebe, Hunt, Manset (Robson-Kanu 70). Subs Not Used: McCarthy, Gunnarsson, Howard, Obita.

Referee: Keith Stroud (Dorset). Attendance: 23,399

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Sean St Ledger Joins City…

Preston centre-half Sean St Ledger signed on the dotted line for City last night…

The former Peterborough defender, who has played for the Republic of Ireland 19 times, cost City £1.2M.

With Craig Mackail-Smith opting to join Brighton instead of City the hunt for a striker steps up, with Bristol City’s Nicky Maynard and Portsmouth’s David Nugent still topping Sven’s wanted list.

Also in Sven’s sights is highly regarded Reading skipper Matt Mills, who is valued at £4M by the Royals. City face a challenge from Stoke and Wolves for his signature if Reading can’t persuade him to stay at the Madejski Stadium.

No Defence for Poor City Showing

Reading 3:1 Leicester City

City’s play off hopes all but disappeared bar the maths at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday as they were beaten 3-1 by Reading…

Sven Goran Eriksson made three changes for a game City could not afford to lose, against a team that had won seven on the trot: Bruma, Naughton and Vassell in for Mee, Vitor and Gallagher.
City enjoyed a bright opening spell with Kamara firing one effort over and Yakubu sending an effort flashing across goal after a neat breakway move.  But it was the home side who took a 19th minute lead when Long motored past Naughton and Bamba down the left before squaring a ball for Kebe to prod over the line from close in.
If that was a blow for City, worse was to come less than two minutes later.
McAnuff waltzed round Bruma before firing a shot through a crowded area beating Weale low to his right.
Even at this stage it was looking as though Reading had earned their eighth win in a row.
City continued to have the lion’s share of possession and they created plenty of half decent chances, but every shot was blocked by a determined Reading rearguard.
Wellens had the best chance but failed to get past Mills with his shot and then Bamba planted a firm far post header goalwards but saw McCarthy parry his effort to safety.
City went in at the break 2-0 down in a game they had dominated, and it should have been 3-0, Kebe’s spooning an effort over from close in just before the half-time whistle.
City continued in the same vein in the second half, running the game but unable to make it count in front of goal. Vassell volleyed a decent chance over from a Van Aanholt throw; but City looked horribly vulnerable from Reading’s speedy counter attacks. Kebe wasted two good chances and then Oakley headed clear from under the bar as City’s grip on the game hung by a thread. 
That thread finally snapped in the 67th minute when City’s back four were outstripped by another Kebe break, the ball being played back for Hunt to crash the ball past Weale and seal victory.
That was surely City’s season over.
There was one thing for the deflated visiting supporters to cheer in the 80th minute, King was given too much room 30 yards oput and lined up a low shot to the keeper’s right, but it was too little too late.
While Reading now set their sights on an automatic promotion place, City surely waved goodbye to a play-off place on a disappointing afternoon in Berkshire.
Reading: McCarthy, Mills, Harte,Griffin, Khizanishvili, McAnuff, Leigertwood, Kebe (Robson-Kanu 83), Karacan, Long, Manset (Hunt 54). Subs Not Used: Church, Federici, Tabb, Antonio, Pearce.  
Leicester: Weale, Bamba (Vitor 56), Naughton, Van Aanholt, Bruma, King, Oakley, Wellens, Kamara (Howard 71), Yakubu, Vassell (Gallagher 66). Subs Not Used: Berner, Abe, Ricardo, Dyer.

Referee: GSalisbury(Lancashire). Attendance:19,199.

City Pay the Penalty

Leicester City 1:2 Reading

City recovered from a poor start to play their part in an excellent contest, but robbed of a point when Reading were awarded an injury time penalty.

Nigel Pearson sent out an unchanged line-up against the division’s form team but after a decent opening spell City fell behind in the 16th minute.
McGivern was disposessed by Kebe 30 yards out and then compounded his error by not closing the Reading striker down as he approached the goal, leaving him an easy task of beating Weale from close in. 
Reading threatened to add to the scoreline but Long sent a header over and Mills had an effort blocked on the line by Morrison, the loose ball almost going off McGivern and into the net.
City eventually fought their way back into the game towards half time. Some strong running from Dyer, who had an excellent night,  created a chance for King which went narrowly wide.
In the 40th minute another great ball from Dyer found Waghorn whose beautifully directed header beat Federici in the Royals goal.
City almost went in at half time with the lead when another darting run and cross from Dyer found King close in, but Federici produced a fine save to send the ball over the bar.
The second half was great entertainment with constant end to end stuff. Kebe squared for Sigurdsson, who would have scored but for a great intervention by King and then Kebe tested Weale with a shot.
The football was then put on hold for five minutes, but the entertainment continued… on the hour Griffin’s frustration at trying to deal with Dyer surfaced and he appeared to raise a hand to the City winger’s face. They got into a grappling match which most of the other players joined in and Griffin was lucky to see only a yellow card, while Dyer scarcely deserved his. The drama wasn’t over as the ref restarted with a drop ball and Wellens injured Tabb, resulting in the Reading player being stretchered off after lengthy treatment. Howard was so incensed by Wellens’ challenge that he spent the rest of his time on the field trying to kick lumps out of the City midfielder whether he was near the ball or not. Fortunately for both players the Reading bench swiftly gave Howard the hook, in favour of the more peacefully named Church. 
The football resumed, with a bit of added edge and Weale did well to keep out a Sigurdsson shot.
Liverpool loanee Jay Spearing then made his debut replacing Oakley in the 70th minute.
More great work from the tireless Dyer then saw him chase down Betrand, rob him, and scuttle off towards goal. Half the stadium leapt out of their seats but sadly his near post shot found the sidenetting. 
Weale produced a great save from Bertrand, but then almost made a hash of a cross from Kebe, Morrison tidying up after him.
At the other end Dyer was denied the goal he deserved when Federici tipped away his shot at full stretch.
Just when it looked as though both teams would have to settle for a point, City conceded an injury time penalty.
Church raced into the box and, although it looked as though Solano had put in a ball winning challenge, the ref pointed to the spot. Sigurdsson coolly placed it to Weale’s left and the small band of Reading fans were celebrating yet another win.
It was harsh on City, who had contributed to an excellent spectacle, but Nigel Pearson was not complaining:
“I have seen it again and I have spoken to Nobby about it, and he thought he got the ball, but I am not going to complain about it. I have seen them given and I have seen them not given, but tonight it was given.”

City: Weale, Solano, Morrison, Hobbs, McGivern, Oakley (Spearing 71), Wellens, King, Dyer, Waghorn, Gallagher (N’Guessan 74). Subs Not Used: Logan, Brown, Howard, Adams, Kermorgant.
Reading: Federici, Griffin, Mills, Khizanishvili, Bertrand, Kebe, Tabb (Gunnarsson 61), Howard (Church 64), Sigurdsson, McAnuff, Long (Rasiak 75). Subs Not Used: Hamer, Robson-Kanu, Karacan, Pearce.

Referee: David Foster (Tyne & Wear). Attendance: 20,108.