Leicester go bottom after defeat at QPR

Queens Park Rangers 3:2 Leicester City

City failed to build on an early lead at Loftus Road on Saturday, eventually losing 3-2 to QPR and dropping to the bottom of the Premier League…

Nigel Pearson made no changes to the side that drew with Sunderland and they got off to a flying start, taking a 4th minute lead.
City broke downfield with Schlupp feeding Ulloa who set up Cambiasso, for a precise finish that beat Green inches inside the right hand post.
At the other end a Kranjcar free-kick was deflected narrowly over the bar and there was a scramble in the City area from the resulting corner, but a red shirt eventually managed to clear the danger.
Soon after this Vardy went haring down the right and cut a ball back to Mahrez but in his attempt to beat Green he sent his glancing effort beyond the far post from six yards out.
QPR went close after Kranjcar set up Henry up, bu the delayed his shot long enough for De Laet to come in with a timely tackle.
City held out until the 37th minute, when disaster struck. A penetrating ball from Kranjcar sent Caulker in down the left and his low cross was bundled past Schmeichel by the sliding figure of Morgan as he tried to stop the ball reaching Austin.
City immediately had a great chance to restore the lead as Vardy’s pace saw him one-on-one against Green, but he fired his shot straight at the keeper.
Worse was to come seconds before the half-time whistle. Neither keeper nor defence dealt with a curling cross from Barton. Austin’s header was blocked by Schmeichel, but Fer was on hand to net the rebound from 6 yards.City pushed forward early in the second half and Mahrez forced Green into a save before collecting the rebound and crossing for Vardy to send a looping header onto the crossbar.
Austin then went close with a fierce shot that Schmeichel got down to well.
In the 67th minute City delighted their 1,800 followers with an equaliser. Substitute Albrighton saw his shot blocked by Caulker, but Schlupp latched onto the rebound and lashed home a 22 yarder through a crowded penalty area.
City almost regained the lead when a good attacking spell led to a goal-mouth scramble. The ball fell to Moore after Green saved a Cambiasso shot but he missed his chance to make amends for his own goal, snatching his effort over the bar.
Rangers struck the decisive blow in the 72nd minute after a Barton corner from the right led to another almighty goalmouth scramble. Although substitute Nugent managed to block one shot on the line, Austin was on hand to head into the roof of the net from close in.
City’s best chance to get anything from the game came deep into injury time, but James shot on the turn cleared the bar by inches.

This defeat saw City drop down to bottom place, and the most optimistic fan must now realise that the club’s prospects of Premier League survival are now in severe doubt.
QPR: Green, Suk-Young (Traore 51), Caulker, Onuoha, Isla, Fer, Henry, Barton, Vargas (Mutch 76), Kranjcar (Hoilett 90), Austin. Subs Not Used: McCarthy, Ferdinand, Phillips, Wright-Phillips.
Leicester: Schmeichel, De Laet, Konchesky, Morgan, Wasilewski, James, Vardy, Schlupp, Cambiasso (King 90), Ulloa (Nugent 59), Mahrez (Albrighton 59). Subs Not Used: Hamer, Drinkwater, Moore, Knockaert.
Referee: Mr R East. Attendance: 18,054.

Leicester goal drought continues against Sunderland

Leicester City 0:0 Sunderland

City got their first point in seven weeks from a 0-0 draw against Sunderland at the KPS on Saturday…Nigel Pearson made two changes to his starting line-up with Mahrez and Konchesky in for King and Drinkwater.This change-round seemed to give City fresh impetus and they pushed forward in the opening stages creating several chances.
Wasilewski headed wide from a James corner; Vardy was denied by Pantilimon; and then the Sunderland keeper got down to a low shot from Mahrez. The Algerian international then set Schlupp up for an angled drive which found the side-netting.
After all these early chances City nearly went behind in the 15th minute when Sunderland broke forward and Fletcher went clear on goal looking certain to score before Schmeichel pulled off a fine point-blank save.
Ulloa then saw his shot blocked after combining well with Cambiassom before Schmeichel tipped a low shot from Johnson round the post.
Morgan kept the scoreline at 0-0  with a great block on a fierce Larsson shot, and then the final chance of the half went begging as Ulloa nodded a James corner over from close in.

City, unchanged for the second half, continued their quest for a precious goal. Pantilimon saved well from James; and Cambiasso set up Mahrez, who feinted past his marker down the right and bore down on goal before lashing his shot into the side-netting.
A magnificent 40 yard pass from Ulloa, was taken well by Mahrez who made his way into the area before going down after a nudge in the back from Reveillere. There were howls of protest from the home fans, but the ref was unmoved.
City’s best move of the game came when James and Ulloa carved a path through the visitor’s defence with a precise one-two but James’ shot under pressure didn’t have enough to beat Pantilimon.
Vardy managed just one of his trademark charges upfield but to no effect and he made way for Nugent soon after.

He soon had a chance after a nod down from Ulloa, but snatched a shot across goal when he had the space to continue into the penalty area and pass.
Knockaert and Wood were also introduced into the action late on, but City couldn’t find a way through and had to be content with a point.

Looking at the forthcoming fixture list, this was a game that Pearson’s men had to win, although it did at least raise them out of the relegation zone for the time being.

Leicester: Schmeichel, De Laet, Konchesky, Morgan, James, Vardy (Nugent 72), Schlupp (Knockaert 79), Cambiasso, Ulloa (Wood 88), Mahrez, Wasilewski. Subs not used: Drinkwater, King, Hamer, Moore.
Sunderland: Pantilimon, Brown, Cattermole, Larsson (Bridcutt 75), Fletcher, Wickham, Johnson, Gomez (Buckley 86), Reveillere, O’Shea, Vergini. Subs not used: Rodwell, Altidore, Coates, Mannone, Robson.

Referee: R Madley.  Attendance: 31,825.

 

All photos: SIMON KIMBER

‘Got Not Got: The Lost World of Leicester City’ in HMV – Leicester now!

After a quick field trip up town we can declare HMV to be the best stockists of ‘Got Not Got: The Lost World of Leicester City’…

Not only are they piled high, but they are also three quid off and selling for just £9.99.
They also have other Leicester City Pitch titles ‘On This Day’ and ‘Of Fossils & Foxes’ discounted.
Hurry now, before that pile goes down…

‘Got Not Got: The Lost World of Leicester City’ in the shops now!

‘Got Not Got: The Lost World of Leicester City’ by Derek Hammond and Gary Silke is now available in the shops and online….

Got, Not Got: The Lost World of Leicester City is an Aladdin’s cave of memories and memorabilia, guaranteed to whisk you back to Filbert Street’s fondly remembered ‘Golden Age’ of mud and magic – as well as a City-mad childhood of miniature tabletop games and imaginary, comic-fuelled worlds.
The book recalls a more innocent era of football, lingering longingly over relics from the good old days – Foxes stickers and petrol freebies, league ladders, big-match programmes and much more – revisiting lost football culture, treasures and pleasures that are 100 per cent Leicester City.
If you were a Junior Fox, one of the army of obsessive soccer kids at any time from Gordon Banks lifting the World Cup to the early days of the Premier League, then this is the book to recall the mavericks – Worthington, Weller and Walsh, Lineker, McAllister and Shilton – and the marvels of the Lost World of Football.

You can buy it online AMAZON  or SMITHS or at local branches of HMV, Waterstones and WH Smiths.

Or you can order direct from the publishers and get 30% off with this special limited time offer…

If you are one of the many Leicester City fans in Sweden you can buy it online via Bokus.com HERE

Leicester’s woes continue as Saint march on

Southampton 2:0 Leicester City

Two second half goals from Shane Long were enough to see off City at the St Mary’s Stadium on Saturday…

Nigel Pearson made two changes to his side for this trip to a rain-swept south coast, with  Schlupp and Ulloa in for Konchesky and Nugent.

In-form Southampton applied some early pressure but the City defence managed to keep them at bay with the final ball being cut out or misdirected several times.

Clyne forced Schmeichel into a save from a long-range effort, and Morgan blocked a Pelle effort.

City looked set up to defend a pointand chances were rare though Morgan went close after connecting with a James corner but couldn’t direct his header downwards.

City stood strong through an intense period of corners towards the break, but their only stat going forward was a booking for  Schneiderlin after he brought Vardy down.
Defensively City could be satisfied with the goalless scoreline at half-time.

City continued to soak up the pressue in the second half and though Wanyama  found the net in the 51st minute  the linesman flag brought a swift end to the celebrations.

Alderweireld then became the second Saints player to pick up a yellow card for stopping Vardy in his tracks, a tactic designed to snuff out City’s only real threat.

Cambiasso sent the free kick straight into the wall, as if to underline this.
Moore came on for De Laet  and as the clock ticked 0n Southampton began to get frustrated, restricted to long range efforts.

However, Ronald Koeman then made a game-changing substitution bringing on Long for Mane.

With a quarter of an hour remaining Long latched on to a ball from Pelle and slotted home a fine finish beyond Schmeichel’s reach.

Five minutes later Long doubled Southampton’s lead after chasing down a long ball from Wanyama and it was game over.

As at Swansea City then wasted a great chance to score when substitute Wood outfoguth Fonte to earn himself a shot on goal but lobbed it wide.

After a promising start to the season City are now in free-fall, having earned one point out of the last 18.Something has to change.

Southampton: Forster, Clyne, Fonte, Alderwiereld, Bertrand, Wanyama, Schneiderlin (Reed 90), S. Davis (Cork 40), Tadic, Mane (Long 68), Pelle. Subs Not Used: K. Davis, Yoshida, Gardos, Mayuka.

Leicester: Schmeichel, De Laet (Moore 54), Wasilewski, Morgan, Schlupp, Cambiasso, James, Drinkwater, King (Powell 76), Vardy, Ulloa (Wood 71). Subs Not Used: Konchesky, Mahrez, Smith, Nugent.

Referee: M. Oliver. Attendance: 31,297.

All photos: Simon Kimber

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The FOX will be following the fortunes of Leicester City in 2014-15, as we have since the 1986-87 season, so if you want each copy posted to your door then take out a subscription now.
You will have the option to buy our Champions cigarette card set (which will be posted out with the Summer Special NOW) at a greatly reduced price of £3.50.

To subscribe either print out the subs form at the bottom and post it to us, or click on the ‘with or without cards’ options below to pay online via Paypal.

People wishing to subscribe for overseas addresses outside of the UK please e-mail: garysilke@sky.com

Leicester goal drought continues as Albion claim the points

Leicester City 0:1 West Bromwich Albion

The Remembrance Fixture turned out to be one to forget as City lost 1-0 to West Brom at the KPS on Saturday…

The helicopter ball drop and minute’s silence for the fallen proved to be the best part of the afternoon as City lost their unbeaten home record in the Premier League.

Nigel Pearson made four changes  with Wasilewski, Cambiasso, King and James in for Moore, Hammond, Mahrez and Ulloa.
City had an early chance for a morale-boosting goal in the 3rd minute but King’s header from a James corner was directed tamely at Foster.
Schmeichel was then forced into action twice as swift breaks set up Berahino and Sessegnon for shots on target.
Morgan then sent a header over the bar from close in when he met another James flag-kick.

Gardner got a header from a corner on target but Cambiasso  was well placed to clear off the line.
The last chance of a scrappy half went to the visitors – Berahino teeing up  Brunt, who fired narrowly over the bar.

Although City came out for the second half looking more lively, they fell behind to a bizarre own goal after just two minutes. People were still taking their seats when Morgan’s diving header to cut out a Berahino cross struck Cambiasso and found the net.
City desperately sought an equaliser, but found dogged Albion resistance.

King headed a James free-kick over the bar; and then Konchesky sent Vardy through, but his low shot was placed too near to Foster.
Nugent then sent a low cross flashing across the goalmouth but there was no blue shirt to meet it.
Ulloa replaced Nugent and set up King with another header but this one was directed straight at Foster when it should have brought an equaliser.
Foster then comfortably fielded a header from Ulloa, whose introduction had livened things up considerably.

The introduction of Wood and Powell for Vardy and Drinkwater failed to make much impression and City were left to contemplate a run of five games that have produced a single point.

Leicester: Schmeichel, De Laet, Konchesky, Drinkwater (Powell 81), Morgan, James, Vardy (Wood 81), King, Cambiasso, Wasilewski, Nugent (Ulloa 68). Subs Not Used: Smith, Moore, Hammond, Mahrez.
Albion: Foster, Wisdom, Dawson (Gamboa 90), Lescott, Pocognoli, Brunt, Gardner, Dorrans, Morrison, Sessegnon (Yacob 81), Berahino (Anichebe 88). Subs Not Used: Myhill, McAuley, Mulumbu, Samaras.

Referee: S Attwell Attendance: 31,819.

_______________________________________________________

The FOX will be following the fortunes of Leicester City in 2014-15, as we have since the 1986-87 season, so if you want each copy posted to your door then take out a subscription now.
You will have the option to buy our Champions cigarette card set (which will be posted out with the Summer Special NOW) at a greatly reduced price of £3.50.

To subscribe either print out the subs form at the bottom and post it to us, or click on the ‘with or without cards’ options below to pay online via Paypal.

People wishing to subscribe for overseas addresses outside of the UK please e-mail: garysilke@sky.com