Fleetwood pose no problems for Leicester

Leicester City 4:0 Fleetwood Town

City cruised into the third round of the Carabao Cup beating a weakened Fleetwood Town side 4-0 at the KPS on Tuesday evening.

Although Claude Puel made eight changes to his side it was still a strong looking line-up, and Joey Barton made it clear that his priorities lay elsewhere, changing his entire starting XI.
Fleetwood, with their meagre following of around 100, had an early chance when Long’s shot forced Ward into a save, but the City keeper had very little to do for the rest of the night.
The 10,000 who had turned up were rewarded in the 8th minute when Fuchs crashed home a beautifully struck half-volley from 25 yards.

Two minutes later Iheanacho chased a long ball through the visitors’ defence but sent his low shot against the right hand post, the rebound going straight into Jones’s arms.
Fleetwood sat back and frustrated City for a while. Iheanacho missed another chance from close-in under a heavy challenge.
City doubled their lead in the 39th minute when Iborra found room in a crowded area to nod home Fuchs’ cross from the left, and put the game beyond doubt.

Iheanacho’s frustrating night continued. After an Okazaki volley had forced a good save from Jones, Ghezzal chipped a cross in from the right and Iheanacho headed it against the outside of the left hand post when well-placed.

But Iheanacho only had to wait for ten seconds after the restart to get onto the scoresheet. Straight from the kick-off Albrighton sent Iheanacho in on goal with a well-judged ball forward and the Nigerian fired it through the legs of the advancing Jones.
Five minutes later Iheanacho was brought off, with Gray replacing him up front.
Ghezzal then cut in from the right and curled a shot from the edge of the area narrowly over the bar.
Fleetwood were hardly getting a touch at this point as City players queued up to have a shot on goal. Albrighton had a couple of ambitious efforts blocked and Gray was denied by a Jones save.
The 62nd minute saw Puel’s second change, with Benkovic replacing Morgan at the centre of the defence.
He didn’t have a lot to do, with Fleetwood pinned in their own half, and City went 4-0 up in the 71st minute. Ghezzal repeated his trick of cutting in from the right, he exchanged a one-two with Silva, and then sent a superb 25-yarder sailing over Jones and into the net.

Ghezzal then became the second scorer to be withdrawn, replaced by Diabaté.
City pursued a fifth goal, but Albrighton had a shot tipped round the post and Gray went one-on-one with Jones, but was denied by the busy Fleetwood keeper and they had to be content with 4-0.

It was an entertaining display from City, with a couple of excellent goals, but you have to wonder about the future of this competition when a League One side make eleven changes to their side.

Leicester: Ward, Amartey, Morgan (Benkovic 62), Evans, Fuchs, Iborra, Adrien Silva, Ghezzal (Diabaté 76), Okazaki, Albrighton, Iheanacho (Gray 50)
Substitutes: Maddison, Jakupovic, Mendy, Knight.
Fleetwood: Jones, Jones, Bolger, Spurr, Maguire (Madden 61), Grant (Wallace 67), Biggins, Sheron, Dempsey, Long (Hill 61), McAleny.
Substitutes: Cairns, Holt, Eastham, Burns.

Referee: Lee Mason. Attendance: 10,671.

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Late Maguire strike sinks Saints

Southampton 1:2 Leicester City

City came from behind to snatch a victory against Southampton at St Mary’s on Saturday, with Harry Maguire popping up with a winner in time-added-on…

Claude Puel made three changes to his side with Morgan, Amartey and Iheanacho in for Evans, Albrighton and the suspended Vardy.
This line-up got off to an uninspired start with Southampton dictating the play, without ever really threatening Schmeichel’s goal.
City’s first chance came after quarter of an hour when Maddison swung a free-kick into the area, but Ndidi sent his header well over the bar.
Ricardo then made good progress into the area, but his cut-back to Maddison was intercepted.
In the 20th minute Elyounoussi cut in from the left and his low shot from inside the area forced Schmeichel to get down smartly to to parry.
Maddison threatened to break clear, but Hojbjerg brought him down, earning a yellow card.
After a half of few chances, both sides went close just before the break.
A good break from City led to a Chilwell cross that saw Iheanacho arriving a split-second too late to touch it into the net, while Ings low shot on the turn saw Schmeichel at full stretch to tip it round the post.

Schmeichel made another save from Ings early in the second half, but City soon went a goal down in the 52nd minute. A loose roll rolled across the area, and was met with a thumping shot from Bertrand that flew into the roof of the net.

But this seemed to spark City into life and they were level just four minutes later. Iheanacho chipped a cross in from the right, Cedric met it at the far post with a weak header and Gray nipped in, took a touch and then steered the ball past McCarthy for a fine finish.

City went close soon after this when Ndidi sent over a cross that McCarthy didn’t deal with, but Iheanacho was crowded out as he latched on to the loose ball.
Puel made his first change in the 67th minute with Albrighton replacing Iheanacho, leaving City looking even lighter up front.
The home side were reduced to ten men in the 77th minute when Hojbjerg took a theatrical tumble in the box, with no contact from Amartey. Jon Moss showed the diving Dane his second yellow card.
Puel then brought Ghezzal on for Maddison and City were pressing forward in search of a winner.
Chilwell broke into the area, but couldn’t beat McCarthy from a tight angle, and then Amartey hit a shot straight at the Saints keeper.
Okazaki came on for Gray with a couple of minutes left, but as the clock went past 90 it seemed that the game would end all-square.
But in the second minute of added time Maguire cut in purposefully from the left and launched a low 30 yarder that passed through the legs of both Romeu and Vestergaard – like human croquet – before beating an unsighted McCarthy.
The large City following behind the goal went nuts, Maguire was booked for taking his shirt off, and the home support headed en masse for the exits.

It hadn’t been a great performance for City, but it was a very welcome three points, that saw them sitting pretty in 7th place.

Claude Puel who had invaded the pitch when Maguire scored his winner, commented: “We showed our character and personality. When they scored, we came back with a desire to get back into the game. We were losing away from home, against a good team, but we showed great quality to come back into the game without panicking and remaining calm to win this game.”

Saints: McCarthy, Cedric, Vestergaard, Hoedt, Bertrand, Elyounoussi (Romeu 79), Lemina, Højbjerg, Redmond, Long (Armstrong 86), Ings (Austin 69). 
Substitutes: Stephens, Davis, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Gunn.
Leicester: Schmeichel: Amartey, Morgan, Maguire, Chilwell, Mendy, Ndidi, Ricardo, Maddison (Ghezzal 78), Gray (Okazaki 88), Iheanacho (Albrighton 67).
Substitutes: Evans, Ward, Adrien Silva, Fuchs.

Referee: Jonathan Moss. Attendance: 29,925.

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Leicester ride their luck to beat Wolves

Leicester City 2:0 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Although Wolves peppered the woodwork at the KPS on Saturday afternoon, an own goal and a deflected shot earned City a 2-0 win…

Claude Puel made four changes to his line up at Old Trafford, with Morgan, Amartey, Silva and Iheanacho making way for Evans, Vardy, Albrighton and surprise inclusion, Mendy.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s Wolves side are keen to prove their Premier League credentials and gave City a torrid time in the opening spell. In the 2nd minute Moutinho sent a shot from 20 yards crashing against the bar as City’s defence appeared to move in slow motion.
A minute later Evans presented the ball to Jimenez, whose low cross found Doherty, but Chilwell blocked his shot on the goal-line.
After a string of Wolves corners, City finally managed to get upfield in the 8th minute, but Coady slid in with a fine tackle as Gray almost went clear on goal.
Wolves then hit the woodwork again, with a Jimenez shot from the edge of the area thumping the left hand post.
But in the 29th minute Wolves learned that the Premier League can be cruel.
As City had their first spell of pressure, shots from Albrighton and Nididi were blocked. Then Albrighton swung over a cross from the right which Doherty nodded firmly past Patrício and into the net.

If this was a metaphorical slap in the face for Wolves then they soon received an actual one, with Neves receiving lengthy treatment after Maddison accidentally caught him with a swinging arm.
City were now running the game, with the forgotten man Mendy seemingly all over the field and reminding us just a little of Kante.
Ricardo capped a good move with a low cross, which Patricio managed to grab before it reached Maddison.
But Maddison would get his chance as the first half moved into time-added-on.
Ricardo cut in from the right and set up Maddison whose shot from 18 yards took a deflection that helped the ball past Patricio.

Wolves brought record signing Traore on for the second half, and he soon set up a chance for Jimenez who had his shot blocked by Chilwell.
At the other end Mendy fed a ball to Gray who turned Neves before sending a shot wide of the left hand post.
Another shaky moment in defence followed this when Chilwell tapped the ball past Schmeichel, who had coming rushing out to claim. Fortunately for City there were no Wolves players on hand to take advantage.
Schmeichel was soon in action again when Moutinho played Jimenez in on goal but the City keeper blocked the shot with his legs.
Claude Puel made his first change on the hour, bringing Amartey on for Albrighton and going with a back five, but five minutes later he was having to reorganise again as City were reduced to ten men.
Vardy won a couple of challenges in midfield, before launching himself into a third with too much aggression. Although he won the ball his follow through cleaned up Doherty at knee height. Mike Dean brandished the red and Doherty had to go off after a lengthy spell of treatment.

Traore beat Chilwell and Evans and pulled a ball back for Bonatini, but he blazed his chance over the bar. He then headed another effort over the bar before Castro sliced a shot against the left hand post.
The 82nd minute saw two more changes for City with  Silva and Iheanacho on
for Gray and Maddison, and this line-up dealt comfortably with Wolves for the remainder of the game.
Although Neves caught a half-volley beautifully from 25 yards it went straight at Schmeichel, who punched it away. That was the end of Wolves threat and City had their first points in the bag, thanks to more than their fair share of luck.
This was something that Claude Puel acknowledged: “Of course, we have a lot of things to correct, different details because we conceded too much chances. We were lucky in the beginning of the game, but after we kept our calm to come back in the game and we scored twice.”
It was an odd afternoon, City looked shaky at the back too often, but the performances of Ricardo, Maddison and, at last, Mendy were very promising. The loss of Vardy for three games is a blow, but will give Iheanacho the opportunity to get into his stride.

Leicester: Schmeichel, Ricardo, Evans, Maguire, Chilwell, Mendy, Ndidi, Albrighton (Amartey 60), Maddison (Iheanacho 82), Gray (Adrien Silva 82), Vardy.
Substitutes: Morgan, Ward, Fuchs, Ghezzal.
Wolves: Rui Patrício, Bennett, Coady, Boly, Doherty (Gibbs-White 69), João Moutinho, Neves, Castro Otto, Hélder Costa (Traoré 45), Jota (Bonatini 45), Jiménez.
Substitutes: Ruddy, Saïss, Vinagre, Hause, Bonatini.

Referee: Mike Dean. Attendance: 32,043.

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The Fox Summer Special 2018 – in the shops now

The FOX Summer Special 2018 is now in the shops and will be on sale before the Wolves game…

Our 28th annual summer edition features: An interview with former City-midfielder James Wesolowski, a review of the up and down 2017-18 season, The World Cup Diary from our men in Russia, the verdict on our new Adidas kits, LCFC via the lens of Instagram, farewell to Riyad Mahrez and Robert Huth, a Guide to the Premier League 2018-19, Rewind – to the Community Shield game against Manchester United, Your Favourite Shirts, The Fox Player, Goal and Villain of the season are revealed, The History of Leicester City in 100 Objects delivers your pint, Foxed in the Head reflects on red cards, World Cup dust-ups, Letraset and another fine statue, John Hutchinson revisits the Anglo-Italian Cup from 1972, the Best of Bentley’s Roof and your letters; and Fanatical Frank loses his shirt…

The most fun you can have for £3.

James Wesolowski Interview Extract…

FOX: At what point did you realise that you might be good enough to play football for a living?

JW: Well, it was always my dream. My dad instilled the belief in me that I could do it. The first club to show an interest in me was Leicester, who had a scout in Australia and he watched me play for New South Wales. They invited me over for a trial. I was about 13 or 14 at the time, probably too young to be nervous about it. Just being invited over for a trial was exciting enough, but then to be invited back and sign for Leicester was like a dream for me. I couldn’t wait to crack on with it.
My Dad was in a panic about it and he took me into the bathroom and taught me how to shave properly! He said “Come here.” squirting shaving foam around. “You’re going to need to know how to do this.” I didn’t need to shave at that age, I don’t think I had any facial hair at all, but he was trying to fit these life lessons in before I left, because he didn’t come over with me at first. I came over on my own and spent about a year doing school part time and training part time. After about a year Dad have to move over here for passport reasons. It was a pretty big deal for him and I was very grateful that he did that for me. He moved halfway across the world for me.

FOX: What were your first impressions of Leicester?

JW: It was very different to what I had known, not just the climate and the way of life, but the way football is treated over here. In Australia football is a bit of fun, a bit of a laugh, never taken too seriously. But over here it was people’s lives. I loved how seriously it was taken and the passion people had for it. Within the football club was a different environment to anything I had seen at that age and it helped shape the person I am today. It was hard, but I thrived on it. If I’d come over when I was 17 or 18 I don’t think I would have managed so well.
When I first joined the Academy we lived in the digs on Aylestone Road and we were like a little family. There were lads from Ireland, from England, me from Australia, Tomi Petrescu from Finland, lads from all over the place, and we all stuck together which was nice. We had the ‘foreign’ bedroom and the ‘English’ bedroom – Richard Stearman, Louis Dodds, Levi Porter – and there would be room wars. You go and throw biscuits around their room, or put toenail clippings everywhere, or fill their beds with shower foamburst. Carnage every night – England versus the Rest of the World.

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The FOX Summer Special 2018 is out this week. 

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Early gift costs Leicester at Old Trafford

Manchester United 2:1 Leicester City

An early penalty presented United with a 3rd minute lead as City lost 2-1 at Old Trafford on Friday night in the Premier League’s opening game..

Claude Puel started with Maguire, but his England team-mate only had a place on the bench, with Iheanacho up front. Possibly the biggest surprise was Amartey at right back with Ricardo right midfield.
And it was Amartey who gifted United the lead soon after kick off. A Sanchez shot was blocked by Morgan, and as the deflection went past Amartey he needlessly stuck out an arm. Pogba did a comedy run-up to the penalty spot before lashing the ball into the top right hand corner, giving Schmeichel no chance even though he guessed right.
However, after this rocky start to the season City settled into a passing rhythm that saw them dominating possession for much of the first half.
Maddison delivered a good free-kick into the area, which Pogba cleared, Ndidi fired a low long-range effort straight at de Gea and then Iheanacho sent an angled shot narrowly wide, but was marginally offside.
In the 28th minute Maddison was denied a debut goal when de Gea brilliantly saved his angled half-volley from 12 yards. Soon after Ricardo’s 30-yarder struck Pogba and looped up over the bar. Gray then sent Iheanacho in on goal, but he couldn’t quite shake off the attentions of Lindelof who snubbed the chance out.
Only late in the half did Schmeichel have anything to do, making comfortable saves from Pogba and Shaw.
After that early set-back City had controlled the game, without finding that cutting edge needed to get past de Gea.

The second half was more even, though there were few chances at either end.    Schmeichel fielded a Darmian shot at the second attempt and de Gea had to palm away a Chilwell cross. But a change was needed, and Puel made a double substitution in the 63rd minute, bringing Vardy and Ghezzal on for Amartey and Maddision.
Mata had a shot deflected wide by Morgan’s arm and was furious to see a goal kick awarded.
City had a great chance in the 76th minute when Vardy’s persistence saw him rob Shaw of the ball on the byline, before delivering a low cross to the near-post. Although Gray got a foot to it, de Gea made another fine save to deny City again.
Two minutes later substitute Lukaku had the goal at his mercy 10 yards out, but Schmeichel advanced swiftly and blocked the shot with his legs.
With ten minutes remaining Puel brought Silva on for Iborra as City chased the game, but it was soon out of their reach.
In the 83rd minute Shaw ran into a yawning space on the left side of the penalty area. His first touch was poor but lucky and it took him round Ricardo, before he jabbed the ball across Schmeichel and into the net.
City pressed forward in the closing stages, but Vardy misconnected with a volley sending it way over the bar.
He did start the season with a goal, however, as the game went into time-added-on.
A Ricardo cross from the right evaded everyone in the area and struck the left hand post, where Vardy was rewarded for following it up and nodded home from a yard out.
A late corner, which Schmeichel came up for, caused some late tension, but it was headed wide and City had kicked off 2018-19 with a defeat.

It had been an encouraging display by City, but for two weak moments in defence not enough presence up front, and Claude Puel was happy enough:  “The first half with all the chances we could have, we have to perform and to score and to come back into the game. We didn’t find the good clinical edge in this moment but it was a very good first half, good intensity in the play, good pressing, good quality and I was happy about the performance.”

United: De Gea, Darmian, Bailly, Lindelöf, Shaw, Fred (McTominay 76), Pereira, Pogba (Fellaini 84), Mata, Rashford, (Lukaku 67), Sánchez.
Substitutes: Martial, Smalling, Grant, Young.
Leicester: Schmeichel, Amartey (Ghezzal 63), Morgan, Maguire, Chilwell, Adrien Silva (Iborra 80), Ndidi, Ricardo Pereira, Maddison (Vardy 63), Gray, Iheanacho.
Substitutes: Evans, Albrighton, Ward, Fuchs.

Referee: Andre Marriner. Attendance: 74,439.

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The FOX Summer Special 2018 is out this week. 

The subscribe to The FOX for the 2018-19 season click on the links below, these will take you to the Paypal site where you can use your Paypal balance, or debit card.

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