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Football News: Premier League Match Preview Monday 16th October 2017

Premier League Match Preview Monday 16th October 2017
Image from: shopfuego.com

Monday 16th October 2017

 

Leicester City v West Bromwich Albion 8pm kick off

Ndidi (cramp) slight doubt
Chilwell (knee injury) slight doubt
Vardy (groin injury) slight doubt
Huth (foot injury suffered setback in reserves outing now expected to return 21st October) out
James (achilles injury expected return 29th October) out

Just a couple of seasons on from their shock title win and the Foxes are sat in the relegation zone, again. With just one win and four defeats so far this season, it is fair to say they look like a team destined for the drop. The fight that won them the title, and saved them from relegation last season, has once again vanished to be replaced by complacency.

The players are once again not playing for their manager, which begs the question if it is the managers' failing or the players? As the players were responsible for picking Craig Shakespeare to replace Claudio Ranieri, you would like to think they would put in a bit extra for their man, but that does not seem to be happening. What is not helping matters though is his complete lack of any tactical acumen. He has simply stuck with what did work and has no clue how to change things to fix the problems.

Sticking with the tried and trusted has just increased the problems by creating a group of new players who are disaffected by not getting chances. The changes he has made have just not worked at all. Unless Shakespeare finds an answer quickly, this is all going to end in tears.

 

b>Most important player: Harry Maguire. I keep seeing pundits talk about what a great signing he was for the Foxes in the summer, but I can only think they have not watched him play, particularly this season. Defensively he is all over the place and is a major part of their problems with his total lack of any postional sense. They need him to sort himself out quickly or Huth to return. Maguire needs to stop thinking he is Beckenbauer and realise he is a big old lump of a carthorse, who should learn the basics of defending.

 

Chadli (back injury) late fitness test
Robson-Kanu (muscle strain) late fitness test
Morrison (calf strain) late fitness test

Following their fast start the Baggies have struggled, unable topick up another win after winning the first two games. As usual for a Tony Pulis team, scoring goals has been a big problem, with just 6 goals in 7 games.

It is all well and good being defensively solid, but you need a way to snatch goals on a regular basis, to force opponents onto you, or your plan comes undone, as West Brom are finding right now. The problem is that they have a lot of hard work and honest endeavour in the team, but not a lot of attacking prowess or creativity.
Most important player: Jay Rodriguez. Someone needs to score goals, Rodriguez is meant to be a forward, time he showed it and scored a few.

 

Defining Battle: I seem to have spent the weekend writing about teams struggling for goals, but then witness Crystal Palace notching two and realise that football is truly a funny old game. You watch Liverpool v Manchester United and it reinforces all your preconceived ideas of the game and how you can read a game before it kicks off.

 

Then Palace face Chelsea, later that day, and you realise anything can actually happen! However, I am going to assume that Tony Pulis, like Jose Mourinho, is readable and I can preguess how he will set out his team for the game. With that in mind, the key to this game is set pieces. So long as Leicester can avoid letting in any soft goals from a set piece, West Brom have little else to offer in the final third.

 

Editors' Predictions:
Ed002 - ?
Ed003 - 0-1
Ed004 - 2-1
Ed007 - 1-2
Ed018 - 2-2
Ed025 - 1-1
Ed033 - 0-2

 



Editor's Predictions Table
1. Ed018 - 39 points
2= Ed002 - 37 points
2= Ed003 - 37 points
4. Ed007 - 35 points
5= Ed004 - 32 points
5= Ed033 - 32 points
7. Ed025 - 29 points

*1 point is awarded for the correct result, 3 points for the correct score.
**updated 12th October 2017

Written by Tris Burke October 16 2017 04:30:09