The Only way Seems To Be Down....

By CCFC Sid
November 9 2004

`Headless chickens', `Utter Sh*t', `Woeful', etc, etc .... just some of the reactions to another inept CCFC display - just how much more of this cr*p must we suffer before changes are made? Preferably, a change of manager and/or chairman rather than division....

Leicester's pathetic record of two wins in 21 home games (And no wins at all in October) was made to read three in 22, as new boss Craig Levein was given an easy introduction to home games in the Championship, with Danny Tiatto, no goals in 30 months (Since scoring against CCFC), putting the game beyond CCFC's reach on the stroke of half-time. Some teams might be capable of coming back from 2-0 down (Usually against Rotherham), but this is CCFC....

Once again the useless 4-5-1 system was opted for by Reid, a system that possibly works for a team of players that understands how to use this system to their advantage, but not CCFC (4-5-1 is suposed to become 4-3-3, but it doesn't seem to happen when CCFC play this system). And once again the `1' was the shortest, lightest player on the pitch - Gary McSheffrey. McSheffrey as the `1' would perhaps be a great idea if CCFC didn't try hoofing the ball up to him all the time, expecting him to win the aerial duel against, by comparison, giants such as Dabizas and Heath, but they did. Absolutely clueless. No doubt McSheffrey will get slated by idiots that don't know any better again....

As for five in midfield? Not one of them a naturally wide player! Ricketts dropped, and replaced by Wood, who possibly/probably wasn't fit anyway! Morrell, STILL an out-and-out striker being played out of position (The excuse for this is that Morrell is scoring despite tactics that try and keep him away from the penalty area!!). And Michael Doyle - isn't it time he was dropped so we can see exactly what he does bring to the side? Because, on tonights showing, it was less than nothing. Even his corners, which every so often are top quality (OK. Versus Preston, in the first half), were terrible.

Delomeaux did look half decent, so was replaced at half-time! If this wasn't through injury, I suggest that the person responsible for bringing his efforts to a premature end does the same to himself - a quality player, in a sea of medicrity....

The night might have been slightly different had the referee bothered to show any colour card to Leicester's Gudjonsson (For a foul on Delomeaux after two minutes), but he didn't. Nor did the referee have a word with the same player for going over as if slapped by Mike Tyson (Rather than almost touched by Michael Doyle) seconds later. And the same player for going to ground as if he had been JFK'd after 51 minutes too. Gudjonsson's turf-chewing antics did result in a harsh yellow card for Delomeaux on 22 minutes though....

And things might have been slightly different too, had the referee's assistant not called McSheffrey offside (When TV replays showed he was at worst level) with the CCFC youngster in acres of space, and with a clear run on goal with the score at 0-0. They say these decision even themselves out over a season, and, with a possible hand-ball in the area not given against Williams, maybe we'll let that one go - though sadly that was a close as CCFC got in the first half....

Soon after, a stack of CCFC players ignored the chance to clear a Leicester cross, and Nalis fired the ball home, with Steele unsighted. Williams, who had promised to bring clean sheets to CCFC, was clearly gutted at having failed again. CCFC could and should have equalised some 20 seconds later, but a Wood air-shot saw a decent chance totally wasted. The TV commentators made the excuse that the ball came to his wrong foot, but, as a well-paid professional footballer, he really should have done far better.....

As if to show just how irrelevant CCFC now are, the pub I watched this game in (The Jaguar Club, Middlemarch Road), always full when Arsenal, Chelsea, or Manchester United are playing, was half full - or half empty (Depending on your outlook) - and emptier still when half-a-dozen people left .... just before Leicester made it 2-0. It was another soft goal, and, coming seconds before half-time, left CCFC with an almost impossible mountain to climb.

CCFC just don't appeal to people at this moment in time (Whether having to pay for the privelege at Highfield Road, or just wandering down to the local to watch them on TV), with a lack of attacking ideas, and a defence that just keeps conceding, just two of the reasons why. Once upon a time, CCFC live on Sky would be a pub-filling event - now it seems to be an inconvenience....

Reid brought on Suffo and Shaw for Delomeaux and Flaville for the start of the second half, which at least meant McSheffrey might get some help, and give CCFC some hope .... but it never happened. The performance improved slightly (Though it couldn't have got a lot worse, with the `men against boys' similie being apt for the first 45 minutes), but Kevin Pressman, who looks as athletic and mobile as the average pub player, was rarely tested in the Leicester goal.

McSheffrey did manage to get behind Leicester's defence on 53 minutes, sending in what for any other team might be a decent cross, but no CCFC player got near the ball, and Leicester were just outside CCFC's penalty area 10 seconds later. Minutes later an abysmal Suffo shot, 50 yards high from 16 yards out, somehow almost caught Pressman out, with the former Sheffield Wednesday man tipping the ball over the bar. The referee, refusing to believe CCFC actually had what could loosely be called a shot on goal, gave a goal-kick....

With an hour gone, Sky showed the statistic that CCFC were 7-4 up on shots in the general direction of the goal, then showed that accuracy wise, Leicester were leading 3-0 for actually hitting the target - rather obviously, having scored from two of the three.

Ricketts replaced Wood after around the hour mark, and soon after, CCFC had a proper shot at goal, with Doyle forcing Pressman to make a save.

McSheffrey hit another effort in to the side netting on 69 minutes, and with this miss went even the most optimistic CCFC fans' hopes of a comeback, as Leicester made it 3-0 two minutes later. Leacock gave the ball away cheaply .... Blah! Blah! Blah! .... Heath scored. Once again, Steele, being watched by MU's goalkeeping coach, was at fault....

A quality Ricketts effort hit the outside of Pressman's post on 81 minutes, and soon after the same CCFC player was back defending, making a fine saving tackle on a Leicster player, before what looked like a backpass from Shaw ended up in the arms of Steele.

The final whistle sounded soon after, with the bragging rights as far as this East Midlands, West Midlands, M69 derby (Depending on which minute you tuned into Sky's coverage!) going to the wrong end of the M69. The commentator's comment: `It's been that kind of night, it's been that kind of season [for CCFC]' was all to accurate, as was Chris Kamara's comment that Peter Reid should learn that the tactics for the second half work far better than the tactics for the first half.

To steal another individuals' comment, from a CCFC Message Board: `Some go on about the cost of sacking PR - but what is the cost of keeping him?' CCFC are now 20th in the table, an looking more likely to threaten the bottom three that the top six....

Plymouth next - didn't they just convincingly beat top of the table Wigan? Who recently convincingly beat bottom end of the table CCFC? Oh! Sh*t....