Saturday 5 February 2011

Conclusions from Barnsley

Leicester4-1Barnsley
(HT 2-1)
Gallagher 15
King 43
King 58
Naughton 89
Mellis 45+1



  • What a message to the rest of the league. This was a superb performance from the Foxes with some truly remarkable goals. With the exception of five minutes either side of half time, Barnsley were nowhere today and the Foxes were rampant. The scoreline could have been easily five or six. Credit to the scorers, credit to Sven Goran Eriksson, credit to Leicester City. Playoffs, here we come..?
  • Try picking a man of the match. This must have been one of the best whole-team performances from a Leicester City side in a long time and, yes, the likes of Yuki Abe performed poorly relative to his own high standards, but what a full and rounded performance from the whole team. This is what gets teams promoted.
  • A great day for football. At the time of writing there were thirty eight Premier League goals and only three no-score draws in England. It's going to be a busy night for Lineker, Bhasin and co., and aren't you just delighted about that?



Winners
Paul Gallagher
Back in the squad having been sidelined by injury and, latterly, Lloyd Dyer, Gallagher scored a triumphant goal demonstrating his true class. There is no doubting the Scot's ability and skill and today he was able to demonstrate that as he scored a beauty. Gallagher also managed to prove his worth in other aspects of the game as he tracked-back and dug in to the midfield nicely.

Andy King
He's certainly back on form, the Welshman, with another majestic chip to score his twelfth of the season this afternoon. His thirteenth was even better, a super strike from twenty-odd yards to reward another super performance. Let's hope he gets that contract extension signed sooner rather than later. Get it tied-down, Sven!

Captain Fantastic: Andy King scored a brace for the Foxes

Chris Weale
A second successive exceptional performance from Leicester City's surely undisputed number one, with some cracking saves made by the Bristolian to keep the Foxes hopes alive. Crosses, one-on-ones and long shots were all dealt with ably by Weale this afternoon. Ricardo doesn't stand a chance whilst Weale is in this sort of form.

Team Spirit
Following the battling performance at Bramall Lane on Tuesday night, it was good to see some evidence of a content and happy camp during Sol Bamba's TV interview yesterday (was that Gallagher having a dance in the background?). That spirit so beloved of Foxes fans was displayed in the players' euphoria at Gallagher's opener this afternoon, even the outbound Martyn Waghorn jumping in time with the rest of the bench to join in the celebrations.



Losers
Yuki Abe
Another below-par performance from the Japanese, Abe seems to have lost his footing of late. Perhaps he needs a confidence-boosting goal, for he's now made twenty seven appearances in royal blue without breaking that duck.

Patrick van Aanholt
Consistency is needed in the Foxes defence, and despite the obvious benefits of Sol Bamba's controlling head at the back, the youngsters around him floundered more than once this afternoon with disastrous results. The biggest culprit has to be Chelsea loanee Patrick van Aanholt, the Dutchman clearly a threat on the wing and from set pieces but his defensive positioning leaving a lot to be desired. Indeed, van Aanholt's inability to track back nearly led to an early goal for the Tykes, only Gallagher's wits saving the Foxes on that occasion. 

No comments: