LCFC 6 v 2 QPR
Post Match Analysis by Stuart Dawkins
The views expressed in this report are the opinions of the Trust member nominated to file the report only and do not represent the views of the Foxes Trust organisation.
One of the most intriguing questions prior to today’s match was “would Van Nistelrooy take advantage of the unusual Wednesday evening choice for a midweek match and therefore use this one as more useful game-time for his still-developing team, or would he rotate?” The answer was the former. And, to the delight of quite a vociferous component of the City fan-base, he finally started a match with Mavididi, El Khannouss and Buonanotte supporting Vardy, leaving Ayew on the bench. This choice led to three follow-up questions, “Would the team selection result in more creative play? “Would we still see unforced defensive errors costing the team?” “Would the opposition continue the trend of targeting the right-hand side of our defence?” The answer to all three questions, in the first-half at least, was broadly “Yes”.
It did not feel like matchday, really. A 2pm kick-off was odd – chosen to allow Leicester Tigers to play at home at 8pm. It was very very cold and foggy. I had assumed that this was behind the long queues to get into the ground, despite the match not being a sell-out, but once inside I realised that the underlying reason for the queues was actually quite good one: it is a long time since I have seen so many new faces in the stands at the King Power stadium, and in particular so many families with young children. It is great to see future generation of fans getting to see matches and I guess the resultant unfamiliarity with the digital ticketing process is a small price to pay (although having more stewards to help in addition to the announcements over the Tannoy trying to explain how to load an NFT ticket would have helped too). There was excellent support from QPR fans, with the increased numbers provided by the FA Cup ticket allocation rules.
It was foggy. Not just “Oh look, it’s a bit foggy”, but foggy as in “I actually can’t see quite a lot that is happening on the pitch”. This was not helped by the QPR team wearing an all pale-gold strip which caused them to be even less visible than the City players in blue.
Things started in a rather worrisome way. Less than five minutes in, City kept playing the ball to and from the keeper for well over a dozen passes, then the inevitable loose one was intercepted and it was more luck than skill that meant QPR did not capitalise.
In the eighth minute, Buonanotte took a free kick around 40-yards from goal, and Justin scored … apparently. I could not see what happened because of the fog, nor could any of my neighbours and the big screen replay was no clearer. I sit near the half-way line, so who knows what the fans at either end of the pitch were seeing of the game.
QPR reacted well to going behind, Justin was well beaten by the winger and the resultant shot was parried onto the post by Stolarczyk. Still, City looked pretty comfortable … then Winks played a badly judged pass from near his own corner flag towards the centre edge of his own box, this was duly intercepted and a couple of easy passes then an excellent 20-yard shot from Varane and it was one-all, and yet another self-inflicted goal against City.
This time it was City’s turn to respond well. Vardy blasted over when I think he really should have scored. A dreadful choice of clearance by Stolarczyk really should have resulted in another QPR goal. It was all looking depressingly familiar.
City were pressing well, however. Maybe it was the more youthful legs, maybe they are getting the hang of what Van Nistelrooy wants, maybe Championship opponents are just that bit slower than Premier League ones … but time and again City caused their visitors some troubles by pressing fast. I do like how El Khannouss tends to take the central role for most presses meaning that his legs end up running the furthest rather than Vardy’s legs, which are – after all – getting on for twice as old.
In the 35th minute, Mavididi’s press took the ball from his opponent. He exchanged passes with El Khannouss and then shot the ball into the goal from about a dozen yards. A well executed goal and City were ahead again.
This time, City kept the pressure on and a couple of minutes later the moment the fans had been waiting for happened – the youngsters combined to create a goal. Good work by Buonanotte in midfield, a pass to Mavididi, on to El Khannouss to chip a cross from the left and Buonanotte had a near open goal to head into, and suddenly it was three-one and surely game over?
There were only two minutes of added time, but that was enough to expose another of City’s regular failings this season. Too often, they have been poor in their decision-making when playing out the final minute or two before the end of a half. This time it was Winks who made a poor decision to pass backwards from an advanced position, and passed it so poorly that it simply went to the unmarked Kolli, who duly scored. There were about 20-seconds left in the half and such things really should not happen.
The second half kicked-off and thankfully City continued to be the more creative team. After ten minutes more excellent work between El Khannouss and Mavididi led to the winger’s cross being blocked by a defender. The referee saw it as handball and Vardy scored from the spot to make it four-two. It all happened too fast to make a judgement about the decision, although one does wonder a bit when the big screen replay is cut short just at the point where the cross is played.
Around the hour mark, Van Nistelrooy made what I assume were pre-planned changes: Skipp, Daka and Ayew replacing Winks, Vardy and El Khannouss. The manager must have been pleased and relieved that he could do this with the comfort of a two-goal lead.
Things then got even better. A lovely through ball found Daka just inside the QPR half, and he timed the pass well out to an unmarked over-lapping Justin, who could not have hit the shot better to make it five-two.
Shortly after, Van Nistelrooy replaced Mavididi with McAteer, and QPR had probably given up the ghost by the time they made four simultaneous substitutions with about ten minutes to go, shortly followed by de Cordova-Reid replacing Buonanotte., with Ayew switching to the number ten role.
The second half looked like a Premier League team comfortably holding a lead against a team from a lower division, which is encouraging. The stands were emptying as added time began – this arguably a bit more understandable than usual as it was extremely cold by now. Those who did leave missed a moment of fun, though. How many times over the years has Faes lunged into a challenge near the half-way line, missed it and City have suffered the consequences? Well today, he lunged again, but this time won the ball, advanced and hit a 25-yard screamer into the net to make it six-two. And that was that.
It was good to see the team score a lot of goals, I hope that helps their morale and confidence. And I hope too, that the kids who saw their very first City match today realise that City do not always score six goals, that it is not always this cold at the football … and that you usually can see the whole pitch for the whole game.
Leicester: Stolarczyk; Kristiansen, Justin, Coady, Faes, Winks( Skipp 60), Winks, Soumaré, Buonanotte (DeCordova-Reid 81), El-Khannouss (Ayew 60), Mavididi (McAteer 66), Vardy (Daka 60).
Subs not used: Iversen, Choudhury, Okoli, Thomas.
Goals: Justin(6, 83) Mavididi(35) Buonanotte(38) Vardy(51 pen) Faes(90+3)
Referee: David Webb Attendance: 28,242