WEST HAM UNITED 2 LEICESTER CITY 0
Report by Paul Weston
I confess that I went to this match with no optimism whatsoever of a good result after such a dismal run of defeats. Did we really beat Man Utd 5-3 this year? A defeat seemed on the cards right from the start and I even accurately guessed the 2-0 defeat score line.
Although Pearson continues to shuffle the pack all it seems to prove is that being a good Championship side is just not good enough to stay in the Premiership without significant investment of players with Premiership pedigree before the season starts.
I am a Pearson supporter but he is beginning to sound like a repeating record at his post-match interviews. His loyalty and support of the players who got us into the Premiership is admirable, and which I support, but the time for re-building the side is nigh, with, or without Nigel Pearson. It is a difficult call for the owners who have invested so much into this club.
We started the match well with lots of good possession with Vardy and Mahrez (my man of the match) looking bright. In fact we had the majority of possession. It did not look like a top side against rock bottom. Players were moving and passing well with confidence.
West Ham, in contrast, were taller and stronger than City in most positions. They are supposed to have a new attractive playing style, but you could have fooled me! They played fairly basic long balls to the front men who invariably won the ball and knocked it down to the following midfielders. City could not cope with it at all and Carroll blazed over the bar when presented with a good chance.
It was all going reasonably well until Konchesky had one of his all too familiar mental aberrations and passed the ball back woefully almost to the feet of Carroll who easily beat Wasilewski for speed and scored. You could at that point almost see the confidence ooze out of City who from that point never looked like winning.
West Ham, or City for that matter, created little until the second half when Downing picked up a knockdown (again!) and curled a delightful goal past Hamer. Game over!
Nigel Pearson brought on three subs at once- Nugent, Ulloa and Knockheart. To be fair City then created more chances and could have brought it to 2-2 as West Ham decided to coast through the remainder of the match. Nugent should have scored when he waltzed through the defence but hit high and wide. Nugent and Ulloa had a shot and header well saved.
So this match proved nothing that we did not already know. We cannot get away with mistakes at the back like we did when we were in the Championship. We also have to take the chances when they arrive because we will get less goal scoring opportunities than last year.
A few last thoughts on the support of the away fans. The fans sung their hearts out throughout and, in particular, in support of Nigel Pearson. I especially liked the new song: “Nigel Pearson- he says what he wants”!
Merry Christmas to all our fans. Surely it can only get better in 2015!
Leicester: Hamer, Simpson, Wasilewski, Morgan, Konchesky (Knockaert 62), Mahrez, King, Cambiasso (Ulloa 61), Drinkwater, Schlupp, Vardy (Nugent 62). Subs not used: De Laet, Hammond, James, Smith
West Ham: Adrian, Jenkinson, Tomkins (Collins 69), Reid, Cresswell, Nolan (Amalfitano 87), Song, Kouyate, Downing, Sakho (Valencia 79), Carroll. Subs not used: Zarate, O'Brien, Jaaskelainen, Cole
Attendance: 34,977 Referee: Martin Atkinson
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