Deadbat
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Pod and match report on a depressing day and weekend…
After a tumultuous 48 hours the Blades had a game to play but the miserable period many United fans had endured continued with a defeat at the King Power Stadium. After Chris Wilder’s departure, the Blades could not find any kind of performance and looked a sorry bunch as they were hammered by the high-flying Foxes. The game was incredibly one sided from start to finish and United were lucky it was kept to single figures as by the end. Leicester were good but did not even have to play well so wretched were United who as a club both on and off the field look completely devoid of a direction and a plan. For the Blades it was the heaviest defeat for 21 years and the worst in the top flight for 45 years.
There was no place for David McGoldrick who had a knee injury and temporary manager, Paul Heckingbottom opted to try a new strike pairing in Sharp and Burke. Leicester were without Harvey Barnes and James Maddison but started with Blades nemesis Jamie Vardy up front as they had the chance to go up to 2nd place.
The game started with United coughing up possession easily from the kick off and this set the scene with Norwood, Fleck, Basham and Ampadu all giving it away under no pressure. Leicester started to move it around and were dominating the ball in the early stages. Ndidi robbed Fleck and had the home side moving through the lines and Vardy was in but pulled his shot wide in the first effort.
Soon after, Fleck ran into trouble and Leicester broke and as Vardy fed Castagne, the cross then came over and Perez’s flicked header seemed goal bound but Ramsdale made a terrific finger tip save to push the ball onto the post.
It was all Leicester and Iheanacho nearly got in but Basham and then Stevens held up this particular attack. Bryan then was the next to make a mistake as he let Vardy got away but the striker’s shot was at Ramsdale and he saved with his feet before gathering at the second attempt.
United had barely had an attack but one Fleck run gave them a free kick but his delivery was poor and it was cleared. Norwood then tried to work something with a decent cross but Basham’s flicked header was flicked away from Sharp. These few minutes were the only real spell in a game Leicester had dominated and the home side were back on the attack. Bryan nearly let Vardy in again as his indecisive first half continued. Norwood then gave it away but in truth the Blades had barely had the ball with Sharp ad Burke not having many touches at all.
Ndidi and Tielemans were controlling midfield on and off the ball. Norwood and Lundstram then gave it away and a shot came in from Tielemans was deflected wide from Ampadu.
The goal seemed to be coming and so it proved. No pressure on the ball from the Blades and Leicester almost walked through with Perez eventually speeding things up and his clever ball saw Vardy away from Basham down the right hand channel. His cross was perfect for IHEANACHO who converted easily unopposed. Bryan was caught day dreaming and his wretched first half continued.
The same man, Iheanacho, nearly got in again as the Blades were opened up again but it went behind for a corner. The half finished with Leicester knocking it about comfortably in a game they had just cruised through with the Blades not able to do anything of note as an attacking side and struggling to hold up the movement, pace and skill of the opposition forwards.
Albrighton was on for Pereira at the half as Leicester knew they did not need defenders so put another forward on! The home side won an early corner as Bryan headed behind but it continued to be one way traffic.
United won a free kick but Fleck again gave it away and the home side were in again but Bryan made a great block as Iheanacho shot for goal. On the next attack, it should have been 2-0. Ampadu’s error saw them in again and the Iheanacho pull back put it on a plate for Vardy but his shot was headed off the line from Basham.
A rare break saw Burke have a half chance but he completely miskicked it and it went away from goal but Leicester went back on the break. The tempo was being dominated by them and they also were winning all the loose stuff and 50-50 tackles. United seemed unable to keep up with quicker, fitter and better footballers. It was painfully one sided.
Fleck gave away a daft free kick as once again another United player would not run back preferring the lazy and cynical option. The free kick was recycled as the ball remained in the Blades box.
It was incessant pressure and Iheanacho and Vardy were running riot and Leicester were continuing to our forward. Another attack came when Basham lost it to Vardy and after exchanging passes with Iheanacho, Vardy had a great chance but hit it straight at Ramsdale who saved. This was the second glaring miss of the game for the forward. Mousset came on for Burke but it did not change the flow of the game.
Baldock bought a foul with a theatrical fall but as the free kick was cleared, the ball went to the right hand side but Baldock tried to be too clever and was robbed. The home side poured forward and PEREZ took a touch and curled into the corner beyond Ramsdale as the defence stood off again. It had been coming and finally the second goal deservedly came.
Straight from the kick off Leicester won the ball back and were in again as Vardy and Perez took touches before the ball was scrambled clear. The third goal was not long in coming as Mousset could not hold the ball up and Leicester broke again and Vardy got down the left-hand channel again and with no pressure he put it over on a plate for IHEANACHO scored easily in a goal similar to his first.
United could not even keep the ball in the Leicester half from the kick off and incredibly Leicester won a corner straight away and a shot one was blocked from Norwood as Perez peeled off with nobody paying any attention. Leicester then attempted the same routine only minutes later and the Blades side unbelievable fell for it again and this time the shot was wide. United had completely gone with nobody even doing the basics as it was just a case of how many goals the home side would score.
Bryan’s horror show continued as he was booked for clumsily pulling Iheanacho down as he ran clear of him. The free kick was cleared but it continued to be in the Blades half who had barely had a move or attack in a pitiful second half performance.
Ampadu tried to come out with it but he lost it with no one showing although he dithered again on the ball and IHEANACHO robbed him and with no challenge incoming, he came inside and curled it past Ramsdale to complete his hat trick. It was more appalling play with no closing down or anyone going to the ball. The Blades keeper was left horribly exposed again.
Ndiaye came on for Norwood for his debut but it was not long before the 5th goal came on 79 minutes. Leicester broke again and Vardy got in on the angle as Baldock and Basham did not react and he ran in unopposed and hit a cross shot that AMPADU (OG) could only slice into his own net. 5-0 and still 10 minutes to play.
Mousset gave it away and Vardy left Basham for dead but Iheanacho this time hit his shot against Bryan before Albrighton nearly got in on the other side. It was a complete annihilation for the Blades who were just wanting full time to come.
Lundstram’s crude tackle summed up his season and United’s afternoon as he was rightly booked and Leicester had further half chances before mercifully after 3 minutes of stoppage time, the referee brought United’s pain to an end. They had lost 5-0 and it could have been double that. It was embarrassingly one sided and the Blades had been abject from start to finish.
After a tumultuous 48 hours the Blades had a game to play but the miserable period many United fans had endured continued with a defeat at the King Power Stadium. After Chris Wilder’s departure, the Blades could not find any kind of performance and looked a sorry bunch as they were hammered by the high-flying Foxes. The game was incredibly one sided from start to finish and United were lucky it was kept to single figures as by the end. Leicester were good but did not even have to play well so wretched were United who as a club both on and off the field look completely devoid of a direction and a plan. For the Blades it was the heaviest defeat for 21 years and the worst in the top flight for 45 years.
There was no place for David McGoldrick who had a knee injury and temporary manager, Paul Heckingbottom opted to try a new strike pairing in Sharp and Burke. Leicester were without Harvey Barnes and James Maddison but started with Blades nemesis Jamie Vardy up front as they had the chance to go up to 2nd place.
The game started with United coughing up possession easily from the kick off and this set the scene with Norwood, Fleck, Basham and Ampadu all giving it away under no pressure. Leicester started to move it around and were dominating the ball in the early stages. Ndidi robbed Fleck and had the home side moving through the lines and Vardy was in but pulled his shot wide in the first effort.
Soon after, Fleck ran into trouble and Leicester broke and as Vardy fed Castagne, the cross then came over and Perez’s flicked header seemed goal bound but Ramsdale made a terrific finger tip save to push the ball onto the post.
It was all Leicester and Iheanacho nearly got in but Basham and then Stevens held up this particular attack. Bryan then was the next to make a mistake as he let Vardy got away but the striker’s shot was at Ramsdale and he saved with his feet before gathering at the second attempt.
United had barely had an attack but one Fleck run gave them a free kick but his delivery was poor and it was cleared. Norwood then tried to work something with a decent cross but Basham’s flicked header was flicked away from Sharp. These few minutes were the only real spell in a game Leicester had dominated and the home side were back on the attack. Bryan nearly let Vardy in again as his indecisive first half continued. Norwood then gave it away but in truth the Blades had barely had the ball with Sharp ad Burke not having many touches at all.
Ndidi and Tielemans were controlling midfield on and off the ball. Norwood and Lundstram then gave it away and a shot came in from Tielemans was deflected wide from Ampadu.
The goal seemed to be coming and so it proved. No pressure on the ball from the Blades and Leicester almost walked through with Perez eventually speeding things up and his clever ball saw Vardy away from Basham down the right hand channel. His cross was perfect for IHEANACHO who converted easily unopposed. Bryan was caught day dreaming and his wretched first half continued.
The same man, Iheanacho, nearly got in again as the Blades were opened up again but it went behind for a corner. The half finished with Leicester knocking it about comfortably in a game they had just cruised through with the Blades not able to do anything of note as an attacking side and struggling to hold up the movement, pace and skill of the opposition forwards.
Albrighton was on for Pereira at the half as Leicester knew they did not need defenders so put another forward on! The home side won an early corner as Bryan headed behind but it continued to be one way traffic.
United won a free kick but Fleck again gave it away and the home side were in again but Bryan made a great block as Iheanacho shot for goal. On the next attack, it should have been 2-0. Ampadu’s error saw them in again and the Iheanacho pull back put it on a plate for Vardy but his shot was headed off the line from Basham.
A rare break saw Burke have a half chance but he completely miskicked it and it went away from goal but Leicester went back on the break. The tempo was being dominated by them and they also were winning all the loose stuff and 50-50 tackles. United seemed unable to keep up with quicker, fitter and better footballers. It was painfully one sided.
Fleck gave away a daft free kick as once again another United player would not run back preferring the lazy and cynical option. The free kick was recycled as the ball remained in the Blades box.
It was incessant pressure and Iheanacho and Vardy were running riot and Leicester were continuing to our forward. Another attack came when Basham lost it to Vardy and after exchanging passes with Iheanacho, Vardy had a great chance but hit it straight at Ramsdale who saved. This was the second glaring miss of the game for the forward. Mousset came on for Burke but it did not change the flow of the game.
Baldock bought a foul with a theatrical fall but as the free kick was cleared, the ball went to the right hand side but Baldock tried to be too clever and was robbed. The home side poured forward and PEREZ took a touch and curled into the corner beyond Ramsdale as the defence stood off again. It had been coming and finally the second goal deservedly came.
Straight from the kick off Leicester won the ball back and were in again as Vardy and Perez took touches before the ball was scrambled clear. The third goal was not long in coming as Mousset could not hold the ball up and Leicester broke again and Vardy got down the left-hand channel again and with no pressure he put it over on a plate for IHEANACHO scored easily in a goal similar to his first.
United could not even keep the ball in the Leicester half from the kick off and incredibly Leicester won a corner straight away and a shot one was blocked from Norwood as Perez peeled off with nobody paying any attention. Leicester then attempted the same routine only minutes later and the Blades side unbelievable fell for it again and this time the shot was wide. United had completely gone with nobody even doing the basics as it was just a case of how many goals the home side would score.
Bryan’s horror show continued as he was booked for clumsily pulling Iheanacho down as he ran clear of him. The free kick was cleared but it continued to be in the Blades half who had barely had a move or attack in a pitiful second half performance.
Ampadu tried to come out with it but he lost it with no one showing although he dithered again on the ball and IHEANACHO robbed him and with no challenge incoming, he came inside and curled it past Ramsdale to complete his hat trick. It was more appalling play with no closing down or anyone going to the ball. The Blades keeper was left horribly exposed again.
Ndiaye came on for Norwood for his debut but it was not long before the 5th goal came on 79 minutes. Leicester broke again and Vardy got in on the angle as Baldock and Basham did not react and he ran in unopposed and hit a cross shot that AMPADU (OG) could only slice into his own net. 5-0 and still 10 minutes to play.
Mousset gave it away and Vardy left Basham for dead but Iheanacho this time hit his shot against Bryan before Albrighton nearly got in on the other side. It was a complete annihilation for the Blades who were just wanting full time to come.
Lundstram’s crude tackle summed up his season and United’s afternoon as he was rightly booked and Leicester had further half chances before mercifully after 3 minutes of stoppage time, the referee brought United’s pain to an end. They had lost 5-0 and it could have been double that. It was embarrassingly one sided and the Blades had been abject from start to finish.