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Season 2015-16
Leicester City (a) Premier League


In association 
with NUFC.com

 
 


Date:
Monday 14th March 2016, 8.00pm.
Live on Sky Sports

Venue:
 King Power Stadium

Condiciones: esperanzadoras (hopeful)

Admission: £35 (£35 in 2014/15)

Programme:
£3.50
 



   

Leicester City

Newcastle United

1 - 0

 

Teams

Goals

25 mins Marc Albrighton's centre from the left was deflected by Steven Taylor to Jamie Vardy - who had been offside when the cross was played. The Foxes forward headed it back to Shinji Okazaki, who finished spectacularly with an eight yard bicycle kick into the corner for his fifth Premier League goal of the season. 0-1

Half time: Foxes 1 Magpies 0

Full time: Foxes 1 Magpies 0

We Said


 

Rafa Benitez commented:
 

"I would like to think about the positives. The team was going for the game and the team reacted well in the second half, we were pushing. That is, for me, the positive thing.

"There are things we need to analyse and do better. We had good team spirit, everything was there we just need to correct the little things.

"I thought we could have got a result. I was convinced we could do it. The tempo Leicester have it's hard for any team. I will take the positives from this game. You could see the passion in a lot of players.

"Every game will be important for us. We know it is a derby and how important that will be for everybody.

"If a team comes to Leicester at the top of the table and you do nothing, it could be normal. It this case we did enough to perhaps score a goal or take a draw.

"I was really pleased with Sissoko. I was telling him he had to go and get into the box. He was there and had one or two chances.

"There were a lot of positives with players who want to be seen to be important. Some people think the captain situation is important, now I don’t think it makes a big difference.

"The main thing will be the characters on the pitch and in training sessions. We have to have people focused on trying to help. Jonjo Shelvey and Coloccini are part of that. I was really pleased with Sissoko.

"With this commitment on the pitch we can do it. 

"We started really well, but the reaction of the team in the second half was pleasing because you could see the commitment of the players and we were trying to win.

"When you are in this position, it’s important to create and I think we’ll take our chances next time.

"We have to improve in both areas
(attack & defence) and that is our job now. We have one full week and we need to improve these little things. It’s a question of having a bit of luck, but we have to think about the positives and we are creating chances.

"We know our next game against sunderland will be important for everyone, but I have a feeling the fans are really good and they are the number 12 for the next game.

"We will see (about players returning in time for the derby). We had players coming back from injury like Andros Townsend. Now Papiss Cisse is coming back too.

"But it depends because he’s been out a long time and we will see during the training sessions. For me to take a risk with a player who is not fully fit is always difficult.

"Maybe he will come into the training session and scores two or three goals, then we have to change our mind." 


New order: Fabio Pecchia, Rafa Benitez, Francisco de Miguel Moreno

They Said


Claudio Ranieri said:

"When you change a manager, players want to show their attitude, and plus, the Newcastle players are very good. I am sure at the end they will be safe (from relegation).

"For this reason, I was waiting for a difficult match and it wasn't one of our best performances but we showed our fantastic spirit.

"In the first half, we conceded too many dangerous actions and in the second half, we were a little more concentrated and won the first and second balls. In the first half, we lost so many balls.

"It was important somebody scored the goal and then we defended very well. In this moment, it is important for us to play and to fight.

"No I don't look at the table, I look at the next match, Crystal Palace. Alan Pardew was upstairs to watch us, it's another tough match.

"We want to enjoy and want to continue, our fans are dreaming and are so proud of us. The fans must dream and we must work. I'm pleased with our spirit.

"We played our match and we won three points. At this point of the season, the points are important, not how you play. Now it's important to stay calm - all the city is behind us pushing, we must stay calm and enjoy.

"It was a difficult match but we won. I know we played better against Aston Villa or West Brom but we drew both the matches."

 

Stats


A seventh straight away loss equals our worst sequence of away results in the Premier League, after they lost their closing six games in 2014/15 and were beaten at Swansea this season. 

It's now just seven goals in 15 PL away games this season and only one in our last four.

The 33 goals we've conceded away from home is the second-worst total in the PL only our next home opponents - the mackems - have let in more (38).  

We've failed to score against City in four games - our worst-ever sequence in meetings with them - and lost all four, equaling our worst run of results against the Foxes in 119 games since 1894.

City did the double over Newcastle for the first time since the 1974/75 season and are the fourth side to beat us home and away this time round, after Arsenal, Everton and Watford.

Magpies @ Foxes - last 20 visits:

2015/16 lost 0-1
2014/15
lost 0-3
2014/15
lost 0-1 (FAC)
2009/10 drew 0-0
2003/04 drew 1-1 Ambrose
2001/02 drew 0-0
2000/01 drew 1-1 Speed
1999/00 won 2-1 Shearer, Ferguson
1998/99 lost 0-2
1997/98 drew 0-0
1996/97 lost 0-2
1994/95 won 3-1 Cole, Beardsley, Elliott
1992/93 lost 1-2 O'Brien
1991/92 won 2-1 Peacock, OG
1990/91 lost 4-5 Quinn 3, Peacock
1989/90 drew 2-2 Quinn, Gallacher
1986/87 drew 1-1 McDonald(pen)
1985/86 lost 0-2
1984/85 won 3-2 Carney, McCreery, Waddle
1982/83 drew 2-2 Keegan 2
1981/82 lost 0-3

(At Filbert Street until 2001/02)

Full record v Leicester:

  P W D L F A
SJP 56 37 11 8 106 66
FS/WS 56 10 14 32 69 112
League 112 47 25 40 175 178
SJP(FA) 4 2 2 0 9 4
FS/KPS 3 1 0 2 2 3
SJP(LC) 0 0 0 0 0 0
FS 0 0 0 0 0 0
Cup 7 3 2 2 11 7
Tot 119 50 27 42 186 185

Rafa Benitez suffered his first managerial debut loss since September 2000, when his opening game in charge of Tenerife ended in a 0-1 defeat away to Albacete:

Aug 2001 Chernomorets 0-6 Valencia
Aug 2004 Graz 0-2 Liverpool
Aug 2010 Inter Milan 3-1 Roma
Nov 2012 Chelsea 0-0 Manchester City
Aug 2013 Napoli 3-0 Bologna
Aug 2015 Gijon 0-0 Real Madrid
Mar 2016 Leicester City 1-0 Newcastle United

 

Waffle

 

 

 

Rafa Benitez's first game in charge of Newcastle ended in defeat at the King Power Stadium on Monday but there were signs that the new manager may just be able to inspire his side to safety.

United matched the title favourites for most of the evening and only some poor finishing from the visitors prevented a deserved point, as Leicester almost suffered from an attack of the jitters.

Shinji Okazaki's first half bicycle kick ultimately decided the contest, but replays showed that top scorer Jamie Vardy was offside at the beginning of that move, while there were strong claims for a later handball against Wes Morgan - decisions failed to favour the Magpies once again.

But they had themselves to blame for spurning some excellent chances; Moussa Sissoko failing to pick out a colleague, Siem de Jong spurning a layoff from Aleksandar Mitrovic and Sissoko and Mitrovic getting in each other's way when pursuing Gini Wijnaldum's chipped pass in the area.

Our display was certainly a vast improvement on the single goal loss at Stoke that loosened Steve McClaren's grip on his position and there were times in the second half when the "stay in the game" mantra that led to the late turnaround at Spurs came to mind, as we took the fight to the Foxes. 

Still unable to call on the central defensive duo of Fabricio Coloccini and Chancel Mbemba that featured in six of our seven wins to date, Rafa retained the side that finished the 1-3 loss to Bournemouth that saw off McClaren (save for the final Aarons/Sissoko change that day).   

The difference was discernible as the players started brightly, upped their game for the new boss, enjoyed more possession and retained some semblance of shape in purpose for 90 minutes.  

Unfortunately Newcastle came up against a side brimming with a confidence and energy that has built steadily since last August, and in the end that momentum made the difference.

United attacked from the off as Sissoko (in an unfamiliar left wing role) chased down a backpass that Kasper Schmeichel just managed to clear. Ayoze Perez fired just wide, Jack Colback sliced an effort off target and Perez then forced a corner inside the first ten minutes as City were on the back foot.

Vardy tumbled in the box after tangling with Daryl Janmaat but referee Craig Pawson rightly waved away penalty claims before Mark Albrighton fired over Rob Elliot's crossbar. Mitrovic dragged his shot wide and then Janmaat charged forward before being dispossessed as Rafa's first game in England since May 2013 looked to be going to plan.

However our decent start unraveled after 25 minutes and when City quickly broke through again, the familiar panic looked to have returned. Thankfully though Marc Albrighton clipped his shot narrowly wide of the post with Elliot beaten and United finished the half strongly - without putting Schmeichel under any real pressure.

City had a couple of free-kicks at the start of the second period that they should have made more of and Benitez decided to introduce Andros Townsend in place of Vurnon Anita.

Despite the former Spurs man looking some way off fitness, that positive switch led to United's best spell and Sissoko broke free down the left but tried to find a colleague rather than shoot.

Townsend then dug out a cross that was only cleared as far as Sissoko, whose powerful shot hit Morgan on the elbow but referee Pawson wasn't interested in penalty claims. 

Newcastle remained in the game until the final seconds and every attack was urged on, as they attacked the end where their fans were clustered in one corner, 

What was to be their last real chance though saw substitute Siem De Jong teed up by Mitrovic five minutes from time, only for the Dutchman to scuff his shot. And with Seydou Doumbia granted only the briefest of runouts, he barely touched the ball as  Leicester took the ball to the corners, ran the clock down and held on for their precious win.  

The defeat left United one place off the bottom and dented their goal difference further but if they can reproduce a performance like this on Sunday in the Tyne-wear grudge match then they could rise out of the bottom three following a famous - and long overdue derby victory.

It's impossible to look beyond that game at this point though; let alone surmise what the future holds after "nine cup finals", what league we'll be in next season and who will be in the dugout.

Without a ball being kicked, there was a mood shift among the support though and the feeling that if only we can extricate ourselves from this current mess that brighter times lie ahead, under a manager who boasts credibility and gravitas completely at odds with our recent appointments. 

So, less of the 2009 Shearer rescue mission and more of the 1992 Keegan one. Here's hoping.

Niall MacKenzie/Biffa


Page last updated 20 June, 2016