Match Preview: Reading

Two sides that have made less than impressive starts chase their first win on Sky TV. Leicester welcome the cameras to the Walkers Stadium for the first time this season. Already the Foxes are scheduled to appear four times on TV before the end of November. That’s well on the way to matching last season’s 10 appearances on the box, in which the Foxes won four, drew three and lost three.

The conventional wisdom is that TV games lead to lower attendances. That wasn’t the case in 2009/10. Last season’s average attendance across all 22 home league matches (including the playoffs) was 23,943, the City matches on TV had average gates of 25,216. That said, City’s sluggish start could lead to a diminished turnout.

Reading have taken seven points from their last three visits to the Walkers Stadium. Of the current Championship crop only Burnley and Preston (three consecutive league wins at the Walkers) can better the Royals recent record.

But the history between the two sides is short. The only side in the Championship the City have faced fewer times than Reading (15 matches in all competitions) is Scunthorpe (8 matches).

Despite this, the Foxes will want to get even after last season’s result. Reading snatched all three points at the Walkers thanks to a late penalty. The Berkshire side were the side awarded 11 spot kicks last season, more than any other Championship team.

Before the season SkyBet offered 11/2 that this match would bring Paulo Sousa’s first league win. I wonder how much the manager would give for his first victory now?

Match Preview: Burnley

One of the great things about football is its capacity for surprise. It’s also one of the perils of running a blog based largely on historical statistics: past form does not equal future performance. In the case of Burnley vs. Leicester, one can only hope that this is true. Those looking for reasons as to why this will be the must see fixture of the weekend, look away now.

The last eight matches between Burnley and Leicester have produced seven goals. There have been two goalless draws followed by five consecutive 1-0 scorelines. The last meeting between the two sides finished a comparative goalfest, a 1-1 draw. Ian Hume scored City’s equaliser in that match; he is the only Leicester player to have scored against Burnley in the last eight matches between the sides.

Incidentally, that draw was the first time both teams had scored in the same match since 2003. The last time both teams scored more than one goal in the same game was in December 1982. If you’re looking to place a bet, I strongly advise you to look at the over/under markets.

With goals at a premium we might not witness this on Saturday, but the next goal from either Burnley or Leicester will be the 300th in matches between the two sides.

As it stands fans are likely to see more cards than goals. The match official, Mr G Eltringham, has dished out eight yellow and two red cards in his first three games this season. This will be only his second match officiating at Championship level.

But here’s one fact to cling to, there hasn’t been a goalless draw at Turf Moor since 22nd November 2008. Mind you, if it is a stalemate at least the Foxes will avoid equalling their worst start to the season since 2001/02 and their worst start in the second tier since 1949/50.

Stalemate

Foxes fans present at Tuesday’s Carling Cup victory over Macclesfield, the highest scoring competitive match at the Walkers Stadium, will not have expected today’s encounter fail to produce goals. Nevertheless Leicester and Middlesbrough played out the Championship’s first goalless draw of the season and the 8th stalemate between the two sides.

This was Paulo Sousa’s 18th goalless draw as a manager in the English game and the 24th 0-0 to be played out at the Walkers Stadium. Leicester haven’t managed to go an entire season without a goalless draw since 1999/00.

Meanwhile, Middlesbrough have yet to score at the Walkers in three attempts, two of these matches have finished scoreless.

In non goalless draw related news, Steve Howard made his 100th appearance for the Foxes today. Of the current squad only Matt Oakley, Andy King, Matty Fryatt and Jack Hobbs have featured in more games.

Next week City travel to Burnley. The last eight meetings between the two sides have produced just seven goals. Burnley haven’t scored more than one goal against City in the last 13 meetings between the two sides. The last meeting in which both sides more than one goal came in December 1982. So, 5-4 anyone?

Great City Fightbacks

It's now 15 years since Leicester won an opening day match on the road. At half time in yesterday's match I struggled to remember City overturning big deficits to win points away from home. The last time the Foxes recovered from 2-0 down on the road was a 2-2 draw at Watford in 2005. I think I'm right in saying the last time City took a point after being 3 goals behind was the 4-4 draw at Aston Villa in the 1994/95 season, Leicester having been 4-1 behind with around 12 minutes to go.

So great comebacks on the road have been few and far between. But hope is at hand. Losing on the opening day hasn't stopped City promotion campaigns in the past.

Between the wars the Foxes managed this twice. In the 1924/25 season City lost 1-0 at Manchester United and were beaten four times in their opening seven matches. Despite the dismal start, Leicester went on to take the Division Two title by two points from the Red Devils after losing just one game from the beginning of December to the end of the season.

The opening day of the 1936/37 season saw City go down to a 2-1 defeat at home to Blackpool. The Foxes started the season with six defeats in their first ten matches but still went on to take the title.

More recently Leicester lost 1-0 at home to Cardiff City to begin the 1970/71 campaign. However, it proved to be one of only two home defeats all season. The Foxes went unbeaten for the rest of the season following their only other home loss on the 16th January 1971 to secure promotion.

Perhaps City's best recovery came in the 1982/83 season. Charlton were the visitors to Filbert Street on the opening day and took all three points courtesy of a 2-1 win. Leicester lost four of their opening seven games that year and by the end of November found themselves in 15th position with just 20 points.

On the 19th February 1983 the Foxes suffered their 12th defeat if the season. It was a result that left them in 6th place, 12 points adrift of 3rd placed Fulham. But that defeat would prove to be City's last of the season and on the final day a goalless draw at home to relegated Burnley was enough to secure promotion after Fulham went down to a 1-0 defeat at Derby.

Of Leicester's 12 successful promotion campaigns, four came after opening day defeats. After yesterday's second half performance, there's still hope that this season can be a positive one too.