Ask Foxblogger: Part One

Fleckneymike asks; “Are there any 'opta' style stats available for midfield? I would like to know statistically how poor Andy King is.”

Unfortunately there are no freely available opta style statistics on individual League One players. Below are all the statistics on Andy King I have been able to gather. I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions.


Name: Andy King
Date of Birth: 29/10/1988
Height: 6' 0" (183cm)
Weight: 11st 10lbs (74.45kg)

Season 2008/09
Appearances: 8 (1)
Goals: 1
Shots: 17
On Target: 10
Hit Woodwork: 1
Assists: 1
Fouls: 3
Yellow Cards: 0
Red Cards: 0

Match Preview: Colchester United

Leicester travel to the Colchester Community Stadium knowing victory will put them top of League One. It will require the Foxes’ third successive league victory, a feat not achieved since February 2007. Colchester are under the caretaker management of Kit Symons following the departure of Geraint Williams. The new U’s boss will be hoping to improve on their mediocre start to the season.

Previous Meetings
Both matches between Leicester and Colchester last season finished one apiece. Collins John gave City the lead in front of the Sky cameras at Layer Road before the Foxes were pegged back. Ian Hume salvaged a point for City in the 89th minute in the sides’ last meeting at the Walkers Stadium.

All four meetings between these two sides have ended honours even. For symmetry fans, Colchester have now gone four games without a draw.

Reasons To Be Confident
Colchester have yet to win a competitive fixture at their new home. The U’s have managed just two draws and a defeat, scoring two and conceding five. In contrast, Leicester have yet to taste defeat on the road, scoring seven and conceding just one in the process.

Before Friday night’s 4-3 victory at Tranmere, Colchester were on a run of three consecutive defeats, the third of which was a 3-0 spanking at home to MK Dons. The win on Merseyside suggested at least a few of the players were cheating their manager, but caretaker revolutions, as Leicester fans known all too well, are often fleeting.

Leicester have picked up the useful habit of winning despite themselves. Matty Fryatt continues to score despite clearly lacking qualities such as touch, pace and finishing. In the last post it was asked when Leicester were going to be found out in League One, what is just as plausible at this point is whether “when” is the correct word at all, but rather “if”.

Reasons To Be Worried
Of the 12 midweek games played in 2007/08, Leicester won only two. The Foxes lost six games under the midweek floodlights.

Leicester allowed far more pressure from Leyton Orient than was healthy in their last away game. Orient managed to force 10 corners and 12 attempts on goal.

This will be the Foxes fourth game in 11 days. Colchester have played a game less in this period and due to facing Tranmere last Friday, enjoyed an extra day to prepare for this fixture. Fitness towards the end of the game could prove a factor.

On This Day
18,435 were at Carrow Road on this day in 1995 to witness the first league goal of Emile Heskey. Bruno’s 90th minute strike meant to Foxes snatched all three points at Norwich City in a 1-0 win. The victory put Mark McGhee’s men three points clear at the top of Division One.

Their start that season;
P10 W6 D2 L2 F16 A11 Pts 20

Selected Odds
Colchester – 2/1 (totesport)
Draw – 12/5 (Corral)
Leicester – 7/5 (Bet365)

Match Review: Leicester City 1-0 Hartlepool Utd

Successive league wins have partially removed the bitter taste of the Milwall defeat, but the mood around the Walkers Stadium is still one of concern. Many Foxes fans remain dubious after another unconvincing win, even though another victory on Tuesday at Colchester will see Leicester return to the top of League One.

Yet the question remains, how long will it be before Leicester are found out? City seem to be doing just enough at present, but it remains to be seen if this level of performance will be sufficient to ensure City’s stay in League One is as short as possible.

Here are some numbers…

16 – The number of attempts on goal from Hartlepool yesterday, the highest total of any team playing Leicester so far this season. Whilst Leicester continue to create chances, the number of opportunities they afford the opposition is increasing. In the first three league matches of the season the Foxes allowed three, six and four attempts from their respective opponents. In Leicester’s last three league matches the opposition have forced six, 13 and 16 attempts of goal. Perhaps City’s remarkable defensive record is no longer due to solid defending, but woeful finishing.

13 – Leicester’s goals for tally is the lowest of top five. City are only the 9th most prolific side in the division. Oldham and Bristol Rovers are League One’s top scorers with 19. This statistic itself should be too concerning. Historically it is the teams with the strongest defences, not most firepower, who beat the other promotion contenders into second place.

5 – The number of league games this season in which Leicester have scored the first goal. They have a 100% record when they take the lead.

Match Preview: Hartlepool Utd

“These boys are Championship players, if not some of them Premier League players” – Danny Wilson

Wilson would do well not to remind his players of these words before Saturday. The Hartlepool boss will have undoubtedly studied Leicester’s defeat to Millwall and seen the all too obvious lack of strength in the side. The question is, are Hartlepool strong enough?

Previous Meetings
The JPT Northern Section 1st Round encounter in which the Foxes ran out 3-0 winners has thus far been the only competitive meeting between the two sides. That night Hartlepool created more chances, but failed to make any of them count.

Whilst Leicester were busy reaping the rewards of that win in midweek by boring everyone to death at home to Lincoln, Hartlepool were being dumped out of the Carling Cup by Leeds.

Reasons To Be Confident
Hartlepool have picked up a rather worrying habit of conceding late goals. Their defeat to Leeds in midweek came as a result of a 90th minute strike from Andy Robinson. It was the sixth time this season the ‘Pool have conceded in the final five minutes. We could see another City late show.

Hartlepool have yet to beat a team in the top half of League One this season.

Hartlepool have scored just two goals away from home in League One this season. Both goals came in a two minute spell during the 2-1 victory over Peterborough.

Reasons To Be Worried
Hartlepool have found their scoring boots in recent weeks. The Monkey Hangers have knocked in seven goals in their last two league games. They’ve been pretty accurate too, with 60% of attempts on goal working the keeper. James Brown in particular deserves a fair amount of credit for these statistics. Brown has hit 15 shots on target this season whilst only striking 8 wide.

The goals dry up in away games for Hartlepool at both ends. ‘Pool have conceded only four away from home this season. The Hartlepool team bus may well be parked in front of goal at the Walkers. It will be up to City to break Hartlepool down.

Leicester managed to scrape a victory at Brisbane Road last week despite a poor performance. Whilst it’s often said that strong sides win even when they play badly, Leicester haven’t put together a good performance since August. Leicester fans need some reassuring.

On This Day
Leicester raced into a two goal half-time lead at QPR in 2004, only for the travelling Foxes faithful to watch in horror as City threw the advantage away and a last-minute strike from Paul Furlong ensured Leicester left Loftus Road with nothing. The 3-2 reverse was the straw that probably broke the back of the Micky Adams era at the Walkers Stadium. Three games later, he quit.

Selected Odds
Leicester – 8/13 (totesport)
Draw – 14/5 (Bet365)
Hartlepool – 11/2 (Bet365)

Match Review: Leicester City 0-0 Lincoln City (Leicester win 3-1 on penalties)

Leicester needed penalties to see off Lincoln, and looking again at the video it’s clear the players care little about progress in this competition. The Foxes are now in the last 16 of the JPT, or the Quarter-Finals of the Northern Section of the draw. Even that statement is enough to make eyes roll.

So when will all this be over? Before the Hartlepool game Foxblogger looked at the final league positions of finalists in the JPT. For comparison, here are the exit points in the JPT for the eight sides automatically promoted from League One in the last four seasons.

2004/05
Luton Town – Southern Section 1st Round
Hull City – Northern Section 1st Round

2005/06
Southend Utd – Southern Section 1st Round
Colchester Utd – Southern Section Final

2006/07
Scunthorpe Utd – Northern Section 2nd Round
Bristol City – Southern Section Final

2007/08
Swansea City – Southern Section Final
Nottingham Forrest – Northern Section 1st Round

Make of that what you will.

Match Preview: Lincoln City (Johnstone’s Paint Trophy 2nd Round)

With Leicester suspecting international call-ups would lead to the cancellation of this fixture in two weeks time, both clubs agreed to move the match forward. Opinion on the JPT is still evenly divided, but those who do visit the Walkers Stadium (which will have only one stand open) will expect a win.

Previous Meetings
The Foxes haven’t played Lincoln City in a league encounter for over 50 years. In ‘recent’ years meetings between the two sides have been restricted to cup matches, the last of which being a League Cup tie in 1982 which the Imps won 3-0 on aggregate. Indeed, Leicester haven’t scored against Lincoln since 1975.

The overall record is Leicester City 32 wins, Lincoln City 21 wins and five matches have been drawn.

Reasons To Be Confident
Not so long ago Lincoln City used to flirt with promotion on a regular basis. The Imps reached the play-offs for five successive seasons between 2002/03 and 2006/07 but failed on each occasion to gain promotion. These days they still threaten to exit League Two but in precisely the opposite direction. Lincoln’s start this season has shown little to encourage the faithful, they’ve managed just five points from their opening seven games. Lincoln’s only win came against Barnet, a side conspiring to relegate themselves too having gained just one point.

Lincoln have managed just six goals in the League this season, the 3rd lowest total in League Two. They’ve scored first in only two on their opening seven matches.

Lincoln have won just one point away from Sincil Bank this season. Put simply, home bankers don’t come any more secure than this.

Reasons To Be Worried
Despite Nigel Pearson’s protestations to the contrary, Leicester’s commitment to this competition remains a doubt. Momentum is one thing, but risking injury is another. Expect to see some underused players alongside just enough regulars to appease the Football League.

Lincoln City haven’t won a Football League Trophy match since 2003. They’ve exited the competition after their first match in each of the last four seasons. This really should be in ‘Reasons To Be Confident’ but all sequences must end…

They’re really aren’t enough viable reasons to worry here. If City can’t beat this bunch something has gone very seriously wrong. Leicester don’t handle pressure that well though, do they?

On This Day
Leicester travelled to White Hart Lane in 1996 to play Spurs in front on the Sky Sports cameras. A headed winner from Ian Marshall made it a Super Sunday for the Foxes, as they recorded only their second ever away win the Premier League. It was also the match in which Steve Walsh decided never to take penalties again after a rotten spot-kick meant City almost had to settle for a point. Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Leicester City.

Selected Odds
Leicester – 4/9 (William Hill)
Draw – 3/1 (William Hill)
Lincoln – 7/1 (Bet365)

Match Review: Leyton Orient 1-3 Leicester City

It wasn’t quite smash and grab, but Leicester were unconvincing for long periods at Brisbane Road. Matty Fryatt earned another stay of execution after slotting in his 7th goal of the season. His frailties are obvious to every City fan, but it’s impossible to replace a striker who consistently finds the net, especially when the only other option is DJ Campbell.

Here are some numbers…

9 – The number of games City had gone without a win in the capital. Leicester had managed just two draws and seven defeats in London since Stephen Hughes gave the Foxes a 1-0 victory at Millwall in March 2006. The late show at Orient put that record to bed.

4 – The number of goals Leicester have scored in the last five minutes of games this season. It is their most productive time of the match. In 2008/09 39% of Leicester’s goals have come in the last 15 minutes. Last season City scored 26% of their goals in the final 15 minutes.

100 – Leicester still have a 100% record in League One…against teams in the bottom half. It’s important that Leicester continue to take a sizeable points tally in these games. For comparison, here are how last season’s promoted sides fared by this measure.

Swansea City
P24 W16 D5 L3 F52 A24 Pts53 (Season points total: 92)

Nottingham Forest
P24 W15 D5 L4 F41 A18 Pts50 (Season points total: 82)

Doncaster Rovers
P24 W15 D4 L5 F42 A19 Pts49 (Season points total: 80)

Leicester City (2008/09)
P2 W2 D0 L0 F7 A1 Pts6