Wednesday 28 September 2011

Conclusions from the Riverside Stadium


Middlesbrough0-0Leicester City
(HT 0-0)

Riverside Stadium, attendance: 16,883
BBC Match Report


Home Team: Ikeme, Hoyte (Arca 83), Bennett, Bates (55), Williams, McMahon, Bailey, Robson (Thompson 83 (90+1)), Haroun (64), McDonald (Nimely 61), Emnes

Away Team: Schmeichel, Peltier, Konchesky, Mills (68), Bamba, King, Johnson (Fernandes 61), Wellens (Danns 78), Abe, Vassell, Beckford (Schlupp 48)



  • It's a miracle! Leicester City have taken two clean sheets in succession, and three in a row in the league.
  • 0-0 here was not a bad result. Leicester City tonight became the fourth team to draw nil-all at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium this season, and at any stage of the season taking a point away from a long midweek trip to a team above you in the league cannot be sniffed at. This time last year, god knows what this result would have been...



Winners
Sol Bamba
Equal to everything Boro had to offer, Bamba was the Foxes' stand-out performer tonight, the talismanic figure that secured a solid clean sheet.


Michael Johnson
A good run-out for Johnson, whose appearance tonight was his first start in a league game for three years. His substitution on the hour due to an apparent injury is likely to concern many but it is not likely to see him out for a sustained period. Mark these words, Johnson will be a big player yet for the Foxes' promotion push.

Jeff Schlupp
Burst onto the scene for the injured Jermaine Beckford.

Lee Peltier
His partnership with Yuki Abe on the right wing is a joy to behold, with Abe's holding-up play allowing the full back time and space to move forward and attack. It worked against Cardiff and it worked too against the Boro. If it produced goals, more attention would be being paid to one of Sven Goran Eriksson's summer successes.



Losers
Darius Vassell
If Darius Vassell is in the first team for his pace and dazzling ability to push play towards the opposition half, he's in it for good reason. If, however, Vassell is in the first team for his decision-making, something is patently wrong. Too quick for his own good, Vassell was too often caught by defenders as he dallied over where or two whom he should play the ball. A pity, as without this unfortunate trait the Foxes' strike partnership would be one every defence would fear.

Jermaine Beckford
Having yet to make his mark in Leicester City history, Beckford tonight picked-up an injury to continue The Riverside Curse that in the past has claimed the likes of Steve Walsh amongst a half-dozen others.

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