Are Leicester genuine title contenders?

[No Fixed Abode]

I really don't like Jamie Vardy, so for that reason alone i hope they fcuk up and Spurs win it

Well, he's racist and for a skinny bloke he walks around like he's buff - so for that reason I'm with you.

[Winston Smith]

In an attempt to get as much mileage out of my Jamie Vardy link as I can I would just like to say that I know where and when his stag night is (and it is a stupid idea) and I have been shown loads of pics of his mrs hen night which was on saturday

[genome]

What is it?

You don't have to tell us when and where

[Forbury Lion]

We're Reading fans, we need the Leicester fairy tale to come true so that there is hope of our own fairy tale one day coming true.

I think as fans we have slowly become used to Leicester being quite good. Losing sight a bit of how momentous an achievement this would be. This would be like Sunderland winning the league next season.

Hopefully our Thai owners will look at Leicester and follow that model but starting from when they were in our position now.

[LUX]

@ Mags

Agreed with your post, except Vardy's first yellow was an error. Not even a foul.

He deserves his ban for the dive and subsequent insults to the ref, though.

[exileinleeds]

I backed spurs at 3-1 after the Leicester game (Vardy's suspension, the form of Spurs, remaining fixtures, Leicester look tired). They did look very good last night albeit against a Stoke team who were already on the beach. Would've been a much sterner test five games into the season rather than five from the end.

I backed Spurs a few weeks ago at 8/1 (also Sunderland not to be relegated @3/1) I would be quite happy to lose this bet, and for Leicester to do it, but it makes it a bit interesting.

Next season is going to be really interesting- anyone remember when Ipswich won the league? Without serious investment over the summer, then Leicester will struggle to compete in Europe and England.

[Maguire]

@ Mags

Agreed with your post, except Vardy's first yellow was an error. Not even a foul.

He deserves his ban for the dive and subsequent insults to the ref, though.

I don't even remember the foul so not disagreeing with you there.

[Hoop Blah]

I see there's a suggestion that refs will issue the broadcaster and the press pack with explanations for key decisions next year.

The aim is for a delegate from the Professional Game Match Officials Limited to speak to the referee at the ground and immediately contact football writers, television and radio commentators to disseminate his reasons. It’s good to talk (albeit via a proxy).

There has been discussion at PGMOL over whether referees should front up to the rights-holding broadcaster post-match, clearing up any confusion by spelling out points of law or the logic behind decisions. Putting referees in front of the cameras, even friendly ones, is fraught with danger and an idea unlikely to be pursued.

Many referees do not want the limelight, preferring the focus to remain on the players but at least the idea of informing journalists will bring some detail to the debate. If applied to Sunday’s controversial meeting between Leicester and West Ham, the delegate could have gleaned an account from Moss over a range of talking points: why he decreed Jamie Vardy’s challenge on Cheikhou Kouyaté worthy of a yellow (while, for instance, Danny Simpson’s on Dimitri Payet was not); why he was certain that Vardy dived after being pulled back by Angelo Ogbonna; why he punished Wes Morgan for grappling but not Ogbonna or Robert Huth (for even greater offences) and why he felt Andy Carroll had fouled Jeff Schlupp.

Most of the decisions divided fans, managers, pundits and former referees alike, providing little consensus, inevitably in the social-media age where everyone has a platform. If next season’s proposal had been in place, Moss’s views could have been conveyed to the media, dampening some of the hysteria around the decisions.

Now call me a cynic, but I can't see how a ref coming up with a reason, passed to the TV and papers is going to dampen the hysteria, it will just give more fuel to the fire and it'll undermine refs who either have to admit they got it wrong sometimes or come up with some dodgy excuse that will get analysed to death.

[genome]

Leicester's summer will be interesting regardless. I can see Kante and Mahrez moving and with Vardy not getting any younger he might want to make the most of his time left and nab a payday at one of the big boys.

[Forbury Lion]

I have been shown loads of pics of his mrs hen night which was on saturday

Post them or shut it #heng8

[Royal Rother]

@ Mags

Agreed with your post, except Vardy's first yellow was an error. Not even a foul.

He deserves his ban for the dive and subsequent insults to the ref, though.

When legs get tangled (sure, he probably looked for it) I think the instinctive reaction is to get your legs clear of the obstacle into which they have become entangled as there's a danger they'll get broken if you don't. The way to do that is to go upwards not downwards - trouble is what goes must come down hence making it look like a big theatrical dive.

I think he's being harshly judged. It was not a typical no-contact dive IMO, but I have not watched it over and over again so just tell me there was no contact and I will slink away quietly.

[Hoop Blah]

There was contact but Vardy manufactured that contact in order to go to ground. That's still simulation and cheating to the ref was spot on, IMO.

[Royal Rother]

I know it won't be letter of the law but for me simulation is dive when no contact = yellow, manufactured contact = play on, no yellow.

But I detest any form of cheating so I've probably just gone soft having seen manufactured contact go unpunished hundreds and hundreds of times over the years.

In fact I think that's the first time I've ever seen it result in a yellow, which, seeing as it results in a potentially season-defining moment, just leaves me a tad uncomfortable.

[winchester_royal]

A clear piece of cheating for me and a thoroughly deserved yellow.

However I think the additional charge for abusing the referee is a bit much, especially as there are literally dozens of instances of players shouting all sorts of abuse at the refs/linos throughout the game that go unpunished.

I'm all for clamping down on it, but it's got to be done in a consistent manner.

[genome]

People talk about consistency but I don't feel a player should be excused from wrongdoing just because others have been. Vardy got right into the referee's face and (allegedly) called him a "oxf*rd pcunt", he should be punished for it.

[TBM]

In an attempt to get as much mileage out of my Jamie Vardy link as I can I would just like to say that I know where and when his stag night is (and it is a stupid idea) and I have been shown loads of pics of his mrs hen night which was on saturday

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[Victor Meldrew]

A clear piece of cheating for me and a thoroughly deserved yellow.

However I think the additional charge for abusing the referee is a bit much, especially as there are literally dozens of instances of players shouting all sorts of abuse at the refs/linos throughout the game that go unpunished.

I'm all for clamping down on it, but it's got to be done in a consistent manner.

Agreed about the bit about abuse taking place all of the time so why an extra on this occasion?
Over the years Rooney has been guilty in almost every game that he plays-he even swears into cameras.
Staying with Man Utd and how different it has been for them as opposed to the likes of Leicester:-
Smalling just can't keep his hands off other players but never gets penalised or at least, never in the area.
Ince and Scholes developed the technique of buying a foul by pushing the ball too far forward but running in to the player, i.e.more blatant cheating even than Vardy of the other night.

Would John Moss have incurred the wrath of a red-faced exploding Fergie in the same way as he has penalised Leicester and the affable Ranieri?
You know the answer.

As for the point about Spurs now supposedly being brilliant in every department-I think neither of their full-backs can defend and I'm not sure that the (admittedly improved) Lamela is that great.
The attacking axis of Alli, Ericksen and Kane is however first class in terms of the Premier League just as the same at Leicester with Kante, Mahrez and Vardy.

I hope Leicester do it for so many reasons but Spurs have taken a step forward from being a top 6 side to a top 4 side and may well stick around there for a few years.
BTW with Leicester pocketing over £100 million and having Champions 'League football for at least one season they may well be able to keep the players that they want to keep.
An exciting end to the season awaits.

[frimmers3]

I f Tottenham's full backs cannot defend,how come there is not a tighter defence in the premiership?

[seahawk10]

[Sanguine]

Magic.
I've taken to watching Leicester games like Reading (or Liverpool) matches now.
Settled down on the sofa at just before 4 yesterday with a beer and some crisps and watched every minute.

It's so close now. But those last three games still look horrible.

Listening to Paddy Power a couple of weeks ago on Talksport, and they had Leicester as 6/5 to win at home - it was put to them that no other league leader would be 6/5 to win at home, to which they replied 'yes, but its Leicester'. Even this close, it still doesn't feel quite right!