FULL-TIME: Leicester City 2, Bristol City 0
Bristol City were left with plenty to ponder as they went into the two-week break for international matches on the back of a defeat at the King Power Stadium.
Although the Robins did not disgrace themselves against high-flying Leicester, the Midlanders ran out comfortable winners to take over at the top of the npower Championship.
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David Nugent fired the Foxes in front after 19 minutes and Richard Foster doubled their lead when putting through his own goal 17 minutes from the end.
City refused to give in, but seldom threatened a well-organised Leicester defence and their best chance came in the opening moments when striker Sam Baldock headed straight at Kaspar Schmeichel.
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Given that the Foxes had won their last four games and were in a position to take over top-spot in the Championship, albeit for a couple of hours, City were rated rank outsiders at the King Power Stadium.
Yet the visitors, adopting a 4-3-3 system for the first time this season, showed no signs of suffering from an inferiority complex, taking the game to the hosts from the outset.
Starting on the left side of a three-pronged attack, Albert Adomah showed Liam Moore a clean pair of heels in the opening moments, and sent over a telling cross for Baldock, whose stooping header was gathered by Schmeichel.
Leicester boss Nigel Pearson has fashioned a more enterprising team this season and the Foxes were quick to demonstrate their attacking intentions.
Jamie Vardy seized upon Lewin Nyatanga's slip to test Tom Heaton with an angled shot and City's keeper was again called into action to divert Lloyd Dyer's rising drive behind at the expense of a corner.
Full of Gallic flair and invention, France junior international Anthony Knockaert tricked Stephen Pearson into indiscretion on the edge of how own penalty area as the Foxes probed for an opening. Taking responsibility for the free kick himself, the quick-footed winger forced Heaton to make another sharp save, this time down at his near post.
City appeared to be reasonably comfortable in their revised shape and presented a threat on the counter-attack, Adomah skipping clear of the covering defence and letting fly with a long-range effort that flew just wide.
But Leicester were building a head of steam and Nugent was narrowly off-target with a header from Knockaert's chipped centre.
When opportunity next came knocking for the former England striker, he made no mistake, taking Vardy's measured through ball in his stride, easily shrugging off Liam Fontaine's weak challenge and sliding the ball beneath the exposed Heaton from 15 yards out.
Now that they were in front, the Foxes were content to put men behind the ball and bide their time, inviting City to press men into attack in search of an equaliser.
Certainly, the home side looked to be comfortable and they twice threatened to increase their lead, Knockaert and Nugent trying their luck with long-range drives that failed to seriously inconvenience Heaton.
Leicester boss Pearson made two changes after the break, sending on Ritchie De Laet in place of injured left-back Paul Konchesky and then withdrawing Vardy and introducing winger Ben Marshall. The newcomer took up a position on the left flank and Knockaert moved inside to operate on the hole behind Nugent.
Leicester needed a second goal to make the game safe and Knockaert threatened to deliver it 13 minutes into the second half when he burst through the centre and out-stripped a flat-footed back four. Fortunately for City, Foster had the speed of thought and foot to get back and make a superb challenge to deny the Frenchman a clear shooting opportunity.
City were virtually non-existent as an attacking force and manager Derek McInnes sent on Steven Davies to replace Baldock on the hour in a bid to re-invigorate his attack.
Meanwhile, Leicester's injury woes continued and skipper Sean St Ledger limped off after 63 minutes to be replaced by Zak Whitbread, the second enforced change to the home side's back four.
The game was, to all intents and purposes, over as a meaningful contest when the Foxes doubled their lead 17 minutes from time.
Having just replaced Louis Carey at right-back, Mark Wilson was powerless to cut out a cross from Marshall and Foster, under intense pressure from Nugent, inadvertently headed into his own goal at the far post to leave the Robins with a mountain to climb.
Leicester City (4-4-2): Schmeichel; Moore, Morgan, St Ledger (Whitbread 63), Konchesky (De Laet 46); Knockaert, King, Drinkwater, Dyer; Nugent, Vardy (Marshall 51).
Bristol City (4-3-3): Heaton; Carey (M Wilson 70), Fontaine, Nyatanga, Foster; Morris (Anderson 81), Skuse, Pearson; Adomah, Taylor, Baldock (Davies 60).
Referee: Trevor Kettle (Rutland)
Attendance: 22,529
Comments
by DaveinSA
Monday, October 08 2012, 4:50PM
“@football 50.
I didn't mention the summer anywhere in my post?
Patience will prevail, of that I am sure.
Derek has only improved the quality of players in this squad since he arrived. Therefore, the players that have been touted by the press and other posters are either not of the quality we require, are not available, have too high opinions of themselves.
It's difficult I understand, shelling out fortunes for season tickets but, this team is starting to take shape. The puzzle is slowly coming together and the missing pieces will be found.”
by BinRelegated
Monday, October 08 2012, 2:05PM
“As Football50 points out, the reason people are frustrated is that this isn't a new problem. In fact, it's a problem that has spanned 4 managers!
It's even more frustrating as its clear we now have quality strikers, industrious midfielders, attacking full backs and a quality keeper. The only thing lacking in quality is the centre halves. and in reality, given this isnt a new problem, it shouldnt have taken this long to get sorted.
Del thinks we can get more out of the players we have at the club already and he may be right but, in the first instance, he should try dropping Liam "give em a goal a game" Fontaine (i heard this on the train) and may be try Mark Wilson and Nyatanga in the middle. However, they may only provide a short term solution and Wilson is only quite short but as Fontaine is useless in the air anyway, it shouldn't make a huge amount of difference than what we are using now.
I will continue to support the team in my usual positive manner but its clear who the problem is and, for some of us, always has been.”
by Football50
Monday, October 08 2012, 12:45PM
“DaveinSA - You are missing the point with regards to the need for a commanding centre back, this is not something we "missed out on in the summer".
This has been a requirement for at least three seasons now, the only respite was when Steven Caulker was brought in and everone knew that was only going to be for one season.
The problem has gone unaddressed for way to long and quite frankly I along with many others it seems are a little fed up with the excuses as to why the problem has not been rectified.
I continue to buy my season ticket and turn up at Ashton Gate to support the team, but questions need to be asked when the glaringly obvious problem continues to be unresolved after so much time.”
by rocketbob
Monday, October 08 2012, 11:45AM
“We are now well into the season. The fans are restless, after a bright start we are now slipping into mediocrity. Everyone now appears to agree that a CH and midfielder are urgently required.It looks like to turning into another hard season avoiding relegation rather than looking towards the playoffs at least.The regulars will still attend of couse, but the other 4/5000 only turn up to see a winning team.We don`t know if it is money which holds us back, or the fact that the Club cannot attract the right players.It seems obvious however that the Manager must redouble his efforts to strengthen the defense while he still has the goodwill of the fans.”
by DaveinSA
Monday, October 08 2012, 10:37AM
“well, being 8000km away I don't really have the authority to comment, but I will!
Derek clearly knows where the problem areas are with the team, many posters have pointed it out and it's too be honest a little boring now.
For whatever reasons, we did not sign the defenders we could/should have. Time to move on.
We did sign some great attacking options, at great prices that represent good business (i.e. if we sell them they should make us more money than we bought them for).
So, it can be therefore safely assumed the Derek is working exceedingly hard behind the scenes to get the RIGHT players in. Unfortunately, this is undoubtably going to take a longer time than just filling the holes with the wrong players. He repeatedly says that he won't waste the owners money and that he won't do business for the wrong reasons.
Therefore, there is a careful balancing act that he is playing with the players he has at his disposal. He is operating on a shoestring budget for this division and the fans and supporters (I am a fan 'cos i never go to games!) need to understand that for the first time in a LONG LONG TIME there seems to be a STRATEGIC DIRECTION at the club from the playing side.
Be patient.
We will stay up.
2013/2014 is the year that we shall see the true impact of DMc...
...COYR”
by jessiejaner
Sunday, October 07 2012, 8:26PM
“L F is not a leader,& his mistakes are costing us games,he,s lost his the plot,beaten all to easy,Come on derick get some in who can do the job,”
by Marksy
Sunday, October 07 2012, 4:12PM
“We always concede, we're Bristol City and we always concede!”
by redferryman1
Sunday, October 07 2012, 1:04PM
“Marmeliser
Your call for 'urgency' echoes my comment of last week! But it seems our concern is falling on deaf ears in BS3. For everyone who recognises the dilemma, and who posts comments on these pages, we are beginning to sound like 'cracked record'. My genuine concern is that indifference and disillusionment will settle over the mindset of supporters. Ashton Gate Championship crowds are already one of the lowest in this league, and if supporters continually witness game-after-game the same old problems re-occurring without the management resolving the issue, then people will vote with their feet! If the manager appears indifferent, then what use is there in supporters getting excited about a situation beyond our control?”
by piledriver
Saturday, October 06 2012, 9:23PM
“On a brighter note, we have appx twice as many points as we did after 10 games last season and are 17th as opposed to 23rd.
Adomah looks dangerous and makes some exhilerating runs-The issue is the end product and, to often,there is none.
We need at least one top quality CB and a Tinnion/Hartley type midfielder to feed undoubtedly talented forwards.
We've scored a lot more goals than we had after ten games last season, however we've conceded almost as many so it's not difficult to see where the problem lies.”
by THEIRONS
Saturday, October 06 2012, 7:29PM
“Having read the above report, it seems to have been a pretty woeful display in Defence, Midfield, and Attack.Just three points above the relegation zone now, early season optimism is rapidly being replaced by the truth the best that Bristol City supporters can expect from this season is to maintain there tier 2 status for next season. Sad but true.”