|
Leicester have spent much of the season changing manager. We missed both Martin Allen and Gary Megson not to mention caretaker Jon Rudkin, whilst in that match in November they were under the temporary management of Frank Burrows whilst Steve Davis was in charge of the Clarets.
Since then Owen Coyle has come in at Burnley whilst Leicester have taken Ian Holloway from Plymouth. Holloway took over on the same day as Coyle took the Burnley job and both have been in charge at their respective new clubs for three games.
For Holloway it is one win, one draw and one defeat with the win coming in his home city of Bristol against the team he doesn't support Bristol City, and they suffered their first defeat under the new manager last Saturday going down to Southampton.
We've won five games away from home this season but only two at home. Owen Coyle has said we need to start winning at home and tonight is a good time to start. It would take us beyond thirty points and bring us the first double of the season.
There'll Patrick Kisnorbo is one of the successes from Craig Levein's time at Leicester, one of a number of players the manager brought with him from Scotland back in 2005.
|
He moved to Scotland to play for Hearts but opted for a move to Leicester with Levein along with such stars as Mark De Vries, a striker of sorts currently on loan at Leeds. He agreed a deal with Leicester in January 2005 and eventually signed for them that summer.
Such was his form that he was being hunted by a number of Premiership clubs during that season, including Birmingham, Everton and Wigan, and this despite being moved from midfield into defence by Rob Kelly who took over from the departed Levein.
Instead he opted to sign a new deal with Leicester, although he insisted that there be a clause in his contract which allows him to be released for ALL of Australia's internationals should he be called up.
So far that has been fourteen times and he has played in all of those games for his country.
Kisnorbo is a regular in the Leicester side and has already passed 100 appearances for them, including 94 in the Championship. He has also scored eleven goals for them including three this season against Crystal Palace, Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley.
He very much remains one to watch for the Clarets, without doubt one of the top players in the Leicester side.
Ian Holloway has some injury problems ahead of the game, just as he did on Saturday. He's without no fewer than four strikers in DJ Campbell (knee injury), loan player Collins John (hamstring), Elvis Hammond (ankle) and Matty Fryatt who is currently serving a suspension after being sent off in Holloway's first game at Bristol City.
To add to that James Wesolowski and James Chambers are also ruled out with hamstring and thigh injuries respectively and it is very likely that Holloway will select from the same sixteen as were involved on Saturday.
If so they will line up: Marton Fulop, Richard Stearman, Patrick Kisnorbo, Gareth McAuley, Alan Sheehan, Shaun Newton, Andy King, Stephen Clemence, Jonathan Hayes, Iain Hume, Carl Cort. Subs: Darren Kenton, Ashley Chambers, Alan Maybury, Bruno N'Gotty, Reneil Sappleton.
There are no reported injuries in the Burnley camp from Saturday's game although we are very much down to the bare bones with no fewer than five of the squad ruled out.
Manager Owen Coyle looks almost certain to name the same side again that has started all three of the games since he became manager, and it is expected that it will also be the same five substitutes.
Our expected team is: Gabor Kiraly, Graham Alexander, Clarke Carlisle, David Unsworth, Jon Harley, Wade Elliott, Chris McCann, Alan Mahon, Kyle Lafferty, Robbie Blake, Andy Gray. Subs: Brian Jensen, James O'Connor, Joey Gudjonsson, Steve Jones, Ade Akinbiyi.
Burnley were in desperate need of a win the last time Leicester visited Turf Moor in February of this year. We were getting closer and closer to the bottom of the league with no sign of a win from anywhere.
|
I'd struggled to get to this one because of illness and nothing that happened during the ninety minutes made me feel any better. I sat and watched Andy Gray, James O'Connor and Steve Caldwell all scorn good chances with poor headers whilst Wayne Thomas, Chris McCann and Gray were guilty of wayward shooting.
Just before half time came the chance of the match. It fell to Ade Akinbiyi against his old club, but he failed to get his shot away and the ball was cleared. It was 0-0 at half time but we really should have been in front against a Leicester side that had offered nothing.
Leicester did have some pressure early in the second half but when they did get through Danny Coyne was in fine form and thwarted them on a couple of occasions. At least we were going to get a point, this lot didn't look remotely like scoring, but in the end they didn't need to.
Midway through the second half we did it all for them, although an alert official would have spotted a clear offside before Thomas cleared the ball off the line, only for it to hit John McGreal and bounce straight back in past the hapless Thomas.
We made substitutions but you just sensed, once more, it wasn't going to be our night and so it proved. Thirteen league games without a win, and still five more to go.
There were some good performances. McCann, Coyne and O'Connor all did well as did Wayne Thomas who had one of his best games in a Burnley shirt.
The teams were;
Burnley: Danny Coyne, Wayne Thomas, John McGreal, Steven Caldwell, Jon Harley (Kyle Lafferty 70), Wade Elliott (Steve Jones 66), Joey Gudjonsson (Eric Djemba-Djemba 70), James O'Connor, Chris McCann, Ade Akinbiyi, Andy Gray. Subs not used: Michael Duff, Garreth O'Connor.
Leicester: Paul Henderson, Nils-Eric Johansson, Patrick Kisnorbo, Alan Maybury, Gareth McAuley, Jason Jarrett, Mark Yeates (Stephen Hughes 45), Andy Johnson, Levi Porter (Richard Stearman 82), Iain Hume (Elvis Hammond 60), Geoff Horsfield. Subs not used: Conrad Logan, Darren Kenton.
Previous 20 Seasons | |||||
Season | Div | Ven | Result | Att | Scorers |
1995/96 | LC | a | 0-2 | 11,142 | . |
| . | . | a | 0-2 | 4,553 | . |
2002/03 | 1 | a | 1-0 | 26,254 | I Moore |
| . | . | h | 1-2 | 14,554 | Sinclair(og) |
2004/05 | C | a | 0-0 | 22,495 | . |
| . | . | h | 0-0 | 10,933 | . |
2005/06 | C | a | 1-0 | 23,326 | Akinbiyi |
| . | . | h | 1-0 | 12,592 | Spicer |
2006/07 | C | a | 1-0 | 19,035 | Gray |
| . | . | h | 0-1 | 10,274 | . |
2007/08 | C | a | 1-0 | 21,334 | Gray |