Galacticos to visit Walkers

Galacticos: Mourinho's men will grace
the Walkers turf

Real Madrid will face Leicester City in a pre-season glamour friendly, it has been announced.

Jose Mourinho will be travelling to the East Midlands with the likes of Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Iker Casillas to take on Sven Goran Eriksson's Foxes on Saturday, 30th July.

It will be the second time in recent years that a top Spanish side has graced the hallowed Walkers Stadium turf: Madrid's El Clasico rivals Barcelona made a friendly appearance in the East Midlands in 2004, when Ronaldinho was spotted doing a bit of pre-match shopping at Fosse Park.

It's unlikely Mourinho will be following suit: he prefers to wear something a little more exclusive than a Marks and Spencer pull-over.

Ticketing arrangements for what is certain to be a sell-out summer crowd will be announced by the club in the coming weeks. 

Conclusions from Watford

Leicester	4-2	Watford
	(HT 1-2)
Bruma 39 Yakubu 62 Bruma 73 Yakubu 75		Sordell 28 Sordell 41

Att: 21,473
BBC Match Report

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Winners

Jeffrey Bruma

The promising Dutch defender came to the East Midlands seeking first team football in his bid to stake a claim for a regular place amongst Chelsea's matchday squad. His performances at the Walkers Stadium, however, will have failed to inspire Carlo Ancellotti as he has failed to inspire the Foxes' faithful. That changed today, when Bruma made his mark not as a defender but as a scorer of two quite stunning goals as he again impressed in a more advanced, defensive midfield role.

Yakubu
Started on the bench after Sven Goran Eriksson recognised his poor late form but was forced to bring him on for the injured Richie Wellens. Yakubu was bright, alert and putting in the effort all Leicester City fans appreciate, bagging two goals that secured what turned out to be a comfortable win. Yakubu's time at the Walkers Stadium may soon be over, but memories of the Nigerian will survive should his end-of-season form continue in the same vein as it began today.

Miguel Vitor
Another peerless performance. It looks like he doesn't fancy that nice Portuguese weather, because if he keeps playing like this he's going to be getting comfy in the English Championship sooner rather than later.

Alexsandar Tunchev
Making albeit only a cameo ten second appearance, Tunchev laced-up his boots and pulled-on his number 3 shirt alongside his team mates for the first time in eighteen months. Tunchev established himself as a fans' favourite after an impressive run of first team appearances in League One before injury forced him out for the rest of the season. One league cup appearance at Loftus Road saw him stretchered off the following season and that knee injury has seen him short of fitness since. Now, let's hope Tunch can have a few appearances to prove his fitness at the end of this season to spur him on to return to his best for the next.

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Losers

Patrick van Aanholt

Why was van Aanholt running forward into the opponent's box as we defended a two-goal lead? He should have reverted to job number one and defended, instead of exposing his goalkeeper who did well to foil the resulting attempt on goal. A picky reason in what was another disinterested performance from the Chelsea youngster.

Richie Wellens
He failed to make an impact before his injury forced Eriksson to make a change and introduce the game-changing Yakubu, changing his strategy in the process and unharnessing Yuki Abe from a dire performance out wide. Unfortunately this all rather exposed poor Wellens for his rather negligible impact on the game. 

Conclusions from the City Ground

Nottingham Forest	3-2	Leicester
	(HT 1-1)
Tudgay 15 Earnshaw 72 McKenna 85		Oakley 20 Vassell 73

Att: 24,217
BBC Match Report

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Screamer: Oakley gave Leicester a lifeline

• An entertaining game for the neutral. This derby was one that, for once, lived up to the hype credited to it by the media. The pace of the game made for an intriguing midfield battle with plenty of end-to-end stuff. Ultimately Forest had the first half, Leicester captivating for only a ten-minute period around Matt Oakley's equalizing goal. The second half again bought the stadium alight, with both sides looking for three points. Forest gained the advantage and Leicester instantly responded, demonstrating how superbly this league can entertain the masses.
• A poor finish to a wonderful eighty minutes of entertainment. Forest's farcical winner, making Foxes fans cringe as one as the ball bumbled underneath Chris Weale, ended the game as it was. Deflated Leicester players failed to find that same spark as they had done twice before, even with the likes of Paul Gallagher, Ben Mee and Miguel Vitor trying to put something - anything - into motion. As the fizz of the first eighty-odd minutes faded, Forest played a defensive game with the ball in the corners and killing the sense of occasion that gave this game its initial grandeur.
• We are out of it now. No more optimism. Six points off the play-offs, three games to play. The maths do still add-up, but without facing any of the four teams that now lie between the Foxes and Forest - now in sixth - a miracle is what is needed to see us in the Premier League next year. Yesterday's blog post about looking to squad-building for next season wasn't premature after all.

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Winners

Matt Oakley

Ill? On drugs? Whatever it is, Oakley is on fire at present as Leicester's most in-form player. The ex-Derby midfielder slammed-home a twentieth minute equalizer that well-matched the quality of Tudgay's opener. From beyond twenty yards, Lee Camp had no chance of saving Oakley's powerful shot, despite his getting a hand to the ball. Having failed to find the net in 78 Foxes appearances, the veteran has now scored twice in three matches, both goals crucial in giving City a foothold in their respective games. Fair play to Oakley, who's had a fair amount of stick recently, in putting two fingers up to that criticism in the best way possible. Odd, then, that he was substituted with just five minutes of the first half gone. Eriksson was clearly looking for something different from Yuki Abe, his replacement.

Man of the Match: Vitor put in another solid performance

Miguel Vitor
Vitor defended solidly this evening and demonstrated in parts some maturity far beyond his years. The 21-year-old was firm at the back and his distribution going forward was something a seasoned Paul Gallagher would have been aspiring to in his youth. Vitor was Leicester's standout man of the match this evening and if Eriksson can persuade Benfica to part with this loanee, it will be a very good piece of business for Leicester indeed.

Paul Gallagher
If Waghorn wept in Cardiff, Gallagher was the man to show the fans how much effort has been put in this year's play-off push. Leicester's most improved player must be assured of a key role next season and his sense of duty, commitment and pride is second to none in this squad.

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Losers

Andy King

The golden boy's poor run of form continues to hamper him and the team, his usual sparkle and magic absent from this match as in many performances of late. In the second half his long run ended as he failed to find a good ball through to a breaking Yakubu. King needs to find more form if he is to avoid the scorn of all to often fickle Foxes fans.

Chris Weale

If any man will take the blame for this it will be the goalkeeper. This was a good performance from Leicester City in which two goals were scored to fight back - in that spirit we all hold so dear - against two decent strikes from the opposition (albeit one of them offside). A pity, then, that the winning goal was so farcical, a tame shot from McKenna bobbling under Weale to find its way into the back of the net. A poor way to start the end of what will surely be his final season as the Foxes' number one. 

Yakubu

Plenty of effort - and a sense of humour - from the Yak but that failed to deliver. His single attempt on goal was a tame effort indeed and his replacement by Vassell early in the second half introduced a bit more pace to the Foxes attack.

Predictions on the summer transfer window

There has been, of late, much criticism of Sven Goran Eriksson's loan policy with little regard for the fact that he has had but one January transfer window to make permanent signings (at often inflated prices). To that end, attention is now being paid to potential signings that could take place - wishfully or realistically - come the end of the season and this year's main transfer window.

What is certain is that Eriksson will be looking to strengthen three areas - goalkeepers, central defenders and strikers. Here are some ideas floated by this commentator: 

Hobbs: Player of the Year last season, could he return?

The first major focus is defending - the loans of Miguel Vitor, Ben Mee, Kyle Naughton and Patrick van Aanholt all expire come May and of those four the Foxes should probably be looking to buy two, Mee and Naughton being the best performers this season with Vitor a close third. Those signings would give some continuity from this season into the next. And, should the club once more find itself in Jack Hobbs' good books then a defensive line-up of Naughton, Hobbs, Mee and a loanee at left-back could prove brilliant as the Foxes strive for Premiership glory.

Kebe: Played well for Reading against the Foxes

In terms of the midfield things already look pretty solid. The current line-up of Richie Wellens, Andy King and Yuki Abe is working at this level and Matt Oakley's current form as a holding midfielder is promising for him to provide a useful contribution there next term, should Abe's form dip as it has done this season. However, some credit should be given to those prophesying that Leicester City should be looking towards a 4-4-2 to solidify the team defensively and, should the club go down this route then some dedicated right and left midfield players will be required. Lloyd Dyer is not good enough to be a regular first teamer at Championship level so left midfield is certainly somewhere to focus on and, whilst Paul Gallagher possesses brilliant ability and - as has already been mentioned by many - is the most improved player under Eriksson, he lacks the pace needed on the wings. Here, Reading's Jimmy Kebe could be a brilliant signing - although it would take a lot to lure him away from the Royals, particularly should they make the play-offs and certainly should they win that competition. Let's not forget either Franck Moussa, whose season at Doncaster has been quietly impressive - perhaps he is ready to step-up to the mark in a Championship first XI, as Max Gradel has done for Leeds this season? There has also been talk of signing a defensive midfielder such as Lee Bowyer: what a signing he would be. If we're talking here about consolidating the defensive capabilities of our midfield, a crunching tackler like Bowyer would be a dream signing.

Graham: Impressed at Carlisle in Lg1 before starring at Watford

Up front some consistency is needed and perhaps a permanent move for Diomansy Kamara could prove fruitful. It may also be about time that Gallagher has a chance as a regular centre forward: perhaps a signing could be made to partner him as a regular centre forward? Yakubu's inconsistent performances do not justify his wages and the Foxes would be ill-advised to sign him on a long-term contract. Danny Graham has been a popular choice with many fans speculating on summer transfers already and whilst his signature would be a coup, would he leave Watford to move to the East Midlands?

Out of contract: Westwood would be a popular signing

Finally, to the situation between the sticks. Neither Chris Weale nor Ricardo have impressed this season with both putting-in some farcical performances at times. Fresh blood is needed at the back, but who to sign? Kieran Westwood is out of contract at the other end of the M69 and is a favourite amongst supporters, whilst Fraser Forster has done well at Aberdeen on loan from Newcastle. Of course over the last three seasons Leicester have used more goalkeepers than any other club, with the likes of David Stockdale and Mark Bunn impressing in short spells at the Walkers Stadium. Perhaps there is scope amongst those emergency loans to make a longer-term switch? Finally what happened to Michael Rensing, the German keeper on trial in January? Clearly he failed to impress Eriksson, but perhaps a similar, older head would not be a bad thing as defensive solidarity is what is needed most of all.

So, there you have it - a complete run-down of the current problems and how in an ideal world they might be tackled. These ideas have not arisen from insider information or any crystal-gazing, but merely from one perspective of what might happen to improve our beloved club's promotion prospects as we look forward to 2012.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Which area is most important for Sven to build-on for next season? Make your response in the panel on the right.

City duo in team of the year

Two Leicester City players have been named as part of the Professional Football Association's Championship Team of the Year.

Andy King and Kyle Naughton have both been key players as Sven Goran Eriksson's Foxes have struggled towards the play-off places having made the club's worst ever start to a season. They were both nominated by their peers to appear in the XI selected by the PFA in an awards dinner that saw King's Wales team-mate Gareth Bale take the overall Player of the Year prize whilst Arsenal's Jack Wilshere picked-up the Young Player of the Year award.

Naughton was chosen as the Championship's best right back, whilst King was selected in the highly competitive central midfield position.

PFA Championship Team of the Year
Goalkeeper: Paddy Kenny (Queens Park Rangers)

Defenders: Kyle Naughton (Leicester City), Ian Harte (Reading), Ashley Williams (Swansea City), Wes Morgan (Nottm Forest)

Midfielders: Adel Taarabt (Queens Park Rangers), Scott Sinclair (Swansea City),Andy King (Leicester City), Wes Hoolahan (Norwich City)

Forwards: Danny Graham (Watford), Grant Holt (Norwich City)

Eriksson to give evidence to fraud office

Leicester City manager Sven Goran Eriksson will give evidence to the Serious Fraud Office after a con that saw him appointed director of football at ailing Notts County.

Eriksson was appointed at the Magpies following a takeover that promised billions of Middle Eastern investment into the East Midlands club. That money never materialised and Eriksson was left high and dry, claiming he became suspicious after the milk bill at the club failed to be paid.

"For me as a football man it was fantastic, building a club from the bottom of League Two and having the funding to do it, to be a Premier League club. It's like a dream, so I signed," said the Swede, "Big mistake. I started to have doubts when they came and told me the milk bill has not been paid."

The fraudulent deal that also hooked-in City bankers and the North Korean government is to be examined in a special Panorama programme, 'The Trillion Dollar Con Man' to be screened on BBC One tonight at 8:30pm.

Belated Conclusions from the Madejski Stadium

Reading	3-1	Leicester
	(HT 2-0)
Kebe 19 McAnuff 21 Hunt 67		King 79

Att: 19,199
BBC Match Report

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• A poor performance nails the coffin closed. Only a groundskeeper at the graveyard of our season wandering his cemetery on a silent evening will hear the cries for help of Leicester City fans now. We're clinging on with our last breaths to a vague hope that promotion this season is still a possibility. This commentator is a sceptic, but even the most optimistic of supporters are now waking up to the prospect of another nearly-great Championship season.
• Defending is the problem. From Sol Bamba's insistence on calling for absent offside decisions to the worrying trend of results surrounding appearances by Jeffrey Bruma, the Foxes' back line is what seems to be most at fault. Quickly, a choice of who to play and where in a very competitive back line has boiled down to a need for consistency from the two men who have been at the club for the longest this season: Miguel Vitor and Ben Mee. It's there time to shine if the optimists' dreams are to be proven accurate.

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Vitor': His introduction bolstered the Foxes' defence

Winners
Miguel Vitor
Despite making only a second half appearance, Alan Young gave the Portuguese loanee his informal man of the match award on BBC Radio Leicester. This therefore begs the question: if he doesn't start the next game alongside Ben Mee, how much are Chelsea paying us to lose our play-off place at the expense of giving Jeffrey Bruma a run-out?

Paul Gallagher
Shop windowing? Trying to persuade Sven Goran Eriksson that he must, MUST, start the next game? This was a performance indicative of one of the above, his second-half introduction changing the game in favour of Leicester and allowing a change to the short-passing game played up to that point that was clearly just not working against a pacey, determined Reading side.


Steve Howard
Gave increased focus to the attacks which lacked that earlier in the game. He acted as the target man that was needed against Reading with the Foxes playing 4-3-3, particularly after the introduction of Gallagher and his long ball deliveries. Howard had fewer scoring opportunities than Yakubu but the Leicester attack looked far more purposeful with his influence. He seemed to raise spirits within the team, too.

Andy King

Despite it being a mere consolation, Andy King's goal failed to disappoint and will be another of his many fine strikes that can be added to his end-of-season compilation video. The Welshman's goal came out of nowhere and was as crisp a-strike as you are ever likely to see, nailed straight and narrow into the bottom corner. A pity, then, that it failed to cap a wonderful victory and instead will remind us of a dismal defeat.

Sven Goran Eriksson
It is to the Swede's credit that three of the four men featured above are substitutes introduced in the second half. One could argue that those same three men should have started in place of those whom they replaced, but to do so would take away the credit of Eriksson in his attempts to alter the tempo and style of his team when they were reeling at 2-0 and 3-0 down.

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Losers

Bamba: Outpaced and outclassed

Sol Bamba

Schoolboy errors abound, Bamba had a shocker. He was at fault for allowing Shane Long the space and time he needed to power to the byline and cross for Jimmy Kebe's opener - Bamba caught standing as he appealed for an offside flag that was never going to be raised. He was less to blame for Reading's second, but was at fault when Jimmy Kebe was presented with three clear chances as Reading quickly broke forward on three separate occasions, the centre-halves failing to deal with the advancing threats. Thankfully, Kebe's radar was wide of the mark on each occasion. Many more mature performances are needed from Bamba if he is to compete for his starting place.

Jeffrey Bruma
Perhaps it is harsh to pin the blame on Bruma for McAnuff's cool finish after a catalogue of errors gifted the Royals a second, however it was the Dutchman who stood off and allowed McAnuff the sight at goal. He was to blame - as was Bamba - for continually allowing Reading to break forward and challenge Chris Weale on the break. Bruma was entirely to blame for the Royals' third goal as he slipped, gifting the advancing Kebe with a choice of passes that led to Noel Hunt firing home. Whatever Bruma lacked against Reading - bravery, positioning, agility, pace - is not a good sign for a young defender hoping for starting berth at Chelsea in the future.

Yakubu
Failed to offer the focus that was needed in attacking a Reading side at 2-0 down and his poor finishing meant that there was little need for his appearance on the pitch. Perhaps he is already dreaming of the Premier League, which will come again next season (if it does) without his Leicester team-mates.

King commits to Foxes' cause

King: The Foxes skipper has signed for four more years

Andy King has shown his commitment to Leicester City by signing an extension to his existing three-year contract that will see him stay at the Walkers Stadium until 2015.

The Welsh international midfielder has impressed many since his emergence into the Foxes' starting eleven three seasons ago and he is widely tipped to take the club's Player of the Year award next month following a fans' vote.

Speaking to LCFC.com, King said that he was looking forward to Premier League football, but would like to be  part of a promoted Leicester side.

"It has always been my ambition to play Premier League football and it is obvious that Leicester City are heading in that direction. I am delighted that I will have the chance to help achieve that ambition. The owners and the manager have big ambitions for the Club, so knowing they want me to be here in the long term is a great feeling, especially as I only signed a new deal last year."

King has made an impressive 160 appearances for Leicester since graduating from the club's academy in 2007, going on to score a credible 38 goals - 14 of which see him as City's top scorer this term.

Fans asked for their views as PotY voting opens

Voting for Leicester City's Player of the Year competition has opened with fans asked by the club to vote for their heroes in three major categories.

The Goal of the Season award sees ten cracking finishers go head-to-head vying for the one vote of each blue-shirted fan, whilst the Young Player of the Year award sees six nominees pitched against one-another. Loanees Patrick Van Aanholt, Jeffrey Bruma, Ben Mee and Kyle Naughton will compete against Martyn Waghorn and last year's winner Andy King, whilst the entire squad is available for nomination for the ultimate Player of the Year accolade.

Fans can vote for their choices using a SurveyMonkey form online, with the winners being announced at the club's end of season gala dinner on Tuesday, 3rd May.

Conclusions from Crystal Palace

Leicester	1-1	Crystal Palace
	(HT 0-1)
Oakley 58		Scannell 31 Zaha off 90+5

Att: 22,303
BBC Match Report

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• Irony reigns. Initial thoughts would be that this is the season over for Leicester City. Well done lads, but this season is over, try again next year. That irony is that the Foxes are closer now than they were at the start of this game and, despite my pessimism after the win over Burnley, I'm more optimistic now than I was after that 4-0 thrashing. Who knows what the next turn will be in this fascinating season?
• The battle between heart and head goes on. The heart has for so long been saying that four, five - even six - points is nothing, two wins to the heady heights of the play-offs. But the head... Ahh, the head is a different matter. The head thinks about points and goal difference and the teams yet to play, those that will pose a challenge. This season's intrigue will grow yet.
• At least we're not Sheffield United. The Blades lie on the brink of League One. The sickening feeling of that experience, shared by Leicester City fans just three years ago, is one that no Fox wishes to repeat and it is a sad day to see a great club like this fall into obscurity in such embarrassing fashion.

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Winners

Matt Oakley

A decent performance in midfield capped by his first goal in a year. A lively game from the veteran midfielder in which he showed his class at this level in distributing the ball well and moving the game forward effectively. His contribution to the score sheet was vital, if in vain.

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Losers

Steve Howard

The big man failed to have the impact he should have done, his aerial presence barely highlighted as the Foxes played forward long in an attempt to grab that elusive winner.

Diomansy Kamara
That sensational start to his Leicester City career faltered tonight as Kamara failed to shine, whether that be through a lack of service or his own poor performance.

Yakubu
Another off game for the Yak who lacked urgency and bite up front, failing to score again after that hat-trick of just two games ago promised so much was to come from the Nigerian.

Conclusions from Burnley

Leicester	4-0	Burnley
	(HT 1-0)
Kamara 23 Gallagher 52 (pen), 71 Van Aanholt 81

Att: 24,039
BBC Match Report

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• Well, that won't do the goal difference any harm. A home victory by four clear goals and with a clean sheet thrown-in will be great for Leicester's figures - currently one of the worst goal differences in the top half of the Championship - which could be crucial as the play-off race becomes ever tighter.
• It was great to see us thrash someone. It finished as four, but Gallagher has two attempts to grab his hat-trick, Wellens hit the bar... and they were just the memorable efforts. Whilst our undeniably solid defending today helped do the job, it was the positive attacking play even at 4-0 that won this fixture against a poor Burnley side. And what a turnaround from the 3-0 drubbing at Turf Moor back in September.
• If this were a rating of squads, rather than a choice of the best and worst performers, nobody would score less than seven. This was not a group of individuals standing-out particularly, but a team performance that saw every member of the squad pulling their weight. This was Leicester City's best performance of the season.

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Winners
Diomansy Kamara
Netted his first goal to give the Foxes a half time lead in his home début. Today he developed his partnership with Yakubu up front, something formidable that could end up giving Leicester an edge over their play-off rivals as we approach the end of the season.

Paul Gallagher
Two chances, two goals. A standard high quality penalty and a great shot that beat Brian Jensen easily even from thirty yards in a peerless performance. Gallagher is fast becoming the Foxes' most important player.

Patrick van Aanholt
Proved his quality as an advancing full-back when he scored a scorcher to open his senior league account, but matched that with a great defensive performance that helped Leicester secure a crucial clean sheet.

Ben Mee
Alan Young's man of the match, Mee was another defender who covered his line well today, despite playing at right-back as opposed to his more usual centre-half.

Chris Weale

A solid performance from the fans' favourite goalkeeper, leading his back four as well as a good performance between the sticks.

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Losers

The Play-off Push

I fear this resurgence has come too late. Leeds United remain in sixth place in the play-off places on 64 points, five clear of Leicester who have jumped up to ninth. Even with this peerless victory today, the play-off places could this season now be beyond the Foxes' grasp.

Hamstring strain ends season for Wag

Leicester City striker Martyn Waghorn will be out for the rest of the season after he tore a hamstring in training yesterday.

The ex-Sunderland man, bought by Paulo Sousa as a sweetener to allay criticism from Foxes fans in September, has a grade-two strain that will see him out for eight weeks - with only seven remaining of the current Championship season.

Waghorn's chances have been limited this season as he slipped down the pecking order under Sven Goran Eriksson, with Diomansy Kamara the latest loanee to join the front-line at the Walkers Stadium.

Conclusions from the Riverside Stadium

Middlesbrough	3-3	Leicester
	(HT 1-2)
Emnes 14 Williams 55 McManus 90+4		Yakubu 4, 45+3, 48 Bruma off 77

Att: 14,500
BBC Match Report

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• This was football at its best. Not because of the quality of the game or any rare or uncanny eventuality, but the sheer pace at which it changed direction and swerved. This was the perfect example of why we follow our club through thick and thin, high and low, with goals and controversy galore... just a brilliant afternoon's entertainment.
• Attacking is all well and good, but you need to have some defence too. The quality of Leicester City's defending was as poor as our attacking was good this afternoon. Too many errors allowed Middlesbrough back into the game and, even though Rhys Williams' strike was a great one, it was mistakes at the back that made this a shaky draw instead of the easy victory it could so easily have been. 

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Winners

Yakubu

A week off gave plenty of fans the opportunity to reflect on various players' performances and one man widely criticised was Yakubu. He answered those critics in style this afternoon as he put in a real shift to give the Foxes a crucial win and earn himself the match ball in the process. A great performance at his former club from the big man.

Chris Weale
Hero. Although he was one of many players to blame for Middlesbrough's early equaliser (he was helpless to stop Williams' stunning second for the home side), Weale's call back into the starting eleven was one he answered with aplomb. Once again, Ricardo was a man who received some harsh feedback from various commentators and Sven Goran Eriksson opted to drop him in favour of the Bristolian for this afternoon's clash. It worked, Weale making some crucial saves to keep the Foxes fighting. His penalty save was at the time one of the biggest turning points of the season, and in the end it meant the Foxes left the north-east with a point instead of nothing at all.

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Losers

Patrick van Aanholt

A poor header gifted the home side their equaliser as he gave the ball away and, despite his promise going forward, the young Dutch full back is caught out at the back far too often.

Jeffrey Bruma
The handball decision that led to the Boro penalty was dubious but dealt with superbly by Weale. What followed was farcical as Bruma continued to harry the referee and was rightly sent off for dissent. This was a perfect example of how the youthful make-up of the Leicester City defence can easily implode, with a poor overall performance at the back compounded by Bruma's tantrum that made this superb game end with just a single point for the Foxes instead of the three we deserved.

Andy Haines, London
A poor, poor refereeing performance today from the man in black who has shot the Foxes good discipline record to pieces with five yellow cards and one red. It was not that he was trigger happy in his pocket, rather that he failed to put Boro players in the book for very similar challenges to those that went punished against players in royal blue. It was inconsistency that was the issue today. Perhaps his only good decision was in the second booking dished-out to Jeffrey Bruma who deserved his red card for dissent, but overall Haines today did not demonstrate a fitness to officiate at this level.