Anyway, thanks all for your company and comments - bye.
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So, there it is. Leicester need a maximum of 12 points - four wins - from six games, and they’re champions. Just ponder the enormity of that for a second. And another. And then have a lie down and ponder it some more, in the context of this wondrous game of ours.
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Full-time: Leicester City 1-0 Southampton
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90+5 min First sign of nerves from Leicester as Kante boots Pelle bear the touchline for no reason - his back was to play. But the free-kick is cleared, and Leicester have done it! Four 1-0s in a row, and seven points clear! What a huge result! This is quite simply a ridiculous, remarkable, rahted piece of season from them.
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90+4 min The ball drops in the box, left side and close the the by-line - Mane is there,m waiting for the chance to shoot, but Ulloa is there, limbs connect, pain is endured, and goalkick is signalled.
90+4 min ...but Ward-Prowse can’t get the elevation and Simpson heads clear.
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90+3 min Southampton eventually win back possession, thunk it downfield, and there’s Wes Morgan heading out of play. But what’s this? A free-kick to Southampton, 25 yards out, left of centre ... and the expert Ward-Prowse behind it ...
90+1 min Leicester keep the ball down the left-hand side woah woah for the longest time, and eventually Cedric loses patience, hacking Vardy, and the process recommences.
90 min There shall be five added minutes.
89 min Albrighton, who’s had a very good afternoon, departs; Dyer arrives.
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89 min Leicester do superbly down the left, keeping the ball and running down the clock until, eventually, Gray, who’s done well since coming on, entices Tadic into conceding a foul.
87 min Leicester look really confident now - if Southampton get anything, it’ll be a hail Mary.
85 min Oh! Oh! Leicester break again and Gray, through the middle and with space in front, picks a perfect pass to Ochoa, inside the box on his left. But rather than tonk at goal immediately, he steps inside and doesn’t have the finesse to escape the various men around him, so sees his shot blocked. Leicester, though, keep at it and Albrighton slips Vardy through on the right, and he slides a low shot across goal from close range and a tight angle. But Forster, who’s had an excellent afternoon, catches it with his trailing leg, and Leicester are still within reach as the crowd bluff nerves with noise.
83 min But in typical style, Leicester break immediately and win a corner - Gray drills it to the edge of the box, where Morgan waits. He chucks laces at it, but slices as bodies slide, and Southampton avert the danger.
83 min And that was nearly it, a cross towards Pelle flicking off a head and falling between Ward-Prowse and Austin around the penalty spot.
82 min Southampton have not mustered a serious chance this half. It only takes one, but I can see why Leicester would fancy themselves to see this out.
80 min “Unsurprisingly given what’s at stake, there’s been an undercurrent of panic in Leicester in this second half” emails Mike Gibbons, “and they’re dropping too deep without the ball. Ever since that loss to Arsenal they’ve had a noticeable change in mindset when they go one in front. They’re playing every game like it’s the last day of the season, which is going to make the next six weeks seem like an eternity. It makes you wonder if they could rouse themselves again if they were pegged back or, as must happen at some point they have to chase a game in the last twenty minutes.”
I’d not worry about their ability to rouse themselves, but agree that protecting leads is a tricky endeavour.
And, while we’re at it, you can buy Mike, superb book on the the summer of 1996 here, and read an extract here.
79 min Gray comes on for Mahrez, who walks off with laudable slowness.
77 min Mahrez finds Vardy with a superb ball out of defence and he holds up well without quite escaping Fonte and Van Dijk. Eventually Mahrez catches up, but his shot is easily fielded by Forster.
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76 min This is increasingly frenetic.
74 min Tadic leaves a foot up, is penalised, does remonstrate, and how dare he! How absolutely dare he! He’s booked, and the free-kick, 35 yards out and wide on the right touchline, finds Huth - but he can’t get a proper head on it, and Southampton clear.
73 min Final changes for Southampton: Austin and Ward-Prowse replace Davis and Clasie.
71 min Ye’ve gottae score! Leicester should add a second, but don’t! Vardy does superbly down the left, running onto Drinkwater’s backheel, flicks a cut-back from the by-line, and there’s Simpson, all alone and with his half of the goal empty. But rather than lift it beyond any dive, or find the half of the goal that’s empty, he goes back across and allows Forster to make a save - and excellent save - that he should never have sniffed. Might they - de-de! - regret that?
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70 min Mac Millings is back: “Forest were, indeed, up against Liverpool, but so were Everton, Villa, Spurs, and Ipswich, all of whom were serious football teams that won European trophies in that era. You could argue that two ways, I suppose. Perhaps that made it even harder for Forest, so their success is more surprising - but to me it suggests that (and Ipswich are the key here) smaller clubs could (with serious talent and a top-class manager) challenge the very biggest and best in those days.”
I can see both sides.
67 min Exceptional demonstrative refereeing from Michael Oliver. First Simpson waved his foot into Mane’s torso, then Kante clattered him - but Saints still had the ball, so advantage was waved. And then Mane ran out of position, so a whistle and wild gesticulation reminded us who’ve really come to see. The free-kick came to nowt, but with arm-waving of that quality, who cares?
66 min Bit of possession stuff from Leicester, who will soon have to decide whether to pursue more goals, or sit on what they’ve got.
2 min The pitch is mowed like a tallit.
64 min Good couple of minutes for Southampton, so Ranieri makes his customary change: Ulloa replaces Okazaki.
61 min And what a save that is from Fraser Forster! Mahrez, who’s still quiet, conjures space on the right touchline, sliding away from his man and sending a ball down the line for Drinkwater. His cross is aimed at Vardy, so Fonte has no choice but to slide in the road - diverting a lob towards the far top corner, until his keeper flings his corporeal backwards to tip over the bar.
60 min “Any chance of abandoning the MBM and having a full Wesley In instead?” asks CD on Twitter.
Right - here’s Harper.
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58 min I know Southampton have played 3-5-2 on other occasions this season, but they look liberated as they are now. They’ve not created much, but there’s a zest about their play that wasn’t present in the first half, even when they were on top.
56 min “I’m of the (worthless) opinion that the result of the Forest/Leicester miracle-off depends on the aftermath,” emails Mac Millings. “Forest *may* have been as much of a surprise, but they remained at the forefront for several years, to the extent that football pundits of the day often included them in the Big Four along with an ever-shifting cast that included Liverpool, Everton, Tottenham, and others. If Leicester fade into yo-yo, or even mid-table, obscurity after this season, then they are the true miracle. The great Forest sides played in an era when a smaller club could sustain top-of-table excellence. I fear Leicester don’t live in that world.”
Yes, I can see that, as Jake blues once said. Forest had players who people didn’t know were serious, but were serious. Leicester may, or may not - my guess would be not. However, Forest were up against Liverpool.
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54 min This game is nurturing an exciting quantity of needle - Simpson and Tadic become embroiled in one another, and the chuntering continues for the next minute or so.
53 min
@DanielHarris was going to watch the match but then a tree knocked out our power. Thank god for MBM! pic.twitter.com/SubMCaEHRB
— James Boden (@Jimmer3422) April 3, 2016
We aim to please, though not as well as that tree.
52 min Tadic, facing the touchline, draws a foul from the frustrated Drinkwater, who is booked. Another free-kick is banged flat across the box, but this time, Schmeichel does enough.
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50 min Nice, intricate stuff from Bertrand and Tadic down the left, forcing a free-kick - and it’s a goodun from Davis, flicked across the face while the Leicester defenders hope. And it works.
49 min Can someone please confirm that Jose Fonte’s dressing nickname is “Ofallinformation”? Thanks.
46 min Wanyama accepts possession and daintily flicks across his body to himself - in his mind. In reality, he inepts directly into the path of Vardy, who burns past him and forces the application of forearm to face. Wanyama is booked - Fonte was there covering, and there were still 30 yards to run. The free-kick, curved to the far post, bounces out of play.
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46 min Four at the back now for Southampton - the ruse to stop Leicester has failed.
A change for Southampton: Tadic replaces Targett.
Half-time email: “Refs and pundits all on Leicester’s side,” reckons Marc Nellis. “Should have been at least one sending off and a penalty for Southampton. I’m not a bitter Arsenal fan, honest.”
Can’t agree with that. Well, not the second part anyway - I’m sure most of those unaffiliated would prefer Leicester win the title, but not sure there’s a problem with partial commentators, provided it doesn’t affect their analysis. And for the nothing that it’s worth, that was not, in my opinion, a penalty - Simpson was three yards away from Mane, who shot at him. It’s certainly possible knew the ball would hit his arm, but not a lot he could do about it in the time, and no way we could be sure of his intention.
And one more, in honour of Wes Morgan.
Half-time entertainment: Leicester in the fifites
That half looked more or less what a half of a team chasing the title looks like: a strong start against a cautious opponent, a lucky escape followed by some amusing consternation, then a goal out of nothing.
Half-time: Leicester City 1-0 Southampton
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45+1 min Minor aggravation as Vady ploughs through Davies - the first leg snaps into the ball, the second cleans up. Davis doesn’t mind, Clasie minds a lot, and the referee tells them to relax.
45 min There shall be one added minute.
44 min On the other hand, you ought never to be without a Wesley.
43 min “Great header,” tweets Hubert O’Hearn. “Say, with all the doubts about England’s centre-halves, why no call-up for Wes Morgan? Who says no?”
He plays for Jamaica, as I’ve just recalled after deleting the incriminating evidence.
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41 min That’s Wes Morgan’s first goal of the season. He enjoyed the ever-loving intercourse out of it.
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GOAL! Leicester City 1-0 Southampton (Morgan, 38)
What a brilliant header this is in any circumstance! What an expletive brilliant header this is in this circumstance! Both teams are minding their own business, Southampton set and Leicester fiddling 40 yards from goal. The ball then finds its way to Fuchs on the left, he unfurls a stupendous cross, and Morgan willpowers himself over the top of Clasie to apply forehead to pig’s bladder and out of nowhere, Leicester are ahead!
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36 min Southampton are on top here, and Fonte is given time on the ball 25 yards out. He wipes his foot across one, catches it lovelily, and forces Schmeichel to fly across his goal and tip over the top.
34 min “I reckon cricket’s David Gower could be described as lackadaisical,” emails Natasha Frank. “Is he Leicester’s most famous sportsman?”
Him or Gary Lineker. Or Scott Oakes.
32 min Huge escape for Leicester! Mane latches onto Pelle’s superb touch, turn and pass, screaming through the middle - Simpson does amazingly well to stay with him. Mane could shoot as Schmeichel advances, but instead goes around him, at which point the aforementioned Simpson beetles for the line. Mane does what you’re meant to do - lifts his finish to avoid the slide - but Simpson stands up, the ball hits his forearm, which is against his body, and it’s enough to send it behind. The corner comes to nothing. Superb from all involved.
30 min Pelle takes a knee in the small of the back, Simpson the donor, and there’s a brief pause while anguished faces are made.
29 min Nice little movelet from Southampton. Pelle lays off to Davis who goes wide, and Cedric’s cross meets his run about 12 yards out. He connects well with a header, but can’t get over it, and the ball zooms over the bar.
28 min Mahrez, who’s been quiet so far, slinks by Targett and clips a cut-back to the edge of the box, where it’s wasted.
27 min A lull.
25 min Kante misplaces a pass just outside the Southampton box and Mane breaks running past, through and around a variety of challenges and into the Leicester half - there’s a real player there. He’s eventually forced to pass, earning a corner in the process, but Bertrand’s delivery is less useful this time and Morgan heads clear easily enough.
22 min Southampton have settled now, and Davis and Clasie charge through midfield after stopping a break. But Leicester immediately come back at them, the eventual telling challenge made by the excellent Albrighton, Villa reject that he is.
21 min First flash of Southampton, Davis making good ground down the right and aiming a pass into the channel for Pelle. He crosses high and earns a corner - a test for Schmeichel, who struggles in his six-yard box. And that’s where the ball’s directed, and that’s what happens, except the ref gives a foul against Pelle, who blatantly glanced at him.
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19 min Vardy is playing with ridiculous confidence. This time he appears on the left, pulling away from his marker(s) to reach Albrighton’s ball, rinsing to the line and curving a whooshing low cross that’s got too much on it for the onrushing Okazaki - but only just too much.
18 min Nice again from Leicester, Huth hitting long for Simpson, racing forward. He gathers beautifully into his stride, and without contemplating breaking it, glides his body into a low cross with the outside of his left foot. Again, Okazaki is alive to it at the near post, and again he’s crowded out for a corner that comes to nothing.
17 min Southampton have barely mustered a visit into Leicester’s half - but, at the same time, Leicester have barely mustered a chance.
15 min Leicester are working like the proverbial dog, or they would be if working like a dog were a proverb rather than a simile.
13 min The corner is cleared away for a throw on the right, which finds its way to Morgan, loitering on the other side of the box. He does really well to administer power while keeping a bouncing ball down, but his effort is blocked away.
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11 min Superb from Leicester - Simpson clips what looks like a speculative pass along the inside-right channel for Vardy, who outjumps his man, flicks on to himself, and crosses low to the near post. And there’s Okazaki, doing a Vardy and attempting to flick home - but various limbs fly in the road, and a corner is the consequence.
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10 min “The groundsman’s their lucky talisman,” tweets David Fraser of the KP pitch.
Yes, but at the moment, most of the play is around the fringes.
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8 min Bertrand is lackadaisical - one can only be lackadaisical if playing football, right? - and underhits a backpass that has Forster all of a flat, haring off his line to slice a clearance into touch with Vardy harassing. But all is well in the end.
7 min The first vignette of Kante, picking off Wanyama and setting an attack away. The ball finds its way to Albrighton on the left, who booms a cross towards Mahrez at the back post. But Forster leaps and fields basketball-style, scooping it into one outsized mitt before clearing.
5 min Targett takes a miserable thrown - though, in fairness, Davis was away with the fairies - and Albrighton robs him. Eventually Targett recovers to win back possession, but the Leicester have started with purpose and conviction.
3 min Mahrez nashes down the right and wins a corner, which comes to nothing.
1 min And off we go!
“We’re gonna win the league, we’re gonna win the league!” greets the players - along with those infernal clappers. No need to wait a while for the cynicism there. Ahhhh, that feels better.
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The players are tunnelled...
Leicester fans have all been given free beer and donuts in celebration of the chairman’s birthday. Gimme ten and I’ll furnish it with requisite cynicism, but in the meantime, how very nice.
Danny Taylor, our esteemed chief football writer, is certain that the miracle of Forest trumps the prospective miracle of Leicester - and he may well be right. For the nothing whatsoever that it’s worth, I’m undecided, but it is worth pointing out that Forest were managed by Brian Clough, an epochal genius through whom everything and anything was possible. Thoughts?
According to Peter Schmeichel, Danny Drinkwater thought he was going to replace Paul Scholes at Manchester United. That is a surprising thing to hear.
Credit where it’s due: the Leicester players seem to be having a lot of fun. Which sounds pretty straightforward, except that it isn’t; sport, and football in particular, is so often so po-faced, so consumed by its sense of self-importance, as to be alienating, infuriating and pathetic. We still love it, obviously, but sometimes in spite of itself and ourselves.
“I think it was me who said” dept: piece on Leicester, legacy ... and life, man. You can read it here.
So Leicester are Leicester - Claudio Ranieri has made just 25 changes all season and none in the last four games.
Southampton, on the other hand, give Matt Targett a chance as part of a formation that is specifically designed to nullify Leicester’s two strikers. Do not expect many goals, let alone a goalfest.
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Runners and riders
Leicester City (an unsophisticated, outmoded, top-of-the-league 4-4-2): Schmeichel; Simpson, Morgan (c), Huth, Fuchs; Mahrez, Kanté, Drinkwater, Albrighton; Okazaki, Vardy.
Subs: King, Amartey, Gray, Ulloa, Dyer, Wasilewski, Schwarzer.
Southampton: (a specifically commandeered 3-5-2): Forster; Fonte, Van Dijk, Bertrand; Cedric, Davies, Clasie, Wanyama, Targett; Mane, Pelle.
Subs: Stekelenberg, Yoshida, Rodriguez, Tadic, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Austin.
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Preamble
Today is the biggest day in the history of Leicester City ... since the Saturday before last, when they played last ... and until next Sunday when they play next. Today is, in a word, absolutely gargantuan.
Over the next six weeks, a team and support will enjoy and endure the most real, unreal days of their lives. Days that will mould them, make them and become them, days for which they’ll be remembered and misremembered, days with an outrageous intensity they’ll spend the rest of their lives chasing in futility. And we get to watch! Ahhhhh, the beauty of sport.
So can Leicester do it? Well, it’s been a good little spell for them, even though they’ve not played. First, Jamie Vardy, he of the party, scored in consecutive games for England - his first goals since the middle of February, his first from open play since the start of the month. And then, Tottenham drew with Liverpool; if Leicester can find a win today, they’ll be seven points clear with six games left.
Of course, that brings with it a different kind of pressure: Leicester are expected to succeed, and Leicester must succeed. And succeeding is pretty difficult - just ask ... yourself.
Which brings us onto Southampton. Once again, the backroom staff and Ronaldo Koeman have lost good players, kept good players, and crafted a proper team that play proper football that are an easy night for no one.
This is not one to miss; it’s lit!
Kick-off: 1.30pm
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