Ram Tough! Zak Whitbread at Derby County

Whitbread hasn't appeared in any pre-season friendlies to date. Not even on the bench today, even with 9 players on it.
Can only surmise that he isn't fit yet. Which is a shame for him as we are down to 3 centre backs, 2 of which are 19 and 20 have a combined total of 2 games for us.

 

Whitbread is going to miss the fourth game of the season. Not a good start to his Leicester career.

When he gets fit he is going to be down the pecking order. St Ledger is close to being back and the current centre backs are the captain and a 19 year old local lad who is doing a good job so far.

 

Unfortunately Whitbread is basically the definition of 'injury-prone'.

 

Whitbread really is a legend when it comes to injuries. Hes our new school JOB

 

This says the reason for his absences is due to a lack of fitness, not injury.

http://www.eatsleepsport.com/leicester-city/same-again-for-foxes-1459115.html#.UDhL39BrPrE

 

There is a vicious rumour going round that Whitbread is actually fit and might play in the Rumbelows Cup against Burton on Tuesday.

 

The rumor seems to have been accurate, since he's starting.

 

Well that didn't go too well....

 

I didn't get to see the match but it appears he was directly responsible for 1 goal.
http://www.itv.com/sport/football/article/2012-08-28/match-report-leicester-2-4-burton/

 

Yep.

If we don't beat Blackpool Saturday, I think the manager will be sacked.

 

According to the leicaster boards Zak didn't do very well at all.

 

I am admittedly sometimes a homer for US players (defending them even in some questionable times) but I just NEVER have seen Whitbread as THAT good. He seems very stiff to me with limited range. He is a version of Tim Ream, but I think a less polished version (and Ream has more upside). You throw in the constant injuries, and I just can't see him getting back to the Prem. He is 'what he is' as a player. He will look ok/good for a portion of the game- and then a player or attack of quality totally exposes his limitations.

Sorry to be so blunt.

 

Sadly, Leicester doesn't seem to mean more Whitbread

 

Maybe MLS is in his future? Or probably a move to Denmark, Sweden or Noway.

 

i think he'd do league one before the aforementioned. Hes shown the willingness to do it in his career before...... And clubs like Sheffield United, PNE, and Notts County are all down there that im sure would kick the tires if the price was right.

Just gotta hope he can stay just at this level right now. But guys like JOB, Woodgate, Hargreaves, Dyer, and Whitbread just have the writing on the wall their entire careers. Hard to believe that he's only 28.....

 

Yeah, I suspect he will stay in England. He's basically English, has a decent reputation there, and there's a lot of opportunities at a variety of levels. However, I think he still has a role to play at Leicester, or at least a contract to milk.

 

Are we saying all this after one bad game? During his brief healthy stint last year, wasn't he very impressive, including man of match type game against Chelsea?

 

Big Soccer: where your entire career is based one your last game, unless you're a youth player in which your entire career is based on the games you have yet to play.

 

wow- that is a Big Soccer Hall of Fame caliber post. well done!

 

too bad I said "one your last game" instead of "on", damn editing rules...oh well.

 

Zak made the bench for Leicester today. I thought it was his first bench appaearance but he was on the bench for their last game too.

http://espnfc.com/us/en/gamecast/355625/gamecast.html?soccernet=true&cc=5901

 

Whitbread had his 2nd straight start and 3rd straight match played for Leicester yesterday. They won 1-0 over Brighton. Whitbread conceded a PK, but it was saved by Kasper Schmeichel.

 

Thats a real shock. Generally he's a ghost between the sticks.

 

Whibread with a red card against Watford in the 82nd minute. That makes 2 YAs ejected from matches so far today.