Leicester City Discussion

[Dan+]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/04/24/leicester-city-manager-craigshakespeare-insists-club-can-keep/

Looks more and more like it could be Shakespeare getting it permanently.

I'll be really intrigued to see what he does next year. It's a gamble I'd happily see us take.

[Dan+]

Signed a new contract in the summer yet has gotten a new agent amid speculation linking him with Man Utd? Yeah, he's off.

[Stan]

Mahrez will be off as well I think. Both could easily play for sides competing in champions league next season. 

[Dan+]

I think I'd cash in on Mahrez now. He's had a disappointing follow up season to last year and if someone will still pay decent money for him then let him go. I think he wants to go to be honest.

In other news, one of our owners (the son) is set to step down and buy OH-Leuven of Belgium - with the intention of building them a new stadium, proving a bigger transfer budget and attempting to get them into Europe, as well as loaning players off us.

Unsure what to make to it really.

[LFCMadLad]

Mahrez wouldn't get into any of the top 6 teams. Well overrated and I said it at the time. 

[Dan+]

Could say it for a lot of players but he'd flourish in a better side. He above all misses Kante on the pitch.

[LFCMadLad]

Just now, Cannabis said:

I don't think anyone would flourish in this seasons Ranieri side, that said I never thought he was the Real Madrid/Barcelona protoge some made him out to be.

No neither did I. He's a good little player on his day though and would be a great option off the bench at a bigger club but as I said, I dont think he'd be a regular at any of the current top 6 clubs because he's simply so hot and cold. 

[Hugh Jass]

As a totally impartial observer, I would say that all in all it's been a successful season for Leicester.

As long as they avoided relegation, which they secured with those 5 consecutive league victories after Shakespeare took the reigns, it was far more important for them to make the most of their Champions League adventure and progress as far as possible in that competition, than to finish a few places higher up in the league. 

They have done something which Man Utd and Chelsea haven't achieved since 2014 (3 years without a deep CL run is a long time for clubs of that size), Spurs haven't since 2011, Arsenal haven't since 2010 and Liverpool haven't since 2009, reach a Champions League quarter-final. Yes they had a easy group, but then again they've had a noticeably weaker squad and smaller wage bill than those other clubs so it all evens out. And many of those bigger clubs have messed up in easy Champions League groups over the years anyway.

Even if Leicester had finished 17th this season, than relatively speaking they would still have a had a much better season as defending champions than Man Utd in 2013/2014 finishing 7th or Chelsea last season finishing 9th. And now they look on track to finish in the top 10, adding further gloss to this successful and historic season for them. 

 

Edited May 6, 2017 by Hugh Jass

[Dan+]

On 5/6/2017 at 7:43 PM, Hugh Jass said:

As a totally impartial observer, I would say that all in all it's been a successful season for Leicester.

As long as they avoided relegation, which they secured with those 5 consecutive league victories after Shakespeare took the reigns, it was far more important for them to make the most of their Champions League adventure and progress as far as possible in that competition, than to finish a few places higher up in the league. 

They have done something which Man Utd and Chelsea haven't achieved since 2014 (3 years without a deep CL run is a long time for clubs of that size), Spurs haven't since 2011, Arsenal haven't since 2010 and Liverpool haven't since 2009, reach a Champions League quarter-final. Yes they had a easy group, but then again they've had a noticeably weaker squad and smaller wage bill than those other clubs so it all evens out. And many of those bigger clubs have messed up in easy Champions League groups over the years anyway.

Even if Leicester had finished 17th this season, than relatively speaking they would still have a had a much better season as defending champions than Man Utd in 2013/2014 finishing 7th or Chelsea last season finishing 9th. And now they look on track to finish in the top 10, adding further gloss to this successful and historic season for them. 

 

Nicely put and I agree. It's actually turned into quite a good season for us.

I think we will probably come 9th or 10th because of who our last three games are. We'll do well to beat Spurs or Man City (although we don't have too bad records against either) but I'd imagine we'll beat Bournemouth (ironically a bit of a bogey team).

Would be quite the miracle if someone managed to stop Stoke coming 9th. They've done it the last three years.

[Dan+]

 

Superb summary on Leicester this is. Explanation of why Ranieri failed this year.

[Stan]

 fucking love this

 

[Dan+]

that is absolutely brilliant.

But he's done it facing the bloody West Stand. It'll be upside down on TV.

[Stan]

7 hours ago, Dan said:

that is absolutely brilliant.

But he's done it facing the bloody West Stand. It'll be upside down on TV.

apparently it's not gonna be there for the last 2 home games. It was just to test out new technology. 

 

[Dan+]

Officially confirmed that King Power have bought OH Leuven of Belgium's 2nd tier. It's likely that we will end up in some kind of feeder club partnership with them.

[Dan+]

1 hour ago, Cannabis said:

Always dodgy for me when clubs starting buying out other ones. 

Yeah I'm not a huge fan of it to be honest. I'd imagine they will get a few youngsters on loan from us and we'll get first dibs on anyone they have that's any good, with an annual friendly or something.

I will go away there if there is a friendly.

[Dan+]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/05/17/craig-shakespeare-wants-quick-decision-leicester-city-job/

 

[Danny]

What'd you all make of Shakespeare? I'm not sure it'll end well with him in charge, wasn't he one of Pearsons staff to begin with?

[Rick]

Just switched on Goals On Sunday, Ranieri and Karanka are the guests. For some reason Ranieri is being a real cock, giving ridiculously short answers and looking completely uninterested. Why agree to do a show if you're gonna be like that? I've never seen Ranieri like this tbd but still, it's a bit shitty. 

[Dave]

7 hours ago, FOYM said:

Just switched on Goals On Sunday, Ranieri and Karanka are the guests. For some reason Ranieri is being a real cock, giving ridiculously short answers and looking completely uninterested. Why agree to do a show if you're gonna be like that? I've never seen Ranieri like this tbd but still, it's a bit shitty. 

Many people have said that he has a different persona in person than he does in front of the media. Still seems mad to think after last season he's unemployed.

[Dan+]

Talksport did a poll not too long before he did end up getting the boot asking "would you have Ranieri at your club" and it was an overwhelming no.

While I don't give him no credit, I think he got very lucky as well. I don't buy this notion that he's transformed us into title winners overnight. He took over the form team of the country and had a world class midfielder signed (who he didn't even want, he had to be convinced daily). I think he made some tweaks during games, and I think he played a blinder with the media throughout the season as well (although I maintain this is the most overhyped part of football management) but you only have to see what he did when he actually had the time to have a pre-season to show that it's not entirely down to his methods that we won it.

As for Shakespeare, I'm not quite as confident as I was before, but at the same time I think recently his hands have been tied with squad selection. Our last three games we have been forced into playing a defence of Simpson, Benalouane, Fuchs and Chilwell. That's only one first choice player in their actual position. I cannot put the blame on Shakespeare too much when it's not his fault we lack depth, and he's been quite vocal about it too so I'm hopeful that he realises our issues.

I think it's imperative he stays at the club, but I wouldn't be disappointed if he went back to being an assistant to a new man.

[Dan+]

2 hours ago, Aaroncpfc said:

Many people have said that he has a different persona in person than he does in front of the media. Still seems mad to think after last season he's unemployed.

Been linked to Watford and OGC Nice. Has been favourite for both recently.

[Dan+]

Shakespeare to be named manager this week apparently.

[Toony]

8 hours ago, Dan said:

Shakespeare to be named manager this week apparently.

Could go either way.

I personally think it's the correct decision and his work since Ranieri left warrants him getting a chance, even if you tailed off a bit towards the end of the season.

[Danny]

4 hours ago, Toony said:

Could go either way.

I personally think it's the correct decision and his work since Ranieri left warrants him getting a chance, even if you tailed off a bit towards the end of the season.

Giving someone a job because they had half a season of management and done well would be madness in my opinion.

If there's more to him and the club believes before that that he'd make a good manager then it's a different story, but if they hire him in last season alone I don't think it'll work out well.

[Stan]

1 hour ago, Danny said:

Giving someone a job because they had half a season of management and done well would be madness in my opinion.

If there's more to him and the club believes before that that he'd make a good manager then it's a different story, but if they hire him in last season alone I don't think it'll work out well.

he'll be hired on the basis that he knows the club, the players respond well to him, he won't have to get used to the way the club operates (like a new manager would). Players trust in him and there'll be minimal change. Even when Pearson has been in charge and when Ranieri was in charge, it was well recorded that Shakespeare would do a lot of work in terms of coaching and managing the team especially during training. 

If anything, the fact he started off so well in being a manager just cemented his abilities to step up to that level from assistant manager.