Guy

True - although more winnable on paper than in reality, especially given our current part two season form thus far....

Not really, I suppose it's all more polished and professional nowadays for us - certainly when compared to our more 'journeyman' orientated teams doing well and upsetting the odds - such as we truly were when under Martin O'Neill in the mid 90s-2000! Halcyon days :-) That said, I agree that the hierarchy has changed very little in the short 20-25 years since then. I was late 20s-early 30s age during the O'Neill era which was young I guess!

For me the likes of Claridge and that era was how great football used to be when he played for us under O'Neill compared to how it has become now - a money making monopoly to suit the rich few - despite all what we've achieved since the aforementioned days!

Most entertaining read on this website ever. The 90s kids generation that followed have little to no idea what they missed!

Cov tend to take more away these days than when they're at 'home' = although that was mostly Ricoh Stadium owners 'protest against' related I guess! Brum probably wouldn't bring as many to hazard a guess.....

Hope he at least helps gets you (BCFC) up via the now most likely route play offs :-)

They say money isn't everything in life but we were the most severe ever exception to the rule in 2016!!

For me we need to take the Caravan Cup seriously as we need some silverware, our last was the Prem. title itself of course....and since then we've been treading water effectively, despite a great season this to date. So we need to put out our best side to try and beat Villa in leg two....and then hope either Mancs team has an off day in the final if we get there! I think we've basically had an off day today v Saints, who were also keen for revenge of course. I think we'll still finish in 3rd come May, 4th at worst. It might also depend on if we sign anybody in this window. We've had one or two wake up calls of late though, I must say - starting with the Liverpool thumping....and now today....

Not before Christmas surely! I know Villa and especially Sheffield Utd have so far surpassed expectation following their respective promotions but there's a long way to go yet. Then again if they're bottom at Christmas then that usually only means one thing. We bucked the trend under Pearson a year before becoming Prem. Champions though of course!!!

Indeed. Vardy is streets ahead of the herd in his way of thinking, despite being a star late into his professional footballing career : probably why he's still performing wonders for us now, four years on from the last time he performed such miracles! His cameo-esque England duty was a mere bit of fun for him. Had he followed in Kane's international footsteps then I'm sure he wouldn't still be doing what he still is now for us - not forgetting he's a good few years older than our former failed loanee too of course!

It was in the Prem. under Micky Adams in the relegation season. I remember in the kop fans singing 'let's all have a disco' in jest as the fifth goal went in! SOuthampton did the same last Friday when we were 0-9 up - to their credit!!

Has anybody mentioned the FAC R3 defeat away to Newport last season? - as I haven't spotted it as of yet! I dare say it wasn't seen so much of a shock, not only because the FA Cup has lost so much prestige over the last decade or so but because of the weak side Puel put out! Still embarrassing all the same!

I thought Wayne Brown was definitely the Soyuncu of the gallant 2009-10 season and that he was a wee bit stitched up and scapegoated by Pearson for his alleged comments at the time (and/or honesty), personally!

Very accurately put - and so true! It wasn't the worst ever LCFC display by any means but it was a very pivotal match in the club's history of course. Fair to say we've never really looked back since then either! :-)

Hmmm, signing Dennis Wise perhaps seemed like a good idea at the time! I remember going to a questions/answers night (in which PT was the main guest speaker) in Northants just across the border at Kilworth Springs Golf Club - this when we were still in the Prem's top 4 by the December (2000), having briefly been top at the end of the previous September in Taylor's first season. He was promising the earth at that meet too. Little did he know I suppose, that he would be an ex employee a year later!

Easily Bolton 0-5 at home in the 2001-02 season's curtain opener at Filbert Street in our last season there. A sign that Peter Taylor was out of his depth and that the previous season was something of a lucky streak for him until that disastrous Wycombe FA Cup defeat of course!

Hmmm, I think many would now be making you eat your fears about Soyuncu now!

Oh well, maybe next season!

A repeat of that 5-3 under Pearson would be nice! :-D

Only internationally though. That said, it's good that he's bided his time here and seized this opportunity due to Chilwell's misfortune. Also perhaps a blessing that Brendan gave him a year's contract extension....and he's certainly repaid the faith shown in him so far!

Teams that win UGLY can win the league! :-)

Overall, despite some of Puel's recruitment from last season now paying dividends for Rodgers, plus with things like the recall of Harvey Barnes from WBA, bringing in Tielemans, bringing on Choudhury, etc then we still have a lot to give Puel credit for, in spite of his insipid relationship with the media and fans alike, as well as with his encouraging a more slowly paced, even ponderous passing game - and with that in turn alienating him from the vast majority of fans here further. To choose between them then I would favour Rodgers with his more positive high press tactics and coming across to the fans and media alike better and more enthusiastically. Also one of Puel's clangers last season was falling out with and then dropping Vardy - something which would ultimately cost him his job. I also think Rodgers has the respect of the players more.....

I personally think that under Puel we had an uncanny ability to win games against the bigger teams _ such as that rare back to back winning feat last December against top three Chelsea then Champions Man City but then were found wanting against the likes of Palace (another 5-1 aggregate trouncing by them) as one example! Likewise we were capable of raising our game away at Liverpool with our draw there but then losing at home to the likes of Southampton and Cardiff!

T'was effectively the same side here under Pearson that made the great escape though - with either out of favour (or suspended/injured?) Vardy, plus Cambiasso and of course Robert Huth as the only real latter squad addition missing. One that lead us to where we find ourselves now, on the cusp of a potential top six finish wave - as former Premier League Champions three years ago! :-)

Indeed, it's hard to say where we'll be in 8 years time : regardless of all 'logical' possibilities : as it's a long time in football indeed! Little did we know about the tragic fate that would await the much loved Vichai last October of course - a flight which could easily have included Top too had he also flown in the same helicopter. Had he done so then that could have changed the whole scenario at the club ownership and direction of course.....just saying you never know what's around the corner. As for the immediate-short term-foreseeable reality then if things continue the way they are with Top at the helm then I think we should be ok. After all he and Dad did the decent thing with Ranieri in the nick of time when they sensed we might be relegated a mere year after doing the unthinkable! Also although it seemed harsh and pressing the panic button at the time, then 8 years ago we were labouring and flattering to deceive under Sven in the Championship before his somewhat unceremonious sacking in the October 2011 after the 0-3 disaster at home to Millwall : while Swansea were enjoying life in the Prem. under Rodgers at the precise same time with an attractive, quirky brand of football. Easy and interesting to see why the Swansea fan has picked up on this topic in relation to Rodgers.....and even gone to the trouble of boldy posting about it on here!