Jobyfox

Rose coloured spectacles because of the emotion of what we achieved through the great escape in 2014/15. It’s true that James was often first choice with Cambiasso during that season but, let’s face it, we were poor for most of it. As for the run-in itself James obviously played a part in that run of 7 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat, but wasn’t the most instrumental player in it. From memory I’m betting he only started half those games and probably featured as a sub or was subbed in most of them. It’s massively unfortunate for him that he then lost his place to Drinkwater for the following season. Would we still have won the title if he’d played instead of DD? We’ll never know - but I seriously doubt it.

I don’t see it myself. I have no wish to malign Matty James. He was a decent player during our development and played a part in getting us to where we are now. Similar to Andy King he should be remembered fondly and with gratitude - and then moved on. We need better now. I just don't see the unrealised potential that others do. He always looked neat and tidy, but didn’t have a single attribute that stood out as great (passing, tackling, goal scoring, late runs into the box, ability on the ball - none). Just a decent-ish player that would never have attracted interest from one of the big boys. I honestly think he’s one of those players who is remembered more fondly because of his a really unfortunate absences rather than ability. A player whose stock rises in absence. Conversely I think that Drinkwater’s contributions are forgotten because of the way he left for Chelsea and a element of schadenfreude about what’s happened since.

Drinkwater played for England on the back of a brilliant season when he was one of the reasons we won the Premier League. His passing was crucial, particularly to Vardy and his general play was to a very high level. It’s easy to look now in retrospect and say that he’s never reached that level before and since - and that he also benefited from having Kante beside him. James has never provided any evidence that he is England quality. He’s always been a steady, sitting midfielder, who’s looked ok with a more gifted man (Cambiasso) beside him. He doesn’t have the range of passing or ability to drive forward with the ball to be a great attacking midfielder. He doesn’t have the disruptive ability of a Kante or N’didi to shine as a defensive midfielder. He’s a steady, effective, mid-lower Premier League defender whose career has been cruelly disrupted by injuries. I’m seriously doubtful, however, that he’d ever have been the quality we require if we have aspirations to hit top 8, top 6 etc. We would have to do much better - and in Tielemans and N’didi we already have.

No, he really didn’t!

Indeed. I think I posted earlier in this thread that Wolves are the closest thing we have to a rival in football terms. There is no historical connection but: Similar size Similar ambition Wealthy owners Midlands based Both with aspirations to get into top six You can’t just invent passion and rivalry, but I can envisage that we might be getting in each other’s way in the next few seasons.

F5 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The fact that we need to have a debate about who our biggest rivals are should say everything we need to know. We don’t have any direct rivalry with a single club in the same way that Derby/Forest have. With Derby/Forest it’s an important part of their identity. I think it makes their fans feel like they support a big club and that their rivalry is important. Now this may have been true in the late seventies when Derby had recently won 2 league titles and Forest were winning theirs before going on to European success. The thing is that football fans are notoriously slow to move on. Derby/Forest still think that excluding us from their rivalry is an expression of their “big-ness” compared to them. The fact that neither have competed meaningfully in the top division this century is conveniently forgotten - as is the fact that we’ve more recently won 2 league cups and the league title. Being excluded from their rivalry is now a bit like us saying we only care about Peterborough. They are yet to move on, but the rest of the world has. From a geographical perspective a rivalry with these clubs makes sense, but from a football perspective it makes none. We don't have a football rivalry in the same sense and we shouldn’t covet it. We should aim only for more success and plenty of football rivalries will be formed along the way.

James and King are that redundant that they’re not even listed separately anymore ?

Who are we going to blame if this falls through: 1. Congerton 2. Rudkin 3. Youri’s agent 4. Richie Wellens ?

I’d assumed French and not Flemish. I’m actually relieved it’s Tee-le-mans because, let’s face it, not many Leicester fans would ever have pronounced it “...mon” even if it was correct

I would think Tee-Lee-Mon, but I’m no linguist

Lennon, Izzett, Savage and .... Er ..... hmmm ....

All opinions are equal - but some opinions are more equal than others

So. Put De Gea in Keep the rest the same And we’ll have a better team than a club that finished 14 points better than us last season? Hmmm ....

Despite the length of this thread .... I’ve heard that this one is taking too long so Rudkin has decided to focus all our attention on the Maynard guy.

No, you can’t have that! It’s a bit like saying: “Ben Thatcher was rubbish” (aka Margaret) ?

Name sounds a bit foreign. He plays in a non-British league Apparently there are you-tube clips of him I know nothing about him and have never seen him play It’s a yes from me!!!

I always thought he was weirdly shit in the air for such a giant. It was even more weird that he seemed better as a wide forward given his attributes. He frustrated me, but I kind of still liked him. The Brian Little era is also one that, for me, was one that re-booted the club and put us on a path towards better things, which ultimately culminated in the two League Cup wins under O’Neill.

In some ways football fans always have someone at the club who is lauded and someone who is made the scapegoat for anything that goes wrong. This, despite us not always truly understanding what goes on behind closed doors. Taking Leicester as an example. Steve Walsh (scout) could do no wrong. John Rudkin can do no right. I’ve even seen people insist that signings were “a Pearson signing” or a “Rudkin signing” when they haven’t worked out and a “Walsh signing” when they have. Now SW is rightly praised for helping to build the 15/16 side. He did, however, preside over an incredibly poor summer of recruitment in summer 2016 - and Rudkin was also present before and after that miraculous season. There are elements of grey in both cases. Now I’m not saying that Congerton is being unfairly criticised. To be honest the appointment doesn’t fill me with confidence. But Sunderland were poor for a long time and continued to be poor well after Congerton’s time there. Also, Celtic aren’t anywhere near as important as their fans think they are and will struggle to attract the talent they probably think they’re entitled to. Maybe the fans of these clubs needed a scapegoat. I hope so anyway.

We now just need Danny Murphy to say: “... he needs to be at a top six club” .... and the world, as we know it, will end!

Those were the days. Being turned down by the likes of Nicky Maynard, Billy Sharp and Craig Mackail Smith.

10/10 - with 45 seconds left on the clock ⏰

To be fair to them that’s absolutely spot on. Why would a club that have won the Premier League and finished in the top ten 3 times in the last four seasons be relevant to them? Forest haven’t been in the PL this century. Derby have only once since 2002 and that ended in the worst PL performance in history. Really they shouldn’t be looking at us as rivals and we shouldn’t them - as we aren’t. It’s just a local Derby by accident of geography, which means slightly more due to Monday morning at work bragging rights. We’ve never really had a rivalry with them before, but in terms of league position, ambition, midlands location and the likelihood that we might start getting in each other’s way in the next few seasons - then Wolves might become our rivals in a real, football, sense.

i was at the Blackburn and Derby play off finals and remember watching Swindon and Crystal Palace on telly. Great memories, but nothing like what we have now. The only thing I wish for is a run to a Cup final - preferably an FA Cup final. This thread is a little bit like bemoaning the fact that we’ve never won the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. ?

I’d often said that if LCFC fans were really bothered about a rivalry then one with Coventry would probably be more reciprocated. I’ve met a few Cov fans and they all tend to not have much love for us. Problem with that is that it feels a bit like kicking a puppy at the moment!