Freeman's Wharfer

Are we that strapped for cash that a loan fee from Chesterfield has had an impact here? Feels especially bizarre given we also screw Fuchs with this decision. The only way it can make sense is a) we need all and any cash we can get our hands on (desperation) or b) he’s going to train with us a couple of days a week in preparation for being integrated into the first team next season

Some people already trying to get ahead of empty seats by saying “lots of people won’t go anyway because of x/y/z”. That happens every match. People have notice of the boycott, if they’re dead against it then they can make an extra effort to get in the stadium to show their support for the other side of the protest. In the same way those who are not going in protest are making an effort/sacrifice to do so. If there are noticeable gaps in the stadium on Monday night, the boycott has had an impact.

The names of the Twitter account it originated from are ‘King Power Out’ and ‘Top Sell Up’ - which should give you an idea. People want a change in ownership.

You’re being a bit pernickety there but, of course, I mean anyone who is consciously aware and decides not to. The boycott will be publicised on fan podcasts, social media, forums, via word of mouth and was referenced by The Merc yesterday I believe. I’m not sure what more those behind it can do outside of that. It raises an interesting point as I think about it though. There are still a sizeable number of people who won’t see/hear about it. These are the types that just attend the game each week and don’t really interest themselves with much LCFC-related content between those times. By nature, those people often tend to be less critical of Top and have less strength of feeling about the problems. Those people are a problem, though, because they are often uninformed (because they don’t consume as much LCFC-related information) and passive. If things were left to them, the club would get away with all sorts and there’d be no fan pressure on anything.

Unfortunately, this boycott is asking you to pick a side. Option 1 (the boycott) - the fellow fans who are trying to do something to affect change. This is currently those boycotting (no matter how many or how few there are) and, whilst you might not believe it’s a perfect approach or your preferred one, it’s the only one on offer for this particular game Option 2 (the club) - now that a boycott has been called, anyone in the stadium is taking a stance in opposition to that and, de facto, in support of the way the club is running currently. Those in charge will look at how many show up and make a judgement from that on the level of support they have to continue as they are right now So you might not like feeling like someone is asking you to do something that changes what you usually do (that’s what a protest is), but if you attend then you’re making your personal statement that what is currently going on is fine. Anyone that doesn’t do the boycott sacrifices any credibility they would have in calling for anything to change and will be in their own little way culpable if things don’t change and continue to get even worse from here.

Wait a minute, let me just rummage down the back of this drawer and see if I can find my list of billionaires interested in buying football clubs…. I had it only a few years ago when I knew that Thai duty free monopoly ‘King Power’ were interested in buying Leicester before they did. No, actually, it might have been when I was checking if the Saudi PIF was potentially going to be interested in Newcastle…. If I can’t find it then I’m sure someone else on this forum will jump in and save me as we definitely all have ready made lists of prospective investors and can only ever think a club can be sold when we know the next buyer.

Lol - nobody is calling for the club to be sold to… err… no one?! (Answers on a postcard for how that would even happen) We were actually in administration because the rug was somewhat pulled from beneath our feet with the collapse of ITV Digital. Much in the same way if the tv money was ripped away from PL clubs without warning today the smaller ones or the ones that had been relegated would struggle. Yes there were bad contracts handed out but they’d not have been an issue in the PL and less so in the second tier with the ITV Digital money as expected. If we went into administration today it would be much more unforgivable than it was back then. The financial management of the club is not sound today. The converting debt to equity point is often seen as an example of good management but it’s not really how it’s presented to be, is it? All you’re doing is clearing the stuff that would hold your business back and compromise its value. King Power/Top will get that back (and more on top) the day they do sell. Then there’s the payday loans we take out, the recent signs of cashflow issues and the inability to abide by financial rules and regulations. Doesn’t scream good management does it?! So “be careful what we wish for”? Well, let’s say there was a Brentford or Brighton fan calling for more investment or different owners, if I wanted to tell them that and reel off a few things that could be really bad, I’d actually use many of the things that are happening at our club right now. I don’t know how low your standards have to be to be thinking we’re in some picture of health and under good ownership.

Come on then, what would you propose as the better way to approach a show of discontent? I’d also be interested to know if you believe that Rudkin should go? And that the board needs changing? It feels like a lot of people who don’t like the chanting, or who use UFS as a target, actually just don’t want change and can’t see where the problems exist. But often when pushed to explain why they feel that way fluffy nonsense like “what the family has done for us” (inability to distinguish between Vichai’s era and Top’s era) or “we’ve always been a second tier side” (inability to see that we had an opportunity with becoming one of the top 20 richest clubs in the world to change that for good) or “PSR is the real problem” (inability to see that every other club is subject to the same rules and we’re the only ones falling foul of them and unable to work with them) is all that comes back. I’d love to understand a long, detailed and evidenced explanation of why we don’t need change or should have faith in this ownership anymore. You’ve popped your head above the parapet to show a bit of resistance to the calls for change so I’m genuinely intrigued to hear why if you’ll share? If I’ve read you wrong, and you do see the problems and that a change is required, I’d be interested to hear how not voicing this in the stadium and clapping the players regardless of their performances would help achieve that change.

This comes across as a strange bit of whataboutery. A large corporation or a billionaire doing some philanthropy is a bit different to a group of fans organising a food bank collection or putting on a charity football tournament. All I’m saying is that when you have a group who’s mantra is “Leicester helping Leicester”, it’s a bit strange for some of the Leicester community to have such strong dislike for them.

It also blows my mind. The tifos. The work they do for the Leicester community and charity as well. It often feels like there’s a snide dislike of them because they have a profile. It’s almost like there’s a bitterness and jealousy about that and a misconception that they think they’re somehow better/above anyone else (when in reality they are genuine lads and lasses who are completely open to anyone and everyone getting involved).

Physically attacked for chanting and a King Power Out sign as far as I understand. Bloke who did it allowed back into the stadium.

After what happened to the UFS guys tonight, it’s even more important that people exercise their right to protest and are not deterred from doing what they think is best to get their point across.

Having heard his English language proficiency in that video interview, there can be no doubt that he’s never written a word in his program notes or statements.

Depends on the manager situation. Would I trust Cifuentes to have him back and do the right thing with him? No. Would I trust the next in a string of managers who aren’t playing our young prospects as they’re under the pressure of short-term objectives? No. Would I trust King as caretaker until the end of the season to give him the right opportunity and support? Yes. The problem with waiting until the summer is that there could be another guy in charge by then that is under pressure to get promotion at all costs next season. They won’t take a chance on Braybrooke.

Excellent post. But this would be journalism. I think OPA sees himself as more of a commentator than a journalist.

He’s worse than Daniel Amartey and cost us £13m. That says a lot.

I think we might be experiencing a bit of the worst now. Lower mid table championship mediocrity with rampant apathy in the fan base and an absent owner. Relegation to League One or proper financial jeopardy would stimulate something. The disappointing thing at the moment is that he turns up to one game against Stoke where we somehow spawn a win, puts out a 14-minute video of waffle, meets with a FAB who think their role is to be cheerleaders, and everything seems fine and dandy to him.

Looks like he might have gone over the hill. So 2 or 3 year contract renewal incoming…

Invited them to the Trust End of Season Survey stuff and emailed the survey results in case there is any interview with Top upcoming. No responses.

He’s not the biggest problem at the club right now, but he’s still a problem. Some unforgivable mistakes for me: 1) Took far too long to see that the likes of Faes and Soumare would continuously disappoint. 2) Occasions on which we’ve been dead and buried at half time he’s failed to make any substitutions. Line ups like today the following week with minimal changes. What does that say in terms of standards and accountability? 3) Said he’d give youth a chance but fails to give the likes of Evans, Page and Monga enough minutes. Case in point, 45 minutes for Page at Loftus Road last Saturday is worth far more to us as a club than another 45 minutes for Decordova-Reid. 4) Nelson and Alves were two of the brightest prospects in our squad in the summer. He shelved both. Now realising his mistake on one but the other is out of the club and suffering a bad injury. 5) Keeps talking about his style being to go and get the next goal but shows zero evidence of this approach on the pitch. Games like Wrexham at home where we sat on a 1-goal lead and messed it up. He’s had his hands tied in many regards but things like the above are well within his control and he’s fallen short. He should go. He won’t, because we can’t afford it. What does that say about how dire the financial situation is and how little foresight and planning there was to insert a clause that made a sacking feasible if needed? We’ve been here before and we’ll be here again until there are changes at the top of the club.

The years before we got relegated to League One, the threat of extinction was still fresh enough for everyone to understand we were pleased just to still have a club. But I still remember feeling hopeful of a play off push each season and every now and then we found a decent player like Hume and Fryatt. But this time round we’ve lost a position of amazing strength through mismanagement and neglect by those still in charge. The club treats fans like crap. And it’s not that the players aren’t good enough for the level, it’s that their attitude and mentality is toxic. Ultimately this time round was, and is, so avoidable. That’s what’s making it so galling for me at the moment: it doesn’t need to be this way.

You should have received an email from an ElectionBuddy email address which gives you a password and link to vote. Mine went to my spam folder so might be worth checking yours to see if it’s there. If it’s not, Alan Digby is the election manager and should be able to help - his email is [email protected].

They got the bandings wrong on this one (I say that as someone who managed to get one). Gap of 70 points from the first banding to the second one which means someone could have done 69 more away games than another person and be buying on the same day.

Mark Noble also scored a screamer at our place for West Ham (different match to the 2016 one)

Impeccable timing with the “get behind the lads” just 24 hours before that horror show today