StriderHiryu

If we did something like that, then the move would be a lot more acceptable, because as good as KDH is, increasing the overall quality of the squad would be pretty sensible both for now and next season. Have we been linked with Whitaker? I could see Gronbaek who we were linked with going for 10M Euro instead of him. If we lost KDH but then had a replacement, competition for Mavididi and backup for Winks, overall that would be good. Though KDH proved himself in the Premier League as being a good player that can handle the league and physicality. Personally, I am bricking it right now. This has "sell Fofana and bring in massively worse player with 2 days left of the window and Danny Ward in goal" vibes to it all over again. Losing Casadei, KDH and Wilf probably not available till the end of the season is brutal. Forget the points record, it's all about limping over the line...

I rate Sensi, but if we are selling our best player this season for a player that has a horrific injury record... it makes me extremely nervous. KDH is an absolute engine...

Summer 2022 window vibes all over again. Clearly FFP issues must be like the grim reaper hanging over us. This is an insane one to me. We are not guaranteed to go up! Top of the league with 18 games to go but selling the best player in the division?!? We must be desperate. Even if we go up I feel like things will be grim.

I’m happy too! Genuinely you are one of the first posters I look for. Your meme game is Leo Messi level!

Funnily enough, for us that isn't even that great a move! It showcases our ability to sustain attacks. The move breaks down 3 times in that sequence, but we still keep control of it, start again and end up with a goal. Being able to do that is one of the hardest things to do in football and showcases an excellent coaching setup. A really valid concern and when we go up I would expect it to be rough at times because of this. However, I would say that as Enzo is able to shape his squad over time and can work with his players for longer, we should get better at this. Giving away a lot of chances was what Klopp's teams do in his first season, or even last season as they were mid-rebuild. Ha I'm with you! What I would say is that our press was amazing for about 80 minutes of that game, then it was average, and they scored in that period. And IMO it dropped off because we didn't freshen up the players fast enough, whereas Ipswich did.

Great article on The Athletic today. https://theathletic.com/5221094/2024/01/24/leicester-ipswich-maresca-mckenna-tactics/ While Ipswich performed better in the second half and Jeremy Sarmiento’s goal secured a point, the story of the game was Leicester’s dominance and ability to limit the visitors from building from the back. “The big thing that stuck with me was how aggressive Leicester were with their pressing,” Garner says. “It was a real full press, man on man and really aggressive. They did it in two different ways, but it was seamless. The first example shows where they dropped striker Tom Cannon in with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall into midfield, so they were making a conscious effort to match up to Ipswich, who have two deep midfield players in Lewis Travis and Massimo Luongo. They also matched up with Conor Chaplin and Marcus Harness, who were operating as the two No 10s, with Ricardo Pereira and Harry Winks on each part of Ipswich’s midfield box. Ipswich found it difficult to play out from the back, probably more than they have at any other time this season. That was credit to Leicester and the intensity of their press, forcing mistakes and regularly regaining possession in good areas.” From open play, Leicester triggered a second type of press, with Cannon and Dewsbury-Hall advancing to put pressure on Ipswich centre-backs Luke Woolfenden and George Edmundson while McAteer and Pereira kept full-backs Clarke and Davis pinned back. Centre-back Wout Faes’ advanced position in midfield to go man-to-man with Chaplin was crucial to Leicester’s success in a high-risk, high-reward pressing system, as Garner explains. I don't want to give more away as it's a paid site, but it's a cracking piece. Overall, even though there are some minor shortcomings with Enzo, his overall ability to coach a cohesive modern system that is so technical is a site to behold. It's not just about having the best players in terms of quality in the division, the way we press together as a unit at the right times is glorious. There's more in the article about the attacking side of the game, but I just wanted to concentrate on the pressing, which IMO was elite for much of the Ipswich game. If we give Enzo the time to get the squad he wants so he can truly play the way he wants to, fans across Europe will be waxing lyrical about us.

The thing is that as per Dan's point, if you get rid of the manager then you end up with a load of players that might not entirely suit the next one that comes in if you are too manager led. I don't think we are as bad as Man United in this aspect. Since Puel, there's been a focus on more of a possession based style and technical players. That's why Rodgers got the team working so quickly and why despite lots of departures, Enzo got a tune out of our team much faster than say Martin at Southampton. But it is still nowhere near the Brighton style way of doing things, who probably already know who their next manager and DOF is if those two positions lose their current incumbents and why their recruitment is so good. They haven't been as good this season as last, but Pedro, Baleba, Berbuggen and now Barco seem smart to me. Dahoud probably their biggest bust and he was linked with us! That said, I think there has been a balance for us so far. I feel like Mavididi, Hermansen and Cannon were suggested by the club rather than Enzo. So to be fair, it feels like Glover and Enzo are working decently together thus far. Who knows, maybe Sensi even was highlighted by the club and Enzo wanted him as soon as he was mentioned. We were also linked with a few other 8's so it's not entirely unbelievable something like this happened. Inter told Sensi he could go, which is why he's available now.

That’s where the DOF needs more backbone. Strangely though it feels like our club want the manager to be more old school with Rudkin being more of a general manager than DOF. Personally I’ve seen enough that I’d be prepared to back Enzo for a 4 year stint, even if it ended in PL relegation. I think for a club like is we need a longer term outlook and the conviction to back our man. I concede that it could all go wrong though!

I think a lot of managers are like this. In Enzo's case I do see some argument in that the style of play he wants to implement is so technical that some players won't be a great fit. You have to be adept on the ball and able to play your way out of tight spaces. At the same time, I think he has been won over by certain players over time. Daka forced his away into the team, JJ started off as second choice, Hamza was trusted against Ipswich, and McAteer has been given plenty of minutes. So I feel like he is not so stubborn that he won't ever change his mind, but that it takes a lot to win him over. I'm not sure that was ever the case with Rodgers, not even when Kelechi saved our season one year and then got benched the next. Regarding Sensi, something that I was only made aware of yesterday was that he played under Di Zerbi and first broke into the Italian team under him. Supposedly he told Maresca personally to sign him because he would be perfect for the way we would want to play. I can't say much about the second of those claims, but I found this article: https://m.allfootballapp.com/news/EPL/Monza-midfielder-Sensi-De-Zerbi-and-Conte-so-important-for-me/2992593 Sensi worked with De Zerbi at Sassuolo. He told Il Corriere della Sera: "He's the manager I'm closest to for the freedom and availability he granted me: his way of playing was perfect for my characteristics. There's also this article: https://onefootball.com/en/news/sassuolo-coach-roberto-de-zerbi-inter-midfielder-stefano-sensi-reminds-me-of-barcelona-legend-andres-iniesta-32671019 “Stefano is absolutely a player that I love and I will go even further than that. When I first saw him I thought he could control a game like Xavi, but instead he reminds me of Andres Iniesta, and there is some comparison in them,” De Zerbi claimed. “In my first year at Sassuolo I used Kevin-Prince Boateng as a striker, someone who didn’t push forward but came deep to collect the ball, with Sensi to create in midfield. He had the characteristics to play that role. “In the last two years he has suffered a lot of injuries, but he has the quality and personality to succeed. The boy is very serious and has no limits, injuries permitting of course.”

That could be an issue and maybe he would be more willing to change with more depth. But I feel we let Ipswich back into the game because our high press lost its effectiveness. Praet, Yunus, Vardy could / should have been used earlier IMO. Ipswich used many subs and one got the equaliser. Cardiff I meant the game where Casadei got the late winner. Was that away? They scored a wonder strike but after going 1 up I felt we sat on it rather than looking to finish the game.

It’s a common theme now. - Not enough subs - Subs too late in the game - Sitting on leads instead of finishing games off Enzo has done a terrific job but all of the above happens frequently. There are always going to be bits of luck that go against you, but this has also happened in games where we’ve gotten away with it like Cardiff at home and West Brom away. Overall we are in a fantastic position in terms of points but I would like to see the above rectified. Do I think we will? Nope.

Did the post match with Neel in the video above: My take on the game was that overall we were quite good, but a recurring theme under Maresca is: Not enough subs Subs too late in the game Prefers to control games rather than trying to kill them off In the Championship we have the best squad, so we play with a needless amount of fear in these situations Overall still in a fantastic position to be in, but frustrating that in 190 minutes (including injury time) against Ipswich, we led for 180 of them! And only got 2 points out of 6. Still, I'll take it over Deeney Day or Kermogant Panenka attempts all day long. Onto the next one!

You've got to hand it to OG. A proven, clinical scorer, no matter which division, no matter whom the opposition. Lethal

Wrong thread

Enzo has a touchline ban, so there better be footage of Sensi at the King Power tonight watching the game from the stands. I want Enzo and Sensi sitting next to one another with Vardy posting "Italian Friends" on Instagram afterwards, followed up by dressing up as Super Mario at Seagrave the next day. Anything else will be seen as a complete failure of an evening regardless of result in my eyes.

This stuff is super boring, but important. The club gambled post Puel with an aggressive wage structure. This was written last season: https://swissramble.substack.com/p/leicester-city-finances-202122 As a result, Leicester's 85% is one of the highest (worst) wages to turnover ratios in the Premier League, though better than Everton 96% and Newcastle United 95%. In contrast, the Big Six have much better ratios, thanks to their much higher revenue, e.g. Tottenham 47% and Arsenal 58%. During Covid the ratio was 105% (!), meaning we were spending more money than we were earning because of the loss of matchday revenues. Then from here: https://theathletic.com/4311802/2023/03/16/leicester-city-accounts-explained/ Leicester were chasing the dream and attempting to punch above their weight, despite the mismatch. “Leicester are pretty close to the top of what we call the other 14 in terms of their wage bill,” says Maguire. “They have invested substantial amounts in the squad, but it now looks to an extent that that policy is going in reverse as wages did come down a little bit. “I’ve got an average weekly wage of £87,000 per week, which is clearly substantially higher than when they won the Premier League. So here's the thing, if we sign just one player, but show a loss in the accounting period that exceeds the amount of losses you can make, then you are in breach of the rules and can have points deductions, like Everton and probably Forest. So it's not that we don't have the money, it's that we can't spend it. It's just as well we made such a great start, because it might be that we limp over the line. But as long we get back up that's the most important thing. These rules are terrible, though, they seem designed to stop another Leicester City story from ever happening again...

Article here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2024/01/22/enzo-maresca-methods-leicester-premier-league-return/ Maresca is hopeful of making at least one signing before the transfer window closes, but Leicester are restricted on spending by the Profitability & Sustainability rules. Leicester must offload players before making any additions, with the futures of internationals Harry Souttar and Dennis Praet uncertain ahead of the deadline. Maresca is targeting Inter Milan’s midfielder Stefano Sensi and talks are understood to be ongoing. IMO this seems like a case of us having money but not being able to spend it. Look at the transfer window in both divisions, the lack of spending is remarkable, given Chelsea this time last season were spending like money was going out of fashion. However, as per your point, you could be right in that we get promoted but are still somewhat hamstrung by the rules. I wouldn't expect a Forest style mad shopping spree, put it that way. At the same time, so many players will have moved on at the end of this season that surely we have some wiggle room. But I reckon we will see one or two players on loan here for a season for many years to come...

100% he is, and we'd struggle to find a better player in terms of technique. There are no question marks around the player being good enough. However, we want to avoid a Bertrand scenario, who played just 4 games for us over 2 seasons, getting paid all the time. I suppose at best he's as integral to the team / squad as Harry Winks and at worst he's another Dennis Praet. But these days we can't carry too many duds because of FFP, with the Championship season going to count against us in terms of a net loss that we can post. The fee might be small, but wages do add up. All that said my initial reaction to this news was "wow." On his day he's a seriously good player.

Harry Winks would have far worse numbers than that, and we know what a revelation he's been. This guy is a fantastic player, no one is doubting that, not even Inter fans. It's all about his injury record and if he can withstand the physical nature of the English game. Honestly that terrifies me, but as a player, this is someone that could play in either KDH, Ndidi's or Winks' position and be top class at it. I find it interesting that it seems like Enzo wants to use him as an 8 (hence sending Casadei back), whereas Inter moved him to be more of a Harry Winks player to protect his body a bit more. This is his write-up on Wikipedia, which I think is highly accurate: Style of play A former offensive or central midfielder, with noted vision, good technique, and an eye for goal, Sensi now usually functions in a defensive or creative midfield role for his team. He often acts as a deep-lying playmaker in front of the back-line, due to his ball control, range of distribution, and long passing ability with both feet in spite of being naturally right-footed, which allows him to create chances for teammates; he is also capable of playing in several other midfield and offensive positions, and has been deployed as a winger, as a mezzala, or as a supporting forward. Already regarded as one of the most promising young Italian footballers of his generation, Sensi has drawn the attention of larger clubs, and his playing style, mobility, small stature, and low centre of gravity have drawn comparisons with Marco Verratti, as well as Andrea Pirlo, although he has personally stated that his main influence is Spanish playmaker Xavi. Sensi has also been praised by Italy manager Roberto Mancini, who described him as: "...good, technically gifted, and fast", also noting that "...he has character." In spite of his slender build, which makes him ineffective at winning more physical challenges for the ball, he is also effective defensively due to his tactical intelligence and interpretation of space.[2][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49] Despite his ability, however, he has often struggled with injuries throughout his career.[50]

Totally agree. Doesn't seem like enough due diligence done on the player, no matter how good he is. It seems to me that this is a player that Enzo really wants and given the start he's had here as manager he deserves to be supported. But for a player with a catastrophic injury record, this is insane. Should have been shorter length and / or number of appearances based pay.

Might not be him, but this has "loan someone else instead" written all over it. Weird timing though, Casadei had started to look pretty good. Had he got the game time, I think he would have turned it on.

In his last press conference, Enzo said we had to sell before we could buy. I think this guy means the Premier League rules not European ones, but it's the same gist. When we see the punishment being dished out to the clubs in the Premier League, even though we got relegated, I think it's going to look prudent to have stuck to the rules! It all points to Sensi joining us in the summer. It must be said that this guy is not very good for transfer news though, so take what he says with a pinch of salt.

This is a difficult one. FFP does seem to be a way to keep the top clubs in place and prevent other teams from catching them. Chelsea and Man City spent their way into the big boys club, but now no one else can do it. However, if the league was a true free market, it might become bedlam with every club owned by nation states and despots. These owners would have their Super Leagues, turn their teams into huge franchises, and you'd end up with a handful of super clubs playing one another all the time and killing grassroot and local level play. What is the solution? I don't really have a good one! FFP definitely isn't it, but what is the solution? Is there one at all? I'm not sure.