izzymuzzet

I was in Preston for a meeting a couple of months ago and couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the queue for that place. People were waiting about 90 minutes. And the jackets are closer to a tenner than a fiver.

Can't wait until Thursday 7 August when Ruud rocks up at the press conference before our first game and tells reporters he still hasn't had a conversation about his future at the club. Meanwhile the social media team wishes Danny Cadamarteri a happy birthday.

This all sounds great. The problem is most of the highlights were a decade or more ago. The last 5 or 6 years of Dyche's career are less impressive. I'd prefer a younger manager on an upwards trajectory.

We're into "Jewelleh...Paul Jewell" territory at this point aren't we.

Not sure there's a perfect candidate out there tbh, but then there rarely is. Muslic would have been my first preference but he's gone to Schalke. I'd like us to look at coaches who have punched above their weight in some of the smaller European leagues. Maarten Martens at AZ or Alexander Blessin from Union SG for example. In England, maybe Wellens. Not totally sure about Rohl yet but I wouldn't be unhappy with him.

"When you look through his career" As I said in my previous post, you can look at his managerial career as two halves. Up to around 2019, he was happy to incorporate some younger players alongside a core of experience. Since then, he's increasingly turned to older players and the average age of his first XI has ticked upwards. He's also become more conservative tactically. Managers have shelf lives and I think Dyche's best days are behind him. He has qualities you'd want in a manager to get you battling at the bottom of the table, but for a rebuild after relegation? Not for me.

There’s a lot to admire about what Dyche achieved at Burnley but most of the players you mention here were signed or promoted from the academy over a decade ago. His record with younger players in the last 7 or 8 years is less impressive. Think the accusations of him being a dinosaur are a bit off the mark but there’s no doubt that in the last couple of years at Burnley and at Everton he adopted a much more conservative style of play and was increasingly risk averse with player selection. My main ask of the next manager is to build a young, hungry squad and a clear route for progression for our many excellent academy prospects. I don’t think Dyche is the man for that job.

This is why the singular focus on Rudkin is misplaced in my view. He is just part of a wider culture of mismanagement across the whole club.

"Declared bankrupt in Curaçao for not paying punters, BC.GAME, main sponsor of Leicester City FC in the 2024/25 season, moved jurisdiction. But the company behind BC.GAME does not exist." https://josimarfootball.com/2025/06/10/game-over/

The timing was also a major problem. Kasper left a week before the start of the season. He started in the friendly at Preston the week before so they were clearly not planning for life without him.

I get the impression from hearing Kasper's interviews that he is highly intelligent (by football standards at least), sets extremely high standards for himself and others, and can potentially be a bit spiky. I can imagine he's not the easiest character to get along with sometimes and has never been that bothered about being 'one of the lads'. But he clearly absolutely loves Leicester and has repeatedly said he didn't want to leave. I'm certain we would not have got relegated had he not left before 22-23, not just because he is obviously a better goalkeeper than Danny Ward but because he would not have allowed standards to slip in the way they did following his departure.

I for one welcome the new communist president.

There’s lots to admire about what Dyche achieved at Burnley but his peak there was 7 or 8 years ago, he’s not the same manager, and football has moved on. Football managers have a shelf life - even Guardiola, as we are perhaps seeing now. Dyche is done at the top level and we should be looking at someone younger with potential.

Stuff like this is the main reason I'm now of the mindset that King Power need to go. The shambolic management of the football side of the club is one thing, but even worse is their determination to hollow out the soul of the club in pursuit of clicks and tourists.

These aren't huge numbers at a national level but will make a big difference for particular places reliant on big autmotive employers. I was at an event a couple of weeks ago where representatives from Jaguar Land Rover were talking about the huge impact of tarriffs on the Ellesmere Port site and potential for job losses. As you say Rolls Royce will benefit which given their importance to the local economy in Derby is very important for that (admittedly poxy and home to an awful football club) town.

Not seen much of him - does he look the real deal? Stats look good.

Not sure Hartley is up to it for tests to be honest, he doesn't get any turn. You know what you're getting with Leach but if we're looking ahead to the Ashes he's been poor in Australia. I like Dawson but think he's burned his bridges with his comments last summer. Rehan seems to have the highest ceiling so would like to see him given a proper go this summer. If he could gain a bit of consistency he could be England's main spinner and number 8 for the next decade.

Suspect there may be multiple clubs interested in him which should hopefully push the price up. Obviously Chelsea are favourites with the Enzo connection but Man United need a keeper and Ederson is increasingly injury-ridden so Man City could be an option. Wherever he goes I think he'll be a success. Seems to have a great mentality as well as the physical attributes for a modern keeper.

I started going to the cinema during games a couple of months back. When that's not possible, I go to the gym. Now the cricket county championship has started up again I'm doing that instead.

I could just about understand the BDCR signing as he was on a free and on paper looked to offer some useful Premier League experience in a number of positions. But the Ayew transfer looked insane at the time and even worse now. There is simply no way that paying 5 or 6 million for a 33 year old makes any sense, particularly with PSR rules as they are.

We've had an Otty for about 7 years. Really good quality, no complaints at all. Still seems to have plenty of life in it and when we need to replace it we will probably get another Otty.

Mallorca or Las Palmas (if they stay up) would be a lovely old job.

Early in my career, prepared a briefing note on a politician my boss was meeting. Included an analysis of his approach to meetings, guidance on how to approach particular issues, loads of juicy gossip and rumours about his personal life. Accidentally sent it to the politician rather than my boss.

A couple of months ago I was prepared to give King Power a chance to sort this out, move Rudkin aside and rebuild the non-playing staff. The utter malaise that has set in since our relegation was confirmed over a week ago has convinced me we need new ownership. Worse than making bad decisions, they now seem incapable of making any decision at all. Communication is non existant and connection with the fanbase has eroded. The club is sliding towards utter irrelevance without urgent change.

Sun is out here now but there are some showers moving in from the west so if they hit Old Trafford that will be it I imagine.