volpeazzurro

I think because in this case, when they first came, they really were quite different to other owners. Remember the friendly organised against Real Madrid and family funday with the Thai experience? Very much a different approach that people bought into. This was all new, as was communication and relationship with the fans. Vichai instilled a culture of respect within the club and seemed community minded yet I'm sure behind the scenes he was still a ruthless businessman as he'd have to have been to evolve the Kingpower empire! However, even then, the warning signs were there as Vichai, having seemingly bought Top the club as a rich son's plaything, he still had to pop in now and again to sort things out! It was Top who seemingly had the interest in football and Leicester City, but the first couple of managers in the shape of Sousa (possession football dream) and Sven, were more the choice of a kid in a sweetshop or child on football manager. I think on occasions, Vichai had to probably come in and clear his son's mess up, but did so as ethically as he could. It was still very much a business back then. Vichai was of a certain age. His business kudos had been gained through experience over the years. He would have made his mistakes when he was younger years before. Top however, to some extent, came over as a slightly spoiled over-indulged son and it's no real surprise and perhaps unreasonable to expect him to have the same business acumen as his father. I'm sure Vichai would be horrified at the financial state the club has got itself in with FFP etc. I'm also sure that one of the main causes of the problems, Brendan Rodgers, wouldn't have survived here half so long. Unlike his simpering sometimes starstruck son, Vichai would have seen straight through the dwarfs blarney as he would most likely have encountered individuals like him before in business. I also think that any other employees would have known that they messed with Vichai at their peril but not so now with Top. In some ways I do feel very sorry for Top because his heart seems to be in the right place and he has had a difficult time of it. Not only the death of his father but a complete business empire suddenly became his responsibility. I wonder how that's going? If he's to stay, he needs to put his foot down and instill some fear. Unless it's all down to himself playing football manager, the problems currently faced are down to someone or people that clearly haven't been doing their jobs properly. He needs to be brutal and move them on, time to be The Boss!

Yes, if fit enough, it would have been nice for him to make a cameo appearance. Just cannot see why Mcateer even comes into the reckoning? Presumably he must look good in training and follow Enzo's orders to a T but, it isn't transferring to a match day.

Gone half cock as usual, why not wait until you can launch it properly for everyone?

I hope they show them up for the inept fools that they are. We're not alone in this either, everyone needs to know where they stand.

How can they just make it up as they go along on the hoof though, trying out different punishments? Can you imagine that happening in criminal law? We don't like what you've done, it's against the rules, so we're going to make a brand new rule or punishment up just for you? It's ludicrous, lawyers would have a field day. Yes, if you get caught breaking the rules you absolutely deserve to get punished but ... when the rules are put in place, at the same time, logic dictates that a sliding scale of punishments dependent on the severity of the breach of those rules should be ready at the same time, open and transparent so that every club, in every, division knows exactly where they stand. To not do this leaves any governing body open to criticism for favouring certain clubs and quite rightly so. It really isn't that difficult. Yet again like VAR and the FA Cup, the Football Association comes over as inept and it's about time they were scrutinised properly because they just don't appear to be fit for purpose.

They're not really good enough squad players in the Championship sadly so we may as well get the 5m and save whatever wages they were on. There are only so many places in the squad and Nelson, Alves and Braybrooke are worthy successors. There'll be others.

I thought this was just the Championship and a bit toothless anyway because it resets at the end of the season?

Doubt very much we'll get 30m for him. Nowhere near good enough for a big club and outside the top 5 that's too much money for him and clubs would sooner shop abroad I think.

Dreary.

Tielemans is nowhere near! People remember the odd cracking goal or one in four games slide rule pass. However, his overall game and consistency was really quite poor, notwithstanding his lazy boy attitude either. There would be a host of midfielders before him for me. There's a reason he's not a regular starter at Villa.

Great stuff, really pleased for him. One of the good guys.

Next job an undertaker perhaps?

You too! First time I've had the courage to mention it, thank you friend.

Greater love hath no man than this, Than he lay down His Skittles and Red Bull for his friends.

If the FFP nightmare comes to fruition, along with the relegation, surely there can be no hiding place anymore? If Top takes no action whatsoever, he will also look inept, disinterested, indecisive, weak and, quite frankly, way out of his depth!

Perhaps his contract is up at the end of the season too and like Praet and certain others, he can see it not being renewed? 😁. Alternatively he's probably got something in his contract to make it difficult for him to be sacked without huge compensation that the club can't afford.

A great and well thought out statement, thank you! One wonders how lax they've been for it to get to this? From the time of Vichai when nobody had a bad word for the family, it's ethics, ambitions and actions as well as investment, to what we have now, yet another corporate machine with no idea of what the club's following wants or, even the effort to find out. Top and his inept team are quickly taking us downhill due to their incompetence. The problem is we're somewhat powerless and they know it and couldn't give a toss! I say that because after several decades of having a season ticket I have seriously considered not renewing but, firstly, they wouldn't care in the slightest because there are lists of people waiting to grab our two. Secondly, only we would be the losers because you can't just switch off a big part of your personal commitment or thoughts about your club knowing also, that if you gave your season ticket up the chances of getting another one in the future is doubtful. Having seen a number of owners arrive and depart I still want to be here when this shambolic lot leaves. I don't know what the answer is? Had we still got a local newspaper with proper journalists like the Leicester Mercury used to be, we could perhaps make an approach to print a well written article to embarrass the club and it's owner. No business owner likes bad publicity.

Agreed, the West Brom analogy was the first thing to come to my mind too! For the next few matches after West Brom we continued to get some good results playing in a free flowing style until Rodgers 'philosophy' fully kicked in. It was hidden/masked for quite a while by the skills of some talented individual players who would perhaps score, sometimes during late on Rodgers defying play until eventually, the system fully kicked in, overwhelmed and quietened them. Maresca is a young new manager and still learning his trade to some extent I suppose. There's a lot to like imo and I suppose discipline and adherence to a system has to be part of it to some extent. With Rodgers it was more of a stubborn obsession without any valid purpose. Last night was an excellent performance but it was against a team that was quite open who came at us and not the sort of team with tactics that has been troubling us. Hopefully the stats of only 33% possession, the performance and goals scored will give him something to consider though and not, like Rodgers, merely make him double down on some of the more negative tactics.

Brilliant 👏 🤣

I heard it was a tiger?

Being of a certain age and not knowing, how would you do that? Asking for a friend. Looked at the club video today and it's hardly consumer friendly compared to just having a card stuck in your wallet. It's clearly for them and not the supporters.

Absolutely.

I think that's it. What were supporters, are now merely customers. What's the difference? To my mind, supporters are the people that throughout different ownerships over decades, despite the very mixed up and down fortunes of their club, have remained faithful and continued to pay their money to watch and support their team. In part, sometimes, perhaps out of a sense of identity and belonging. Customers in any other sphere are people who pay money on a sometimes regular basis to obtain goods, a service or entertainment. The difference in the latter is that they can be a bit more transient in that if their product, services or entertainment falls in quality, they are likely to spend their money elsewhere. Football in general is currently well overhyped in the media and the product or entertainment you receive falls far below the hype in general. In Leicester City's case, despite the top of the table positioning, the actual product or entertainment is sometimes doubtful. If any of FFP revelations are found to be true, you'd have to conclude that Top and his entourage seem to be fairly inept and poor custodians of our club and, the way things are turning, in relation to their corporate nonsense misguided speak to their 'customers', I'm starting to think that Leicester City as a club would be well rid of the lot of them.

That would mean paying for a few more inches of bronze and Rudkin and co will have spent the money!

Exactly! In a nutshell it's talking down to or being condescending towards their 'customers', in fact it's lying.