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https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/yunus-akgun-struggles-preventing-enzo-9012950 Yunus Akgun ‘struggles’ preventing Enzo Maresca fulfilling Leicester City hope The Turkish international played 90 minutes for City for the first time on New Year's Day, with opportunities like that hard to come by since joining from Galatasaray on loan ByJordan Blackwell 10:40, 4 JAN 2024 Enzo Maresca would like to give Yunus Akgun more game-time but feels he is still “struggling” to get to grips with English football. Yunus played 90 minutes for the first time at Leicester City in the New Year’s Day win over Huddersfield, operating as a number 10 behind Tom Cannon. It was just his fifth league start for the club since joining on loan from Galatasaray. Injuries have played their part in limiting the 23-year-old’s opportunities, but Maresca admits that he is finding it difficult to adjust to the speed and physicality of Championship football. While Yunus arrived at the King Power Stadium as a winger, Maresca has since decided he is better playing in the middle. But there, he perhaps has even more competition, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Wilfred Ndidi, Dennis Praet, and Cesare Casadei vying for minutes. Speaking in the days before handing Yunus 90 minutes against Huddersfield, Maresca said: “Yunus is struggling a little bit with the rhythm, probably because he said in Turkey the rhythm is a little bit low. Here it’s more quick, the pace of the game. “He is struggling. He’s had a muscle problem, now it’s better. I like Yunus, I would like to give him more minutes, but he needs to adjust and understand how English football is, that it’s more physical.” Yunus has always looked lively and committed in his performances but that’s yet to lead to much involvement at the top end of the pitch. He’s yet to score for the club and has one assist in the Championship, for Dewsbury-Hall at Blackburn. He did also set up Kasey McAteer’s goal at Liverpool in the Carabao Cup. He looked keen to get off the mark against Huddersfield, and had three shots, the joint-most of City players. However, he failed to hit the target.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67876850 Wout Faes: Leicester City's Belgium defender focused only on promotion Last updated on2 hours ago2 hours ago. From the sectionLeicester Foxes promotion push 'going very well' - Faes Belgium defender Wout Faes says he is only focused on returning Leicester City to the Premier League and that transfer speculation should be ignored. The 25-year-old has been linked with Atalanta and numerous other clubs since Leicester were relegated last season. And he has been instrumental for the Championship leaders this season, starting 23 of their 26 league games. "It must attract attention that we are doing well," said Faes when asked about transfer interest in Leicester players. "But I don't think we need to fear or think about it." When asked by BBC East Midlands Today about his own future amid the constant speculation, Faes added: "My main goal this season is to play as much as possible and get up to the Premier League straight away, then there is the Euros in the summer." Faes' first season at the King Power Stadium after arriving for £15m from French side Reims finished with relegation from the top flight, ending a decade of unprecedented success for Leicester - which included wining the Premier League title, the FA Cup and reaching the Champions League quarter-finals. 'New era at Leicester' Under Italian manager Enzo Maresca, Leicester have set numerous club and competition records with their strong start to the season - including becoming the first English second tier side to win their opening seven away league games and equal-fastest Championship team to collect 65 points. After 26 games, Leicester are 10 points clear at the Championship summit and have a 13-point cushion to third-placed Southampton in the race for automatic promotion. Faes says Maresca's arrival in the summer, having helped Manchester City win the Treble as an assistant coach to Pep Guardiola, was crucial to Leicester turning the despair of relegation into a focused desire to immediately bounce back. "There was a new era almost in the club, with a whole new staff," Faes said. "They put in a lot of positive energy and everyone was straight away focused on the main goal of going back to the Premier League. "We have to hope and enjoy having this challenge." Maresca, who lasted only 180 days as Parma boss when handed the reins at the Italian club following their relegation from Serie A in 2021, brought more than a refreshing feeling to the King Power Stadium as his focus on possession-based, passing football signalled somewhat of a revolutionary shift in how the Foxes play the game. "It's a mix of everything," said Faes about the reasons for Leicester's strong first half to the season. "It's a new coach who came in who has a very clear style of play and who really said 'I want this style of play and nothing else', and also players who are very hungry to go back up. "In the beginning when you come in it's something totally new - I don't think a lot of players were used to a style like this where, talking for myself as a defender, a full-back can become a midfielder and I go much more wide. "I think it is a very good style, a versatile system, and I think we are adapting very well. "He needed the players to do it, and he wants us to be brave and to keep trying what he implements, and think that is why we get rewarded [with results]. "He wants us to move the ball, shift it from one side to the other, which might seem a bit boring at times if it is backwards or at the back, but I think if we can find the right moment to break the line then we are much more dangerous."

Born and Raised in Leicester · Leicester train station 1965

Away Day Tours · Aston Villa FC Villa Park, England The Holte End In its prime the Holte End alone could hold around 30k fans. That my friend is a good old fashion terrace..

https://fb.watch/pl0ezu3-N-/ Real Madrid and Tottenham have each spent roughly £1bn on new stadiums in recent years. Yet Southampton, Leicester City and Sunderland’s stadiums combined cost £100m. Why are stadiums so much more expensive to build these days?

So a good feeling then

Born and Raised in Leicester · Follow · Western Park Western Park was a forest called ‘Herewoode’ and belonged to one of William the Conqueror’s most trusted Barons; Hugh de Grandmesnil For many decades Western Park was well known for its 1930s Open Air School, now Grade II Listed During the First World War, the Wartime Ambulance Station trained on Western Park and it was also the training ground for the Leicester Regiment’s Volunteers Early occupation and construction There is evidence at Western Park of possibly Leicester’s earliest occupation. What is believed to be an early Bronze Age henge site and burial mounds have been discovered there along with evidence of Roman occupation as well. It is thought the Roman road linking Leicester (Ratae Coritanorum) and Manchester (Manduessedum) runs through the park although the exact location remains unknown. Areas of the park have also seen multiple phases of sandstone quarrying which also possibly date as far back as the Roman period. This ‘Dane Hills Sandstone’ (now known as Arden Sandstone) is thought to be the material from which many of Leicester’s earliest churches were built, as well as The Magazine. Old Major By the time of the 1089 Domesday Book record, Western Park was a forest called ‘Herewoode’ and belonged to one of William the Conqueror’s most trusted Barons; Hugh de Grandmesnil. The park was part of the wider Leicester Forest and by the 12th Century had passed into the hands of the Earls of Leicester. ‘Assarting’ or the removal of trees for fuel and grazing saw the forest dwindle in size until the Frith (the approximate area of today’s park) was fenced off –the tree known as ‘Old Major’ is thought to be a surviving remnant of this forest and possibly the oldest tree in any of Leicester’s parks. A park and school In 1897 the Leicester Corporation bought the park for £30,000 primarily for the enjoyment by residents of Leicester’s expanding West End. The park was officially opened by the Mayor of Leicester in 1899 and an Oak tree and Californian Fir were planted to commemorate the occasion. Initial complaints by the Parks Committee stated that the park was not frequently used by the public due to its location outside the town and as a result a tram line was constructed in 1904 to bring in visitors to the city. For many decades Western Park was well know for its 1930s Open Air School, now Grade II Listed. This was constructed for children who were recovering from debilitating illnesses, particularly of a respiratory nature and was characterised by programs of hydrotherapy, exercise and nutrition aimed at improving the health of the most impoverished of Leicester’s children. In the Committee Minutes it was explained that the aim of the school was to ‘so train the children that they would eventually become hardy men and women’. The school was open from 1930 to 2005. Early occupation and construction There is evidence at Western Park of possibly Leicester’s earliest occupation. What is believed to be an early Bronze Age henge site and burial mounds have been discovered there along with evidence of Roman occupation as well. The World Wars During the First World War, the Wartime Ambulance Station trained on Western Park and it was also the training ground for the Leicester Regiment’s Volunteers. Even the grass of the golf course was used for the war effort when it was harvested to feed horses and cattle when Great Britain’s agriculture was stretched under rationing. During the Second World War, air raid drills were carried out at the park with military inspections and processions taking place in the grounds. There was a public air raid shelter in the corner of the park next to Hinckley Road and children recalled seeing guns and search lights illuminating the sky above it, with concrete sewer pipes being laid across the grassy areas to prevent enemy aircraft from attempting to land. A beautiful local park Leicester City Corporation took pride in providing their citizens with a public park with a majestic entrance and lined avenue of trees. The ‘fair pool’ became the much-loved paddling pool, and that, along with tennis courts, the band stand and a play area secured the immediate success of the park with all social classes. The park today is still a popular visitor spot for families and boasts frequent concerts in the bandstand as well as a wide variety of sporting and recreational facilities. Photo 1. Western Park Photo2. Children playing around the famous ‘Old Major’ tree, circa 1900 Photo 3 Pupils playing sports with the school buildings in the background, circa 1930s

Maybe he doesn't want to move home.

Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna has confirmed that striker George Hirst is expected to miss the majority of the remainder of the season after suffering an injury against Leicester City.

Bit strange Black ref no taking the knee. Suppose it could have looked patronising but we've done it a lot recently. Yeah decent ref too, liked the advantage.

Most of the team were poor in the first half.

https://insidefutbol.com/2024/01/01/leicester-city-keen-on-teenage-defender/631522/

So much of it is buried like under the Holiday Inn and Dragon Square.

He's Mr Yin-Yang

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/roman-shrine-found-under-leicester-8991348 Roman shrine found under Leicester Cathedral set for BBC Two's Digging for Britain By Lee GarrettReporter Leicester Cathedral is sitting on top of a wealth of history e Professor Alice Roberts presents the BBC's Digging for Britain series An astonishing find at Leicester Cathedral will feature in an episode of the BBC’s Digging for Britain this week. The extraordinary archaeological adventure will look deep into the dig itself and show how the city is chocked full of history. The show, which is hosted by Professor Alice Roberts, will look into the dig which took place at the cathedral earlier this year. The dig, led by the University of Leicester with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, amazed the world when teams uncovered a potential Roman cellar, shrine and altar in the grounds. The discovery, which was captured by the Digging for Britain cameras, is thought to date back thousands of years. The shrine is also a significant find as it was the first Roman altar stone ever found in Leicester. Archaeologists from the University of Leicester excavate early medieval burials interred in the top of the backfilled Roman cellar at Leicester Cathedral The cellar was found by archaeologists from the University of Leicester The dig has taken place over the past three years with archaeologists from University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS), who have been working with Leicester Cathedral to reveal the story of what is below the city landmark. The excavations were carried out before construction of the new Heritage Learning Centre in the Cathedral Gardens. Over the three years, a “remarkable” archive of archaeological significance has been found by teams. This includes a highly unusual, continuous 850-year sequence of burial activity, as well as Anglo-Saxon, Roman and prehistoric activity dating back over 15,000 years. John Thomas, ULAS deputy director, who managed the cathedral dig, said: “ULAS has built a good relationship with Digging for Britain over the years, and through the programme we’ve been able to share amazing stories that have resulted from several of our major projects. It is fantastic that we are now able to include this wonderful story from our Leicester Cathedral excavation in the new series, which sheds important new light on some of the formative changes that took place in the journey towards the city we know today.” The dig, which is part of the Leicester Cathedral Revealed project, was made possible with the backing of a £6.4 million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. That money, which has been raised by the public through playing the lottery, has helped revitalise the cathedral, seeing a new fully accessible and environmentally friendly heated limestone floor put in place, while the interior has been redecorated too.

On reflection did Rodgers downfall start when Toure left?

The difference is that people wanted Little to stay no one seriously wanted Rogers.

The sight of him barrelling to the corner flag after netting a last-minute winner against Leeds is etched into Club folklore. Before every matchday in the present day, Filbert Way regulars are reminded of that bullet header during the pre-match montage. It's a goal which holds worthy status alongside strikes which sealed Premier League glory and wrote European history. Howard's entry was equally as significant – hoisting the Club up from depths it had never experienced before. Howard, a 'daft Geordie' in his own words, was one component of a strike force which was, in truth, a bit of cheat code in League 1 back in 2008/09. Between Howard and Matty Fryatt, they bagged 40 goals that term. It fuelled an immediate rescue-act from Nigel Pearson, resetting the whole culture at the Club, and allowing the Foxes to lock their sights once again towards the Premier League. Without the class of 2009, maybe the triumphs of following years might not have happened. The clock struck 90 in April 2009 with Leicester and Leeds locked in stalemate. Both sides were eying promotion, but it was table-topping City who stood the greater chance. Nevertheless the chasing pack was closer than our recollections perhaps do justice. The nine-point gap to third which appears in history books was forged later on, boosted by this showdown with Leeds. Max Gradel, a product of the Academy, swung his right boot at a corner-kick and the ball sliced through the air. As Steve now recalls, he wasn't sure he had the energy to even make a go for it in the box, but he found it from somewhere. More here - https://www.lcfc.com/news/3832186/howard-playing-for-leicester-city-was-huge-for-me/featured?lang=en

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/match-reports/how-enzo-maresca-polished-leicester-9005288 How Enzo Maresca has polished his Leicester City gem as surprise decision aids promotion charge Analysis of the victory over Cardiff, looking at the improvements City are making, the lack of rotation, Abdul Fatawu, the Championship table, and more heartwarming moments ByJordan Blackwell 19:30, 30 DEC 2023 Coming just a few days after a trip to the other side of the country, and following a last-minute goal against them that dampened the Christmas cheer, a trip to Cardiff had the potential to be a difficult match for Leicester City. And yet they breezed to victory. They weren’t at their very best, and there were moments where the tempo dropped, but they still scored two terrific goals, created chances for a couple more, and restricted the opposition to very little. It was a deserved three points. And it’s a sign that City are getting better. Now the second half of the season has arrived, their performances can be compared to the reverse fixtures against each opponent. In their two so far, against Rotherham and Cardiff, the wins have been much more comfortable. No late winners have been required. READ MORE: Iheanacho injury casts doubt over Afcon with Nigeria after update READ MORE: Enzo Maresca explains 'one reason' he's so happy with win at Cardiff Perhaps they were aided by a Cardiff team who were chasing the game and playing more openly, but City are creating high-quality chances at a much better rate than at the start of the season. In the early months, there was a lot of toiling for not much goalmouth action. Now, when they turn it on, they can attack much more fluidly and much more incisively. The midfielders and forwards look more relaxed and they’re expressing themselves. As a result, City are becoming a much greater threat. The victory at Cardiff was not a standout one. It’s unlikely to get a mention when May comes around and City are reflecting on the best results and performances of their season. But in a draining period of games, it should not be overlooked what an impressive three points it is, how professional City were, and how much they have improved in just a few months. Maresca's surprise lack of rotation paying off It has perhaps helped City’s free-flowing attack that for the sixth straight game they started with the same front six, allowing players time to get on each other’s wavelengths. That’s the longest run of the season without any rotation in the midfield or attack and it comes in a period where the fixtures are coming at an even quicker rate. Based on how he’s swapped his team around for games so far this season, it’s a bit of a surprise that Maresca has been so reluctant to change during the festive period. All he has done so far is protect James Justin and Ricardo Pereira for a game each so as not to risk the injuries that have marred their recent campaigns. In the early months, it wouldn't have been unusual for the manager to make five changes from one game to the next. Injuries to Jamie Vardy, Kasey McAteer, and a few others have limited what he could do, but there have been options there. Maresca explains that the domination City have of possession means their players aren’t expending as much energy as their opponents. It means he has felt like changes weren’t necessary. He said: “We could make some more changes, but because of the way we play, we try to keep the ball as much as we can, so we allow the opponent to run a little bit more. When you have this amount of games, you can also manage the physical aspect. “If you run for 90 minutes behind the ball, for sure playing every three days, you struggle a little bit more. If you are able to manage the ball, you will struggle less. It’s much better to keep the ball and to try to let them run and you have more energy playing every few days.” A settled team is preferable but it’s not worth it if there’s a risk of injury, and so there is a balance to strike. But because City dominate the ball and dictate the tempo, they have more control over how much energy they use up, meaning they avoid those risks more than other sides do. It tallies too that Southampton, the only team to average a greater share of possession than City, are also the only team to have picked up more points in the three games over the past week than Maresca’s men have. The style of play is helping in more ways than one. Fatawu is a gem and Maresca has already polished him City have a gem on the right wing and he’s being polished by Maresca. Abdul Fatawu is getting better and better. From his first outing in a City shirt, the talent that had caught the club's eye was on display. That superb burst of pace, those quick feet, and that daring nature to bamboozle full-backs is why Fatawu was signed. Those qualities have been on display in pretty much every match the Ghanaian has played. The rate at which he creates chances too has also been impressive. Sometimes, the composure and the final pass takes more time to hone, with so many young wingers beating their man and then fluffing their lines. Fatawu doesn’t do that. But even with all of that, Maresca has been on his case. Every time he has discussed Fatawu, he has made reference to the improvements he needs to make, mainly around decision-making and his off-the-ball work. Well, his last two matches have shown that he’s making considerable strides. Against Ipswich, he was tasked with a defensive role to cover the forward runs of left-back Leif Davis, channelling Danny Simpson and Wes Morgan to win back-post headers and make flying blocks. At Cardiff, his off-the-ball work at the other end of the pitch set up both goals. He timed his press on Joe Ralls expertly to pinch the ball for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s opener, and then did not give up on a loose ball to steal in before a clearance could be made and to set the ball back for James Justin. For teenage wingers who ooze flair, it’s assumed they are incapable of putting in the kind of performances Fatawu has done in the past two games. But Maresca has not waited to mould him into an all-around excellent winger and the impact the manager is having is already bearing fruit. Consistent City stretch lead in Championship table Twenty wins from 25 games is preposterous really. It’s only one short of the tally play-off winners Luton got last season. It’s been a terrific end to the calendar year for the club – nine games unbeaten matching their best run of the campaign – and they’ve found a level of consistency that has enabled them to stretch their lead over the rest of the division. An eight-point gap at the top is the biggest they’ve had all season. Back in November, two straight losses saw Leeds move to within eight points of them. Now the gap between the clubs is at 17 points, the biggest it has been all campaign. Even Southampton, who have put together an extremely-impressive 17-match unbeaten run have not gained ground. Before their streak started in late September, they were 11 points behind City. As the year ends, they are still 11 points behind City. If the Saints continue at the same rate they have picked up points to this stage, they will finish on 93. That would leave City needing 11 wins from their final 21 games to get there. The manager and players can’t think this way, but it’s difficult to see how City don’t get the points they need to get over the line. 'Enzo, give us a wave!' What is especially heartwarming is that City are charging back towards the Premier League under a manager that a good portion of fans feel truly connected to. On a winter’s night, heading to Cardiff is some trek, but a few thousand made the journey because they have a manager and a team to believe in. Late in the match, the travelling City supporters were asking Maresca to give them a wave. He was wrapped up in the game and didn’t hear them, each chant ending with a sarcastic jeer when there was no response from the Italian. At the fourth time of asking, Maresca put his hands up in recognition and the away end celebrated like a third goal had been scored. It was yet another nice moment for those who have followed the club religiously in a season that has been packed full of them, and in a season that promises plenty more in the new year.

A bit too highbrow for me.

Surely Youri who had the ability to be better but just wasn't interested. Ward tried his best but was/is just not good enough.

Thanks. It's always good to remember where football started and how it has progressed or as some would suggest regressed certainly in some respects.