Is Ranieri doing an "O'Neill"?

[Harry - LCFC]

It's only fantasy land because we're Leicester. If we're looking at purely logical points and facts - the players we've got, our form over a sustained period of time, the sort of football we play, the ease in which we're beating teams in the same division - then we've got a chance.

 

It's true that the real test was always going to be this month, but we've earned the right to play top of the table clashes halfway through the season. We could fall away during December but should we be in a similar position by 2016 you've got one less argument to suggest it's fantasy land. We'll have played everyone then.

As for our squad not being deep enough; apart from the point that you take the 2 best players out of any team and they'd struggle (and that there is no certainty that either of those 2 will be injured for us or leave the club), January is an opportunity to strengthen parts of our squad. If we bring in just a couple of quality players it could make a huge difference. And even then, even Man City's squad isn't perfect. I don't think much to Mangala, for example, and he starts games.

 

Which reminds me, never underestimate a managers ability to fvck things up with their selections. That includes Pellegrini and Wenger.

It's unlikely we'll win the league but I don't agree with people scoffing at the suggestion that it's possible. Certainly I've seen nothing to suggest that the top 4 isn't achievable, as miraculous as even that sounds to a fan of this club.

 

As for Claudio, I'd like to think he's telling his players that they can achieve great things here, as it's vital that they feel that we can match their ambitions if we want to keep them.

 

Looking at the size of the club isn't anti-fact or anti-logic. Smaller clubs who start well and look better than those around them tend to fall away. We shouldn't ignore that.

 

I find it unlikely that several of our squad members from last season, along with the medium-reputation players we bought in the summer, have now become some of the best in the country over summer. I think a more likely explanation is that they're on good form playing easier games which makes them look slightly better than they really are. This is typically what we find when smaller clubs start a season particularly well.

 

As I say though, if we're still 1st after we've played Man City I will change my mind.

[ARM1968]

Ranieri's job was to reach 40 pts and keep us in the Prem. Personally I expect he would have wanted slightly more.

No one in their right mind would have thought we'd be top after 15 games.

[Captain...]

Ranieri will not be telling the players we can win the league, he will be focussing on it game by game, and every game he will be telling our players we can win that game.

[Matt]

Celtic not winning the league :crylaugh: What an absurd statement.

 

(I understand Rangers were there at that time challenging them but even so it was a 50/50 chance, no one else was gonna win that shite league)

[MaxLERenard]

 

• We've had what are probably the easiest first 15 fixtures out of all the clubs in the division having played none of our competitors away from home.

 

Hmmm but there are only 4 other teams in the division (Liverpool, Everton, Chelsea & Man City)!

[fuchsntf]

Hitting again on what Thracian posted,

Impossible to assume now, but wouldnt it to be great to see how that side would have been lauded, questioned,

potential seen, in todays world at the same stage.In fact the media of the day were very positive towards

their way of trimming other top teams sails, unlike the bias and known alligned pundits and journalist.

Our new King Richard, still has a role to play in the good fortunes of this 'upstart unknown of a team' ...of ours.

The young Forest was also involved in games, they were also expected to roll over and lay down.

Cloughie had ,has history shown, proved them sooooo wrooong.Even now find it hard to be remembered....

[BigMicky]

Hmmm but there are only 4 other teams in the division (Liverpool, Everton, Chelsea & Man City)!

Ohhhh dear........

[Aus Fox]

• We've had what are probably the easiest first 15 fixtures out of all the clubs in the division having played none of our competitors away from home.
• We rely heavily on two players to score and create goals. That makes the team's form unstable as a drop-off from either player would likely affect us quite strongly.
• The depth of our squad isn't poor but it's not what the teams around us have. This may tell later in the season.
• We finished 14th last season. A jump to 1st spot in one year would be unprecedented in world football, especially from a squad that hasn't experienced wholesale changes. Clearly this is a better team than last year - players have been brought in that have strengthened certain positions (e.g. left back) and individuals like Drinkwater and Morgan have improved their game - but to jump 13 places to 1st spot because of a few transfers and individual improvement would be utterly remarkable.

The first three points all lead me to believe this run of results will not continue as strongly for the rest of the season. The last one is more of a general point about how odd it would be for a team to make such a giant leap forward without making radical change over the summer.

PS - You may see my change my mind if we remain top after the Manchester City game</p>

This is actual bullshittery, let me take your points one by one.

Easiest first 15 games? The only four teams we have not yet played are Man City, Everton, Liverpool and Chelsea.

Now in the case of 3 of that 4 it would certainly have been easier to play them earlier in the season. Liverpool and Everton are improving and Chelsea have had some horrendous results and are in the bottom half currently, leaving only Man City who are a genuine title contender this season who we have not yet played.

We have been to 3 grounds we traditionally lose at in West Ham, Newcastle and Swansea and won scoring 8 and only conceding 1.

We rely on two players to score and create, well Albrighton has at least 5 assists this season.

Dyer has proven to be dangerous in the premier league and may not have the same flair as Mahrez but without Mahrez I am confident Dyer could do a job. Vardy has been our main goal scorer but given a consistent run we know others can score. This is not knocking those two they have been amazing this season, but I think the way we play we would still create chances without them.

Depth: compare our bench last weekend to Man Utd and Man City which would you prefer?

Last season also has no barring on this season.

Now I'm not saying we are going to win the league and let's all party now, we could at any point go on a losing streak and finish mid table and I think we'd all still be happy.

But life is good, let's enjoy it and not look for reasons why it's going to fall apart.

[Izzy]

Hitting again on what Thracian posted,

Impossible to assume now, but wouldnt it to be great to see how that side would have been lauded, questioned,

potential seen, in todays world at the same stage.In fact the media of the day were very positive towards

their way of trimming other top teams sails, unlike the bias and known alligned pundits and journalist.

Our new King Richard, still has a role to play in the good fortunes of this 'upstart unknown of a team' ...of ours.

The young Forest was also involved in games, they were also expected to roll over and lay down.

Cloughie had ,has history shown, proved them sooooo wrooong.Even now find it hard to be remembered....

 

I'm becoming more and more convinced by the day that you and Thracian are actually the same person 

[Harry - LCFC]

This is actual bullshittery, let me take your points one by one.

Easiest first 15 games? The only four teams we have not yet played are Man City, Everton, Liverpool and Chelsea.

Now in the case of 3 of that 4 it would certainly have been easier to play them earlier in the season. Liverpool and Everton are improving and Chelsea have had some horrendous results and are in the bottom half currently, leaving only Man City who are a genuine title contender this season who we have not yet played.

We have been to 3 grounds we traditionally lose at in West Ham, Newcastle and Swansea and won scoring 8 and only conceding 1.

We rely on two players to score and create, well Albrighton has at least 5 assists this season.

Dyer has proven to be dangerous in the premier league and may not have the same flair as Mahrez but without Mahrez I am confident Dyer could do a job. Vardy has been our main goal scorer but given a consistent run we know others can score. This is not knocking those two they have been amazing this season, but I think the way we play we would still create chances without them.

Depth: compare our bench last weekend to Man Utd and Man City which would you prefer?

Last season also has no barring on this season.

Now I'm not saying we are going to win the league and let's all party now, we could at any point go on a losing streak and finish mid table and I think we'd all still be happy.

But life is good, let's enjoy it and not look for reasons why it's going to fall apart.

 

I'm not saying that last season affects this season. What I am saying is that it seems unlikely that a relatively unchanged squad would go from lower mid-table to title winner in one year. City and Arsenal have more depth than us. We're probably fairly similar to United. Vardy and Mahrez have scored three quarters of our goals. A slight lapse from either would make a noticeable difference unless someone like Ulloa stepped up (which could happen in fairness).

 

I don't consider the title a realistic possibility. The examples of smaller clubs initially doing well and then falling away indicate to me that what we're seeing is a good team on top form rather than a top team on good form. It's probably unheard of to see an entire team permanently improve that quick.