Unprecedented

[Countryfox]

Never done or known before.

 

Perhaps the phrase of the day after Donald Ducks tweet earlier...

 

I don't think many people (especially the media and neutrals) have acknowledged just how unprecedented (or unpresidented) this season is. It's not just last season that was the one-off.

 

Think what we've had to cope with:

 

• the emotional hangover of last season
• the tag of champions
• the increased interest in our players both in terms of transfers and media exposure
• the extra pressure of the Champions League
• the "how will it ever be as good?" factor
• the changes needed to the playing squad and management
• the general up-sizing of the club as a whole - to "be" a Champions League club off the pitch is an entirely different operation
• the loss of two integral individuals on and off the pitch

It's easy after the event but all these things will have been hard to prepare for given the lack of precedents.

 

Other teams have won the league from being rank outsiders but not in the modern day when football is 24/7, the pressure is immense and the money is obscene.

 

No club has ever had to do this before - not quite like this.

 

That's not to excuse some of the bad decisions but it's no wonder things haven't gone swimmingly. I think everyone connected with the club has struggled with one or more of the above at some point or other.

 

However, I'm more interested in the effect it's had on us as fans than on the players and staff. I've heard all kinds of opinions about this season - certainly a lot of people have found it hard to care as much or to be as motivated to support the team when we've just had the season of our lives and it seems like the games at the moment are every other day.

 

Given the extreme highs and lows we've had over the past few years, it's tempting to think everything is either amazing or terrible and as a fanbase, it seems like we're swinging from one to the other almost daily. Even in the past ten days we've had the highs of the Manchester City game, the CL draw and today's comeback; the lows of the Porto defeat, the Bournemouth defeat and the end of the first half today.

 

We were desperate for Man City to be "the turning point" and hopefully the equaliser today will do it instead but even if the next two games don't go to plan, I think it's worth remembering no club has ever been through the challenge of a season like this before and it seems unlikely they will in our lifetimes.

 

With the referee losing the plot, last season's top scorer sent off, our best outfield player so far this season unavailable, to show the real Leicester spirit was something very special. In fact, given the undoubted pressure at the moment, I'd go so far as to say two of the last three games (Man City and today) have seen performances even more remarkable than anything last season, backed 100% by a fanbase that's been through the mill in the past few months.

 

So we might not be top of the league this Christmas but we've managed to go into it on a high against all the odds and that's proper Leicester.

 

 

....    oh sh1t just noticed someone else has said much the same as me earlier in this thread ...     just slightly different though so I'll let mine stand ...   probably only worth about 30 reps.   

[CosbehFox]

Yesterday was the first time it felt like everything is finally calming down to be honest. It felt normal again

[bridport007]

I think the pre season was understandable really, financially and to gain experience of playing against the big boys of Europe.

I think we'll be less overawed by Seville because of that experience.

 Like you say, we are collectively sharing a unique experience as a team and as fans. Last season was truly amazing and probably a once in a lifetime event. I feel that we as fans.... and the players, are going through the equivalent of the 'holiday blues'?

It was always going to be tough to keep everyone on a high, and due to the other teams performing much better this season, we are perhaps all disappointed with being at a more realistic level?

 It must be hard for the players too. They had a few months of suddenly being famous all over the world and literally being treated like gods wherever they went, and the great leveller of having to reproduce this effort again was bound to be difficult on such young shoulders.

 

I think we have seen signs of last season with the Man City game. and the fight back yesterday against Stoke, and hopefully we can hit a run of form before the Seville game.

 I do think though that we have to be careful in the stands and on FT with too much negativity, as it can spread like a disease, and the players pick up on it.

A friend of mine who's a dirty Red Manc said to me, just enjoy your season. You have a great manager and good players, and you are in the last 16 of the Champions League, and it wasn't long ago that we were travelling to Yeovil midweek in Div 1. Sure it's been gutting at times this season, but we must make the effort to enjoy where we are and hopefully raise the positivity around the club.I don't think we'll be relegated as there are a few teams that are much worse than us. I think we will still manage mid table, and starting with kicking Evertons arse, we will hit some form and then Seville...well, who knows? :-)

[norwichfox]

A heart warming opening post, I guess there are too many realists amongst us to accept that these "unprecedented" events have caused 1 iota of the p155 poor performances with very little desire or use of known skills on display during the matches (Hull and Sunderland spring immediately to mind). We've had good cup runs under MO'N that didn't leave us in such a state, admittedly for a much lesser valued cup, but we turned up for those matches without a massive effect on the season (1969  excepted )  We've had transfers out of our best player on numerous occasions in the past. We've had the tag of Champions at 2 other levels we should be used to that by now....just not in the Premier League.

 

I think it could all be Matt Gillie's fault for dropping Ken Leek from the 1961 final, it all started going wrong from there.

[Nick]

 

[Peterorange]

A note of sanity. There has been so much knee-jerk over-reaction in the last few weeks. Imagine you just won £2 million on the lottery. then got told you had to go back to work again on Monday like nothing had happened. It would be tough.

 

'Unprecedented': everything got blown out of the water last season. And now they have to go again. starting from zero. Not easy for anyone, players or supporters. 

 

[dorsetboy]

i dont know if its just me ! i have found it quite difficult to get into the zone this season.  its like ive spent 35 years wanting to see us be champions and it built up and last season the whole lot just came flowing out. 

Last season i said im not bothered if we went down this season if we won the prem and when we lose im like oh well ! yet last season i was distraught at a loss  

 

anyone else finding it tough to get into this season also 

[harpendenfox]

no, I seem to be more involved and addicted every season. It borders on the unhealthy. The gloom listening to that 20 minutes before half time on Saturday, and the elation less than an hour later pretty much encapsulating the Leicester City experience.

 

Glad to have a little breather before two huge games in Christmas week

[sylofox]

20 hours ago, Vardinio'sCat said:

Oh dear...

 

I blame the cider!

I hope that is proper cloudy scrumpy.

No excuse if it was cooking cider.

[blurryface]

I love how unpredictable being a Leicester fan is, it makes it worth every penny.

 

This season isn't what we expected but last season wasn't either. It's the most Leicester City thing we could do.

 

They'll always be champions in my eyes. Even if we one day switch back to skybets numbering and arm badges.

 

The last 15 mins v Stoke made the trips to Sunderland and Bouremouth all worth it haha.

[norwichfox]

21 hours ago, Swan Lesta said:

 

quality....