So the big fat contracts had nothing to do with it?

[StriderHiryu]

9 hours ago, Thracian said:

My belief is it was a connected chain of events rather than one speciific thing that led to our appalling Premiership season until Ranieri's sacking.

 

Contract issues didn't help. But then there was the "celebrity" pre-season which disrupted our normally sound preparation,

 

Then there was Ranieri trying to change our style and perhaps trying to fit new signings into a group of players who didn't understand why we should change our successful style in any case, or involve players who weren't showing themselves capable of even deserving a place never mind maintaining our momentum.

 

These things and one or two more all contributed to a sorry tale which just got worse because there were no lasting positives to counter the impact of so many negatives. Until, despite all the sentiment, our owners took the only decisions that could have saved the situation by waving goodbye to Ranieri and appointing Shakespeare.

 

Suddenly the positives were back. We reverted to virtually the same team and style that won matches and a title, Ndidi emerged to improve our strength and threat from central midfield, players started looking happy and eager to do their jobs once more, the fans took heart and even more so with further Champions League success and Gray finally emerged as a genuinely useful squad member and one who could compliment our particular, fast counter-attacking strengths

.    

In other words our honest, humble, focused, feet-on-the-floor manager played to our strengths, our team returned to a system they understood and believed in and, no, it wasn't at the expense of Shaky being able to use anyone from outside the "chosen men", he just introduced others as and when it was logical and potentially beneficial. 

 

That Gray is right about the team being "back together" seems beyond doubt because all the old chemistry, focus, enthusiasm and understanding is back along with the simplest of philosophies..."do your job and you'll be in the team".

 

We've gone from Tinkerman to Thinkerman. From Changeling to Samething and the effect has been to transform our team of wonderers (as in "what the hell are we trying to do") back into a team of winners.

 

And some of our football now is back to its brilliant best with pace, imagination, marauding numbers and individual moments of magic.

 

From shite to exciting in a few short weeks ... who'd have guessed it!   

 

 

 

Great post! 

[Bob Weasel Fox]

A mixture of reasons for sure

 

very sad we had to get rid of Ranieri regardless though but hey ho at least the players are playing well again at the moment that's the main thing

 

up the Foxes. 

[SkidsFox]

Maybe, just maybe, Shakey has the capability to be a top manager.

[knowf***all]

Met someone on the train from Malaga to seville on the Monday before the game, who seemed to be "in the know" and he told us that ranieri would be asked to resign after the match as they really didn't want to sack him, but knew he had to go.

wasnt really surprised when we landed on the Thursday and heard on the drive home that Claudio had been sacked........ sad at the time, but was the right decision

[joachim1965]

Even the staunchest Claudio supporter must now realise that the club were right to make a change.

[yorkie1999]

46 minutes ago, knowf***all said:

Met someone on the train from Malaga to seville on the Monday before the game, who seemed to be "in the know" and he told us that ranieri would be asked to resign after the match as they really didn't want to sack him, but knew he had to go.

wasnt really surprised when we landed on the Thursday and heard on the drive home that Claudio had been sacked........ sad at the time, but was the right decision

You knowf***all

[Dan]

I don't buy it was as simple as them not trying either. Funny how the media and neutrals tried whatever to make out we're a bunch of cloggers who got lucky yet apparently we can turn into a side that wins five on the bounce, mostly comfortably, including wins over Liverpool & Sevilla simply by "trying".

 

For me I think the players lost faith in what he was trying to do. It's a vicious cycle. When you're being set up to lose, that is going to psychologically hit your performance. When you're being set up in a way you know is going to fail, it's impossible to have that same desire you have when you're being set up properly.

 

Take Simpson for example. Limited full back if we're talking in FM terms. Gets a nose bleed if he crosses the half way line. Ranieri's set him up at Southampton away to cover the whole right side despite him having nowhere near the capability to do so effectively. Either that, or he's just totally abandoning any hope of us hurting them down the wings. They're completely useless tactics that require a bit of individual magic, such as a 30 yarder, or beating about 5 players and scoring, to have any effect.

 

Danny Simpson knows in his head he's going to struggle because he's being set up to struggle. Naturally, he's going to lose that bit extra.

 

Vardy is the best example of the lot. Ranieri was visually seen telling Vardy to stand off. That's totally negating what Vardy is about. It's no wonder he was well off-form.

 

Shakespeare gives Vardy the freedom to run riot again and quelle surprise, 4 goals in 5 games, unplayable nearly every game.

 

People in this country try and make things far too simple all the time. I think some people genuinely have it in their heads that doing interviews with OK magazine actually makes you poorer in front of goal. Total cliche bullshit.

[Guest Col city fan]

4 hours ago, Dan LCFC said:

I don't buy it was as simple as them not trying either. Funny how the media and neutrals tried whatever to make out we're a bunch of cloggers who got lucky yet apparently we can turn into a side that wins five on the bounce, mostly comfortably, including wins over Liverpool & Sevilla simply by "trying".

 

For me I think the players lost faith in what he was trying to do. It's a vicious cycle. When you're being set up to lose, that is going to psychologically hit your performance. When you're being set up in a way you know is going to fail, it's impossible to have that same desire you have when you're being set up properly.

 

Take Simpson for example. Limited full back if we're talking in FM terms. Gets a nose bleed if he crosses the half way line. Ranieri's set him up at Southampton away to cover the whole right side despite him having nowhere near the capability to do so effectively. Either that, or he's just totally abandoning any hope of us hurting them down the wings. They're completely useless tactics that require a bit of individual magic, such as a 30 yarder, or beating about 5 players and scoring, to have any effect.

 

Danny Simpson knows in his head he's going to struggle because he's being set up to struggle. Naturally, he's going to lose that bit extra.

 

Vardy is the best example of the lot. Ranieri was visually seen telling Vardy to stand off. That's totally negating what Vardy is about. It's no wonder he was well off-form.

 

Shakespeare gives Vardy the freedom to run riot again and quelle surprise, 4 goals in 5 games, unplayable nearly every game.

 

People in this country try and make things far too simple all the time. I think some people genuinely have it in their heads that doing interviews with OK magazine actually makes you poorer in front of goal. Total cliche bullshit.

Excellent.....

[Webbo]

9 hours ago, joachim1965 said:

Even the staunchest Claudio supporter must now realise that the club were right to make a change.

Tbf we won the league last season and some can't forgive the club for sacking Pearson.