Is this it?

[Vardinio'sCat]

No

[coolhandfox]

For me depend on recruitment, both staff and players!

 

We had a massive opportunity this season to really establish ourselves in the top 6 or 8, but blew it with mediocre recruitment. We recruited players form sub standard leagues, people will quote Mahrez, Vardy et al, but they had time to bed in and develop. We really needed players who could hit the ground running. 

 

This is summer we must target top 8 quality players.

[Nalis]

Next season? We win the FA Cup.

[Spiritwalker]

I think in the last few weeks we have been back to our best.

The top teams have improved but they're not out of sight, 

Spurs seem to be doing ok, are they much different to last 

season? If we can keep our squad together and make a small

number of quality additions I think we will challenge for Europe.

 

[davieG]

What Leicester must do to ensure European adventures become the norm and not just a one-off

 

Leicester's success captured the imagination

 

 John Percy 

19 APRIL 2017 • 6:24PM

As the dust settles on Leicester’s Champions League adventure, the question dominating the thoughts of supporters is “what happens next?”

Leicester have lifted the Premier League title and reached the last eight in Europe’s platinum competition, embarrassing the bookmakers over a rollercoaster 18 months which has captured the imagination.

But the journey had to finish at some stage and there is now a sense that the miracle men will never be the same again.

 

Leicester will relinquish the trophy to either Chelsea or Tottenham Hotspur next month and with survival virtually assured, have six games to jostle for a midtable finish. 

It is a reality check for Craig Shakespeare and his players, who have defied expectation yet again to make the club's debut in the Champions League such an uplifting experience. 

After beginning their tour on a balmy September night in Bruges, Leicester have enjoyed the ride and arguably deserve even more praise than they have received for reaching the quarter-finals and putting the frighteners on Atletico Madrid.

But if Leicester are to succeed in making European excursions the norm, this summer will be crucial in their attempts to reach the next level. 

For starters, Leicester will have to learn from the mistakes of last year’s response to lifting the title and dramatically improve their recruitment and planning. 

Keeping the core of the current squad together is also vitally important, though there is an argument that it may need a facelift too.

Kasper Schmeichel and Riyad Mahrez will inevitably be targets for clubs across Europe, while Jamie Vardy’s performances against Sevilla and Atletico Madrid have proved that the pre-match praise of Diego Simeone was not mere lip service.

Riyad Mahrez will be a target for suitors in the Premier League and in Europe again

Those three players are on long contracts with no release clauses – which means Leicester can demand a minimum of £30 million – but the chances of them hearing the Champions League anthem at the King Power Stadium are remote, certainly for the next 18 months.

Mahrez was convinced to give it one more season when he signed a new £100,000 a week contract in August and is the most likely to go. Schmeichel has been Leicester’s star performer in Europe and at 30 is approaching the prime of his career.

Leicester’s ambitious Thai owners will not be bullied, and have no need for the cash, but the lure of playing in Europe again could prove too much for some of the club’s players.

There will be departures. Record £28 million signing Islam Slimani will attract interest from China and many of the other summer flops, such as Ahmed Musa, Nampalys Mendy, Bartosz Kapustka and Ron-Robert Zieler, are likely to leave.

Islam Slimani will attract interest from China 

Demarai Gray will want assurances over more game time next season and Leonardo Ulloa, despite his impressive cameo in the second leg against Atletico, could opt for a fresh start elsewhere.

Yet it is Leicester’s recruitment that will be crucial, with responsibility falling on the shoulders of Jon Rudkin, the director of football, and transfer chief Eduardo Macia. 

Quite simply, last summer was a disaster and many of the signings have not fully embraced the team ethic that made Leicester so successful in their title win.  

A new centre-half is the No 1 priority, a position that has been a source of frustration over the last three transfer windows. Middlesbrough’s Ben Gibson, Anderlecht’s Kara Mbodji and Hull City’s Harry Maguire will be on the list.

Ben Gibson is a likely target for Leicester

Leicester also tend to pursue long-term targets which means a likely return to sign Gaston Ramirez, who almost joined from Middlesbrough in January. 

Shakespeare’s future is also up in the air and a lot will depend on whether he wants to take the job permanently. Hugely respected by players, staff and the board, he would be a popular choice and proved in both games against Atletico that he is a shrewd tactician.

The former No 2 to Nigel Pearson and Claudio Ranieri, Shakespeare has grown into the role and would guarantee continuity after a difficult campaign.

[worthosoriginals]

This is the end of the start, not the start of the end.

[ithuriel]

This is not the end, it is not even the beginning of the end but perhaps it is the end of the beginning

[Raw Dykes]

I'm not sure.

 

I believe that we would have been challenging again this season if CR didn't try to change the way we played. It genuinely frustrates me that he thought it was a good idea to fix what wasn't broken. We've seen the Leicester of last season again since he left. Ranieri has no-one to blame but himself for getting sacked.

 

If Shakespeare or someone else can just aim to make us the best possible team at doing what we did, and do a good job of achieving it, then I genuinely think we could have a shot at another PL title and/or challenge regularly. Sure, there were underperforming big clubs last season, but last season's Leicester side really would be up there if you could put them in any different season.

 

I think recruitment is a bit of a concern based on this season. CS might be the best man for the job, but he might well struggle to do his job if he has to make a team out of Musas and Mendys. Hopefully, it was just a blip and we'll see an improvement in the summer.