Happy Fox Posted 17 May 2017 Share Posted 17 May 2017 http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11712/10881316/craig-shakespeare-understands-riyad-mahrezs-desire-for-regular-champions-league-football Leicester City boss Craig Shakespeare has no problem with Riyad Mahrez showing the ambition of wanting to play Champions League football again. Speculation about Mahrez's future with the 2015/16 Premier League champions has refused to go away and he told Sky Sports last week that he wants to play Champions League football every season. Leicester will not be involved in any European competition in 2017/18 but Shakespeare said the club would be aiming to get back to that level as soon as possible after a tumultuous title defence that saw Claudio Ranieri dismissed less than a year after lifting the trophy. Speaking ahead of Thursday's clash with Tottenham, which is live on Sky Sports, Shakespeare said: "It can be interpreted in different ways. "I think there's nothing wrong with ambition, whether that be from a player, a manager or a coach. "Him saying he wants to play in the Champions League - I think you'll remember I said after being knocked out by Atletico, we want to experience this again. I don't see any problem with that." Goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has also been linked with a move away from the King Power Stadium, but Shakespeare said of the Denmark international: "His performances this season have highlighted he's one of the best 'keepers out there, and we are happy with him. "He is happy with us, we've had no offers for him, so that's how I see it with him." Leicester boss Craig Shakespeare puts Riyad Mahrez's wish to play Champions League football down to ambition rather than a desire to leave Talking more generally about the possibility of summer departures, he added: "I'd like to understand first why he wants to leave. "You have to talk to the players. But until you get an offer there's no need to have that conversation, other than to know they're okay, there are no issues, they feel wanted. But it's important you keep your best players at the club." Shakespeare's own future will also be under the spotlight this summer as his contract as interim boss runs only until the end of the season. But he is not expecting to have to wait long after the conclusion of their final two games to find out where he stands. Shakespeare said: "We've got two games left, it will come to a conclusion. I think the club know that it's important for forward planning that it gets sorted. So, my answer is [that] we won't have to wait long." Oops! Remember you need to log in using your Sky iD to watch Premier League vidBut he is not expecting to have to wait long after the conclusion of their final two games to find out where he stands.Shakespeare said: "We've got two games left, it will come to a conclusion. I think the club know that it's important for forward planning that it gets sorted. So, my answer is [that] we won't have to wait long." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UPinCarolina Posted 17 May 2017 Share Posted 17 May 2017 Realistic? Maybe not. Possible? Absolutely. If we get this summer right and Kasper/Vardy/Ndidi all stay, we have a puncher's chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKCJ Posted 17 May 2017 Share Posted 17 May 2017 If we buy very well and keep the likes of Kasper and Mahrez with Shakey as our gaffer then I reckon we can. About 19 ifs though. I'd take a Europa spot if offered right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urban.spaceman Posted 17 May 2017 Share Posted 17 May 2017 I BELIEVE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evil jack Posted 17 May 2017 Share Posted 17 May 2017 Riyad might still be playing CL football this season, if he'd played better against Atletico. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the fox Posted 17 May 2017 Share Posted 17 May 2017 Not sure about top 4, but definitely a Europa league spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bayfox Posted 17 May 2017 Share Posted 17 May 2017 It's certainly a tall order and at the start of this season i did wonder about the players, but I think we have seen that if they are allowed to play the way they want to, with a bit of freedom and the way that seems to suit us best we can certainly have a good crack at the top 6/8 infact had we sacked claudio in Nov we may well have been pushing Utd for that 6th place. So why not, but recruitment will be key and if we can get something out of the players that haven't really paid of this season, or we can get rid and find better fits. But I think we need to set up with a little more intent away from home than what i've seen at man city and arsenal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry96 Posted 17 May 2017 Share Posted 17 May 2017 Don't see why not with the right signings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmarteyAndChill Posted 17 May 2017 Share Posted 17 May 2017 This would require our home form to be pretty much perfect and our away form to be in the top 6 in the league Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spicer Posted 17 May 2017 Share Posted 17 May 2017 Well our form since Feburary is in the top four in terms of short term form. It is akin to our great escape season. Thus we certainty could get into the champions league again, but whether it's realistic is another question. I think we'll have to see the comings ad goings in the summer before honestly knowing where we will be next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UniFox21 Posted 17 May 2017 Share Posted 17 May 2017 With a good summer, we'd definitely have a chance for top 6, but think there's a lot of quality and money up there so will be tight Could see a nice cup run, with a favourable draw could get to a final Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shen Posted 17 May 2017 Share Posted 17 May 2017 I think top 8 is possible, but Shakespeare is inexperienced and has shown he still has a bit to learn. On top of that, our squad badly needs good alternatives. This season, I would argue that the only succesful backup for a first XI player we've witnessed has been Benalouane. Ndidi was an upgrade on what we had; Chilwell, Gray, Slimani have all done OK without being great. Musa, Amartey, King, Mendy, Barnes, Hernandez, Zieler, Kapustka, Ulloa, Wague and Was have all failed to make a worthwile impression. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shen Posted 17 May 2017 Share Posted 17 May 2017 5 minutes ago, Spicer said: Well our form since Feburary is in the top four in terms of short term form. It is akin to our great escape season. Thus we certainty could get into the champions league again, but whether it's realistic is another question. I think we'll have to see the comings ad goings in the summer before honestly knowing where we will be next year. We haven't had great results against the top six teams though. So far it reads W2 D2 L7 and I doubt Shakespeare has the nous to outsmart them next season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashley Posted 17 May 2017 Share Posted 17 May 2017 Yeah why not? We need to be aiming for top 6. Like I said in the other thread we need to start showing some ambition, we could do it if we showed some bottle £50+million to even consider a Mahrez transfer and even then it would be a simple no. Sign well and for the future and there isn't any reason we could do it every Season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy Posted 17 May 2017 Share Posted 17 May 2017 Tough for Leicester fans to say anything is unrealistic having experienced what we have, and others would laugh at us for not ruling it out but why not. Good team, good manager, good signings and I see no reason for us not to finish in the top 7 (We could come 8th this year after a somewhat abysmal season domestically) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lgfualol Posted 17 May 2017 Share Posted 17 May 2017 After winning the league it's not impossible to finish top 4. But I think we'll be fighting between 6th and 10th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goober Posted 17 May 2017 Share Posted 17 May 2017 I fancy us to compete for top 6 if we have a good summer. I'd absolutely love Europa League as well, European footy in any form is welcome back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fazzyfox Posted 17 May 2017 Share Posted 17 May 2017 Of the top 8 clubs in which I include ourselves we could be the only ones without the additional European matches to play next season which should help a little and along with Everton we don't suffer from that pressure cooker of expectation that the "big six" do. That's not to say we don't have ambitions or don't need a high finish to justify our wage outlay but traditionally the boards of the other clubs have such a reliance on Champions League qualification partly for finance and also for reputation that they will feel a pressure that if we occupied fifth all season wouldn't feel. With all of our current players still available and playing the Shakey Way (as opposed to looking Shaky away) we need to be top 8 all season then with a good run in April / May who knows, 8th-3rd? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan LCFC Posted 17 May 2017 Share Posted 17 May 2017 It's unlikely, but I'm not having us written off totally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Barry Hammond Posted 17 May 2017 Share Posted 17 May 2017 Shakespear clearly needs to be saying these sort of things with an air of certainty... ... however personally as a fan I prefer to be a lot more reserved and I don't think any firm judgement can be made right now. Naturally the make up of our squad as the transfer window closes is one factor which none of us can be sure on. Another factor will be our fixture list - it's amazing what a difference a run of fixtures can make. Finally, another factor will be what other teams do. Again, time will only tell, but for me there doesn't seem to be the disarray among the top 6/7 that there was when we won the title, given its only Arsenal that has big question marks over its direction. Chelsea, Spurs, Man City, Man Utd, Liverpool and Everton currently seem to be on a set course barring major surprises - however, naturally 6 into 4 cannot go, so there could be unpheaval come the end of the 17/18 season. Maybe that means the 18/19 season will be the year to re-build for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koke Posted 17 May 2017 Share Posted 17 May 2017 Prefer this kind of talk from Shakespeare than the 40 points mantra from Ranieri. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry - LCFC Posted 17 May 2017 Share Posted 17 May 2017 Even if we keep all our best players (tough) I don't think we'd have enough to break in again. My target is 7th, and I'd be ecstatic with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
filbertway Posted 17 May 2017 Share Posted 17 May 2017 2 minutes ago, Koke said: Prefer this kind of talk from Shakespeare than the 40 points mantra from Ranieri. Absolutely. I hated him treating us like some conference team that won a competition and was given a chance to play in the league for a year. (Slight exaggeration there, but you get my point! ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddog Posted 17 May 2017 Share Posted 17 May 2017 Its not realistic but I really admire the way Shakespeare is talking and there is nothing wrong with setting a target of 4th and having that ambition and positive mindset. Can we finish a season below Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool but above all others including Man Utd and Arsenal? Yes in my view, in fact if you word it like that stealing 4th place becomes more of an option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeGuy Posted 17 May 2017 Share Posted 17 May 2017 Really love the Shakespeare style. Showing ambition can't hurt and motivate your players. Unlike Ranieri. Keep the bests, invest in the middle and in a proper CB and we certainly can aim for an european spot (EL). Top might be a bit out of reach next season, but in two years? Why not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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