Are our owners ambitious?

[StriderHiryu]

You can't say our owners are not ambitious given how much money they've put into the club and what we've done. They've been brilliant. Since winning the title we lost only one player we wanted to keep and they did everything they could to get him to stay.

 

The problem is that the reaction in world football to the LCFC fairy tale has been to spend even more money. Leicester embarrassed the top teams who realised they had to go out and seriously rebuild, which they did. We are living in an era where one club has signed a player for 200M and about to sign another for 120M. That PSG are in France is irrelevant, that money is thrown around Europe and is having a massive impact in the game. We clearly walked away from the Gylfi deal when the price was deemed too high.

 

Our success came from team spirit and a winning mentality. What I think has changed since we won the title is not only losing Kante but we don't play every game like it was our last. During our Great Escape and title season players were throwing themselves at everything and getting over the line through sheer mental willpower. But it's a mountain that is almost impossible to climb again, and the players sub-consciously know it. They haven't downed sticks, but to play every single game at the very top of your game is hard for anyone, especially for players that are basically average, of which we have many in our team.

 

So to challenge again we either need to get into the money throwing fight with the top clubs, or try to recreate that team spirit and identity. We gave Shakespeare a 3 year contract so I think the approach we are taking is obvious. Can we recreate that spirit, well lets judge later into the season.

 

We may also have to accept that the reason why the world fell in love with the LCFC story is because it genuinely was a 5000-1 shot, and that 99% of the time big money is what earns success. At least we lived that dream once!

 

 

[davieG]

32 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

There is a potential issue with paying the staff rather than the players. I've posted before about the rationale in se asia whereby staff are seen as always replaceable due to the massive pool of available labour and rarely overpaid as a consequence. 

 

We lost a few from the scouting team and I know for certain that Steve Walsh was unhappy that not enough effort was made by the club to try and keep them here.

I would suggest that his unhappiness was with Ranieri because he was ok before. So at the time it was a case of Walsh or Ranieri, who would you have picked.

 

Besides Walsh's recruitment was seemingly deteriorating the more money he could spend. 

[davieG]

2 minutes ago, StriderHiryu said:

You can't say our owners are not ambitious given how much money they've put into the club and what we've done. They've been brilliant. Since winning the title we lost only one player we wanted to keep and they did everything they could to get him to stay.

 

The problem is that the reaction in world football to the LCFC fairy tale has been to spend even more money. Leicester embarrassed the top teams who realised they had to go out and seriously rebuild, which they did. We are living in an era where one club has signed a player for 200M and about to sign another for 120M. That PSG are in France is irrelevant, that money is thrown around Europe and is having a massive impact in the game. We clearly walked away from the Gylfi deal when the price was deemed too high.

 

Our success came from team spirit and a winning mentality. What I think has changed since we won the title is not only losing Kante but we don't play every game like it was our last. During our Great Escape and title season players were throwing themselves at everything and getting over the line through sheer mental willpower. But it's a mountain that is almost impossible to climb again, and the players sub-consciously know it. They haven't downed sticks, but to play every single game at the very top of your game is hard for anyone, especially for players that are basically average, of which we have many in our team.

 

So to challenge again we either need to get into the money throwing fight with the top clubs, or try to recreate that team spirit and identity. We gave Shakespeare a 3 year contract so I think the approach we are taking is obvious. Can we recreate that spirit, well lets judge later into the season.

 

We may also have to accept that the reason why the world fell in love with the LCFC story is because it genuinely was a 5000-1 shot, and that 99% of the time big money is what earns success. At least we lived that dream once!

 

 

I suspect it was more to do with him preferring Everton to Leicester.

[Podgeyrogers]

Ambition has to be moderated and be a continual thing. There's no point spending 1 billion on players and another billion on wages if you cannot then accommodate and administer the new found success that you would hope it will bring. 

I suspect that behind the scenes the infrastructure is being worked on that will enable longevity in the top tier of football and the rest of planned growth will be organic.

For me, the owners are going about things the right way and not letting the 5000-1 fluke muddy the waters.

[st albans fox]

18 minutes ago, davieG said:

I would suggest that his unhappiness was with Ranieri because he was ok before. So at the time it was a case of Walsh or Ranieri, who would you have picked.

 

Besides Walsh's recruitment was seemingly deteriorating the more money he could spend. 

That was probably just another reason and I cannot comment with any certainty because I don't have any knowledge of it.  He was already unhappy with his recruitment team staff losses over the previous year or so as I commented with certainty. 

[urban.spaceman]

Our owners are extremely ambitious but I don't think it can be understated that winning the league not only shocked the world but also took us by complete surprise and were quite fairly, very unprepared for it. Pearson had built a squad capable of staying in the league but Ranieri somehow, somehow managed to take that squad, with Walsh's additions, and turn us into champions. That summer window was utterly dreadful and losing Walsh was the worst of that but since then, Macia has brought in Ndidi, Maguire, Iborra and Iheanacho which will make us much, much stronger in the long run. I have no doubt at all that the owners are doing their best to turn us into a top 6 Europe regulars side, but now they have the freedom to do that zlowly zlowly and not quite worry about relegation this time.

 

Make no mistake, we have a very, very bright future ahead of us. Just be patient.

[Finn Claw II]

Remember where we were when then owners bought us and think where we are now.

 

Realistically there are 7 'Big' teams in the league.  Us along with Southampton,  West Ham, Stoke etc are fighting for a Euro spot when one or two of those 7 teams go off the boil and also to win a cup.

 

we've lost Kante to Chelsea, probably Mahrez and Drinkwater to 'bigger' clubs.

 

It's easy to say spend the money but you also need a sense of value and fit with the team.  Last season taught us the value of spending wisely.  I think Mendy and Slim are decent footballers but injuries and systems seem to work against them.

[Bossman Blessed It]

Amazes me that this is even a thread. 

 

They took over an absolute shambles of a club; we were fairly resigned to mid-table Championship mediocrity for a long, long time. As soon as they took over they have bank-rolled several managers and treated the fans and city with the utmost respect. They wanted European football for us and we wouldn't have got there without them. They have a nurturing philosophy and are doing everything in their power to advance us as a football club. I just think they're not prepared to be made fools of; Sigurdsson for £45 million is far, far too expensive. Moreover, they're handing out £100k a week contracts to our star players to keep them here - surely that tells you enough about their ambitions and desire to succeed?

[UniFox21]

Honestly just look at our set up and squad from 2010, and look at it now. Gone from an established championship team to a mid table prem team. From watching the likes of Vassell and Wellens to now watching Mahrez rip an entire team apart  

[Leamington Fox]

I can't believe the question even needs to be asked.  We clearly have ambitious owners, but also level-headed ones.  I have seen not the slightest inkling that they lack ambition or are making decisions which are anything than entirely in the long-term interests of the club.

 

The reality we now face is that money is not the barrier to any new signings.  The barrier is attracting players to Leicester City, rather than the top six or the other big European sides.  That's why we did not get Sigurdson.

 

It may be unfashionable to say it, but I also think we need to cut Rudkin some slack.  A pair of transfer windows which deliver us Ndidi, Maguire, Iborra and Iheanacho must be counted as successful.

[Dan]

5 hours ago, Mr Weller said:

I agree Shakespeare is vital.

 

However, you can attribute too much to individuals and lose sight of the big picture.

 

Without the money we couldn't have afforded the wages needed to attract the players we acquired and we'd have had to sell some of those we had. The owners created that virtuous cycle.

While I agree that the owners have definitely been a help, it's taken a lot more than just their money to get here. There are a lot of clubs with rich owners who haven't done anything like what we have. We had the know-how, the ability to use our money wisely. Inckley's post further up is spot on - quality scouting is the way forward, three players in Vardy, Kante and Mahrez signed for a combined £7mil, worth probably 20 times that now.

 

I think Maguire's probably going to be included amongst those too, granted for £12mil it's more money but in this market it's a snip for what we've got, a quality, English (bumps the price up) defender of a decent age. He could conceivably go for over treble that in a years time, or be worth that much to us.

[Guest MattP]

2 hours ago, Bossman Blessed It said:

Amazes me that this is even a thread. 

 

They took over an absolute shambles of a club; we were fairly resigned to mid-table Championship mediocrity for a long, long time. 

This just isn't true, we had just lost in the play off semi finals and we're heading in the right direction. The club wasn't a shambles at all.

 

On topic, yes they are ambitious but the problem now is they'll probably need to spend a billion to achieve again what we have already achieved thanks to that absolutely magnificent season.

 

It's tough one now where they go, if this was anything else they would probably seek out a new challenge elsewhere. I hope they realise how special an FA Cup win would be for the fans.

[foxinsocks]

after the drubbing by the spuds last may... i said that both clubs were at a decision point.  Spurs could kick on and become a top six side for 10 years (not sure thery would win the pl though) - but to do so thery needed to increase their pay structure to keep the right players and to attract the right players - of course this is a risk (ref leeds utd) but now was the time for levy to get our of his comfort zone and go for it.  he hasn't - I predict we have seen peak spurs.

 

our decision point was that it was clear that we lacked enough players of "top six quality" and  therefore we needed to hang on to those that are and to bring in player with that quality - expensive but the only way to go.  I am not convinced our owners have understood the nature of this opportunity and grasped it.

 

I would come out and say - no one is leaving... and we are in for player of quality.

[tontolcfc]

If Carlsberg did club owners 

 

 

[Realist Guy In The Room]

Our owners are bangin yeah but we needs to sign mans.

[Foxes1]

Our owners are ambitious but they are businessmen as well they are not football experts there money has come through duty free revenue at airports.

They need good and experienced football people around them which I personally think they haven't got.

For whatever reason the biggest mistakes they have made was appointing Eriksen as manager and letting Steve Walsh go (Alright I know he was determined to go but he has not been adequately replaced for whatever reason) again someone in the recruitment team with football knowledge should have known this.

 

[goody2028]

I mean i don't think we can judge the owners ambition by other clubs showing interest in our players. At the end of the day if the right offer came in for Mahrez (which they think it hasn't proved by rejecting Roma) then it will be his choice to go. Same with DD and JV in my opinion. I think our owners are ambitious but maybe not wise enough for spotting transfers that can be crucial. Like right back for example.

[Vardinio'sCat]

 

Yes

[weller54]

8 hours ago, Leamington Fox said:

I can't believe the question even needs to be asked.  We clearly have ambitious owners, but also level-headed ones.  I have seen not the slightest inkling that they lack ambition or are making decisions which are anything than entirely in the long-term interests of the club.

 

The reality we now face is that money is not the barrier to any new signings.  The barrier is attracting players to Leicester City, rather than the top six or the other big European sides.  That's why we did not get Sigurdson.

 

It may be unfashionable to say it, but I also think we need to cut Rudkin some slack.  A pair of transfer windows which deliver us Ndidi, Maguire, Iborra and Iheanacho must be counted as successful.

Neither Iborra or Iheanacho have played a full PL game for us yet.. How can you deem them as successful signings? 

[Jattdogg]

All this thread deserves is a 100% "yes". Close the thread please.

[Guest]

Yes they are ambitious and this next few days in the transfer market will confirm (or destroy) that belief.

[TeamRocket]

[Bunyip]

On 27/08/2017 at 15:08, yorkie1999 said:

The trouble with the window after winning the league was,, we won the league. We were the best team in the country and to get better players in we would have had to offer them first team football which meant we would have had to get rid of players. I think we still have that same problem as most of these players are fans favourites and heroes to many.

"Wes, you've just won the league, now eff off back to Nottingham"

never going to happen.

Who would you have got rid of?

Top teams who win the league don't give a toss about the players who won it. There is no sentiment in football anymore even if there was any. If you want to stay on top you recognise who wants replacing to keep you there and get rid . Do you ever see the likes of Chelsea, man united etc getting sentimental over any of their players?  we all knew that Morgan and Huth were at the end of their careers before last season and should have been replaced then. Had we been savvier we would and should have finished in the top six last season. 

The answer to the question are we ambitious enough is being answered by Mahrez and Drinkwater.

[Babylon]

2 hours ago, Bunyip said:

Do you ever see the likes of Chelsea, man united etc getting sentimental over any of their players? 

Errrrr.... yes.

[foxy boxing]

Of course our owners are ambitious, they've pumped a lot of money into the club and they want and have been successful but it takes a hell of a lot of money and other stuff to compete regularly on the pitch and off it with the usual big clubs.it needs regular sustained investment in the squad and other areas of the football club and to get the people you want to move the club forward so we are competing regularly with the Chelski's and the Manure's.