Football365: Leicester are one fine summer from a Champions League squad

[knitro]

Good, optimistic read, an excerpt:

 

Quote

Claude Puel has bequeathed him a wonderful squad, one Leicester might well argue is better than Chelsea’s, Arsenal’s or Manchester United’s. They have a full-back pairing everyone but Liverpool should envy, a centre-half being touted to Manchester City for more than £75m, the highest tackler and third-most creative player in Europe, and the Premier League’s fifth-top goalscorer. If Rodgers is precisely the sort of manager – or human – who would describe himself as an artist, he has inherited the perfect canvas and a gloriously well-balanced palette.

 

And the Northern Irishman has painted a pretty picture thus far. Leicester are one of two teams who took points off Liverpool at Anfield, one of two teams who took points off both Liverpool and Manchester City, and the only visiting team to win at Stamford Bridge this season. A Premier League table since Rodgers was appointed has the Foxes in fifth, with only the top two winning more games.

 

This is new ground for Leicester. Their phenomenal title win will never be repeated or surpassed, but they have made a mockery of those who feared what would come after the Lord Mayor’s show. Just because they will never again fly so close to the sun does not mean they must reside in the shadows for eternity.

 

It was a remarkable achievement but one built on quicksand. There was nothing sustainable about Claudio Ranieri’s band of merry, pizza-eating men, a side that thrived on camaraderie and togetherness to capitalise on an unprecedented level of collective elite failure.

 

But this feels different, like taking a ladder a step at a time instead of leaping to the top and risking a subsequent fall. The foundations are solid, the progress steady but sensible and supportable. Leicester had not finished ninth or higher in consecutive top-flight seasons since 1967. They had ten of their players named in squads at the 2018 World Cup, having had just 12 selected in the previous 20 tournaments combined. The world’s greatest hangover has cleared and while Ranieri and Puel could not see through the haze, Rodgers has reminded these players, these fans and this club how to enjoy itself once again.

 

The test will be this summer – and it might take the single-minded determination of a self-assured optimist to break an outdated cycle. Since Esteban Cambiasso left in 2015, Leicester have sold one of their best players in every summer transfer window. N’Golo Kante followed in 2016, then Danny Drinkwater in 2017 and finally Riyad Mahrez last year.

Leicester are one fine summer from a Champions League squad

[Fox92]

I like optimism. Come on!!! Even if it's far from the truth and what actually happens, I'm up for the season already.

[UpTheLeagueFox]

"Leicester had not finished ninth or higher in consecutive top-flight seasons since 1967."

 

While that is true we did finish 9th, 10th, 10th, 8th under MON which is pretty damn close and was a superb achievement at the time, along with the 2 League Cups.

[rachhere]

14 minutes ago, UpTheLeagueFox said:

"Leicester had not finished ninth or higher in consecutive top-flight seasons since 1967."

 

While that is true we did finish 9th, 10th, 10th, 8th under MON which is pretty damn close and was a superb achievement at the time, along with the 2 League Cups.

Exactly. And that is why MON will forever be my favourite manager (although Brendan is more than welcome to challenge that!). 

[AKCJ]

I like the optimism and i'm inclined to agree.

 

I honestly don't see the first 11 (that's including Tielemans) as being that far away from the so-called Big 6.

 

Trouble is when we need a goal we bring on Iheanacho, when we need to beef up the midfield we bring on Mendy and when we need to shore up the defence we bring on Morgan etc etc

 

Our first 11 is more than enough (would like to sign a quality winger) but the squad as a whole needs beefing up.

 

[urban.spaceman]

I’ve said it before: 4th place is up for grabs next season. Arsenal and Man Utd are in need of a huge overhaul from top to bottom, which isn’t going to happen in one summer. Chelsea have a transfer ban, Hazard is likely on his way out, Sarri doesn’t have a clue what to do with Kante. We have no Europe next season, and with a couple of great additions to the squad we should be challenging for the Europa League regardless. But a Champions League is definitely possible IMO. 

[rachhere]

8 minutes ago, urban.spaceman said:

. But a Champions League is definitely possible IMO. 

Which would coincide nicely with the opening of the new training facility. The foundations are definitely there. 

[urban.spaceman]

4 minutes ago, rachhere said:

Which would coincide nicely with the opening of the new training facility. The foundations are definitely there. 

Don’t do this to me Rach. 

[Foxxed]

Goalkeeper - Great

Full backs - Great

Centre backs - Great (and still great if we sell Maguire and Benkovic comes in)

Defensive midfielder - Great

Creative midfielder1 - Great

Creative midfielder2 - Great if we buy him

Striker - Great

Winger1 - Young and could be his season

Winger2 - Got four goals last season, may get upto 6 the next

 

Buy Tielemans. See Barnes flourish. But a new winger. Get a lot of luck. Could see Europe.

[PhillippaT]

Would we be willing to accept cwappy performance in the cups (as usual) if it means focusing on (and hopefully getting) getting a CL place?  Afterall, it'#s really our 2nd team/reserves that are the main weakpoint atm. - our first team isn't looking too bad (so long as we get Tielemans).

[rachhere]

15 minutes ago, urban.spaceman said:

Don’t do this to me Rach. 

Haha. Sorry, setting ourselves up for a fall here aren't we! But hey, others started in this time, so we can't be completely deluded. 

[Manini]

42 minutes ago, PhillippaT said:

Would we be willing to accept cwappy performance in the cups (as usual) if it means focusing on (and hopefully getting) getting a CL place?  Afterall, it'#s really our 2nd team/reserves that are the main weakpoint atm. - our first team isn't looking too bad (so long as we get Tielemans).

I wouldn’t, personally. 

 

While growing in to a team that consistently deliveres European football would be amazing, it can also be taken away in an instant. 

 

Its the cups and trophy lifts that we remember, but in saying that, you get European football from winning the cups anyway so I think turning us in to a shit hot cup side has multiple advantages. 

[Koke]

It's all well and good to compare ourselves to United and Arsenal, and I agree our first 11 is on par with theirs at the very least. But our biggest obstacle is how we fare against bottom half teams. Arsenal are flat track bullies and their home form is formidable, hence they finished 18 goddamn points ahead of us. 

 

I hope Brendan finds a way where we turn our dominance into wins against teams who park the bus. If we do them we are in business.

[Guest]

I agree with the general sentiment in that we're probably not a million miles away from some of the teams above us and if we can maximise the potential in the squad whilst making some clever additions, we'll go far. Can't agree with some of their conclusions with regards to our transfer policy though. "The permanent signing of Youri Tielemans, the ruthless upgrade of Kasper Schmeichel and the addition of a worthy alternative to Jamie Vardy would leave Leicester with a Champions League-standard squad" - maybe, but realistically that's probably costing somewhere towards £100m and I really don't see us spending that sort of money without selling. I don't see what's so outdated about accepting over-the-odds bids for players if it allows you to strengthen the squad. If we hold on to all our players then great, but doing that whilst also bringing in a good striker, a quality winger and Tielemans/a Tielemans replacement would leave us reliant on the "combination of supreme scouting and sheer luck" through which we've apparently survived selling Kante, Drinkwater and Mahrez. It's good to be ambitious but it's always going to be constrained by financial realities, no matter how determined or optimistic you are. 

[1972 Fox]

3 hours ago, rachhere said:

Exactly. And that is why MON will forever be my favourite manager (although Brendan is more than welcome to challenge that!). 

Ranieri? He did win us the Premier League after all. 

[ealingfox]

Absolutely no chance of us getting top 6, let alone 4th. Don't do this to yourselves.

[Suzie the Fox]

10 minutes ago, ealingfox said:

Absolutely no chance of us getting top 6, let alone 4th. Don't do this to yourselves.

Why not? .. Its a very outside possibility but i wouldnt go as far as saying 'no chance' .. 

[Trav Le Bleu]

12 minutes ago, ealingfox said:

Absolutely no chance of us getting top 6, let alone 4th. Don't do this to yourselves.

We're not Spurs.

[Mickyblueeyes]

Our squad is very good. The starting 11 with Tielemans is very strong. To get into the top 6/4 you need consistency and consistency comes from players continually doing well and playing together and that is where our problem is. Every time a player does very well, the teams who are already established come down and swoop. Even 1 player going per season effects the progress. 

 

I am quietly confident with the new manager and the suggested investment, players are more inclined to stay this summer and I hope, in addition to Tielemans we can add two or three more of real quality. If we do that, with this young squad having a years experience together, then yeah, we have a real good chance.

[Trav Le Bleu]

5 hours ago, Foxxed said:

Goalkeeper - Great

Full backs - Great

Centre backs - Great (and still great if we sell Maguire and Benkovic comes in)

Defensive midfielder - Great

Creative midfielder1 - Great

Creative midfielder2 - Great if we buy him

Striker - Great

Winger1 - Young and could be his season

Winger2 - Got four goals last season, may get upto 6 the next

 

Buy Tielemans. See Barnes flourish. But a new winger. Get a lot of luck. Could see Europe.

Is Joey Tempest getting the lads back together?

[coolhandfox]

3 hours ago, Koke said:

It's all well and good to compare ourselves to United and Arsenal, and I agree our first 11 is on par with theirs at the very least. But our biggest obstacle is how we fare against bottom half teams. Arsenal are flat track bullies and their home form is formidable, hence they finished 18 goddamn points ahead of us. 

 

I hope Brendan finds a way where we turn our dominance into wins against teams who park the bus. If we do them we are in business.

Quality wide men, for me would make the difference.

[Deeg67]

People are sleeping, I think, on how much adding Robben would help this team. Not only does he bring experience and swagger, he also still has a massive skill set exactly where we need it. He’s not done by any means.

 

I’d actually like to see us improve at GK if we’re going to try and have a long-term run in the big six, but I recognize that’s a pipe dream at this point. Kasper is entrenched.

[Chrysalis]

13 hours ago, AKCJ said:

I like the optimism and i'm inclined to agree.

 

I honestly don't see the first 11 (that's including Tielemans) as being that far away from the so-called Big 6.

 

Trouble is when we need a goal we bring on Iheanacho, when we need to beef up the midfield we bring on Mendy and when we need to shore up the defence we bring on Morgan etc etc

 

Our first 11 is more than enough (would like to sign a quality winger) but the squad as a whole needs beefing up.

 

 

I would say the only real issue there is the lack of a decent backup striker.

 

In our title season we were fine with players like king as backup.

 

But having nacho as the backup striker is clearly a problem which I am sure rodgers will rectify.

 

Our squad is good enough, the issue is consistency which comes down to coaching.  Some people think spend spend spend, but a lot of the game is about mentality and coaching.

 

Rio ferdinand explained it well in how man utd suffered moving from fergie to moyes, the mentality from the manager was completely different as moyes was used to managing an underdog team.

[volpeazzurro]

Rodgers has indeed inherited a very good squad of young players and has been very fortunate in that respect as it is the best squad we've had for a while. He also faces far less problems than when Puel first arrived. Top 6 in fairness is a very big ask, though not completely impossible. However, should we actually manage to get Tielemans, barring lengthy injuries to certain of our players, If Rodgers doesn't finish higher in the table this year compared to last, after all the fan and media hype around him, combined with his own media friendly input, questions should be asked. He certainly talks a good game and If he's half what he's touted to be anything less would be disappointing. 

[CosbehFox]

Winnning a cup for starters would be okay for me