StriderHiryu Posted 4 October 2019 Posted 4 October 2019 Wow there have been some very flattering articles about us today, and here is another! https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11712/11823655/leicester-reporter-notebook-liverpool-trip-the-perfect-barometer-to-test-top-four-credentials -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The momentum generated in 2016 title-winning season is building once more in the wake of faltering top six contenders Sky Sports News reporter Rob Dorsett provides expert analysis and insight following Leicester's rise to third place after seven Premier League games this season... Youth policy coming to fruition Brendan Rodgers has lofty ambitions for Leicester City this season Leicester's recruitment policy predates Brendan Rodgers quite considerably. When he came to Leicester, the depth of young talent that the club had on their books was a big plus point that convinced him to leave Celtic. The position was highly regarded by a lot of managers out there. It was hot property at the time, and it dates back to the time of Steve Walsh, who was head of recruitment when Leicester won the title. He set up a really big international scouting network, which was looking into different areas to a lot of Premier League clubs at the time. They unearthed N'Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez from the lower leagues of European football, and we know what they have gone on to achieve. Even after Walsh left, they appointed Eduardo Macia who did an OK job before being replaced in March by Lee Congerton, who was at Celtic with Brendan Rodgers. But the one constant through all of that is John Rudkin, the director of football, and he oversees the whole of the recruitment policy. He used to be Leicester's academy director, so he's always had an interest in and knowledge of young players up and down the country. He's very much the force behind it, even now working alongside Congerton, and this has enabled them to unearth some really good talent. Added to that, you've got the academy that Rudkin has put together, which has brought through the likes of Hamza Choudhury, Ben Chilwell and Harvey Barnes and you start to see a production line of talent coming through. What's changed is that since Leicester won the title, a lot of the country's young talent see the club as a really good option because they feel they're going to get game time when they might not at one of the top six clubs. That's enabled them to attract some of the best talent, and actually they've got more than they can cope with at present. They signed James Justin from Luton for upwards of £8m but he's not had a kick in the league this season because Ricardo Pereira is playing so well. So they've got young talent waiting in the wings. One of their challenges moving forward may be keeping them happy by giving them enough game time. Soyuncu steps up in Maguire's absence Rodgers didn't want to sell Harry Maguire - it's that simple. But he accepted that the club have always had a strict policy when it comes to the players they want to keep. They will create an inflated asking price for a player of real talent that they want to use. If a club is prepared to pay that asking price then they will sell, and Brendan was on board with that on Maguire. The Leicester hierarchy felt £80m fell into the category of being a very good deal. They worked very hard and were desperate to replace him. But it was very quickly apparent that the prices they were being quoted were extortionate because everyone knew that Leicester had £80m in the bank. They were quoted £50m for James Tarkowski at Burnley. My understanding is that he wanted to come to Leicester. He hasn't been selected by England since the summer and that's largely because Burnley don't play out from the back an awful lot, which is how Gareth Southgate wants to play. But Leicester felt he was over-priced and any value they gained in selling Maguire for £80m would be lost straightaway by signing Tarkowski at that price. It was exactly the same with Nathan Ake at Bournemouth, indeed even more so. Bournemouth were looking for £75m for Ake. While Rodgers is a big admirer of him, there's no way Leicester were prepared to pay that much. It became apparent late in the window that despite their best efforts, they weren't going to find a replacement for Maguire, so they stuck with what they had. It meant an opportunity for Filip Benkovic and Caglar Soyuncu. Benkovic was with Rodgers on loan at Celtic, but my understanding is that he didn't impress in pre-season and Rodgers didn't see him as an immediate first-team prospect, whereas Soyuncu stood up to the mark. Rodgers didn't expect him to be as good as he is, to tell the truth. Caglar Soyuncu has been a revelation at centre-back since the sale of Maguire His comfort on the ball is a huge plus, and he's been one of Leicester's best players this season. Brendan has told me that he felt Soyuncu was trying to do too much in the first few games of the season, and he put himself under too much pressure as he felt this was his big opportunity, but he's managed to get him to relax more. Add to that, Jonny Evans has been one of the best defenders in the Premier League this season, as the senior member of that duo, and Leicester have been delighted by the start they've made. Of course, they don't have a lot of depth behind them. Wes Morgan can't play a lot of games at the age he's at, so I would still expect Leicester to be in the market for another centre-back in January or in the summer as they may struggle for depth in that area. Triumph out of tragedy: Vichai's legacy lives on Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, left, has succeeded his father Vichai as chairman We are approaching the one-year anniversary of the death of the former owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha in the helicopter crash. There was an awful lot of doom and gloom for obvious reasons when that happened. Separate from the personal tragedy, there was a niggling concern over where the squad was going under Claude Puel. Some felt that the loss of the chairman could act as a blow for the club. But his legacy very much lives on and his son Aiyawatt's commitment is unwavering. He has continued to invest and wants to do well in his father's name. In terms of the football and structure, there is a lot more positivity around the club. It's been quite an extraordinary turnaround when you consider how many members of staff were directly affected by Vichai's death. There were doubts over how the club would recover and 12 months ago it didn't feel like the position they're in now would be possible at all. Owners will spend if Champions League push is sustained Rodgers has been told he has money to spend, and between himself and Congerton, they will spend it. But the difficulty that Leicester have got is encouraging some of the top talent to come if they don't feel they're going to get a place in the first team. They've looked at strikers for several windows to act as back-up to Jamie Vardy, but every top striker knows that if they go to Leicester, they're going to be second choice to Vardy unless he gets injured because they only play with one up top. The evergreen Jamie Vardy remains the focal point up front for Leicester I think it's easier for the traditional top six clubs to persuade talent to go there and be part of a squad. Agents and players see Leicester as a really good destination now, and I feel that if they are still in the top four come January, the Srivaddhanaprabha family will absolutely fund the resources that are needed to push the side into those Champions League places. What has surprised some people is how well Leicester have done in the absence of Maguire. It felt like a big blow at the time even though the board were comfortable that they had a good deal for him and that they had enough cover. They feel that about most of the players they've got now if one was to either be sold or be out injured for a long period of time. They have an awful lot of creativity in the side even without James Maddison. Rodgers won't say it publicly, but I feel he's quietly confident that Leicester can break the top six, while there will be a hope and an ambition to break into the top four this season as well. Rodgers feels that in time, signing Ayoze Perez for £20m will prove an absolute snip. Leicester believe he's full of ability and there's more to come from him, and likewise Harvey Barnes. What you saw on Sunday - in the 5-0 win over Newcastle - was that without Maddison, the structure and the tactics that Rodgers deploys suits all the other players down to the ground. So there wasn't a drop off in creativity. Rodgers won't say it publicly, but I feel he's quietly confident that Leicester can break the top six, while there will be a hope and an ambition to break into the top four this season as well. They look at Manchester United and Arsenal in transition and the issues at Spurs and feel there's an opportunity in the same way there was when Leicester won the title in 2016. There's a realisation that they're still a long way behind Liverpool and Manchester City, and that's why I think Leicester's bosses will be very intrigued to see how they fare when they visit Anfield this weekend. Anfield will act as barometer for season James Maddison is expected to overcome an ankle knock to face Liverpool Leicester have already played Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United. If they can still be in the top three having been to Anfield, the belief within the players and at the club as a whole will only grow further that this could be the year they break the top four. Maddison might have played against Newcastle but Rodgers didn't want to risk him as he wants him fit for Anfield. I fully expect him to come back in and I feel Leicester will go there and attack. Wilfred Ndidi provides that protective shield and I don't think they will change too much. They might play Marc Albrighton out wide to provide a bit more security down the flank to double up with Ricardo on Andrew Robertson. It'll be interesting to see if the Leicester full-backs will be asked to be more disciplined and more defensive-minded. Rodgers' one disappointment this season has been his side's performance at United. Leicester didn't perform that day on a very big stage at Old Trafford. It may be that it was a reminder that this is still a very young squad that doesn't have a lot of experience playing at the very top level on the biggest stage. You do wonder whether Leicester will be slightly over-awed playing at Anfield, but they were the better side in the draw at Chelsea. The players will want to prove a point and they know that this game will act as a barometer for how far they've come and what they can achieve this season.
brucey Posted 4 October 2019 Posted 4 October 2019 Very detailed and complimentary article, however there’s a lot of ‘Sky Sports News understands’ which I’d take with a pinch of salt. Says Benkovic didn’t impress Rodgers in preseason, wasn’t he out injured for all of it?
treer Posted 4 October 2019 Posted 4 October 2019 1 minute ago, brucey said: Very detailed and complimentary article, however there’s a lot of ‘Sky Sports News understands’ which I’d take with a pinch of salt. Says Benkovic didn’t impress Rodgers in preseason, wasn’t he out injured for all of it? If he was out injured for all of preseason, then there is no way that he could have impressed BR, so sky sports are right. At least from a footballing perspective.
HybridFox Posted 4 October 2019 Posted 4 October 2019 Happy to see more coverage about us but a few little digs in that article. I think he's way off the mark with our defensive situation. The recruitment team well and truly planned ahead in getting Soyuncu and Benkovic in. Yes they may have sniffed around the market over the summer to see what's there but it wasn't desperation and coincidence that we've ended up with the pairing we've got. Benkovic was injured throughout pre season so it's unlucky for him not to be involved yet. I highly doubt after a spending a successful season with him at Celtic, that Rodgers would suddenly be unimpressed by a few training sessions. Wes is also more than adequate cover when required. So saying he can't play many games is meaningless when he won't be playing many anyway! I'd be shocked if we went in for a big CB in January!
Guest SO1 Posted 4 October 2019 Posted 4 October 2019 20mil for Perez. Thought that was a 30mil release clause. Always appreciative for whatever is out there thrown in here. The piece just doesn't feel right to me for all kinds of reasons. Feels haphazard. Rodgers would never talk about someone's price ........ever
Guest SO1 Posted 4 October 2019 Posted 4 October 2019 1 hour ago, StriderHiryu said: Wow there have been some very flattering articles about us today, and here is another! https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11712/11823655/leicester-reporter-notebook-liverpool-trip-the-perfect-barometer-to-test-top-four-credentials -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The momentum generated in 2016 title-winning season is building once more in the wake of faltering top six contenders Sky Sports News reporter Rob Dorsett provides expert analysis and insight following Leicester's rise to third place after seven Premier League games this season... Youth policy coming to fruition Brendan Rodgers has lofty ambitions for Leicester City this season Leicester's recruitment policy predates Brendan Rodgers quite considerably. When he came to Leicester, the depth of young talent that the club had on their books was a big plus point that convinced him to leave Celtic. The position was highly regarded by a lot of managers out there. It was hot property at the time, and it dates back to the time of Steve Walsh, who was head of recruitment when Leicester won the title. He set up a really big international scouting network, which was looking into different areas to a lot of Premier League clubs at the time. They unearthed N'Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez from the lower leagues of European football, and we know what they have gone on to achieve. Even after Walsh left, they appointed Eduardo Macia who did an OK job before being replaced in March by Lee Congerton, who was at Celtic with Brendan Rodgers. But the one constant through all of that is John Rudkin, the director of football, and he oversees the whole of the recruitment policy. He used to be Leicester's academy director, so he's always had an interest in and knowledge of young players up and down the country. He's very much the force behind it, even now working alongside Congerton, and this has enabled them to unearth some really good talent. Added to that, you've got the academy that Rudkin has put together, which has brought through the likes of Hamza Choudhury, Ben Chilwell and Harvey Barnes and you start to see a production line of talent coming through. What's changed is that since Leicester won the title, a lot of the country's young talent see the club as a really good option because they feel they're going to get game time when they might not at one of the top six clubs. That's enabled them to attract some of the best talent, and actually they've got more than they can cope with at present. They signed James Justin from Luton for upwards of £8m but he's not had a kick in the league this season because Ricardo Pereira is playing so well. So they've got young talent waiting in the wings. One of their challenges moving forward may be keeping them happy by giving them enough game time. Soyuncu steps up in Maguire's absence Rodgers didn't want to sell Harry Maguire - it's that simple. But he accepted that the club have always had a strict policy when it comes to the players they want to keep. They will create an inflated asking price for a player of real talent that they want to use. If a club is prepared to pay that asking price then they will sell, and Brendan was on board with that on Maguire. The Leicester hierarchy felt £80m fell into the category of being a very good deal. They worked very hard and were desperate to replace him. But it was very quickly apparent that the prices they were being quoted were extortionate because everyone knew that Leicester had £80m in the bank. They were quoted £50m for James Tarkowski at Burnley. My understanding is that he wanted to come to Leicester. He hasn't been selected by England since the summer and that's largely because Burnley don't play out from the back an awful lot, which is how Gareth Southgate wants to play. But Leicester felt he was over-priced and any value they gained in selling Maguire for £80m would be lost straightaway by signing Tarkowski at that price. It was exactly the same with Nathan Ake at Bournemouth, indeed even more so. Bournemouth were looking for £75m for Ake. While Rodgers is a big admirer of him, there's no way Leicester were prepared to pay that much. It became apparent late in the window that despite their best efforts, they weren't going to find a replacement for Maguire, so they stuck with what they had. It meant an opportunity for Filip Benkovic and Caglar Soyuncu. Benkovic was with Rodgers on loan at Celtic, but my understanding is that he didn't impress in pre-season and Rodgers didn't see him as an immediate first-team prospect, whereas Soyuncu stood up to the mark. Rodgers didn't expect him to be as good as he is, to tell the truth. Caglar Soyuncu has been a revelation at centre-back since the sale of Maguire His comfort on the ball is a huge plus, and he's been one of Leicester's best players this season. Brendan has told me that he felt Soyuncu was trying to do too much in the first few games of the season, and he put himself under too much pressure as he felt this was his big opportunity, but he's managed to get him to relax more. Add to that, Jonny Evans has been one of the best defenders in the Premier League this season, as the senior member of that duo, and Leicester have been delighted by the start they've made. Of course, they don't have a lot of depth behind them. Wes Morgan can't play a lot of games at the age he's at, so I would still expect Leicester to be in the market for another centre-back in January or in the summer as they may struggle for depth in that area. Triumph out of tragedy: Vichai's legacy lives on Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, left, has succeeded his father Vichai as chairman We are approaching the one-year anniversary of the death of the former owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha in the helicopter crash. There was an awful lot of doom and gloom for obvious reasons when that happened. Separate from the personal tragedy, there was a niggling concern over where the squad was going under Claude Puel. Some felt that the loss of the chairman could act as a blow for the club. But his legacy very much lives on and his son Aiyawatt's commitment is unwavering. He has continued to invest and wants to do well in his father's name. In terms of the football and structure, there is a lot more positivity around the club. It's been quite an extraordinary turnaround when you consider how many members of staff were directly affected by Vichai's death. There were doubts over how the club would recover and 12 months ago it didn't feel like the position they're in now would be possible at all. Owners will spend if Champions League push is sustained Rodgers has been told he has money to spend, and between himself and Congerton, they will spend it. But the difficulty that Leicester have got is encouraging some of the top talent to come if they don't feel they're going to get a place in the first team. They've looked at strikers for several windows to act as back-up to Jamie Vardy, but every top striker knows that if they go to Leicester, they're going to be second choice to Vardy unless he gets injured because they only play with one up top. The evergreen Jamie Vardy remains the focal point up front for Leicester I think it's easier for the traditional top six clubs to persuade talent to go there and be part of a squad. Agents and players see Leicester as a really good destination now, and I feel that if they are still in the top four come January, the Srivaddhanaprabha family will absolutely fund the resources that are needed to push the side into those Champions League places. What has surprised some people is how well Leicester have done in the absence of Maguire. It felt like a big blow at the time even though the board were comfortable that they had a good deal for him and that they had enough cover. They feel that about most of the players they've got now if one was to either be sold or be out injured for a long period of time. They have an awful lot of creativity in the side even without James Maddison. Rodgers won't say it publicly, but I feel he's quietly confident that Leicester can break the top six, while there will be a hope and an ambition to break into the top four this season as well. Rodgers feels that in time, signing Ayoze Perez for £20m will prove an absolute snip. Leicester believe he's full of ability and there's more to come from him, and likewise Harvey Barnes. What you saw on Sunday - in the 5-0 win over Newcastle - was that without Maddison, the structure and the tactics that Rodgers deploys suits all the other players down to the ground. So there wasn't a drop off in creativity. Rodgers won't say it publicly, but I feel he's quietly confident that Leicester can break the top six, while there will be a hope and an ambition to break into the top four this season as well. They look at Manchester United and Arsenal in transition and the issues at Spurs and feel there's an opportunity in the same way there was when Leicester won the title in 2016. There's a realisation that they're still a long way behind Liverpool and Manchester City, and that's why I think Leicester's bosses will be very intrigued to see how they fare when they visit Anfield this weekend. Anfield will act as barometer for season James Maddison is expected to overcome an ankle knock to face Liverpool Leicester have already played Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United. If they can still be in the top three having been to Anfield, the belief within the players and at the club as a whole will only grow further that this could be the year they break the top four. Maddison might have played against Newcastle but Rodgers didn't want to risk him as he wants him fit for Anfield. I fully expect him to come back in and I feel Leicester will go there and attack. Wilfred Ndidi provides that protective shield and I don't think they will change too much. They might play Marc Albrighton out wide to provide a bit more security down the flank to double up with Ricardo on Andrew Robertson. It'll be interesting to see if the Leicester full-backs will be asked to be more disciplined and more defensive-minded. Rodgers' one disappointment this season has been his side's performance at United. Leicester didn't perform that day on a very big stage at Old Trafford. It may be that it was a reminder that this is still a very young squad that doesn't have a lot of experience playing at the very top level on the biggest stage. You do wonder whether Leicester will be slightly over-awed playing at Anfield, but they were the better side in the draw at Chelsea. The players will want to prove a point and they know that this game will act as a barometer for how far they've come and what they can achieve this season. Seems like yesterday was Brendan Rodgers Day and today is Leicester City Day. Hope your going to the match tomorrow. Get some sleep!
brucey Posted 5 October 2019 Posted 5 October 2019 6 minutes ago, SO1 said: 20mil for Perez. Thought that was a 30mil release clause. Always appreciative for whatever is out there thrown in here. The piece just doesn't feel right to me for all kinds of reasons. Feels haphazard. Definitely £30m which has been confirmed by numerous sources, so another thing he got wrong. I appreciate Sky trying to produce LCFC content now that they feel we are relevant again, but sometimes it feels like they are cobbling together information taken from reliable sources elsewhere (I remember reading the source articles for a few of the above paragraphs), making the rest up (things they have no way of knowing, like what our board and Rodgers opinion is on various things mentioned above), with the occasional giveaway that they have no idea what they are talking about (clearly wrong facts, or going on about Gray being amazing for us)
Guest SO1 Posted 5 October 2019 Posted 5 October 2019 1 minute ago, brucey said: Definitely £30m which has been confirmed by numerous sources, so another thing he got wrong. I appreciate Sky trying to produce LCFC content now that they feel we are relevant again, but sometimes it feels like they are cobbling together information taken from reliable sources elsewhere (I remember reading the source articles for a few of the above paragraphs), making the rest up (things they have no way of knowing, like what our board and Rodgers opinion is on various things mentioned above), with the occasional giveaway that they have no idea what they are talking about (clearly wrong facts, or going on about Gray being amazing for us) "Cobbling" as in "Cobb" artist. Perfect description. Thank You.
Guest Danny Clender Posted 5 October 2019 Posted 5 October 2019 Oooooh it's all Barometer's these days, remember though, a Barometer needs knocking to make it work.
Collymore Posted 5 October 2019 Posted 5 October 2019 Would like to see Justin loaned to a lower Premier League / top Championship side to get some proper game time with an immediate recall clause in case of Ricardo injury. Think we've got an absolute diamond waiting there and a bit of a shame he's not playing more regularly. I'd promote Mitchel Clark to the first team squad as cover for RP to replace Justin (presume he can be registered in January for PL or maybe youngsters don't need registering?) and think he'd be over the moon being in and around the first team squad, even if sitting on the bench. Clark has been amazing every time I've seen him so far...
fuchsntf Posted 5 October 2019 Posted 5 October 2019 Seems they are desperate to get their spur into the act early...Like others have mentioned, totally taking some points and Forum- Made- up- issues out of context...!!! Mist likely already prepared...Two Stories for Monday " Hot Off the Press" foxes-failure and hounded down trying to Live up to the hype....or Foxes in the hunt for a Top 4 chase... This game win ,lose,or draw, IMHO does Not , will Not......neither define,nor break or make our season.....even losing 5-0 or winning 4-1... Our journey is a long one....where We should all be expecting to see the various twist & turns,that our newly acquired Ambitionens will obviously track..
Mickey O'Neil Posted 5 October 2019 Posted 5 October 2019 I really like that article. A few few bits I’ll take with a pinch of salt. One thing I don’t agree with..”Liverpool game is a barometer.” It’s not. Not really. Liverpool and Man City are way, way ahead of the pack. We get stuffed today. Of course I’ll be upset but it won’t be the end of the road for my dreams. Liverpool and Man City are the two best teams in the country. No argument from me. We we win today. I’d be delighted. I won’t get carried away though. It could certainly help with making us more attractive if we’re around the top six come January.
Guest Posted 5 October 2019 Posted 5 October 2019 I haven't got a problem with this article in particular but I have to say I much prefer when we go under the radar and there's not so much in the way of media build-up to our games. There's been a lot of smoke blown up our arse and while it's nice to have recognition, you know there'll be just as many "well then, it looks like Leicester aren't that good after all" pieces if we lose. Not to mention the constant fascination with Rodgers going back to Anfield or Klopp renting his old house. If I was a journalist with the chance to talk to the manager of the Champions League winners and I used that opportunity to ask him pointless questions about his ****ing landlord, I'd like to think I'd be a bit disappointed in myself.
Hammo Posted 5 October 2019 Posted 5 October 2019 1 hour ago, Mickey O'Neil said: I really like that article. A few few bits I’ll take with a pinch of salt. One thing I don’t agree with..”Liverpool game is a barometer.” It’s not. Not really. Liverpool and Man City are way, way ahead of the pack. We get stuffed today. Of course I’ll be upset but it won’t be the end of the road for my dreams. Liverpool and Man City are the two best teams in the country. No argument from me. We we win today. I’d be delighted. I won’t get carried away though. It could certainly help with making us more attractive if we’re around the top six come January. You’re right. Today is not a ‘barometer’ for us. However, if we win, I definitely WILL get carried away.😁
StriderHiryu Posted 5 October 2019 Author Posted 5 October 2019 2 hours ago, Mickey O'Neil said: I really like that article. A few few bits I’ll take with a pinch of salt. One thing I don’t agree with..”Liverpool game is a barometer.” It’s not. Not really. Liverpool and Man City are way, way ahead of the pack. We get stuffed today. Of course I’ll be upset but it won’t be the end of the road for my dreams. Liverpool and Man City are the two best teams in the country. No argument from me. We we win today. I’d be delighted. I won’t get carried away though. It could certainly help with making us more attractive if we’re around the top six come January. Yep I agree. Even if we get smashed today, I don't think it tells us that much given Liverpool have been to the last two European Cup finals and won the most recent one. But I suppose the point of the article is that if we were to get a result of any kind it really would cement our place as a serious threat this season.
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