The 2010s: Leicester City’s team of the Decade

[Guest Danny Clender]

I love these hypothetical opinions, they make no sense at all in the long run, but they have to be done.

 

I have to agree with Rob Tanner's selection, although I agree with @Sampson above, Cambiasso for Drinkwater. 

I can't critically justify it, but my heart says Cambiasso, it was just great with him in the team.

 

Not sure if anybody knows this or not, but apparently he picked the teams in the second half of the season 

[RumbleFox]

I know it's a slightly smug answer but for me it has to be the title winning side.  That team is the overall world team of the decade nevermimd just the Leicester one. In fact it's one of the teams of all time. I still can't believe we won it. Mental. Football eh, bloody hell. X

 

 

[peach0000]

Schmeichel (Only one option)

 

Ricardo (Genuinely the hardest choice for me with Simpson)

Morgan (No debate captained the team through most of the decade and has been a rock)

Huth (Struggled here as Morgans partner has changed so much though the decade)

Fuchs (probably just about gets the nod but honourable mentions for Chilwell and Konchesky)

 

Ndidi (Don't get me wrong, Kante was the better player in my eyes, Ndidi gets in ahead of him down to longevity and of course being a great player in his own right)

King (Our best player for much of the early part of the decade and contributed as much as any other, easy choice)

Drinkwater (Was quality in the championship and premier league if he hadn't moved on he could of been a legend. Hope he's enjoying burnley)

 

Mahrez (great winger, scored some of the best goals I've seen Leicester score)

Vardy (Couldn't be anyone else, honourable mention Nugent)

Dyer (Lloyd not Nathan, mainstay in the team in the first half of the decade, really wish he got his chance to shine in the premier league)

 

Bench

Weale (only other keeper to play regularly during the decade)

Simpson (great right back on his day)

Konchesky (Chilwell is probably the hardest exclusion but I think konchesky deserves his place for his role in the championship)

James (For a few seasons he was arguably our best midfielder, would of loved to of seen how far he'd of gone without injuries)

Gallagher (Was crucial at the beginning of the decade when we weren't blessed with nearly as much quality as we are now) 

Albrighton (Quality winger, great crosser and that goal agains Brugge gets him a place above Knockaert and Schlupp)

Nugent (Few top strikers to choose from so Nugent gets in over Ulloa, crucial in 13/14 but sadly couldn't hack it in the prem)

 

Manager

Nigel Pearson

 

 

Tried to do it not based of raw ability but more what they achieved and brought to the club over a 10 year period which is why I excluded one season wonders like Esteban (my favourite player of all time) and Kante (on of the few genuinely world class players I've seen play for us). 

 

 

[Corky]

Schmeichel

 

Ricardo

Morgan

Huth

Fuchs

 

Mahrez

Ndidi

Kante

Albrighton

 

Ulloa

Vardy

 

This is a bloody hard choice. Simpson, Drinkwater, Okazaki, Dyer, King, Nugent, Chilwell, Cambiasso all with heavy claims to be involved but, at their best, the 11 have been so influential. All mainly at top flight level which is important.

 

We've had some very good players mixed in with "horses for courses" players (with no disrespect meant). Remarkable decade.

 

[PAULCFC]

10 minutes ago, Corky said:

Schmeichel

 

Ricardo

Morgan

Huth

Fuchs

 

Mahrez

Ndidi

Kante

Albrighton

 

Ulloa

Vardy

 

This is a bloody hard choice. Simpson, Drinkwater, Okazaki, Dyer, King, Nugent, Chilwell, Cambiasso all with heavy claims to be involved but, at their best, the 11 have been so influential. All mainly at top flight level which is important.

 

We've had some very good players mixed in with "horses for courses" players (with no disrespect meant). Remarkable decade.

 

Cant argue with this!

[fuchsntf]

Not One change !!...to The squad that won the title..Simply because THEY DID..!!

 

One Position up for grabs to argue over...Okazaki or Ulloa....I go for Ulloa,but I thats Why I said squad...!!! & Why King takes also the plaudits..!!

 

Mentioned in Dispatches For that Pearson Era...

Cambiasso

James

Nugent

Knockhart

Dyer...

 

I am Cheating..but Periera, Chilwell , Tielemans,Maddison, Praet, Choudhury, Soyuncu,Evans  & the like,will get their later Plaudits..!!! 

 

[Foxxed]

As far as whole teams go, 15/16 all the way.
 

But in terms of technical ability:

 

          Vardy
Bar Madd Tiel Mhrz

          Kante

Chil Soy Mag Ric

           Kas

 

A team that could win the treble. I’m only putting in Maguire since Kante would relieve him of his defensive duties.

[shailen]

Criteria for my team is at least more than one season during the decade.

 

Kasper

 

Ricardo

Morgan

Huth

Fuchs

 

Ndidi 

Drinkwater

Maddison

 

Albrighton

Vardy 

Mahrez

[Steve Earle]

Much to be said for picking the title winning XI, but where’s the fun in that?! The current side is significantly better anyway, it just happens to be competing against two outstanding teams. 

 

Going for Puel & Brendan’s 4141:

 

Kasper

 

Ricardo

Evans

Huth

Fuchs (just! Chilwell now better than Fuchs other than 15/16)

 

Ndidi

 

Mahrez (wouldn’t have him back, but the most skilful player I’ve ever seen in a blue shirt)

Tielemans

Maddison

Albrighton (might have to swap with Mahrez to help protect Ricky!) 

 

Vardy

 

oh and hello @ealingfox, from the Ealing Park Tavern!

[Sampson]

34 minutes ago, Foxxed said:

As far as whole teams go, 15/16 all the way.
 

But in terms of technical ability:

 

          Vardy
Bar Madd Tiel Mhrz

          Kante

Chil Soy Mag Ric

           Kas

 

A team that could win the treble. I’m only putting in Maguire since Kante would relieve him of his defensive duties.

What do you consider technical ability? Just passing? Because there's no way Maguire was as good at defending technique of shutting out space, positioning, marking, winning headers and blocks as prime Morgan, Huth and Evans.

[Foxxed]

17 minutes ago, Sampson said:

What do you consider technical ability? Just passing? Because there's no way Maguire was as good at defending technique of shutting out space, positioning, marking, winning headers and blocks as prime Morgan, Huth and Evans.

Tbh I first went with Evans but since Kanté is there I decided his attacking qualities work well in the team. But just technical ability I’d probably go with Evans over Huth and Morgan.

[Clever Fox]

Lining out in a 433  this team would take some beating. 

 

Kasper

Ricardo. Evans  Huth.     Chilwell

Kante        NDiddi         Cambiaso

Mahrez.     Vardy        Maddison

 

Cambiaso was the best player I've seen in a Leicester shirt.  And to think we only seen him at the end of his Career. 

[Anglodanglo]

15 hours ago, st albans fox said:

ricky p is a better full back than simmo but Ricky p and mahrez on the same side of the pitch could be asking for trouble .....

As much as i'd have loved to see a Ricky/Mahrez combo I tend to agree.

 

However it does make for an interesting 'Would you rather'

 

Simpson / Mahrez

or

Ricky / Perez

 

Purely because of Brendan's system it's the latter for me.

Having said that, it would have been fascinating to see if/how BR would have adapted Mahrez into this side. 

[bovril]

11 hours ago, Fox92 said:

Wellens and Gallagher should be nowhere near the same names as Ball and John Paintsill.

 

Wellens was our best midfielder for a while, Gallagher used to get at least 10 goals a season and both contributed to great success under Pearson when we finished 5th and that team shouldn't be forgotten.

Wellens and Gallagher were like Fryatt, Gudjohnson and Hume, we liked them because they were better than what we had at the time but were ultimately still extremely average. 

[Stadt]

11 minutes ago, bovril said:

Wellens and Gallagher were like Fryatt, Gudjohnson and Hume, we liked them because they were better than what we had at the time but were ultimately still extremely average. 

They were consistent top half championship players with us, the rest of their careers were average but I think it’s unfair to compare them the with the likes of Hume.

 

Fairly sure Wellens was our player of the year once or twice.

[FireFox]

                          Kasper

      RDL - Morgan - Huth - Fuchs

Mahrez - Drinky - Kante - Albrighton

                            King

                           Vardy

 

Manager: Nigel Pearson

Subs (in no particular order): Schlupp, Ulloa, Was

 

In terms of sentiment, which makes it hard to include Kante as he was only here for one of those many important seasons (heartbreak, promotion, survival, Prem title, Champions League). But those seasons wouldn't now be looked back on as so important or have happened without him.

 

In terms of ability, obviously Ricardo and at least one of our three central midfielders would be there. But, so I don't have to try to figure out which, I'm going to pretend Jesus Christ was born a couple years earlier and the decade already ended before this new era began.

[deanolegend1989]

Based on ability at Leicester:

 

Schmicheal

Perrera Huth Soyuncu Chillwell

          Kante Tillimens

              Maddison

     Mahrez Vardy Barnes 

 

Based on longevity/Achievement:

 

Schmicheal

Perrera Morgan Huth Fuchs

        Kante Ndidi

          Drinkwater

Mahrez Vardy Albrighton

[Fox92]

13 hours ago, bovril said:

Wellens and Gallagher were like Fryatt, Gudjohnson and Hume, we liked them because they were better than what we had at the time but were ultimately still extremely average. 

Well yeah but that's how it works isn't it. Just because they aren't as good as we have now, doesn't mean we don't forget their contribution to the club.

 

But at that time, like I said, the likes of Wellens/Gallagher/Fryatt are far ahead of Paintsil, Mills, Ball, Johnson etc in terms of ability and contribution. (I know Michael Johnson was a good footballer but he didn't look like it here)

[bovril]

29 minutes ago, Fox92 said:

Well yeah but that's how it works isn't it. Just because they aren't as good as we have now, doesn't mean we don't forget their contribution to the club.

 

But at that time, like I said, the likes of Wellens/Gallagher/Fryatt are far ahead of Paintsil, Mills, Ball, Johnson etc in terms of ability and contribution. (I know Michael Johnson was a good footballer but he didn't look like it here)

I suppose in defence of Wellens and Gallagher, they maybe seem worse in my memory because I have managed to completely wipe players like Mills, Ball and Pantsil from my mind. 

[AyewJoking]

15/16 is team of the history of the sport

[Oxfordfox83]

Love the fact that we had the world’s most expensive defender for two seasons, and he’s not in anyone’s team 

[Stadt]

31 minutes ago, Oxfordfox83 said:

Love the fact that we had the world’s most expensive defender for two seasons, and he’s not in anyone’s team 

We literally all warned United fans saying he’s been quite average and the reaction was all like wah wah wah sour grapes. They all thought he’d be their Van Dijk  

[peach0000]

2 hours ago, Oxfordfox83 said:

Love the fact that we had the world’s most expensive defender for two seasons, and he’s not in anyone’s team 

Feel like a lot of people are bitter. For me though two years is too little time for a team of the decade.

[Corky]

Morgan captained two title winning teams and Huth was instrumental in a survival and title win. As a pair they were colossal for 15 months.

 

Maguire did well for us but was nowhere near as effective as the other two.

[Fox92]

1 hour ago, peach0000 said:

Feel like a lot of people are bitter. For me though two years is too little time for a team of the decade.

Go back to my posts on here, I'm not bitter, I never saw Maguire as this solid defender other people made him out to be. He used to make similar mistakes to Morgan but they'd get glossed over because it was Maguire.

 

Evans is better than Maguire and Soyuncu has that pace to get us out of trouble more (I remember conceding at Huddersfield when Maguire got turned and couldn't recover). Huth was indispensable to us in terms of staying up and then winning the league and Morgan was also solid when we won the league (well, two leagues).