Riyad never wanted to join LCFC

[Alf Bentley]

Agree that there's no cause for bitterness among LCFC fans.

 

But Riyad could use a bit of perspective, too....

 

His professional record - appearances (goals): 

- Le Havre 60 (6)

- Leicester 158 (42)

- Man City 50 (14)

 

He's now 29. Given Pep's liking for rotation, it's highly unlikely he'll get close to his LCFC stats at Man City or anywhere else.

Sure, he might get 1 or 2 more trophies and a sack of cash at the Etihad, before dropping down to play for someone else in England or France.

 

But Riyad, your career, even your life will be forever defined by Leicester City, mate.

 

In 20, 30 or 40 years, when you're a bald, paunchy old man running a bar in Sarcelles or playing on the roulette wheels in Monte Carlo, people will point and whisper:

"Look, son, it's Riyad Mahrez, he was once a great footballer who helped Leicester City to the greatest sporting glory of all time!" They won't remember a couple of trophies at Man City.

 

And when that sad day comes, in 50 or 60 years, when a solemn Parisian funeral procession enters Père Lachaise Cemetery and heads for a grand, ornate tomb.....

You know what the gilded plaque on the tomb will say, Riyad?

"Ici repose Riyad Mahrez, le grand footballeur de Leicester City"

Think on't, son! 

[purpleronnie]

I wonder if his opinion of Leicester and his time here will change when he hangs up his boots and realizes his biggest achievement was winning the Premier League with Leicester.

[Guest Markyblue]

I sometimes feel hes like a council estate boy whos become a millionaire and denies he was ever anything else, sad that one of our best ever players will always be remembered as such but never loved.

[Yes]

No need to get touchy about the rugby comment really, just how it was at the time, in fairness Riyads one of the reasons people all around the world know Leicester has more than just a rugby club.

[ScouseFox]

3 hours ago, Mark_w said:

 

I think the issue is that throughout his time here and since he’s been completely classless about it. Kante used us as a stepping stone to advance his career but we all love him because he’s been consistently nice and handled himself professionally. Mahrez signs new contracts, then sulks, makes out he’s being held hostage and when he gets his move is still insufferable.

kante joined us as a premier league team, left us as premier league champions for a team who'd just finished tenth. 

 

mahrez joined a championship team, stayed for our champions league season and then tried to leave for the best team england's ever seen when we looked like we'd be closer to getting relegated than doing anything worthwhile for the foreseeable future. 

 

not sure how kante gets such an easy ride. he fu cked off when we were good, just to get more money at a team who were rubbish, ffs. at least the rest of them (drinkwater, riyad etc) had the decency to wait until we were shit before they said yeah i don't wanna play here anymore. 

Edited 13 May 2020 by ScouseFox

[Nalis]

I think it boils down to the fact that, like it or not, clubs are just vessels for career progression and are just a place of work for most players.

 

If you've performed well when you are here then we can have no complaints when they move on with neither party owing anything to each other.

 

Loyalty only comes into it if its a club you've supported as a kid or something and even then there would be no qualms as long as the move was in a respectable manner.

[foxile5]

The bloke is a turd. 

[gw_leics772]

54 minutes ago, ALC Fox said:

He did imply that he was impressed when he eventually researched the club. Rugby's pretty big in France so it's no surprise that the most successful English club was well known there at the time and that he was more aware of them than City considering we'd spent years in the wilderness battling financial problems and footballing mediocrity.

 

His time here was soured by the manner in which he left and tried to leave beforehand, not by what he did before. These negative articles designed to stir up trouble don't help either.

👍👍👍👍👍👍😂🤯

[Stinkenzo]

It's hard to imagine admittedly but would Kante have been the smiley, happy footballer if we kept hold of him a few years longer than we should have?

[Ashley]

Actually makes me laugh some of the stuff you read on here. 

 

Riyad hasn't been far wrong with what he has said previously, some of what he said was very constructive too. 

 

Yet Ulloa whos regarded as a god on here and fan sites publicily thrown his toys out the pram and said he would never play for us again... but Riyad is the bad one... 

[foxes_rule1978]

At the end of the day, he did what we signed and paid him to do and more...  he gave full effort and was fantastic for us. 

[Collymore]

5 hours ago, Paddy. said:

 

“At that point, I opened my laptop and for the first time and I Googled Leicester City.

I like to think he had a look on Foxestalk so I had a look back at the topics about at the time. Page 727 if you're interested. 

 

I came across one I had created myself about Fuctas being the new Cantona! I must have been on the sauce at the time as I don't remember posting that!

 

I like to think Riyad read this and it was the reason he join to play with someone as good as his boyhood idol!

Edited 13 May 2020 by Collymore

[Guest]

3 hours ago, bmt said:

He's arguably been City's best player since he's become first choice, I don't think he'd have trouble getting another club. His performance against Leicester when we played City away was perhaps the best I've ever seen an opposition player play against us live.

 

He's obviously a bit of a baby but this article (if it even is real) isn't disrespectful at all, people need to learn to chill a little.

 

You must be a Mahrez homer or Algerian (remember those sad days)

 

He had a few good games but he isn't and has never been even one of Manc's top 5 players. Even when he played against us it was De Bruyne who was by far the better player and the reason Mahrez had no-one marking him - it was a choice De Bruyne or Mahrez.

 

Take those Mahrez glasses off, he's a bench warmer for Pep and will be crying again there, as he was before injuries allowed him to get some game time.

[MPH]

5 hours ago, Footballwipe said:

So glad there's a landslide of dismissing this kind of crap. Anyone getting their knickers wet over this is teetering on obsession over him at this rate.

 

He didn't want to join. He did. He became a superstar. He made the right decision. Voila.

to be fair people are only commenting because he’s done another interview. Bit harsh calling it an obsession. if he doesn’t do an interview, then people don’t comment..

[surrifox]

[CosbehFox]

6 hours ago, Paddy. said:

On one hand I agree with you completely but then two things stick out to me 1) the rugby team comment is a clear dig 2) he's got absolutely nothing positive to say about a club that gave him so much.

The quote about the rugby club dates from his first six months here. 

[ScouseFox]

3 minutes ago, Cardiff_Fox said:

The quote about the rugby club dates from his first six months here. 

yeah that quote is about 6 years old. and the reaction to it then was simply haha fair play, obviously if he's been living in france he'd know more about one of europe's best ever rugby teams than he would a team who'd spent more time in league one than the premier league in the decade before he joined. 

 

but now all of a sudden cos he's left it's "a clear dig" and the most disrespectful thing anyone could ever say. 

 

sure. 

[shailen]

3 hours ago, ScouseFox said:

kante joined us as a premier league team, left us as premier league champions for a team who'd just finished tenth. 

 

mahrez joined a championship team, stayed for our champions league season and then tried to leave for the best team england's ever seen when we looked like we'd be closer to getting relegated than doing anything worthwhile for the foreseeable future. 

 

not sure how kante gets such an easy ride. he fu cked off when we were good, just to get more money at a team who were rubbish, ffs. at least the rest of them (drinkwater, riyad etc) had the decency to wait until we were shit before they said yeah i don't wanna play here anymore. 

Couldn't agree more. Mahrez gave us two more seasons when clearly he wanted to move on like Kante but just because Kante is perceived to be a nice guy he gets away with it more. Yes Mahrez made it clear he wanted to move on and sulked a bit but his performances after the title winning season were just as good imo.

[eblair]

1 hour ago, Ashley said:

Actually makes me laugh some of the stuff you read on here. 

 

Riyad hasn't been far wrong with what he has said previously, some of what he said was very constructive too. 

 

Yet Ulloa whos regarded as a god on here and fan sites publicily thrown his toys out the pram and said he would never play for us again... but Riyad is the bad one... 

throwing your toys out because you're not being played is very different from demanding to leave as the star player; don't think any fan will begrudge a player for forcing a move to play football, especially if not to a team that beats us all the bleedin time

[Ashley]

3 hours ago, ScouseFox said:

kante joined us as a premier league team, left us as premier league champions for a team who'd just finished tenth. 

 

mahrez joined a championship team, stayed for our champions league season and then tried to leave for the best team england's ever seen when we looked like we'd be closer to getting relegated than doing anything worthwhile for the foreseeable future. 

 

not sure how kante gets such an easy ride. he fu cked off when we were good, just to get more money at a team who were rubbish, ffs. at least the rest of them (drinkwater, riyad etc) had the decency to wait until we were shit before they said yeah i don't wanna play here anymore. 

 

Kante release clause was met, its a little bit different. 

[Out Foxed]

7 hours ago, Mark_w said:

 

I think the issue is that throughout his time here and since he’s been completely classless about it. Kante used us as a stepping stone to advance his career but we all love him because he’s been consistently nice and handled himself professionally. Mahrez signs new contracts, then sulks, makes out he’s being held hostage and when he gets his move is still insufferable.

speak for yourself. i definitely don't love him. no telling what we might have achieved had he not ****ed off from "FC Leicester"

[Ashley]

47 minutes ago, pmcla26 said:

Well Ulloa had been very good for us for two years at that point, and we weren’t playing him and had the donkey Slimani ahead of him, so can understand why he was annoyed at not playing. 

 

A better player to compare him to would be Kante who dropped us at our highest point like a sack of shit for a club at their lowest ebb in years, just cuz they whacked a few more £ on the table. 

Kante release clause was met. Was offered ridiculous money at Chelsea. 

 

Kante still cares about the club. He still comes to games when Chelsea aren't playing. He was even at a pre season game at Burton Albion. 

[J.Lisemore]

Just now, Ashley said:

Kante release clause was met. Was offered ridiculous money at Chelsea. 

 

Kante still cares about the club. He still comes to games when Chelsea aren't playing. He was even at a pre season game at Burton Albion. 

To add to this, obviously Kante would have had the final say on a transfer but I can imagine his agent had a big influence on whether he was staying or going. I doubt he would have thrown his toys out of the pram if he had to stay put it that way. 

[Guest An Sionnach]

Kante is a great player who reads the game superbly well but Wilf is getting very close to him now and is much better in the air so all in all we did OK out of that. They are both intelligent nice guys which helps. Mahrez is a big kid and shows no sign of growing up.

[ScouseFox]

10 minutes ago, J.Lisemore said:

To add to this, obviously Kante would have had the final say on a transfer but I can imagine his agent had a big influence on whether he was staying or going. I doubt he would have thrown his toys out of the pram if he had to stay put it that way. 

well we'll never know cos he fu cked off for a team who finished 9 places below us, weren't in europe, at the first possible opportunity, just to get more money. the absolute hero.