The "do they mean us?" thread pt 3

[Les-TA-Jon]

It was a pre-match ritual for me to stuff some kitkats in my coat pocket to share around at Half-Time. Going to a game after Claudio got the sack, my then 5 year old daughter said: 

 

"Are those chocolates for Ranieri to say sorry you don't have a job anymore?" 

 

 

[RumbleFox]

Those bloody lefties probably drove him out. X 

[Golden Fox]

49 minutes ago, UpTheLeagueFox said:

There were a few private murmurings of concern about CR during the title winning season so what happened subsequently wasn't the biggest surprise in the world.

Any chance you can elaborate on this? From players or club management or somewhere else? Can't say I've heard many rumours about this before.

[Blue ROI]

Claudio is not the comparison to make with Wilder. Thats to be done with Big Nige. Bringing them up from League One to the Premier League.

 

I fought Pearson's corner right until the end of 2014/15. It wasn't looking good for us after Mccarthur and especially after the 0-0 with Hull but he had enough credit to get the full season regardless. Even if we had been relegated I would have kept him on until October at the very least.

 

It's a bit sad for Wilder. Unlike our great escape Sheff Utd are all but down. If Covid hadn't struck they might have been in Europe. They were one of the most unfortunate clubs with how it panned out.

[UpTheLeagueFox]

57 minutes ago, UpTheLeagueFox said:

There were a few private murmurings of concern about CR during the title winning season so what happened subsequently wasn't the biggest surprise in the world.

 

5 minutes ago, Golden Fox said:

Any chance you can elaborate on this? From players or club management or somewhere else? Can't say I've heard many rumours about this before.

There were little things said in conversations - from players and staff - which raised a slight eyebrow but were glossed over quickly because the team was unexpectedly flying high so it wasn't a big thing at the time. And therefore you didn't see stuff publicly.

[Golden Fox]

4 minutes ago, UpTheLeagueFox said:

 

There were little things said in conversations - from players and staff - which raised a slight eyebrow but were glossed over quickly because the team was unexpectedly flying high so it wasn't a big thing at the time. And therefore you didn't see stuff publicly.

Understood. Sounds like that is all we are going to get publicly now as well then!

 

I hope you've written it all down for an explosive "tell all" memoir when you retire...

[Corky]

4 hours ago, Koke said:

Here we go again with the CR nonsense 

 

 

 

We had lost five games in a row before he was sacked. We hadn't scored for 6. There were very few signs of recovery.

 

"We do get relegated every so often"- Yes, the last two included financial meltdown and a decade absence that threw in a spell in the third tier. Most fans didn't want a return to that, thanks.

 

It still amazes me how people cannot get that we will be eternally grateful to Claudio and his work (didn't we give him two standing ovations- one at the first home match after Vichai's passing and the second at Fulham?) and also aware that relegation should never just be accepted and it brings untold uncertainty?

 

Let's make this clear- relegation in 2017 sets us back at least two years, even if promotion is immediate. So Rodgers doesn't join in February 2019. Vardy has gone. Schmeichel has gone. Mahrez goes. Ndidi goes. Tielemans doesn't join. Ricardo doesn't join. Maddison doesn't join. Maguire never arrives. Who knows where we'd be now?

 

The reason we are praised for being well run and competing is because the owners took tough decisions, unpopular decisions, to keep us on the right path. And I'm bloody glad they did.

 

Even beyond that, I didn't want relegation against Ranieri's name. He didn't deserve that, too.

[OhYesNdidi]

8 minutes ago, Corky said:

We had lost five games in a row before he was sacked. We hadn't scored for 6. There were very few signs of recovery.

 

"We do get relegated every so often"- Yes, the last two included financial meltdown and a decade absence that threw in a spell in the third tier. Most fans didn't want a return to that, thanks.

 

It still amazes me how people cannot get that we will be eternally grateful to Claudio and his work (didn't we give him two standing ovations- one at the first home match after Vichai's passing and the second at Fulham?) and also aware that relegation should never just be accepted and it brings untold uncertainty?

 

Let's make this clear- relegation in 2017 sets us back at least two years, even if promotion is immediate. So Rodgers doesn't join in February 2019. Vardy has gone. Schmeichel has gone. Mahrez goes. Ndidi goes. Tielemans doesn't join. Ricardo doesn't join. Maddison doesn't join. Maguire never arrives. Who knows where we'd be now?

 

The reason we are praised for being well run and competing is because the owners took tough decisions, unpopular decisions, to keep us on the right path. And I'm bloody glad they did.

 

Even beyond that, I didn't want relegation against Ranieri's name. He didn't deserve that, too.

Very well said

[Koke]

59 minutes ago, Corky said:

Let's make this clear- relegation in 2017 sets us back at least two years, even if promotion is immediate. So Rodgers doesn't join in February 2019. Vardy has gone. Schmeichel has gone. Mahrez goes. Ndidi goes. Tielemans doesn't join. Ricardo doesn't join. Maddison doesn't join. Maguire never arrives. Who knows where we'd be now?

 

Imagine that. Painful.

[murphy]

It is worth remembering that When Ranieri was sacked we had the worst record for 2017 in all four divisions.  One point and zero goals.

 

It took the much maligned figure of Craig Shakespeare to save us winning his first five games in a row.  I can't see that having happened under Ranieiri and we would be in a very different position today.

[CosbehFox]

2 hours ago, Golden Fox said:

Any chance you can elaborate on this? From players or club management or somewhere else? Can't say I've heard many rumours about this before.

When joining he wanted to completely alter the fitness programmes and sports science with his Italian fitness guy. However with the success at the start of the season, he was persuaded to maintain the training pattern we had. 
 

There’s a podcast with Paul Balsom which mentions this and he was highly praising of Rodgers for maintaining it but with tweaks 

[CosbehFox]

3 hours ago, coolhandfox said:

It time to move on it was 5 seasons ago, I can think of lots of Managers who won something then got sack the next season since then.

Hypocritical way Man City worked behind Pellegrini’s back whilst hiring Pep as an open secret ranks high 

[Jobyfox]

I think there is sometimes a certain arrogance from supporters from other teams when they pass judgement on what rival teams should or shouldn't do. I don't follow Sheffield United close enough to get a feeling either way on whether Wilder should go. He got them into the Premier League and did amazingly well last season, but signings have been poor and their squad appears to lack quality. That may or may not be down to the manager. 

 

When Puel was at Leicester there were plenty of people saying that we should keep him. We were finishing in the top ten? What's our problem? I think only Southampton fans could understand that the brand of turgid, soporific, football that he produced was not something anyone wanted to pay to go and watch. 

 

And Ranieri? How could we sack the man who led us to a league title. Many of us, including me, were gutted that he had to go. It did, inevitably, tarnish the memories of a great time in our history. Other (big!) teams sack successful managers all the time, but we are Leicester City. Our success was a fairy tale, a fluke, a success never to be repeated. Heaven forbid that we wanted the legacy to turn into something more sustainable. To not be a yoyo club for once and stay in the Premier League. 

 

History now shows that we have been vindicated. Who knows whether it will be the same for Sheffield United and who are we to presume to tell them what to do?  

[urban.spaceman]

2 hours ago, Corky said:

 

"We do get relegated every so often"- Yes, the last two included financial meltdown and a decade absence that threw in a spell in the third tier. Most fans didn't want a return to that, thanks.

 

It still amazes me how people cannot get that we will be eternally grateful to Claudio and his work (didn't we give him two standing ovations- one at the first home match after Vichai's passing and the second at Fulham?) and also aware that relegation should never just be accepted and it brings untold uncertainty?

 

Let's make this clear- relegation in 2017 sets us back at least two years, even if promotion is immediate. So Rodgers doesn't join in February 2019. Vardy has gone. Schmeichel has gone. Mahrez goes. Ndidi goes. Tielemans doesn't join. Ricardo doesn't join. Maddison doesn't join. Maguire never arrives. Who knows where we'd be now?

 

The reason we are praised for being well run and competing is because the owners took tough decisions, unpopular decisions, to keep us on the right path. And I'm bloody glad they did.

 

Even beyond that, I didn't want relegation against Ranieri's name. He didn't deserve that, too.

We’d have had to let them all go on the cheap, too. Plus the EFL would have pushed harder to punish us for FFP. We’d be in absolute free fall 

Edited 12 March 2021 by urban.spaceman

[Jobyfox]

1 minute ago, urban.spaceman said:

We’d have had to let them all go on the cheap, too. Plus the EPL would have pushed harder to punish us for FFP. We’d be in absolute free fall 

That's a good point. I'd forgotten about FFP

[urban.spaceman]

11 minutes ago, Jobyfox said:

That's a good point. I'd forgotten about FFP

They would have thrown everything at us to make us an example. Don’t get me wrong, the rules and implementation are utter dogshit - there’s a reason about 20 clubs have had FFP strife with the EFL and had fines or embargoes, or why Derby and Wednesday have sold their own stadiums back to themselves. The fact we got them to admit there was never any intention of the club to break the rules, that it was a genuine difference in interpretation was very telling at how weak the rules are. They would have tried much, much harder to punish us if we’d gone down. 

[Captain...]

Blades fans I know are gutted. They can't save this season so why sack him? 

 

Look at Dyche and now Farke, getting relegated and keeping your manager and philosophy is not the end of the world. The comparisons with Ranieri are wrong, Wilder is the sole reason they are in the premier league. They were effected the most by the lack of fans. They were over performing and part of that was being driven by the fans, fans inspire you play beyond your capabilities, take that away and you're left with a league one 1 side brutally exposed.

[OntarioFox]

4 hours ago, davieG said:

You'd need a team of Kisnorbos 

Shame, all we've got is Barry Hayles 

[OntarioFox]

3 hours ago, Blue ROI said:

It's a bit sad for Wilder. Unlike our great escape Sheff Utd are all but down. If Covid hadn't struck they might have been in Europe. They were one of the most unfortunate clubs with how it panned out.

I know people in Sheffield that still hate us based on Warnock stirring the pot when we went into Administration.

 

So yeah, guess they can add COVID 19 to their list of scapegoats along with us and Carlos Tevez. I love the city and the people, but hoo boy do Blades fans know how to let something fester. 

Edited 12 March 2021 by OntarioFox

[Hammo]

2 hours ago, Corky said:

We had lost five games in a row before he was sacked. We hadn't scored for 6. There were very few signs of recovery.

 

"We do get relegated every so often"- Yes, the last two included financial meltdown and a decade absence that threw in a spell in the third tier. Most fans didn't want a return to that, thanks.

 

It still amazes me how people cannot get that we will be eternally grateful to Claudio and his work (didn't we give him two standing ovations- one at the first home match after Vichai's passing and the second at Fulham?) and also aware that relegation should never just be accepted and it brings untold uncertainty?

 

Let's make this clear- relegation in 2017 sets us back at least two years, even if promotion is immediate. So Rodgers doesn't join in February 2019. Vardy has gone. Schmeichel has gone. Mahrez goes. Ndidi goes. Tielemans doesn't join. Ricardo doesn't join. Maddison doesn't join. Maguire never arrives. Who knows where we'd be now?

 

The reason we are praised for being well run and competing is because the owners took tough decisions, unpopular decisions, to keep us on the right path. And I'm bloody glad they did.

 

Even beyond that, I didn't want relegation against Ranieri's name. He didn't deserve that, too.

Well said. Vichai’s decision to sack Claudio when he did was even braver than his decision to take him on. And, as the passage of time has proved, equally vindicated.

[ian__marshall]

Wilder's a limited coach in my opinion. Take nothing away from him he did amazingly well last season but he's too reliant upon hard work rather than quality and tactical nous. It's a great formula for the Championship and below but when you're up against players of quality you get found out if you're lacking in this area.

 

I'm not sure he has the ability to man manage or even spot top player's hence why he shies away from them. People will say he's had a limited budget but he's spent over £100m in the last 2 seasons on absolute dross. He'd have been much better served investing the money in fewer players of higher quality and fleshing out the squad with experienced PL players coming to the end of their careers on free/cheap transfers. 

 

Where Sheff Utd go from here I don't quite know. Eddie Howe would be a good fit for them but whether he'd take the job I'm not so sure. 

Edited 12 March 2021 by ian__marshall

[OhYesNdidi]

17 minutes ago, ian__marshall said:

Wilder's a limited coach in my opinion. Take nothing away from him he did amazingly well last season but he's too reliant upon hard work rather than quality and tactical nous. It's a great formula for the Championship and below but when you're up against players of quality you get found out if you're lacking in this area.

 

I'm not sure he has the ability to man manage or even spot top player's hence why he shies away from them. People will say he's had a limited budget but he's spent over £100m in the last 2 seasons on absolute dross. He'd have been much better served investing the money in fewer players of higher quality and fleshing out the squad with experienced PL players coming to the end of their careers on free/cheap transfers. 

 

Where Sheff Utd go from here I don't quite know. Eddie Howe would be a good fit for them but whether he'd take the job I'm not so sure. 

Sheffield Uniteds net spend was £45m more than ours 

[Grebfromgrebland]

11 minutes ago, OhYesNdidi said:

Sheffield Uniteds net spend was £45m more than ours 

Doesn't mean a lot. A club like them have to pay top price for championship players whereas a club like Leicester will pay less for better players as we're a much more attractive proposition.

[OhYesNdidi]

Just now, Grebfromgrebland said:

Doesn't mean a lot. A club like them have to pay top price for championship players whereas a club like Leicester will pay less for better players as we're a much more attractive proposition.

I agree. Just thought id mention it. 

[Koke]

34 minutes ago, ian__marshall said:

Wilder's a limited coach in my opinion. Take nothing away from him he did amazingly well last season but he's too reliant upon hard work rather than quality and tactical nous. It's a great formula for the Championship and below but when you're up against players of quality you get found out if you're lacking in this area.

 

I'm not sure he has the ability to man manage or even spot top player's hence why he shies away from them. People will say he's had a limited budget but he's spent over £100m in the last 2 seasons on absolute dross. He'd have been much better served investing the money in fewer players of higher quality and fleshing out the squad with experienced PL players coming to the end of their careers on free/cheap transfers. 

 

Where Sheff Utd go from here I don't quite know. Eddie Howe would be a good fit for them but whether he'd take the job I'm not so sure. 

 

He's indeed limited. Their first PL season they were riding a wave. Second season they looked like the lower league team that they are. Their transfers have been abysmal. Their net-spend is far higjer than ours. We spent £20m each on Castagne and Praet, they spent more on Brewester + McBurnie. 

 

So to sum up. Loads of money wasted + reliance on "hard-wotking" lower league players + limited tactics =,gets you 1 fluke season in the PL followed by Derby County level of ineptitude. 

 

Edited 12 March 2021 by Koke