What has changed at the club?

[Winsum]

When Rodgers was appointed the story was that the aim was to disrupt the top six.

Three years on and a new training ground and the prospect of a stadium expansion and the

story changes

We are mid table and the club is over achieving says Rodgers.

Are there off the field issues ?

 

[Fazzer 7]

Perhaps money for players isn’t forthcoming 

[Fox92]

15 minutes ago, Winsum said:

When Rodgers was appointed the story was that the aim was to disrupt the top six.

Three years on and a new training ground and the prospect of a stadium expansion and the

story changes

We are mid table and the club is over achieving says Rodgers.

Are there off the field issues ?

 

Apart from he said, in that Mail article, that he is still here to do just that and this season we're off it which is right. 

 

People keep saying "three years on" but in those three years we have finished top 6 twice and won the FA Cup and Community Shield. It's not too bad I don't think.

Edited 24 January 2022 by Fox92

[Edingleyfox]

Expectations have gone up. Recruitment has not been as good as in previous seasons and no money to cover the ridiculous amount of injury setbacks. On top of that confidence is low and we are becoming more defensively minded as result and not seeing out matches.

[Cadno'r Cymoedd]

1 hour ago, Winsum said:

When Rodgers was appointed the story was that the aim was to disrupt the top six.

Three years on and a new training ground and the prospect of a stadium expansion and the

story changes

We are mid table and the club is over achieving says Rodgers.

Are there off the field issues ?

 

We had a stated aim of being a Top 6 club regularly IIRC. Of course, we won the title (and the cup) but Brendan is saying we've reached our pinnacle possibly as we now sit in mid table mediocrity. Don't get me wrong, we should be pleased with our achievements and being consistently (hopefully) in the top flight. But the club and Rodgers seem to have different opinions. 

Edited 24 January 2022 by Cadno'r Cymoedd

[Guest Lako42]

Seems quite obvious the club hasn't got the financial ability that it did have. Another loan taken the other day, no players purchases, parent company being hit incredibly hard in it's main market, born leader sadly taken away too early and unfortunately he was the man with the ruthless nature to do what needed to be done. 

 

Club feels like it's a bit adrift at the moment. 

[RobHawk]

What's changed is that rather than aiming to be disrupting the top6, we've been there for 2 seasons and people begin to expect that. 

 

Given the injuries we have had this isn't really that bad of a season considering our history. But people expect top 6 again. 

 

We are still in 2 cup competitions and mid table in the league, players are coming back and hopefully we can improve a bit in the second half of the system and push for at least top 8.

 

We'd have killed for this 10 years ago so people need chill out, get behind the boys and see what happens between now and our upcoming summer rebuild. 

[Guest Chocolate Teapot]

8 minutes ago, Lako42 said:

Seems quite obvious the club hasn't got the financial ability that it did have. Another loan taken the other day, no players purchases, parent company being hit incredibly hard in it's main market, born leader sadly taken away too early and unfortunately he was the man with the ruthless nature to do what needed to be done. 

 

Club feels like it's a bit adrift at the moment. 

The parent company being hit is massive.

 

World travel retail is operating at about 60% of 2019 which tells you all you need to know.

 

Top will be full on and pre occupied with that.

 

That's one - and the second is we've ripped up the blueprint of a balanced system between the DoF, head of recruitment and the manager. Now its all what the manager wants. He's paid famously and so are his staff which is incredibly limiting for the rest of it.

 

Weve got some ageing players who are paid pretty well too - Evans, vardy and kasper all take home nearly or above 100k a week. Fine for the most part but two of them are over the hill and vardy looks like he's about to start down it. It's challenging.

[desertfox2]

The Duty free market being smashed by Covid has probably meant that way less money is around for the club at the moment than it was as they need all available funds for the main duty free business. High expectations, poor recruitment with the players we have signed, players that we would sell being on contracts that mean other clubs aren't interested and an increase in injuries are all a factor too. 

[sacreblueits442]

17 minutes ago, RobHawk said:

What's changed is that rather than aiming to be disrupting the top6, we've been there for 2 seasons and people begin to expect that. 

 

Given the injuries we have had this isn't really that bad of a season considering our history. But people expect top 6 again. 

 

We are still in 2 cup competitions and mid table in the league, players are coming back and hopefully we can improve a bit in the second half of the system and push for at least top 8.

 

We'd have killed for this 10 years ago so people need chill out, get behind the boys and see what happens between now and our upcoming summer rebuild. 

....10 years ago we were not in the top 20 of richest clubs!!!

We have moved on, built a club that challenges the best in our League and a great training ground. We are still developing on and off the field, we cannot keep looking back to see how far we have come, we are here now, let us concentrate on that.

[jerry]

Seems a little like dejavu the season after winning the league we were awful, we win the F A Cup and this season we are ....

[sacreblueits442]

22 minutes ago, Chocolate Teapot said:

The parent company being hit is massive.

 

World travel retail is operating at about 60% of 2019 which tells you all you need to know.

 

Top will be full on and pre occupied with that.

 

That's one - and the second is we've ripped up the blueprint of a balanced system between the DoF, head of recruitment and the manager. Now its all what the manager wants. He's paid famously and so are his staff which is incredibly limiting for the rest of it.

 

Weve got some ageing players who are paid pretty well too - Evans, vardy and kasper all take home nearly or above 100k a week. Fine for the most part but two of them are over the hill and vardy looks like he's about to start down it. It's challenging.

....the owners individual wealth or the finance of King Power has little or no bearing on our financing of this club!!!

  They do not put money into the club, so long as they can cover a certain amount of over spend in this pandemic, then we can spend above the FFP limit. So far as I am aware they have not done so, and true to their word, we are a self sustainable business.

The players wages do not cause a drain on our ability to recruit players, the investment in capital expenditure has taken precedent for a short period, and will greatly aid or sustainability in the long run.

All this would have been costed and agreed, we are not skint, just building a self sustainable club.

[st albans fox]

13 minutes ago, sacreblueits442 said:

....the owners individual wealth or the finance of King Power has little or no bearing on our financing of this club!!!

  They do not put money into the club, so long as they can cover a certain amount of over spend in this pandemic, then we can spend above the FFP limit. So far as I am aware they have not done so, and true to their word, we are a self sustainable business.

The players wages do not cause a drain on our ability to recruit players, the investment in capital expenditure has taken precedent for a short period, and will greatly aid or sustainability in the long run.

All this would have been costed and agreed, we are not skint, just building a self sustainable club.

You’re ignoring the effects of covid on the club’s income 

 

gate receipts, commercial revenue, and more 

 

we are fortunate that the FBS sponsorship has papered over these financial cracks 

 

KP are unable or perhaps unwilling in the current global climate to pump in further finances apart from covering loans - moshiri stuffed £100m into Everton on Thursday …. Other clubs have sold share capital recently 

 

whilst we paid for the training ground without notably affecting our transfer budgets, I don’t think the same will be true of the ground expansion 

 

looking back at statements made and spending patterns from several years ago  is ignoring the covid elephant in the room .

[sacreblueits442]

1 minute ago, st albans fox said:

You’re ignoring the effects of covid on the club’s income 

 

gate receipts, commercial revenue, and more 

 

we are fortunate that the FBS sponsorship has papered over these financial cracks 

 

KP are unable or perhaps unwilling in the current global climate to pump in further finances apart from covering loans - moshiri stuffed £100m into Everton on Thursday …. Other clubs have sold share capital recently 

 

whilst we paid for the training ground without notably affecting our transfer budgets, I don’t think the same will be true of the ground expansion 

 

looking back at statements made and spending patterns from several years ago  is ignoring the covid elephant in the room .

...yes covid has had an impact but the original post was directed to the lack of resources coming from King Power!!!

 The same policy used in procuring the training ground will be used for the ground expansion and offsite developments. 

  The owners believe in self sustainability, to start to pump money in every time there is a problem goes against what they are trying to do.

  We will not learn anything if we are constantly holding our hands out everytime there is a problem with any form of cash shortages.

  We are a well run business, we can take a hit this year, we do not spend on redevelopment every season, this has been costed long term.

[jim5000]

We’ve lost huge amounts of income over the past two seasons (as have all clubs) which has compounded the injury crisis we have endured this season. The out of nowhere leg break of Fofana weeks before the start of the season meant we had to blow our budget on an emergency centre back who has proven to be completely inept.

 

The injury crisis has had a nasty feedback loop where those players not injured get overplayed leading to more players out, and the extra matches through Europe and long cup runs last season. We had three academy players on the bench on Sunday and no plans or budget to buy anyone else.

 

Were pretty much financially stumped at the moment, no budget for new players and the majority of the first team squad out injured.

We can only trust in the management of the club which has taken us from mid table championship to premier league and fa cup winners. The past two years have been unprecedented globally, and due to circumstances out of our control the squad has taken a hammering and the resources simply aren’t there to just go out and buy another four or five £30m players like Man City can as we are owned by a duty free company, not by an oil-rich Middle East nation.

 

Edited 24 January 2022 by jim5000

[teblin]

I wonder if we may see new owners in the next 12/18 months. Or additional investment 

[Mark]

A successful LCFC is almost always in an all blue kit, stop messing with the shorts.

[Fox92]

1 hour ago, Lako42 said:

Seems quite obvious the club hasn't got the financial ability that it did have. Another loan taken the other day, no players purchases, parent company being hit incredibly hard in it's main market, born leader sadly taken away too early and unfortunately he was the man with the ruthless nature to do what needed to be done. 

 

Club feels like it's a bit adrift at the moment. 

We spent 60m in the summer? 

 

Weird how everything was right 7 months ago, when we won the FA Cup and finished top 6, but now it's "adrift". 

 

I just don't think people can accept where we are in the league table.

[Guest Col city fan]

Covid has impacted everywhere, not only at City, and I think it’s used as an excuse too freely now. 
My theory is that Rodgers has become too comfortable at Leicester. He has his feet firmly under the table, is on a huge contract which would take a massive amount of money to free him from and I think he’s left to get on with the playing side of things with a free rein.

Hes a good manager.. he brings through the youth, he talks well and he’s popular.

But i wonder if the hunger and drive for real success has waned. 
He’s been here quite a long time now, he’s punched us above our weight and I don’t know what the aim is at the club anymore. Both he and we, seem in a pretty stagnant phase.

Will that change? I guess it could dependent on what the ‘targets’ for the club are. But I see in Potter for instance, and in Gerrard at Villa, far more of a drive to progress their respective playing squads. We just seem to be treading water. If most of the fans are happy with that… to win a few, lose a few etc then they keep Rodgers on.

Personally I think we need to freshen up with some new ideas. Not that I’m anti-Rodgers (I’m not) but I think that change is needed every so often.

[jim5000]

18 minutes ago, Col city fan said:

Covid has impacted everywhere, not only at City, and I think it’s used as an excuse too freely now. 
My theory is that Rodgers has become too comfortable at Leicester. He has his feet firmly under the table, is on a huge contract which would take a massive amount of money to free him from and I think he’s left to get on with the playing side of things with a free rein.

Hes a good manager.. he brings through the youth, he talks well and he’s popular.

But i wonder if the hunger and drive for real success has waned. 
He’s been here quite a long time now, he’s punched us above our weight and I don’t know what the aim is at the club anymore. Both he and we, seem in a pretty stagnant phase.

Will that change? I guess it could dependent on what the ‘targets’ for the club are. But I see in Potter for instance, and in Gerrard at Villa, far more of a drive to progress their respective playing squads. We just seem to be treading water. If most of the fans are happy with that… to win a few, lose a few etc then they keep Rodgers on.

Personally I think we need to freshen up with some new ideas. Not that I’m anti-Rodgers (I’m not) but I think that change is needed every so often.

It’s a bit harsh to judge him on this season given the shitstorm of injuries we’ve had, completely out of his control. If you look at everything up to this season, then he’s done brilliantly. One six month period with our entire starting back 4 injured, Vardy out, and a knackered midfield (plus AFCON), and we’re mid table and people says he’s lost the hunger.

[Spudulike]

I don't think we are anywhere near needing a change of management especially as the new incumbent would have no transfer budget until players are sold. 

 

I think we'll have to grin and bear it for now. However, next season will be different. 

[RichMC24]

Nothing has changed.  It's the usual over reaction to a couple of iffy results.

 

We are not and never have been a top6 club.  The target is to disrupt the top6 regularly (not every season) and we have done that in the last two seasons.  This year we have been hit hard by injuries.  This has resulted in players being a little inconsistent and dropping form.  In comparison, it hasn't been a great season and because expectations are high, it feels disappointing.

Seriously though.  Everyone needs to chill out.

All teams go through periods of decline, all players go through a drop in form.

We are not having the best time of it admittedly and yet we are 10th.  We have Wilf and Kel coming back from AFCON, Justin is back, hopefully Fofana, Evans, Vardy, Castagne, Pereira soon.  In this period we have seen more of KDH, Thomas & Hamza with mixed results as you would expect from young lads coming in.  We've had some great results mixed in with some disappointments.  Its football, its the Premier League - we are not Man City.    In my opinion we are doing a fine job amongst fierce competition considering all the disruption.

Hopefully a very busy summer will sort out the Tielemans issue, one ay or another - move a few on - bring a few in and we go again next season and have a bit more luck with injuries.

 

In the meantime, we should still be relishing a chance to defend the FA Cup, win a European trophy and possibly sneak into a Euro spot via the league.

 

All things that for the first 40 years of my life seemed impossible.  Enjoy the ride folks - less of the self entitled whinging.   Football is cyclical and I guarantee we'll be back into the Championship at some point in the coming years (see Stoke, Blackburn, Bolton, Forest, Sheff Wed etc ).   To be in 10th position in a bad season really is still amazing.  Don't get used to it - enjoy every minute while it lasts.

 

Peace !!

 

[Guest Col city fan]

15 minutes ago, jim5000 said:

It’s a bit harsh to judge him on this season given the shitstorm of injuries we’ve had, completely out of his control. If you look at everything up to this season, then he’s done brilliantly. One six month period with our entire starting back 4 injured, Vardy out, and a knackered midfield (plus AFCON), and we’re mid table and people says he’s lost the hunger.

This glosses over the bigger picture and I’m trying to be balanced. I said he’s punched above his weight at City?

What IS in Rodgers control are many things. Signings for instance. Vestergaard  and Soumare as examples.. both bang average in my opinion

Tactics too. Sitting back on goals time and time again with exactly the same outcomes. Formations.. 5 at the back, 4 at the back etc? These are all decisions made by the manager.

We have been blighted with horrible injuries, the biggest one to Fofana.. easily one of our best players in recent years. 
But all clubs get injuries. All clubs have gotten Covid 19. Etc etc etc 

Why we lost to Tottenham and drew to Brighton wasn’t about injuries or Covid. It was because Rodgers decided to do what he does so often.. to protect leads rather than try to kill games off. 
Thats within his gift to do that. It’s his decision.

So there’s always a bigger picture going on and I’ve tried to give my theory.

Edited 24 January 2022 by Col city fan

[MonkeyTennis?]

OK, our entire first choice back line has been crocked all year: Ricardo, Evans, Fofana, Justin. As a result, we are continually reshaping the defense, incorporating second or third choice players, and playing key players out of position, which is impacting midfield particularly. In any game last year, if we had been playing Amartey and Cags next to one another, it would be squeaky bum time. Now they're are the best we've got available, because, sadly, the recruitment we made, too hurriedly IMO, in this area didn't work out. 

 

As far as I'm concerned, that's why we're struggling more this season than over the last few years. We ship goals when we shouldn't because our back line isn't working cohesively.  

 

And I have to say, fair play to Brendan for fixing the issue of defending corners poorly. I just don't think he has been able to fix wider defensive issues, and I don't particularly blame him for that. 

[fox_up_north]

This is a bad season but tbf our worst season since promotion was immediately after title and still 12th with quarters of Champions League. Followed by two 9th places. 

 

If we finish 10th with a quarter/ semi of a cup, then that's still a great season (as well as community shield). 

 

It is highly likely we'll never be top 4 again and we'll never win the title. To me, what we should expect is to be doing the best we can in circumstances.

 

Currently, most of our backline are out for the foreseeable and our owners are tightening their belts. It may very well be that in time we have to accept fighting relegation is the best we can do, IF circumstances dictate (KP lose funding, etc).