What has changed at the club?

[Dusty]

Why are people talking about wanting new owners? How fickle do you have to be. We have the best owners in world football. Just because they don’t invest as heavily in transfers as other owners doesn’t mean we should wish for different ones. 

The club wouldn’t even be in this division without them, let alone winning it, competing in Europe, winning the fa cup, training at one of the best facilities in the world or expanding the stadium. 
 

Get a grip, doesn’t matter if we don’t sign someone every window. 

[RobHawk]

1 hour ago, sacreblueits442 said:

....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.

But Rome wasn't built in a day, sometimes you have to take a step back to move forwards again. You only have to remember our step back to league one to realise that. 

 

Look at the bigger picture with injuries and this season is disappointing so far but not the doom and gloom some make out. **** me I've just read a thread asking if we will hit 40 points.

 

The fans have always been the heart of this club but the expectation and entitlement is slowly turning that rotten. If we don't remember where we have come from we will be another everton or Newcastle. 

 

Even if you use wealth as a barometer we still only finish around 8th so again realism is required

[Chelmofox]

On the way home yesterday, it was interesting to listen to Conte talk about the situation at spurs. Naturally, he is pitching for as much cash as possible, but his point was about strength and depth vs the top tier. Is he going to get what he wants? We also know that Conte is not great when it comes to long term planning. He will want short term, high cost, impact signings, and give as few shi*s as possible if its sustainable or not. 

 

A lot is spoken about our summer signings, but i would only put 1 of those in the short term bucket (Vestergaard - which obvs hasn't worked out). I'm not counting Bertrand as i believe he was a free transfer. The rest are more long term options. Daka has had short term impact yet Soumare has struggled but there is class in there.  In reality, both of these need time to reach their potential, and to think how good Daka could become is scary. 

 

But back to my point, when you consider the spending compared to Man U (VDB and Sancho alone!), Arsenal and Man City, you are almost dealing with different sports. With us, you have a team where if you can play your first options, we are class. But, this year has exposed the lack of strength and depth. It says a lot when you are desperate for Amarty to come back from AFCON, just so you can have 'someone' in CD. The problem we have for next year is if some of that 'class' wants to move on. We've seen what the big 4 are willing to pay for average talent and it seems to get more and more vulgar every year.

 

So it boils down to what people want. Do you want to carry on with the same system that appears to be sustainable, but have options where you have to give signings and the u23's time, yet still depend on 'good' squad players to fill in the gaps when the class is injured? Or do you want to blow budgets on massive signings and not care what the repercussions are? 

[LVFox]

I think we've gone off track from our usual model rather than changed.

 

Usually, we sell 1 big player a year and re-invest that money to 3-4 prospects, 2-3 of which usually turn out great and the cycle continues.

 

For example.

 

2018/19

Sell Mahrez for 61m

Buy Maddison for 22, Ricardo for 20, Soyuncu for 20, Benkovic for 13

 

Net purchases as a whole in that window of 15-20m. 3 of those incomings have been succesful.

 

2019/20

Sell Maguire for 80m.

Buy Youri for 40, Perez for 30, Praet for 17.5 and Justin for 6. 

 

One big sale, 4 players in, net spend of 13.5m - 2 of those in have been successful.

 

20/21

Sell Chilwell for 45m

Buy Fofana for 30, Castagne for 18

 

4m net spend, and easy to argue covid has affected that figure and the amount of players bought in.

 

21/22

We didn't sell anyone, and spent 60m on Daka (27), Soumare (18) and Vestegaard (15)

 

Think most will agree Daka has been a good buy, jury is still out on Soumare. Lets not mention Vestegaard.

 

But you can see from Rodgers' first summer window in 19/20 how much we've slowly deviated from the usual plan. We are re-investing in less but more expensive players.

 

Now maybe that's a sign of our improved standing, that a higher quality is needed to improve the squad - but no doubt since Congerton came in we wasted 45 on Perez and Vestegaard and possibly another 53 on Praet, Castagne & Soumare. We cannot afford to do that.

 

In short, scouting and player improvement has to improve, and we have to get back to creating our own finances by selling players at good times.

[turlo]

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've just had the biggest net spend on transfers last summer and our wage bill has increased significantly in recent years. Everytime we give a player a new improved contract it increases our operating spend, which will impact our transfer budget, unless we offload players to reduce the wage bill or increase our revenue. We have the highest wage bill as a percentage of turnover in the league, as our  success over the last 6 years has resulted players wages increasing significantly across the squad, without significant increase in commercial revenue.   

Clubs like Liverpool have faced a similar problem where they had to hand out lucrative new contracts to a lot of their players who were brought in on lower wages after they won the UCL and EPL, which has resulted in them not being able to spend as much in the last two summer transfer windows. 

[Daggers]

1 hour ago, Fox92 said:

We spent 60m in the summer? 

That's not impressive, I could do that on a Friday night with a credit card, a bottle of rum and eBay.

[turlo]

16 minutes ago, Dusty said:

Why are people talking about wanting new owners? How fickle do you have to be. We have the best owners in world football. Just because they don’t invest as heavily in transfers as other owners doesn’t mean we should wish for different ones. 

The club wouldn’t even be in this division without them, let alone winning it, competing in Europe, winning the fa cup, training at one of the best facilities in the world or expanding the stadium. 
 

Get a grip, doesn’t matter if we don’t sign someone every window. 

That's a shame if our fans are starting to call out the owners after all they have done for us. Not seen it on here but there's been plenty of it on twitter recently. "Top should stop being a tight bastard or leave"  was a comment that made my blood boil on twitter last week.  Some of these ungrateful little shits need a good hiding or banished to supporting Coventry or Derby for eternity. 

[Chelmofox]

9 minutes ago, LVocey said:

I think we've gone off track from our usual model rather than changed.

 

Usually, we sell 1 big player a year and re-invest that money to 3-4 prospects, 2-3 of which usually turn out great and the cycle continues.

 

For example.

 

2018/19

Sell Mahrez for 61m

Buy Maddison for 22, Ricardo for 20, Soyuncu for 20, Benkovic for 13

 

Net purchases as a whole in that window of 15-20m. 3 of those incomings have been succesful.

 

2019/20

Sell Maguire for 80m.

Buy Youri for 40, Perez for 30, Praet for 17.5 and Justin for 6. 

 

One big sale, 4 players in, net spend of 13.5m - 2 of those in have been successful.

 

20/21

Sell Chilwell for 45m

Buy Fofana for 30, Castagne for 18

 

4m net spend, and easy to argue covid has affected that figure and the amount of players bought in.

 

21/22

We didn't sell anyone, and spent 60m on Daka (27), Soumare (18) and Vestegaard (15)

 

Think most will agree Daka has been a good buy, jury is still out on Soumare. Lets not mention Vestegaard.

 

But you can see from Rodgers' first summer window in 19/20 how much we've slowly deviated from the usual plan. We are re-investing in less but more expensive players.

 

Now maybe that's a sign of our improved standing, that a higher quality is needed to improve the squad - but no doubt since Congerton came in we wasted 45 on Perez and Vestegaard and possibly another 53 on Praet, Castagne & Soumare. We cannot afford to do that.

 

In short, scouting and player improvement has to improve, and we have to get back to creating our own finances by selling players at good times.

Isn't that largely an unsustainable approach? Problem with this model is you need is you need to have that huge player to sell every year and by not keeping your best talent you are never going disrupt the top 4 / 6 because you are not keeping people at their peak. At some point, you are going to want to keep that best talent for an extra season. Arguably 21/22 it would have been Youri. 22/23 Its likely to be both Youri and Madders. 

 

 

[LVFox]

Just now, jamesp26 said:

Isn't that largely an unsustainable approach? Problem with this model is you need is you need to have that huge player to sell every year and by not keeping your best talent you are never going disrupt the top 4 / 6 because you are not keeping people at their peak. At some point, you are going to want to keep that best talent for an extra season. Arguably 21/22 it would have been Youri. 22/23 Its likely to be both Youri and Madders. 

 

 

I'd argue it's unsustainable to have constant success/improvement with that model, you're bound to have peaks and troughs.

I don't really know what the alternative for us is though, our owners don't have the money to constantly pump money into it. We won't ever have the commercial power to bring that in elsewhere either.

 

We have to sell and re-invest, and hope for a European journey to potentially finance a summer window without selling a player to do so.

 

I'd say as well, you can be clever enough to sell players for such high fee's and bring in numerous players of equal quality that the team actually improves.

 

Similar to when we sold Maguire or Drinkwater, it's about being brave enough to sell players when they are at the highest point of there career

[Hales]

I think our biggest issue is injuries, we have been absolutely decimated this season and last season.  We have also had games postponed so its understandable players are rusty and its only now we have a trickle of players coming back. This team hasn't played collectively in a very long time therefore it's hard to build momentum.  As for Brendan I'm a little concerned he has maybe lost his passion here now and is thinking of his next move.  He has changed recently, his comments for example. Or is it simply a case that it has been immensely stressful with injuries and its taken its toll?  The owners are still passionate I'm sure but due to covid their minds may be on their other businesses losing money due to covid and they have been restricted with travelling.

 

I think we just need to get the players back and have others like Youri decide what they are actually doing contractually and everything can settle down.  It has been a horrendous and torrid time and that does take its toll.  

[sacreblueits442]

21 minutes ago, RobHawk said:

But Rome wasn't built in a day, sometimes you have to take a step back to move forwards again. You only have to remember our step back to league one to realise that. 

 

Look at the bigger picture with injuries and this season is disappointing so far but not the doom and gloom some make out. **** me I've just read a thread asking if we will hit 40 points.

 

The fans have always been the heart of this club but the expectation and entitlement is slowly turning that rotten. If we don't remember where we have come from we will be another everton or Newcastle. 

 

Even if you use wealth as a barometer we still only finish around 8th so again realism is required

....not sure why you are using the "Rome" quotation, we are not still travelling there, we have got there and have most of the infrastructure in place!!!

Yes injuries have played a part, but so has some diabolical managerial decisions made to undermine us.

The supporter are aspirational, some people do believe there should be a constant stream of money coming through but such supporters are misguided as opposed to being entitled, and the percentage is nowhere near as many to warrant labelling the fanbase as a whole.

  I do not understand the statement you made regarding using wealth as a barometer, and finishing 8th.

[MattFox]

https://www.statista.com/statistics/565893/global-turnover-of-king-power-international-group/
 

King Powers revenue has fallen off a cliff due the pandemic.

 

Although the fact they are going ahead with the stadium suggests things are picking up again

[Strokes]

1 hour 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.

I’m not judging him on the injuries, I fully acknowledge and sympathies with that. However we are taking the lead in games and then attempting to shut up shop and surrender possession far too early in games. The first couple of times it’s naive, but then frustration grows and now it’s beginning to make me quite annoyed. You can see it coming.

[Chelmofox]

4 minutes ago, LVocey said:

I'd argue it's unsustainable to have constant success/improvement with that model, you're bound to have peaks and troughs.

I don't really know what the alternative for us is though, our owners don't have the money to constantly pump money into it. We won't ever have the commercial power to bring that in elsewhere either.

 

We have to sell and re-invest, and hope for a European journey to potentially finance a summer window without selling a player to do so.

 

I'd say as well, you can be clever enough to sell players for such high fee's and bring in numerous players of equal quality that the team actually improves.

 

Similar to when we sold Maguire or Drinkwater, it's about being brave enough to sell players when they are at the highest point of there career

 

I agree, but if this is the right model then everyone needs to reset their expectations. Its a model where if the strength and depth isn't there one year (arguably this one) then 10th is where you should be. Furthermore, Newcastle are about to disrupt everyones models moving forward. We now have a 5th club willing to spend anything to get success. 

 

Arguably, being brave is shifting from this and not selling one of your best players at their high point to have a go at the top 4. 

[hejammy]

2 hours ago, Mark said:

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

Lol that is the pure definition of "least of our problems"! 

[LVFox]

1 minute ago, jamesp26 said:

 

I agree, but if this is the right model then everyone needs to reset their expectations. Its a model where if the strength and depth isn't there one year (arguably this one) then 10th is where you should be. Furthermore, Newcastle are about to disrupt everyones models moving forward. We now have a 5th club willing to spend anything to get success. 

 

Arguably, being brave is shifting from this and not selling one of your best players at their high point to have a go at the top 4. 

Completely agree with your first point - personally, 3 seasons ago would have snapped your hand off for 5th, 5th & FA Cup, 10th. But we're Leicester and even when we finish 5th we do it in a disappointing way.

Think we can even throw Villa, Everton, maybe even West Ham once that stadium money floods in to teams who should on finances alone finish above us in the table.

 

But sport isn't solely based on finances (thank god), sporting integrity means there will always be an advantage for those who work smarter rather than those with the deepest pockets.

 

I'd therefore say that the bravest thing we could ever do is say "I know he's one of our best players but £x is too much to turn down, and I trust the staff we have in place throughout the club to spend that on 3-4 players, where in 3-4 years time we are selling 1 or 2 of those for the same price".

 

 

 

[RobHawk]

14 minutes ago, sacreblueits442 said:

....not sure why you are using the "Rome" quotation, we are not still travelling there, we have got there and have most of the infrastructure in place!!!

Yes injuries have played a part, but so has some diabolical managerial decisions made to undermine us.

The supporter are aspirational, some people do believe there should be a constant stream of money coming through but such supporters are misguided as opposed to being entitled, and the percentage is nowhere near as many to warrant labelling the fanbase as a whole.

  I do not understand the statement you made regarding using wealth as a barometer, and finishing 8th.

You quoted wealth saying we were in the top 20 richest clubs, so what I'm saying is there's still at least 7 clubs above us in the premier League in that list. So we aren't far off where we should be based on wealth. 

 

With this in mind, this is exactly why we haven't made it as you think, we are perhaps stronger than we ever have been, in my lifetime at least but I would suggest theres a huge difference from getting to the top and then being able to stay there. I think we are doing a great job in building to be bigger long term but also that a difficult season around mid table was always likely at some point. 

[sacreblueits442]

1 hour ago, fox_up_north said:

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). 

...not too sure how many times it needs to be said, but KP does not fund the club, we are self sustainable!!!

[sacreblueits442]

21 minutes ago, MattFox said:

https://www.statista.com/statistics/565893/global-turnover-of-king-power-international-group/
 

King Powers revenue has fallen off a cliff due the pandemic.

 

Although the fact they are going ahead with the stadium suggests things are picking up again

....funding for the stadium is coming from borrowed funds, from our upcoming league position, even if were relegated, that has also been factored into the loan arrangement!!!

[The Year Of The Fox]

3 hours 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. 

Is it expecting Top 6?

 

Or is it expectation to be putting up a fight to hold on to leads, rather than rolling over and having our bellies tickled? 
 

Or expectation to qualify out of a Europa League group

 

Or to win a European knockout game?

 

On the face of it, breaking into the Top 6, particularly this season seems a tall order. But when you think about the 5 points dropped since Thursday, we’d have been 5 points off Top 6 with a game or two in hand. All of a sudden it doesn’t seem so out of reach. 
 

If we were being outplayed each week then you’d hold your hands up and say that we’re not good enough and that would be fair enough to me. But we put ourselves in ideal positions to be winning these games that we ultimately don’t thus then leaving the Top 6 out of reach. 
 

The same goes for the last two seasons and losing out to Top 4

 

I’m fairly anti Rodgers but I certainly don’t think we have a divine right to be challenging the Big Six based on the last few years. What I do expect is for us to get the basics right. And time after time after time, we don’t. 
 

Edited 24 January 2022 by The Year Of The Fox

[NasPb]

nothings changed. not even rodgers id say. were just seeing the worst of him after seeing the best of him for the majority of the last two seasons besides when we bottled it. others have mentioned the lack of funds due to covid. ok this has changed, but teams make bad signings, teams can be unlucky with injuries, and teams can suffer simply a bad run of form. rodgers stubborness in all aspects is the main issue in all regards imo. from training techniques and their links to injuries to idiotic tactics. thats why i am on the fence with him

[Vestan Pance]

2 hours ago, Fox92 said:

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.

Strangely enough this season has seen our highest net spend, since returning to the PL. I believe the average net spend for us is around £20m (incredible compared the Villa, Everton etc), so we could well see sales before we buy.

 

 

Edited 24 January 2022 by Vestan Pance

[Vindaloo FOX]

What's changing is the spine / leaders of our squad are coming to their last days.

 

Kasper 

Evans 

Youri 

Vardy 

 

We need a major rebuild, sadly though we don't have the money and maybe even the right scouting team to do it in one transfer window.

 

This will take a few seasons and we need to hope the right decisions are made or we could find ourselves in real trouble.

 

Rocky roads ahead but hopefully we will produce a special squad again in a few seasons that will bring more silverware to this club.

Edited 24 January 2022 by Vindaloo FOX

[dannythefox]

We need to get our players back fit that’s the only thing for me. I’d love to know the age of some people who start these posts because it’s seem there’s loads that have only supported us in our resent years and think it’s our right to finish top 4 every season and win a trophy. Next season with everyone back we’ll be fine and with a few moved on and a couple of new faces all will be good. 

[Livid]

I don't think that much has changed, obviously Covid has played a part. We didn't cash in last summer and sell one of our star player's, we still invested but, possibly Soumare aside, they have not been great.

 

I think we're all incredibly frustrated at the minute. In March 2020 when we hammered the Villa we were on a roll. From that point on until the start of this season we had our two best season's since winning the league, qualified for Europe twice (yes I know it's not the CL) and won the FA Cup.

 

I honestly believe without such a horrific injury list we would be up there challenging again.